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520!

by chicham » Sat Jan 03, 2009 5:02 pm
Hello guys,
I find this forum to be very useful,
Im in some kind of trouble and would appreciate any kind of help..
The title says it all, I started studying for gmat about a month ago,
I bought the OG, and did all the questions, I was quite naive come to think about it, for I almost had all the first questions correctly and so thought I was on the right path and then I noticed that the questions are by order of diff.. I didnt have much time to study for it im still in uni,
I only took the Prep1 once and got a 560 and then I sat for the exam and got a 520,

Now, after reading this forum and thinking about how i studied, I realize how unrealistic I was,


But what do you guys think I should do ?

Im gonno take another one in exactly 4 weeks,

Should I go back to the official guide concentrate on the questions I got wrong,
should I do the prep 1 over and over again
and then prep2,

should I buy another book and do other simulations (which ones?)..

I need to get over 650 to get into a decent school,

please help me out!

THanx.
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by chicham » Sun Jan 04, 2009 2:32 pm
anyone? :roll:
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by Hovey25 » Mon Jan 05, 2009 7:17 am
I would go over the practice exam and closely examine the questions you answered incorrectly. After determining your strengths and weaknesses you can target those problems in the OG. Also you should probably take more CAT exams, one or two is not enough to get your timing down, especially if you want to get into the mid 650s. An increase of 130 pts in a month is not impossible but will require some targeted practice. I've taken a couple of exams and I do know that Manhattan GMAT has one free test and it will give you a thorough analysis of your answers including the question type, difficulty level, and a complete analysis of the correct/incorrect answers. Study hard and study smart...good luck....650 here you come.
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by Jen Kedro » Tue Jan 06, 2009 1:57 pm
Hi,

I agree with hovey...a) review what you had done to really identify your exact strengths and weaknesses and learn from your mistakes, and 2) take additional CATs. Also try to practice as much on the computer as you can, it is different than working out of a book for many people.

Consider purchasing an additional guide with online CATs or an online prep course to bolster your resources, and make a detailed study plan for the coming weeks. In general as mentioned on other threads, I recommend a minimum goal of 1-2 hours/day, 4-5 days/week, and about 1 CAT per week. After each CAT, spend another study session reviewing it in detail to learn from your mistakes.

Good luck!
Jen Kedrowski
Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions
GMAT Teacher
MBA Admissions Consultant
National Product Team Member
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by chicham » Wed Jan 07, 2009 12:26 pm
Thank you for replying, I really appreciate it!
Actually im planning on reviewing all the questions I got wrong on the OG.
then do them again and check the OA.
Then I got the Manhattan sc and some notes from some people,
but I still have to have a good source of tips/strategies/formulae for the quantitative part, any suggestions?
I plan on reading the tips then taking the mba.com cat till I get all the questions, would that be enough? do I have to do other cats?
Thanx again for any contribution!!
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by Jen Kedro » Wed Jan 07, 2009 12:35 pm
Two points on your last post....

For quantitative strategy and practice, my students like the Kaplan GMAT Math Workbook, since it's very thorough by math topic. Other than that, any reputable GMAT prep books should have sufficient math sections in them.

Secondly, regarding CATs....yes I would suggest you do more than just the GMAT prep CATs. As mentioned above, you need to practice in realistic, test-like timed conditions regularly, usually doing 1 CAT/week and reviewing it is common for example, to build your actual test-taking skills. Just being able to do the questions correctly is not enough--you have to be able to do them in a time-pressured situation, the way you will on test day. Also, by continuing to repeat the GMAT Prep, Official Guide, etc, you will just be taking the same Q's over and over again...many people find they remember what the right answers are. It's good to review what you have done and to learn from it, but remember on the GMAT you are not going to see those EXACT q's...so you have to be able to handle NEW questions that are similiar in a test-situation, which you can best practice if you use some additional CATs too.

Good luck!
Jen Kedrowski
Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions
GMAT Teacher
MBA Admissions Consultant
National Product Team Member
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