Tackling verbal - when to guess

[renetan]

From my latest CAT which I did horribly, I notice I was running out of time. I got stuck in the first few CR questions that totally throw my timing off. When I review the second time after the whole CAT ends, I actually know how to do some of the questions. Any advice for that? Anxiety?

How can I make myself quickly sink into the situation in CR arguments?

Also, does doing GMAT Prep continuously help for the exam?

[[email protected]]

Hi renetan,

Proper preparation for the GMAT takes time, so I'm curious to know about how you've been preparing:

1) How long have you been studying?
2) What resources have you been using to study?
3) When is your Test date?
4) How did you score on this (and any other) CAT? Include your Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores.

Your "problems" with CR might be tactical (meaning you don't know the proper way to handle the various CR question types), they could be physical (you're too tired to notice the details and do the necessary work), or they could be psychological (stress, anxiety, etc.). All of these issues can be fixed though; once we have enough information to properly define the real problem, we'll come up with a solution.

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

[renetan]

1) How long have you been studying?
7 months, full time
2) What resources have you been using to study?
Magoosh, MGMAT, Verita Cat, OG, Gmat club
3) When is your Test date?
Have not booked yet
4) How did you score on this (and any other) CAT? Include your Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores.

GMAT Prep today: 620 - IR 7, Q 47, V28

GMAT Prep 2 days ago: 640 - IR 3, Q48, V28

(AUG28) Verita 680 - Q 48, V35
(AUG22) MGMAT 650 - Q 43, V36
(AUG19) Verita 690 - Q 38, V37
(AUG17) Verita 650 - Q 46, V34
(AUG14) Verita 680 - Q 46, V37
(AUG11) Verita 680 - Q 48, V35
(AUG4) Verita 630 - Q 47, V30
(JUL13) MGMAT 670 - Q 44,V 37
(JUL2) Verita 700 - Q 48, V38

[[email protected]]

Hi renetan,

The significant drop in your Verbal scores cannot be due to just CR, so how have you been performing on SC and RC? Something significant has changed since you started working with the GMATPrep CATs and we need to figure out what those factors are.

The immediate issue is that you should STOP taking CATs. As it is, you've taken them too quickly. 1 CAT/week (at the MOST) should be your goal. Practice problems, drills, quizzes, lessons, review of old work, re-doing old questions, etc. should be your focus.

I'm hoping that you can answer the following questions:
1) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT every time (including the Essay and IR sections)? If you ever skipped a section, then which CATs were those?
2) Since you've been studying for 7 months, I'm curious if you've taken any of these CATs more than once? If so, then which ones?
3) What time of day and day of the week did you start each of these CATs?
4) How well did you do on CR on each of these CATS?
5) What steps do you take to answer a typical CR prompt? Describe what you do.
6) Is there anything about how you took these last 2 CATs that is different from your prior work? The little details matter, so think hard.

Thankfully, the Verbal section of the GMAT is as predictable and standardized as the Quant section, so you can train to crush it.

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

[renetan]

Hi Rich
1) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT every time (including the Essay and IR sections)? If you ever skipped a section, then which CATs were those?

These are the ones which I did it fully with no prior knowledge to any questions. I never skip any section once on a CAT.

GMAT Prep today: 620 - IR 7, Q 47, V28
GMAT Prep 2 days ago: 640 - IR 3, Q48, V28

(AUG28) Verita 680 - Q 48, V35
(AUG19) Verita 690 - Q 38, V37
(AUG17) Verita 650 - Q 46, V34
(AUG14) Verita 680 - Q 46, V37
(AUG11) Verita 680 - Q 48, V35
(AUG4) Verita 630 - Q 47, V30
(JUL2) Verita 700 - Q 48, V38

2) Since you've been studying for 7 months, I'm curious if you've taken any of these CATs more than once? If so, then which ones?

(AUG26) MGMAT 600 - Q 44,V30
(AUG22) MGMAT 650 - Q 43,V36
(AUG22) MGMAT 640 - Q 42,V36
(JUL13) MGMAT 670 - Q 44,V37

3) What time of day and day of the week did you start each of these CATs?

Morning daily. I plan to do my exam in the morning.

4) How well did you do on CR on each of these CATS?

I was doing alright on non-CAT days. But when I test myself on CAT, I couldn't get my mind into the argument. It seems as though I don't understand what is written in the argument at all.

5) What steps do you take to answer a typical CR prompt? Describe what you do.

Read the question first to know the type. Then I try to get into the passage to know what is happening. Then I'll look for the typical answer according to the question type. Sometimes I have obstacles understanding the answer choice when I don't see how it make sense to the argument.

6) Is there anything about how you took these last 2 CATs that is different from your prior work? The little details matter, so think hard.

Yes I can see that I am getting frail on SC, which suppose to be my strength. It seems like I don't know what the SC is testing on (SVA, Parallelism, Modifier)? I am alright with short passages RC but I still have to keep my toes on this area.