Completed Syllabus Work- Need to focus on Content and Timing

[ria.patel21]

Hi MGMAT staff,

I am a previous student of the live 10 week class. However, I took the class at the same time that I was finishing my last quarter in college, so my attention to the material was minimal as my time was divided.

In light of that, I spent the last 10 weeks thoroughly going through all of the material listed on the 10 week syllabus. This includes all strategy guides, FOM, pre-recorded online sessions for each week, online labs, OG problems- everything. I followed the syllabus directly as if I was taking the course again. I made detailed notes on strategy guide chapters and by making flashcards (trigger words, problem type, fastest method). During this second round of studying, I learned most of the material for the first time (since the first time around was incomplete, for my own reasons, and not due to any fault of MGMAT).

To date, I have completed the three CAT exams which are required by the end of the ten weeks. My breakdowns are below.

CAT 1
Date: 4/23/12
Quant 20 or 20%
Verbal 30 or 59%
Total 480 or 32%

CAT 2
Date: 9/18/12
Quant 29 or 22%
Verbal 30 or 56%
Total 500 or 33%

CAT 3
Date: 10/16/12
Quant 32 or 30%
Verbal 30 or 56%
Total 520

As you can see, I am struggling in Quant and need to make a lot of improvement there. The same can be said about my Verbal score. I am unsure as to how I managed to get the same score on three different occasions. This strikes me as odd. Even though I have been learning the material, it is clear that this is still a big weakness.

My questions are below.

1. How do I re-focus my study efforts so that I am attacking my weaknesses and working toward my goal score? My goal is 650. It is a big jump, but I am confident and will work diligently towards it. I need to formulate somewhat of a study plan now that I am no longer working off the syllabus. Do I simply go through the strategy guides again? Or is it more effective to do problems over and over again, and then review some more? I have started by attacking all areas where I am performing below 50%. I am also trying not to spend too much time on the less-common problems, and focus more time on the more common problems. I plan on using the "Thursday with Ron" videos on my weakest topics. I also plan on tying in the Quant and Verbal Review 2nd Ed. books to work on timed sets, BUT my problem is that I am uncertain as to where to focus my efforts and time in order to be the most effective and see the biggest jumps. In other words, I'm looking to create a solid plan that I can write down and follow day by day until test day.

2. For Quant, I am aware that my problem is a content issue and a timing issue. I need to practice applying methods and approaches, as well as hitting the timing benchmarks. Any recommendations on how to focus on content would be much appreciated.

3. For Verbal, critical reasoning is my weakness. Any recommendations on how to attack CR would also be very much appreciated.

4. Lastly, to attain a 650, what percentile do I need to be hitting on each section? For this type of a jump, how many weeks of content review is likely to be necessary if I'm putting in 5-8 hrs a day (ball park)? Given my strengths and weaknesses, where should I focus my efforts?

Additional information:
From Assessment Report for CATS 2 & 3

My weakest QUANT topics are:
Algebra 38%
Geometry 17%
Number Properties 27%

My weakest VERBAL topics are:
Critical Reasoning 41%
Reading Comprehension 50%

(Sentence Correction 60%)

Thank you for reading my post and for any insight than you can provide. I really appreciate your guidance.

RP

[StaceyKoprince]

It was a good idea to "take" the class again and follow the syllabus in that way.

I'd like to get some more detailed data on your strengths and weaknesses in order to advise you. Use the below to analyze your most recent MGMAT CAT(s):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Then come back here and tell us the results of your analysis and what you think you should do based on that analysis. (Note: do share an analysis with us, not just the raw data. Part of getting better is developing your ability to analyze your results - figure out what they mean and what you think you should do about them!)

I'm looking to create a solid plan that I can write down and follow day by day until test day.

I like the idea of creating a detailed plan, but note that you can't create a complete plan until test day - nobody can. We use the data from the most recent test or tests to create a roughly 2 to 4-week plan. Then, when you feel ready to take another practice test, you do, and we start all over again - each time you take a practice test, you analyze it and set up a new plan for the next few weeks.

You mention timing issues; read these two articles and start doing what they say:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... to-win-it/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... nt-part-1/

The other half of your quant question, how to focus on content, is too broad - we need the test analysis before we can start to address that.

For CR, you can start here:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... g-problem/

But again we need the data on specific question types before we know what to tackle there.

Lastly, to attain a 650, what percentile do I need to be hitting on each section?

There isn't just one mix of scores that will get you to 650; it depends on quant and verbal. Also, they don't actually release that information but you can try to "recreate" it by looking for posts from people in the past 2 months who have scored 650 and who have listed their quant and verbal breakdown. Note that verbal is stronger for you, so you should expect to have a higher V score.

Re: how many weeks, again, there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer. You're currently in the low 500s and you want to get to 650, so we're talking something more than 2 months, but that's about as precise as we can get now.

Given my strengths and weaknesses, where should I focus my efforts?

As you'll probably realize from what I wrote above, you've provided an overview, but you haven't provided enough detail yet about strengths and weaknesses. Go do that test analysis. :)

[ria.patel21]

Hi Stacey,

Thanks for your response. I've done some intense test analysis and found that my timing is way off for quant + there are many areas i need to revisit for content, while verbal is suffering because of CR and RC. I am slowly, but surely, getting over the mindset and starting to let those tough problems go so I can make time for the ones that I know how to do (in it to win it). My takeaways for the review of my quant section looked like this:

The following quant topics are below 50%
Algebra--38% overall
liner eqtns 0%, quadratic equations 33%

Geometry-- 17% overall
polygons 0%, triangles and diagonals 25%, circles and cylinders 0%, lines and angles 0%, coordinate plane 33%

Num. Properties--27% overall
divisibility and primes 25%, positives and negatives 33%, combinatorics 0%, probability 0%

Word Problems--53% overall
Rates and work 40%, statistics 40%

FDPS--53% overall
fractions 33%, ratios 33%

These appear to be my weaknesses which I will now start to tackle. Any suggestions as to an orderly way to go about this?

On timing, there were several problems where I spent over 4 minutes. And there are several at the end which were all under 1 minute because I was rushing to finish. I wasnt playing the game right, but atleast I know the rules now- thanks to u!

Takeaway for Quant Section timing:
1) Review my weak topics and increase the number of topics I can successfully attempt
2) Stay on track- 2-2.5 mins per problem
3) Spend 1 min using strategic guessing on ones I can somewhat attempt
4) Guess immediately on the ones that look scary
5) Spread my guesses out so that its not all in a string
6) Make conscious effort to NOT have wrong strings

For Verbal, it was a little trickier. My weaknesses lie in CR and RC, with careless mistakes occurring in SC because Im in a rush to get back some time.

In CR, the following departments are under 50%:
--strengthen the argument (50%)
--weaken the argument 25%
--draw a conclusion 17%
--explain the discrepancy 0%

I have started to tackle each of these categories to understand how i should be thinking when i see each kind of problem.

For Reading Comp, the following are below 50%:
--inference 30%
--tone 0%

Can you refer me to some materials that have solid inference and tone lessons?

i am currently going back to my weakest areas and trying to pick up the skills needed for them. however, how do you suggest for me to tie in the 2nd Ed. quant and verbal review books? i havent started doing any timed lessons from them. But, if i have say
about 2 months left of studying, as we estimated, is it appropriate for me to start these now or to wait until im done with all reviewing?

thanks for your time.
looking forward to hearing what you think!

[StaceyKoprince]

Okay, good analysis. Task #1 is to figure out how much you can improve simply by fixing the timing. Sometimes it's the case that we tend to speed up on things that we're good at, in an attempt to make up time, and then we start making mistakes that we wouldn't normally make. If we can fix the timing, then those other things also "come back" and contribute to improving the overall performance.

Of the weaknesses that you listed, the most important (based on frequency with which they're tested) are:

High importance: Num. Properties--27% overall
divisibility and primes 25%, positives and negatives 33%
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -gmatprep/

(Note, these are NOT important at all. Know how to make a guess and DO NOT spend any extra time on these: combinatorics 0%, probability 0%)

High importance: Algebra--38% overall
liner eqtns 0%, quadratic equations 33%

Medium importance:
Geometry-- 17% overall
polygons 0%, triangles and diagonals 25%, circles and cylinders 0%, lines and angles 0%, coordinate plane 33%

FDPS--53% overall
fractions 33%

Word Problems--53% overall
statistics 40%

Geometry is least frequently tested of all, but it's also at only 17% for you, so there's "medium" work to be done there.

Start by going back over all those problems and figuring out:
1) for the incorrect Qs: why you got them wrong and what you would need to have known / done to get them right. Then decide whether that's actually reasonable in 2 minutes or whether you should leave those kinds of things as guesses for future (and learn how to make an educated guess).
2) for too-slow questions (whether right or wrong): why you spent so much time and whether you could learn to do them in a more reasonable amount of time; if so, then how you're going to remember / be able to do that in future. If not, how you're going to know when to cut yourself off and how you're going to make a guess.
3) for too-fast Qs (whether right or wrong): why you went so fast (absolutely forced at the end? chose to in the middle because you knew you were a bit behind?). For any where you *chose* to go too fast, ask yourself whether it was a good decision. (Hint: it's NEVER a good decision if you actually do know how to do the problem, because then you risk making a careless mistake!) What should have done if you hadn't been trying to cut corners? Etc.
4) For any correct questions in a not-too-long length of time, ask yourself whether you can spot any additional shortcuts and how you would make an educated guess. Both of those things are easier to learn on problems that you actually got right without too much trouble.

In general, the above is a shortened version of this:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/a ... roblem.cfm

These two are laudable goals, but you just can't do them:

5) Spread my guesses out so that its not all in a string
6) Make conscious effort to NOT have wrong strings

If you don't know how to do something, you don't know how to do it. There's nothing you can do about that, besides stress yourself out. Do whatever you can in a reasonable amount of time for whatever problem is sitting in front of you right now, whether that's answering or guessing or whatever, and then move on to the next one and do the same thing. Do NOT try to guess whether you're getting stuff right or might have a strong of wrong answers or whatever. You'll just stress yourself out and distract yourself from your task.

CR:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... g-problem/

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... n-problem/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... n-problem/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... e-Problem/

RC:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... p-passage/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -passages/

http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/a ... estion.cfm

Don't worry about tone questions - they're very infrequent. You might see one, but unless you're going for 750, they're not worth your study time.

Re: whether to start doing the Q and V 2nd edition books:
Your first task is to learn from the problems that you've already done. It's a waste to do new problems unless / until you have actually learned from the old ones. So start there. As you get into the habit of thoroughly analyzing problems right after you do them, you'll be able to settle into a habit of doing problem sets a few times a week and then analyzing afterwards. For the next week or two, though, you've got a backlog of problems that you have done but haven't really studied. Start there! :)

Good analysis. Keep up the good work!

[ria.patel21]

Hi Stacey,

Happy New Year! I hope 2013 is off to a good start for you.

I wanted to update you after our last communication. After I received your advice back in October, I started focusing on the elements we discussed, such as timing, common problem types, my weaknesses. I didn't make it very far before I was called for a job interview to the east coast. Long story short, life happened and I got completely thrown off track from studying. Until today, I had not looked at the material for about two months.

A couple months back, I scheduled myself to take the actual exam today, Saturday Jan. 5, 2013. I missed the deadline to reschedule, so I was still registered for today's test. Even though I haven't looked at the material in a couple months, I figured the testing experience could still be valuable. I debated about it, and I don't know if this was the right choice, but I decided to take the test. I also chose to report score (not to any schools, just to myself). I knew it would be a low score, but I read an article of yours from the past that encouraged students not to "cancel scores." I hope this advice applies to my situation, as I decided to "report score." It was 430. Quant: 25, Verbal: 24. This is the lowest I've ever scored (the others were practice tests). Not having studied + being sick really tanked me. As long as I do much better on the next test, this one won't matter too much, right?

Moving forward....Im writing to see if you can help me get back on track. I am clearly very far from my goal (650). I know this will take a lot of time and hard work (my guess would be another 3, very focused months). With your help, I want to do things as efficiently as possible. Would you recommend that I go through all of the material again, week by week with the videos and hw? I am not sure what is the best way, or if there is a more efficient way to re-study/refresh on the material that I've been through before but have clearly forgotten. I am lost on where to go from here.

Thank you for reading and I look forward to your response. I appreciate you taking the time to help.

[StaceyKoprince]

It's okay - the schools just look at your highest score. So as long as you get a higher score some other time, you'll be fine. :)

So, what to do? At this point, I would do one of two things:

(1) take a full practice test under 100% official conditions. Then analyze it:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

That will give you your starting points - your current strengths and weaknesses. (You'll have remembered some random things well and forgotten others completely. Most will be in the middle somewhere.) Then use that data to drive what you do; target the review where the data tells you that you need it.

or (2) just go based on the data that we have from last time; start there, study for a few weeks based upon it, then take a practice test and see where you're at.


Because we discussed timing issues earlier, I would recommend path #2 in your case. Spend 2-3 weeks working on getting better at the timing (while simultaneously studying / reviewing content) and then take a practice test. The timing issues won't be fixed in that timeframe, but you should hopefully see a little bit of progress and you'll keep working on it in future.

Go back over our older exchanges as well - it's likely that those issues are still the same issues that you'll be dealing with for at least the next month or so!