How to go about the test?

[pcmdotcom]

Hello,

I took my first and only GMAT test in Feb 2013. I got a 470 on that test. Obviously, I was extremely down about it because I studied really hard. I followed beatthegmat study plan 60 days starting August of this year. I took gmatprepnow video lessons, followed CR bible for CR and Manhattan for SC. After going through the study plan and going over all the gmatprep videos twice, I finally took two gmatprep free exams just the quantitative section. My first test got me 44 percentile and i was able to finish on time. My second test the percentile increased to 63 percentile but I realized in that test that I had 15 minutes left to attempt the last 15 questions so basically i was short on time.

I have no problems attempting the OG 13 questions. I get 85% of them right no matter what category of quantitative question they fall in but when it comes to the test, I find myself struggling.

Can anyone please advise as to what I am doing wrong? I think it has to do with the way I take the test or is it lack of practice? Also can you please advise as to what's the best way to improve the test taking skills?

Thank you in advance.

[VivianKerr]

I think what you're "doing wrong" is not knowing "what you're doing wrong," if that makes any sense. Think of the GMAT like a three-headed hydra. To do well on it, we need to rock 1) content, 2) strategy, and 3) pacing.

Here's some questions you'll need to answer to really move forward:

1) Content - what Q-types are your weakest? What are you getting wrong (and be specific)? Is it DS questions involving inequalities? Is it Critical Reasoning "Evaluate the Plan" questions? What grammar errors do you have a hard time recognizing on Sentence Correction? Remember, the GMAT questions change but the concepts stay the same. You might need to do an Error Log and go back over your incorrect problems to "diagnose" and answer these questions.

2) Strategy - how are your approaching DS, PS, RC, SC, and CR, step-by-step? How are you using your scratch pad, predictions, putting questions in your own words, process of elimination, etc.? My guess is that you don't have a strong, effective, set strategy for each individual question-type.

3) Pacing - Since you mentioned having trouble with this on your practice tests, I'd suggest incorporating some pacing drills in your practice. Again, your pacing will improve to the extent you know WHAT question-formats and concepts are slowing you down. When you take practice tests, it's important to use benchmarks -- have them in front of you so you can work on matching them. Always know "where" you should be within a section.

Hope these tips help -- at this point, you've got to get out the magnifying glass and do some diagnosis. Books and practice tests are just study tools --they can't do it for you. Good luck!

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Hi pcmdotcom,

Many Test Takers notice a "disconnect" between the work that they do using books and the work that is required of them on a CAT (or the Official GMAT). There's an endurance aspect to working on a computer that doesn't occur when using a book. In addition, you're forced to move your eyes/head/neck more during a CAT (which is about 4 hours of repetitive motion and stress). The random and adaptive nature of the Official GMAT also requires you to be remarkably flexible with your tactics/approach whereas a book tends to keep you focused on one category at a time.

It sounds like you understand the content just fine, BUT you might not know the fastest way to answer the questions. Taking incrementally "too long" on most of the questions will typically lead to a pacing problem.

One of the better (and more realistic) ways to solve these problems is to practice with more "online material" and less "book material." You might consider investing in a GMAT Course that emphasizes the online component.

If you have any additional questions, then feel free to contact me directly.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich