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Where should I focus?

by vivekkapoor73 » Sat Feb 14, 2015 8:35 pm
Hi,

I took GMAT and score 710 (Q50, V36, 7 IR). I was aiming for 760. I am not sure what went wrong. Actually on verbal section, I did not see many tough questions. I was feeling very good about my preparation in SC, CR & RC. Still I didn't scored, as per my expectation.

Anyways, I am planning to retake GMAT. The problem is that I am not sure where should I focus on my preparation? Can someone please help me?

Thanks,
Vivek
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by BestGMATEliza » Sun Feb 15, 2015 1:33 am
First of all a 710 is still a very good score, so congratulations! Some important steps to take to get to the 750+ range are to target your weaknesses, build your mental endurance and get practice with the most difficult questions.

Go through your last few tests and look at the questions you are getting the easiest questions wrong, those tend to be the biggest score killers. Then, review those topics. You should also build your mental endurance by taking at least 5 full length practice tests (with IR and AWA). People who practice with only quant and verbal tend to get a somewhat inflated score and then aren't prepared for the full test on test day and tend to get exhausted by the verbal section. Finally, its important to master the most difficult questions, as you will see them much more on your test. Kaplan 800 and MGMAT advanced quant are good sources for this.

Hope this helps and good luck!
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by vivekkapoor73 » Sun Feb 15, 2015 2:44 am
Hi Eliza,

Thanks for your reply. I have practiced quite a few CATS to build the mental endurance. After attempting the verbal section in actual GMAT, I wasn't mentally tired at all. I could feel at that time that I was not getting difficult questions in Verbal. In my practice CATS (GMATprep) I dont have many wrong questions. Hence It has become difficult for me to identify ares of weakness.

Thanks,
Vivek
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by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Sun Feb 15, 2015 2:59 am
Vivek,

Have you tried mindfulness meditation in the weeks leading up to the exam? This is something I'll often recommend to students who feel comfortable with the material, but feel as though they've hit a ceiling with their scores. The research is pretty compelling: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archi ... on/275564/

Anecdotally, I've seen test-takers tack on 40-50 points from one test to another when this was the only adjustment they made. (Of course, it's also possible that statistical flux is responsible for the discrepancy, but a meditation practice certainly can't hurt.)
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by MartyMurray » Sun Feb 15, 2015 4:40 am
David's meditation approach sounds great, and I have seen test scores jump up just because of changes in mindset. I also use another type of meditation, on which involves actually seeking out any resistance one might have to getting questions right. We all have at the very least little bits of resistance to succeeding at things, and realizing that and doing something about it can make a huge difference.

Regarding what you said about the questions having seemed relatively easy on the verbal section, verbal questions can be a little deceptive. A test taker may get the impression that a question is easy and the reality is the question is a little tricky and the test taker has just chosen the wrong answer. So there's something to consider.

As far as weak areas go, you may not be getting many wrong on practice tests, but you are getting some wrong. So you might get some insight by at least seeing if you can find any patterns to what you are getting wrong. It could even be that somehow a pattern or patterns that are usually not very pronounced somehow became more pronounced with the added pressure of the your taking the actual test. Just an idea.

Also, here's my take on how to score high on verbal. Maybe you can get some insight from it. https://www.beatthegmat.com/an-alternati ... tml#739859
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by vivekkapoor73 » Sun Feb 15, 2015 9:10 am
Thanks Dave. Will definitely try.

Thanks,
Vivek
Last edited by vivekkapoor73 on Sun Feb 15, 2015 9:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by vivekkapoor73 » Sun Feb 15, 2015 9:14 am
Thanks Marty. I did try to find the pattern, but somehow did get anything concrete. I can order enhanced GMAT report, but not sure how much it will help.

Thanks,
Vivek
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by MartyMurray » Sun Feb 15, 2015 9:34 am
Vivek, the bottom line is that something is going on. Right?

I mean if you knew all the concepts perfectly and knew how to do every kind of math problem and were perfectly logical and super perceptive and completely free of test day anxiety etc. etc. you would have scored 800.

So there IS something you can figure out. There are patterns you can find, there are question types you could be better at handling, there are idioms that you don't totally get, or something.

I for one was a little worried in a similar way. I felt that I was pretty good at verbal and yet I could STILL get regularly smoked by verbal questions. It seemed almost random in a way. I was almost tempted to accept that I was just going to get some wrong. As time went on though, I was able to find things that I could do better and understand better, and my accuracy did go up.

So just be determined to find things to adjust and improve. I am sure you will.
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by MartyMurray » Sun Feb 15, 2015 9:38 am
Here's a technique I use to get better results in pretty much anything. While the post is about using conscious visualization to get healthier, the concepts and approaches apply to anything one is seeking to achieve.

https://healingchronicles.com/2014/01/06 ... n-to-heal/
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by [email protected] » Sun Feb 15, 2015 11:39 am
Hi Vivek,

A 710/Q50 is an outstanding score (it's above the 90th percentile) and it's a score that would likely make every Business School happy, so I have to ask why you're thinking about retesting?

What Schools are you planning to apply to? And when?

Remember that Top Schools are remarkably competitive, so the Admissions Officers are going to nitpick your OVERALL application. You have a competitive GMAT score, so you should be thinking about how to make the OTHER parts of your application as strong as they can be. No GMAT score would guarantee you anything (not even an 800), so you have to really think about whether a retest is a good use of your time and resources.

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by vivekkapoor73 » Sun Feb 15, 2015 6:46 pm
Hi Marty,
Great stuff. Thanks for the advice and boosting my confidence level. I will try to find problem areas.

Thanks,
Vivek
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by vivekkapoor73 » Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:01 pm
Hi Rich,

I am targeting INSEAD, and Kellogg 1 year MBA. ISB is my safety school.
After researching about the MBA application evaluation, I came to know that schools look for 3-4 spikes in a profile and a GMAT score of 99 pctl is a spike. I am not sure that how much can I improve in other areas right now, but GMAT can produce better return on investment. Also as I am from India, and Indians tend to score higher on GMAT, so a 710 really puts me in slightly below average bucketin these schools. A high GMAT score also increases the chances of scholarship. Please Let me know your comments on this.
Thanks,
Vivek
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by bonetlobo » Sun Feb 22, 2015 3:54 am
Hello Vivek, slightly off the topic here, since most people who are answering your queries seem to be experts.

This is my first post and I am just about embarking on my GMAT prep. Like you, I also "feel" (though only time will tell) that Quant should not be a problem area for me.

Can you let me know which were the resources you used for Verbal (RC, CR and SC). I know of only official guide till now.

Thanks,
Bonet.
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by manyaabroadtpr » Mon Feb 23, 2015 11:19 pm
vivekkapoor73 wrote:Hi,

I took GMAT and score 710 (Q50, V36, 7 IR). I was aiming for 760. I am not sure what went wrong. Actually on verbal section, I did not see many tough questions. I was feeling very good about my preparation in SC, CR & RC. Still I didn't scored, as per my expectation.

Anyways, I am planning to retake GMAT. The problem is that I am not sure where should I focus on my preparation? Can someone please help me?

Thanks,
Vivek
Hi Vivek,

You seem to be very well sorted as per your GMAT preparation is concerned, so we would advise you to take as many mock tests as possible. Spend as much time in analyzing your performance in the test. Typically if you spend 2 hours in a mock test, spend 4-5 hours in analyzing your performance and take a note on how to attempt each question better, faster and smarter. Make sure you apply them in your next mock test.

Start reading articles, science journals , business tabloids and read them online and figure out for yourself if you can understand the language and the main idea present in the passage. This would improve your vocabulary on the GMAT.

Let us know if you would have any questions for gmat preparation and we would be happy to guide. Wish you the best.
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