Score is getting worse taking the economist course.

[Dayln]

Hey everyone, I posted earlier when I first started so sorry if you already read some of this. Let me start off by saying that I scored a 520 on the GMAT earlier this year. When I did that I was going by the Manhattan GMAT guide and trying a few problems on the Official GMAT guide every now and then to try something fresh. It was nothing intensive. I did a GMAT Prep test that gave me a 550. That was sometime in February. Now I am trying to take it again and have not even come close to that number.

I have been studying for about a month now and have noticed my practice exam results are declining. I am not really seeing any overall improvement. I am just under 50% through the economist course and thought I would at least see a slight improvement but my scores have went as shown:

1st practice 490 31Q 28V
2nd practice 480 31Q 27V
3rd practice 470 29Q 28V

I study two hours a day along with working eight hours a day and also night classes. I take my exams on the weekend so I'm not mentally drained and I still do not see an improvement. Should I go a different route and try something else? I wanted a good course to guide me in the right direction but I am not seeing an improvement. I just need to score at least a 530 and my goal is around 580 for the school I am applying to. I am shooting for a mid to late October exam date.

[GMATinsight]

You seems to have problem with fundamental of both Quant and Verbal which can also be inferred from your scores. You should be starting your preparation with Official guide rather than picking any other material.

Brush up the Concepts from some book like Nova, Math bible etc so that you have concept clarity and then try some easier problems. Once you get good command over some easier stuff then switch to Official Guides and then refer to Manhattan books.

Without proper preparation, It's almost impossible to get an appropriate GMAT score. It's not the test where luck favors, usually it's a test of real mettle so just trying some questions from here and there will not solve the purpose.

Identify the problem areas before you proceed.

You may connect with us for having a live assessment. We offer a free live demo class which may benefit you.

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HI Dayln,

Your practice CAT scores are remarkably consistent, so while it might appear that they're decreasing, the reality is that you keep performing the same way (+ or - a couple of questions). Since you've only been at it for a month, I wouldn't be too concerned just yet. Some Test Takers need a bit more time before the lessons "sink in" and real improvement happens.

That having been said, some review of these CATs is in order. With this last CAT, how many questions would you say that you got wrong because of a silly mistake? Fix THOSE mistakes and your score will go up. I'm also curious if you have a pacing problem in any of the sections? Do you have to guess on a bunch of questions just to finish (or do you ever run out of time and not get to the questions at the end?)?

With a late October Test Date, you still have the better part of 2 months to study. Since your score goal is also reasonable, I think that you are perfectly capable of scoring 580 (if not higher). You should continue with your routine for now. If you're still not seeing any improvement in a couple of weeks, then we can make some adjustments to your plan.

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

[Dayln]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I will keep pushing.

Rich,

I have an issue with time but it is not with running out of time. I go way too fast instead. I usually end up with 20-30 minutes left in both sections. I know this causes me to make silly mistakes, and I have been making it my goal to slow down, but once I start taking practice exams I begin flying through the problems.

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Hi Dayln,

On the GMAT, an extra 20-30 minutes of available time in each section is HUGE. You could very easily pick up 100+ points right now if you just slow down and do a bit more work. This type of pacing problem is considerably rarer than the other one that I mentioned (running out of time). What do you think causes this issue? Is it a "panic response"? If you don't immediately realize what to do, do you just quickly pick an answer and move on?

With enough practice, you'll start to recognize more and more questions as being similar to work that you've already done. The GMAT is a standardized, predictable Test, so barring just a couple of rare questions, everything you see on Test Day SHOULD remind you of questions that you faced during your studies. That "reference" should help you to quickly figure out how to approach any given question (use the tactics that helped you during your studies).

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

[Dayln]

Thanks for the help Rich,

I waited a couple weeks and took a GMATPrep test this past weekend and to my surprise I scored a 620 (46Q 29V). I was in utter disbelief. I took your advice and slowed down, granted I still had 17 minutes left in quantitative, but I could tell the questions did not become "basic math easy."

The verbal part is still worrisome. I finished with 7 minutes left and still only improved by one point.

Are the economist exams generally harder than GMAT and that, along with going too fast, caused me to score in the 400s? I heard the GMAT prep is the most accurate but I do not want to get my hopes up too high. My test date is still planned for October.

[[email protected]]

Hi Dayln,

There's an argument to be made that certain CATs are more or less accurate than others, but that's not really the issue right now. If you continue to finish the Quant and Verbal sections with so much extra time left on the clock, then it's highly unlikely that you will hit your "peak."

This 620 is a great improvement and the fact that it comes on one of the GMAT Prep CATs is a good sign, but when you go back to review this CAT, I bet that you'll find at least a few questions that you should have gotten correct (IF you had spent more time on them). As you continue to practice, you have to find a way to slow down even more and use more of your available time. Also, you have to make sure that your CATs are as realistic as possible (so take the ENTIRE CAT, in a Test-Like environment, on a desktop computer, etc.).

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