Which Section is Typically Easier to Improve?

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Hey Everyone,

I'm just wondering which section (verbal or quant) is typically easier to improve with studying?

I started by GMAT studying about two weeks ago. I bought the OG guide and the Kaplan study guide. I'm going through the Kaplan book right now. I'm in my mid 20s and I graduated with a BSc in geology a couple years ago. I work in the mining industry and I'd like to persue an MBA after I complete the requirements for registration as a professional geologist. That will take me another two or three years.

Before I did any studying at all, I did the Kaplan practice test and got every question except for one correct in the verbal section and I got everything wrong except for a few in the quant section! My scores for the two sections were pretty much opposite. I was fairly surprised at how well I did on the verbal section. I never figured that it would be my strong point. Because of this, I will focus less on strategies on the verbal section and focus mostly on doing practice problems to see if I continue to get them correct.

In the quant section, I was completely thrown off by the data sufficiency questions and my math needed a big refresher. I used to be really strong at math in highschool and first year calculus in university. My degree program didn't require anything else so I stopped there. As a result, I haven't solved many math problems in over 4 years. I've been going through the math review section in the Kaplan book and I'm getting most of the questions correct.

Anyways, I'm just wondering which section is typically easier to improve upon?

Thanks,

Cole

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by vineeshp » Thu Mar 17, 2011 6:22 am
That is a very tough question.

I have seen scores of both kind here: High Quants with lower verbals and vice versa. If you have a math base and just need brush up, then quant would be easier to improve. But I have seen many scorers do absolutely well on Verbal and score badly in Quant.

So it is tough.

On the Flip side, if you have already got many answers right in Verbal, then it is tough to improve. Isnt it? Same way, if you have got almost everything wrong in Quant, then there is no way to go but up. That way quant would be easier to improve.

I say identify your weak areas among the 5 subject areas and try to improve them one by one.

All d best!
Vineesh,
Just telling you what I know and think. I am not the expert. :)

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by KapTeacherEli » Thu Mar 17, 2011 11:26 am
Hi Cole,

It's a very individual question you've asked, and the answer varies from student to student--some students take to the verbal section like a fish to water, while others already knew all the math they need and just require a few lessons to bring that knowledge back from High School. However, within each section, some things are definitely easier to improve than others. On the Quant, most students taking the test cold will perform significantly worse on Data Sufficiency--mastering the format and answer choices can quickly bring that performance up to the level of your Problem Solving. Meanwhile, in Verbal, the Kaplan method for dealing with Sentence Correction is a quick way to narrow down choices and improve your performance. Our Reading Comp method, while equally valuable, may seem cumbersome at first and can slow you down before it speeds you up (think learning to ride a bike).

Let me know if I can answer any more questions!
Eli Meyer
Kaplan GMAT Teacher
Cambridge, MA
www.kaptest.com/gmat

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