Hello Stacey,thank you for your advice.I have been studying hard but taking my time and i believe that my accuracy on the areas i have studied has improved.
I have focused on verbal on this past week and now I see CR and RC with different eyes.My only concern would be the timing, which in some cases Is off for a few seconds while in others I need a lot more than the allotted.
I would like to have some advice regarding the creation of a passage map in reading comprehension and the way to read in order to improve my timing.Right now my accuracy in these questions is good.However,when I am trying to create a passage map,I waste too much time mainly because it is a little difficult for me to abbreviate when I am in a time constraint.
Another problem I face is that I the best way to a understand everything in a passage is reading each sentence separately instead of a paragraph.The problem is that I do not know whether it will take me more time than reading a complete paragraph which I would need to do twice to get the simple story.
Moreover,I wanted to know if it is necessary to write the simple story when i am creating a passage map?
is there some kind of exercise I could do to improve my abbreviation because I keep having this problem not only on RC but also on CR.
Thank You.
GMAT Forum
- EnriqueR905
- Students
- Posts: 34
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- StaceyKoprince
- ManhattanGMAT Staff
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- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:05 am
- Location: Montreal
Re: HELP! Desperate to improve!
Yes! You can practice abbreviating just like anything else. 
Think of abbreviations as falling into two broad categories:
(1) A word or concept that will come up repeatedly. For instance, there are all kinds of contrast words: yet, but, however, although, nevertheless, ... They all mean the same thing in the end: BUT. So abbreviate all of those with that short and sweet word: BUT. (I do actually write that down in all-caps in my notes. That's why I'm doing so here.
Another might be any kind of language that indicates cause-and-effect. For those, I don't write down any cause-effect language at all. Instead, I use a horizontal arrow, and I know that whenever I use a horizontal arrow, I'm indicating cause and effect. (That is, I don't use a horizontal arrow for anything else.)
In general, for these kinds of things, come up with how you want to jot down anything that falls into that category. It may not be an abbreviation of the actual word that was used.
(2) A word or concept that is fairly unique to that passage. For instance, they might give me two technical terms that are distinguished from each other in some way. I don't necessarily need to know huge details about those two terms (nor do I need to know their official names), but it's probably going to be important for me to be able to distinguish between the two.
eg, see the passage on page 404 of OG2016 or page 408 of OG2017. I'd abbreviate the two things R and P. I don't need to know the official names; the GMAT isn't going to test me on facts. I just need to know that there were R's and P's and they had a different way of looking at things.
I may also run across words that didn't fall into category 1 but I don't feel comfortable using just a single letter to abbreviate. In that case, I either use the first few letters of the word or I think of a shorter synonym.
For instance, in the first sentence of the passage I just referenced, I might write "odd but true: 17c W --> fem, IDed w/Rs not Ps"
"odd but" is from the passage
"true" is a shorter word for "indisputable"
W = women (a standard abbreviation I always use for women)
--> signals that these women became feminists / were "the forerunners of modern feminism"
Final note: I didn't naturally do all that from day 1. I had to practice it and develop my own shorthand over time. So study this just like you study anything else. When you finish a new passage, one of the things you ask yourself is whether you could do any better with the notes. Was a certain abbreviation confusing to you while answering questions? How should you do it differently next time? Which "category" of abbreviation is this?
Also: Did you write something down that, in hindsight, was too detailed? How will you know that next time, so that you don't take the time to write that all down? Did you not write something down that turned out to be important? How will you know that next time so that you do take the time to jot it down? Etc.
No, you do not need to write the simple story on the test. You're telling yourself that mentally as you gain additional understanding. But, while you're getting better / learning to do this, you may want to write out the simple story. You may decide to go back and re-do some passages that you've already done and actually take like 10 minutes to think through: what should the simple story be and how do I know that? What are the specific language clues that tell me what to focus on and what to set aside as too detailed?
See here for more on RC:
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... rehension/
And on CR:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2015/12/ ... stion-type
http://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/ ... reasoning/
I agree that this is the best way to understand *everything* in an RC passage.
Your goal is NOT to understand everything in an RC passage. Follow the link above to the RC material to understand why.
p.s. I'm not sure whether you have our books, but there are sections in both the RC and CR books that talk about how to create maps, how to abbreviate, etc. So you may want to review those if you haven't already.
Think of abbreviations as falling into two broad categories:
(1) A word or concept that will come up repeatedly. For instance, there are all kinds of contrast words: yet, but, however, although, nevertheless, ... They all mean the same thing in the end: BUT. So abbreviate all of those with that short and sweet word: BUT. (I do actually write that down in all-caps in my notes. That's why I'm doing so here.
Another might be any kind of language that indicates cause-and-effect. For those, I don't write down any cause-effect language at all. Instead, I use a horizontal arrow, and I know that whenever I use a horizontal arrow, I'm indicating cause and effect. (That is, I don't use a horizontal arrow for anything else.)
In general, for these kinds of things, come up with how you want to jot down anything that falls into that category. It may not be an abbreviation of the actual word that was used.
(2) A word or concept that is fairly unique to that passage. For instance, they might give me two technical terms that are distinguished from each other in some way. I don't necessarily need to know huge details about those two terms (nor do I need to know their official names), but it's probably going to be important for me to be able to distinguish between the two.
eg, see the passage on page 404 of OG2016 or page 408 of OG2017. I'd abbreviate the two things R and P. I don't need to know the official names; the GMAT isn't going to test me on facts. I just need to know that there were R's and P's and they had a different way of looking at things.
I may also run across words that didn't fall into category 1 but I don't feel comfortable using just a single letter to abbreviate. In that case, I either use the first few letters of the word or I think of a shorter synonym.
For instance, in the first sentence of the passage I just referenced, I might write "odd but true: 17c W --> fem, IDed w/Rs not Ps"
"odd but" is from the passage
"true" is a shorter word for "indisputable"
W = women (a standard abbreviation I always use for women)
--> signals that these women became feminists / were "the forerunners of modern feminism"
Final note: I didn't naturally do all that from day 1. I had to practice it and develop my own shorthand over time. So study this just like you study anything else. When you finish a new passage, one of the things you ask yourself is whether you could do any better with the notes. Was a certain abbreviation confusing to you while answering questions? How should you do it differently next time? Which "category" of abbreviation is this?
Also: Did you write something down that, in hindsight, was too detailed? How will you know that next time, so that you don't take the time to write that all down? Did you not write something down that turned out to be important? How will you know that next time so that you do take the time to jot it down? Etc.
No, you do not need to write the simple story on the test. You're telling yourself that mentally as you gain additional understanding. But, while you're getting better / learning to do this, you may want to write out the simple story. You may decide to go back and re-do some passages that you've already done and actually take like 10 minutes to think through: what should the simple story be and how do I know that? What are the specific language clues that tell me what to focus on and what to set aside as too detailed?
See here for more on RC:
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... rehension/
And on CR:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2015/12/ ... stion-type
http://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/ ... reasoning/
Another problem I face is that I the best way to a understand everything in a passage is reading each sentence separately instead of a paragraph.
I agree that this is the best way to understand *everything* in an RC passage.
Your goal is NOT to understand everything in an RC passage. Follow the link above to the RC material to understand why.
p.s. I'm not sure whether you have our books, but there are sections in both the RC and CR books that talk about how to create maps, how to abbreviate, etc. So you may want to review those if you haven't already.
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
- EnriqueR905
- Students
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2016 1:41 pm
Re: HELP! Desperate to improve!
Hello Stacey, hope you are well.
I would like to let you know that I almost finish studying all the necessary content for the test.It took me a long time since I have been studying for a reduced amount of time every day as you suggested with a day off (and any other day when I was busy with other things of course), and I have been taking notes for review,memorizing some concepts and doing the practices in each chapter.It turns out that there were many tricks, strategies, and concepts that I never learned.
However,now that I am almost done with that,I would like to know what my approach should be now? should take a practice test right away? or practice for a couple of days once I finish the content?.Also,I have to spend some time trying to create a better way to take notes while memorizing idioms.
So, I would like to know what you think would be the appropriate next step and how long should I spend doing it because since I have not scheduled a date but my application is due to 10/01.
Thank You.
Best,
Enrique.
I would like to let you know that I almost finish studying all the necessary content for the test.It took me a long time since I have been studying for a reduced amount of time every day as you suggested with a day off (and any other day when I was busy with other things of course), and I have been taking notes for review,memorizing some concepts and doing the practices in each chapter.It turns out that there were many tricks, strategies, and concepts that I never learned.
However,now that I am almost done with that,I would like to know what my approach should be now? should take a practice test right away? or practice for a couple of days once I finish the content?.Also,I have to spend some time trying to create a better way to take notes while memorizing idioms.
So, I would like to know what you think would be the appropriate next step and how long should I spend doing it because since I have not scheduled a date but my application is due to 10/01.
Thank You.
Best,
Enrique.
- StaceyKoprince
- ManhattanGMAT Staff
- Posts: 9360
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:05 am
- Location: Montreal
Re: HELP! Desperate to improve!
Good question. I have questions for you.
Do you feel that you have made enough progress since your last CAT to see a significant different in your performance this time? (Note that the difference might not necessarily be in your overall score. Sometimes, we make progress in ways that doesn't show up in the overall score, but we can still see it when we analyze the results.)
If you feel that you have made a decent amount of progress since last time, yes, go ahead and take another CAT. (Note: if you have been focused on just a narrow group of things and having done much review of other question types and content areas lately, then first give yourself up to a week to do more of a broader review and to try practice problems in mixed sets across all areas.)
Alternatively, do you feel that there are certain things you want to review, practice, or analyze before you take another CAT? If so, what are those things?
Do you feel that you have made enough progress since your last CAT to see a significant different in your performance this time? (Note that the difference might not necessarily be in your overall score. Sometimes, we make progress in ways that doesn't show up in the overall score, but we can still see it when we analyze the results.)
If you feel that you have made a decent amount of progress since last time, yes, go ahead and take another CAT. (Note: if you have been focused on just a narrow group of things and having done much review of other question types and content areas lately, then first give yourself up to a week to do more of a broader review and to try practice problems in mixed sets across all areas.)
Alternatively, do you feel that there are certain things you want to review, practice, or analyze before you take another CAT? If so, what are those things?
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
- EnriqueR905
- Students
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2016 1:41 pm
Re: HELP! Desperate to improve!
Hello Stacey. Thank You for your response.
Before answering those questions, I want to explain that I haven't done many practice questions outside the problem sets at the end of the chapters I have read.However, I created a bunch of practice quizzes with most of the content that I answered incorrectly during my first CAT which i will be doing this week.
In addition, I only have to read the sentence correction book in order to finish studying all the content and just focusing on reviewing and practicing.Of course,I feel that since there are many things you have to be aware of from the content,learning everything has been hard for me but mostly fruitful and sometimes I feel that there are things that I forget and I have to keep in mind when I start practicing.
Based on all of this,I have many concerns:
1)I still suffer from timing issues
2) I'm still scared of the CAT and sometimes of practice
3)I feel that I'm running out of time
4) Don't know how to improve from this point
If I have to consider things I would like to improve before taking the next CAT would be mainly timing and improving in the content of the questions I got incorrect.My plan,then would be practicing and finishing all practice quizzes I have built,reviewing my notes and finishing the SC guide,how does that sound to you?
Afterward,I want to take a CAT and, based on that, correct my mistakes and see what my weaker areas are.However,I would like to know if it would be appropriate to spend more time studying than what I have allotted this past month? and how much longer should I spend studying? because I need to set up a date for the test.
Also,I want to state that I am starting to feel a little nervous regarding the test because of all the previous experiences and because although most of the problem sets have been manageable for me,there are a few that felt a little more complicated for me and I don't know whether that means that my level is low or I'm not ready for real questions.
On a side note,I have been trying to create a study group,would that be beneficial?.Also,the person that was interested in creating one is starting his/her preparation,so having to study with someone who hasn't taken the test would be something good or bad?.
In summary,I still have some concerns that I haven't addressed and although I fell that I understand the content better and I consider that I can approach a question a little better,I don't know If I have actually made significant progress while al the same time I fell I am running out of time.
Also, I would like to clarify something,Is it necessary to make a lot of practice In order to dominate the test? do i have to finish the whole OG in order to actually improve? or how is the best way to improve practice-wise?
Thank You
Best,
Enrique.
Before answering those questions, I want to explain that I haven't done many practice questions outside the problem sets at the end of the chapters I have read.However, I created a bunch of practice quizzes with most of the content that I answered incorrectly during my first CAT which i will be doing this week.
In addition, I only have to read the sentence correction book in order to finish studying all the content and just focusing on reviewing and practicing.Of course,I feel that since there are many things you have to be aware of from the content,learning everything has been hard for me but mostly fruitful and sometimes I feel that there are things that I forget and I have to keep in mind when I start practicing.
Based on all of this,I have many concerns:
1)I still suffer from timing issues
2) I'm still scared of the CAT and sometimes of practice
3)I feel that I'm running out of time
4) Don't know how to improve from this point
If I have to consider things I would like to improve before taking the next CAT would be mainly timing and improving in the content of the questions I got incorrect.My plan,then would be practicing and finishing all practice quizzes I have built,reviewing my notes and finishing the SC guide,how does that sound to you?
Afterward,I want to take a CAT and, based on that, correct my mistakes and see what my weaker areas are.However,I would like to know if it would be appropriate to spend more time studying than what I have allotted this past month? and how much longer should I spend studying? because I need to set up a date for the test.
Also,I want to state that I am starting to feel a little nervous regarding the test because of all the previous experiences and because although most of the problem sets have been manageable for me,there are a few that felt a little more complicated for me and I don't know whether that means that my level is low or I'm not ready for real questions.
On a side note,I have been trying to create a study group,would that be beneficial?.Also,the person that was interested in creating one is starting his/her preparation,so having to study with someone who hasn't taken the test would be something good or bad?.
In summary,I still have some concerns that I haven't addressed and although I fell that I understand the content better and I consider that I can approach a question a little better,I don't know If I have actually made significant progress while al the same time I fell I am running out of time.
Also, I would like to clarify something,Is it necessary to make a lot of practice In order to dominate the test? do i have to finish the whole OG in order to actually improve? or how is the best way to improve practice-wise?
Thank You
Best,
Enrique.
- StaceyKoprince
- ManhattanGMAT Staff
- Posts: 9360
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:05 am
- Location: Montreal
Re: HELP! Desperate to improve!
How is your stress management going? Are you still talking to the specialist that you saw before? If not, it sounds like it's time to make another appointment.
Regarding studying, three things:
(1) It's important to make sure that you aren't studying with the mindset that you have to learn everything. You can't learn everything. I can't either. Your goal is to learn enough to reach your goal score, but you will still get lots of questions wrong and there will still be lots of things you don't know on the test.
(2) When studying, it's important to mix different kinds of activities. For example, you don't want to read all about the various grammar rules, etc, and only then go test yourself by doing some SC problems. Rather, you want to learn some rules, do some drills (non-GMAT format, like the end-of-chapter problems), do some OG problems (that will also allow you to test yourself on other SC stuff you learned earlier), then analyze those OG problems to see what you did and didn't know. If you missed anything that you have studied recently, go back to that section or page in the SC book and re-learn the material. Make a flash card. If you missed anything that you have studied but not recently, review just that part right now, and add the broader topic to your review list for sometime in the next week. If you missed anything that you haven't studied yet, add that topic to your review list for sometime in the next two weeks.
That kind of thing. Basically, you want to build the skill all the way from a certain topic or set of rules through to applying those rules to OG problems and then loop back around on the next topic or set of rules.
(3) It might be the case that you need to study more, but it's not necessarily the case that spending more time will help you to learn more. You have to study more than 5 minutes a day, yes, but when people get nervous and decide to study an extra 10 hours a week...usually they're just making themselves more tired out and that makes learning even harder. It is not the case, for example, that you have to finish every question in the entire OG to get a good score. Some people do, but it is not a requirement in general for everyone.
Because of your history with stress management, I'm worried that your anxiety might just be making you want to study more because you think that's something that you can control. I understand that impulse, but perhaps you are already studying as much as your brain can handle effectively. How much are you studying? What are you doing while you study? How do you feel mentally at the end of a study session? At the end of a day? At the end of several days of frequent study (eg, weekends, or whenever your peak study times are)?
You also mention that you're having time management issues. What kinds of issues are you having? On which question types or topic areas? You'll need to diagnose where you're spending too much or too little time: what kinds of decisions are causing you to mismanage time on a question and how can you make those decisions better in future? How you are mis-managing time among all questions in a section?
I think a study group is a great idea. It's okay that you are at different places in your study progress. There are some things you can help this other person with and you can check your own understanding while you explain these things. If you really understand, you'll be able to explain it decently well. If you struggle to explain it, then you know that you have some more work to do yourself to understand whatever that topic or question type or strategy is.
I'm going to finish where I started: the biggest message I'm getting from your post is that the anxiety is creeping up again and you need to figure out what you are going to do to help manage that better. I can't remember whether I've shared the below resources with you before, but I may not have (because I only recently came into possession of them myself).
This is a 15-minute mindfulness exercise that a colleague of mine, Logan Thompson, recorded for our students:
https://soundcloud.com/user-91744640/15 ... s-practice
He recommends that those suffering from anxiety do this twice a day.
Logan also recommends the 10% Happier website and app. He says this "is one of the best things out there. It's free for a bit, then like $9 per month."
http://www.10percenthappier.com/mindful ... he-basics/
One of my students has used this and she highly recommends it.
Regarding studying, three things:
(1) It's important to make sure that you aren't studying with the mindset that you have to learn everything. You can't learn everything. I can't either.
Your goal is to learn enough to reach your goal score, but you will still get lots of questions wrong and there will still be lots of things you don't know on the test.(2) When studying, it's important to mix different kinds of activities. For example, you don't want to read all about the various grammar rules, etc, and only then go test yourself by doing some SC problems. Rather, you want to learn some rules, do some drills (non-GMAT format, like the end-of-chapter problems), do some OG problems (that will also allow you to test yourself on other SC stuff you learned earlier), then analyze those OG problems to see what you did and didn't know. If you missed anything that you have studied recently, go back to that section or page in the SC book and re-learn the material. Make a flash card. If you missed anything that you have studied but not recently, review just that part right now, and add the broader topic to your review list for sometime in the next week. If you missed anything that you haven't studied yet, add that topic to your review list for sometime in the next two weeks.
That kind of thing. Basically, you want to build the skill all the way from a certain topic or set of rules through to applying those rules to OG problems and then loop back around on the next topic or set of rules.
(3) It might be the case that you need to study more, but it's not necessarily the case that spending more time will help you to learn more. You have to study more than 5 minutes a day, yes,
but when people get nervous and decide to study an extra 10 hours a week...usually they're just making themselves more tired out and that makes learning even harder. It is not the case, for example, that you have to finish every question in the entire OG to get a good score. Some people do, but it is not a requirement in general for everyone.Because of your history with stress management, I'm worried that your anxiety might just be making you want to study more because you think that's something that you can control. I understand that impulse, but perhaps you are already studying as much as your brain can handle effectively. How much are you studying? What are you doing while you study? How do you feel mentally at the end of a study session? At the end of a day? At the end of several days of frequent study (eg, weekends, or whenever your peak study times are)?
You also mention that you're having time management issues. What kinds of issues are you having? On which question types or topic areas? You'll need to diagnose where you're spending too much or too little time: what kinds of decisions are causing you to mismanage time on a question and how can you make those decisions better in future? How you are mis-managing time among all questions in a section?
I think a study group is a great idea. It's okay that you are at different places in your study progress. There are some things you can help this other person with and you can check your own understanding while you explain these things. If you really understand, you'll be able to explain it decently well. If you struggle to explain it, then you know that you have some more work to do yourself to understand whatever that topic or question type or strategy is.
I'm going to finish where I started: the biggest message I'm getting from your post is that the anxiety is creeping up again and you need to figure out what you are going to do to help manage that better. I can't remember whether I've shared the below resources with you before, but I may not have (because I only recently came into possession of them myself).
This is a 15-minute mindfulness exercise that a colleague of mine, Logan Thompson, recorded for our students:
https://soundcloud.com/user-91744640/15 ... s-practice
He recommends that those suffering from anxiety do this twice a day.
Logan also recommends the 10% Happier website and app. He says this "is one of the best things out there. It's free for a bit, then like $9 per month."
http://www.10percenthappier.com/mindful ... he-basics/
One of my students has used this and she highly recommends it.
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
- EnriqueR905
- Students
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2016 1:41 pm
Re: HELP! Desperate to improve!
Hello Stacey,
First of all, I want to let you know that I finished reading all guides and taking my notes for review. Therefore, It’s time to work hard on the practice.
Regarding your questions, my study sessions take around 2 to 3 hours per day and I usually read two chapters or more depending on the length, of course, there have been days when I have read just one or nothing.
At the beginning of these recent sessions, I have been feeling overwhelmed and just seeing the study as a drag. At the end of the sessions I feel relieved but at the same time worried because maybe I haven’t memorized everything or the fact that I still had many things to read the next day. During weekends, I study the same length as I would in a normal and usually study on Saturdays only. However, I haven’t studied in some of the Saturdays mainly because I don’t feel in the mood for studying. In addition to actually becoming mad when I reached the chapter about idioms in the SC guide.
I scheduled an appointment to study with someone else and at the beginning we practiced SC.Unfortunately, accuracy was bad when I was being timed while his accuracy was great, but when I wasn’t being timed I answered everything correctly. I was comparing to him and actually trying to win a race. On the other hand, when we practiced math, It went very well, we both agreed on the same things and got most of the questions correct.
I would say that my main concerns regarding time management are in SC,RC and Problem solving. My problem with these 3 types consists mainly in that when I practice reading comprehension, I become nervous because I have to finish reading in 3 or 4 minutes and at the end, I spend too much time on my notes while missing some things. In many cases, I have gotten most of the questions right but with very bad timing.
Regarding SC and Problem solving, I believe that when I practice SC is hard to follow all the steps that the book recommends as well as picking a starting point and not being organized when tackling them.
Mostly, when I have timing issues is because I become nervous when timed and try to look at the clock and get frozen, instead of being calm under pressure.
With all this said, I would like to ask you how long should I spend practicing before taking my next CAT, what CAT should I take? MCAT or GMATPREP? Should I only practice with the OG or should I get another resource? How should work with time management during a practice session or a practice test, especially when I have to face verbal questions in which the timing is completely different? Should I look at the clock at a specific question number? How can monitor my timing when I am practicing verbal considering that the question types are set randomly and their timing is different?
Thank you for always answering my posts. I am currently feeling stressed out and unable to actually get the score I need this time as well as feeling like running out of time. I will certainly check the links you have recommended as well as doing more practice.
Finally, do you have any advice about not seeing the GMAT as impossible?
Best,
Enrique.
First of all, I want to let you know that I finished reading all guides and taking my notes for review. Therefore, It’s time to work hard on the practice.
Regarding your questions, my study sessions take around 2 to 3 hours per day and I usually read two chapters or more depending on the length, of course, there have been days when I have read just one or nothing.
At the beginning of these recent sessions, I have been feeling overwhelmed and just seeing the study as a drag. At the end of the sessions I feel relieved but at the same time worried because maybe I haven’t memorized everything or the fact that I still had many things to read the next day. During weekends, I study the same length as I would in a normal and usually study on Saturdays only. However, I haven’t studied in some of the Saturdays mainly because I don’t feel in the mood for studying. In addition to actually becoming mad when I reached the chapter about idioms in the SC guide.
I scheduled an appointment to study with someone else and at the beginning we practiced SC.Unfortunately, accuracy was bad when I was being timed while his accuracy was great, but when I wasn’t being timed I answered everything correctly. I was comparing to him and actually trying to win a race. On the other hand, when we practiced math, It went very well, we both agreed on the same things and got most of the questions correct.
I would say that my main concerns regarding time management are in SC,RC and Problem solving. My problem with these 3 types consists mainly in that when I practice reading comprehension, I become nervous because I have to finish reading in 3 or 4 minutes and at the end, I spend too much time on my notes while missing some things. In many cases, I have gotten most of the questions right but with very bad timing.
Regarding SC and Problem solving, I believe that when I practice SC is hard to follow all the steps that the book recommends as well as picking a starting point and not being organized when tackling them.
Mostly, when I have timing issues is because I become nervous when timed and try to look at the clock and get frozen, instead of being calm under pressure.
With all this said, I would like to ask you how long should I spend practicing before taking my next CAT, what CAT should I take? MCAT or GMATPREP? Should I only practice with the OG or should I get another resource? How should work with time management during a practice session or a practice test, especially when I have to face verbal questions in which the timing is completely different? Should I look at the clock at a specific question number? How can monitor my timing when I am practicing verbal considering that the question types are set randomly and their timing is different?
Thank you for always answering my posts. I am currently feeling stressed out and unable to actually get the score I need this time as well as feeling like running out of time. I will certainly check the links you have recommended as well as doing more practice.
Finally, do you have any advice about not seeing the GMAT as impossible?
Best,
Enrique.
- StaceyKoprince
- ManhattanGMAT Staff
- Posts: 9360
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:05 am
- Location: Montreal
Re: HELP! Desperate to improve!
Are you still seeing the specialist that you saw in June? If not, it might be a good idea to meet with him / her again to talk about coping mechanisms. Tell him / her that I said the following things:
- Nobody can learn everything that could possibly be tested on this exam, so part of the mindset you need to learn is that it's okay not to know everything and it's okay to let some questions go. The test writers are actually expecting you to have to do this.
- There will always be time pressure on the test. You will reduce the time pressure by letting go of some questions. This can include letting go of a question that you do know how to do but you know it's going to take too long to do the problem.
If you find that, as soon as you are timed or in "competition" with your friend, you can't concentrate and your performance drops a lot, then you may need to talk to the specialist about mindfulness / meditation techniques or medication that can help you to calm your nerves.
Do you have access to our Interact lessons? I can't remember now what level of access you have to our materials. If so, do the Preparing to Face the GMAT 2 Interact lesson located in session 6. That will help you to learn how you can track and balance your time across the entire verbal section. (And ask me any questions that you have.)
When you do problem sets yourself, do 8 questions at a time. Do one RC passage with 3 questions, 2 CRs, and 3 SCs. Give yourself a total of 15 minutes. (You can also double all of that: 16 questions, etc.)
I think official questions are the best questions to use; if you feel like you need more, I would first look at other materials sold by the makers of the official test. Re: your next CAT, I'm not sure. I'd like to see you make some progress first on your stress / anxiety. I'm worried that, if you take another CAT while you're super stressed out, you'll have a difficult test experience and then get more discouraged.
A colleague of mine works with a therapist who specializes in performance anxiety. I'm not sure what your specialist does. Do you think that you could benefit from working with someone who specializes specifically in performance anxiety? If so, I can give you the contact information.
- Nobody can learn everything that could possibly be tested on this exam, so part of the mindset you need to learn is that it's okay not to know everything and it's okay to let some questions go. The test writers are actually expecting you to have to do this.
- There will always be time pressure on the test. You will reduce the time pressure by letting go of some questions. This can include letting go of a question that you do know how to do but you know it's going to take too long to do the problem.
If you find that, as soon as you are timed or in "competition" with your friend, you can't concentrate and your performance drops a lot, then you may need to talk to the specialist about mindfulness / meditation techniques or medication that can help you to calm your nerves.
Do you have access to our Interact lessons? I can't remember now what level of access you have to our materials. If so, do the Preparing to Face the GMAT 2 Interact lesson located in session 6. That will help you to learn how you can track and balance your time across the entire verbal section. (And ask me any questions that you have.)
When you do problem sets yourself, do 8 questions at a time. Do one RC passage with 3 questions, 2 CRs, and 3 SCs. Give yourself a total of 15 minutes. (You can also double all of that: 16 questions, etc.)
I think official questions are the best questions to use; if you feel like you need more, I would first look at other materials sold by the makers of the official test. Re: your next CAT, I'm not sure. I'd like to see you make some progress first on your stress / anxiety. I'm worried that, if you take another CAT while you're super stressed out, you'll have a difficult test experience and then get more discouraged.
A colleague of mine works with a therapist who specializes in performance anxiety. I'm not sure what your specialist does. Do you think that you could benefit from working with someone who specializes specifically in performance anxiety? If so, I can give you the contact information.
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
- EnriqueR905
- Students
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2016 1:41 pm
Re: HELP! Desperate to improve!
Hello Stacey,
I haven't seen my therapist for some time now, but I will try to schedule an appointment with her.
Also, I do not have access to the interactive lessons.
Lately, I have improved my timing reading RC passages, but not too much in answering the questions, but since I had to move on to other areas, i tried to practice sc and it did not go well, I practiced (without timing) 15 questions in one day and 15 questions in other days and the outcome wasn't good ( 8 questions correct and 7 incorrect in both question banks).
Now, I started practicing CR and my performance has been very bad, I practiced the same way as i did with SC (15 question sets without timing). I already to all type of questions for CR and even though I can recognize them and try to make an argument map that could help me understand the argument nd most of the time i do know what they convey, i still get many questions wrong, in fact i have more questions incorrect than correct and i am very concerned. I will start reviewing the CR guide to see if there is something that I am not considering.
Of course, seeing that I take my time to answer them and still getting them wrong tells me that my performance is extremely mediocre.
What do you think is more important? timing or having more questions correct?
I want to also address the way I intended to practice. I was thinking that i would practice an area alone by doing as many practice questions as possible, then when i was able to get them correct most of the time, address timing and THEN switch to another topic. I see that this is not effective, but how am i supposed to practice then? I, of course, have checked some of the mistakes and keep them in an error log that I review.
I will start practicing verbal in the way you suggest, but what do you think I should do to change my performance?. In addition, how should I time SC ? is it enough to do only 8 questions per day? what t do you think I can do to improve in CR and SC? should i also include practicing verbal every day?
I am currently stressed out after seeing how bad my performance in CR was when i was actually thinking that my problem (quickly understanding the arguments) had already been solved.
Thank You.
I haven't seen my therapist for some time now, but I will try to schedule an appointment with her.
Also, I do not have access to the interactive lessons.
Lately, I have improved my timing reading RC passages, but not too much in answering the questions, but since I had to move on to other areas, i tried to practice sc and it did not go well, I practiced (without timing) 15 questions in one day and 15 questions in other days and the outcome wasn't good ( 8 questions correct and 7 incorrect in both question banks).
Now, I started practicing CR and my performance has been very bad, I practiced the same way as i did with SC (15 question sets without timing). I already to all type of questions for CR and even though I can recognize them and try to make an argument map that could help me understand the argument nd most of the time i do know what they convey, i still get many questions wrong, in fact i have more questions incorrect than correct and i am very concerned. I will start reviewing the CR guide to see if there is something that I am not considering.
Of course, seeing that I take my time to answer them and still getting them wrong tells me that my performance is extremely mediocre.
What do you think is more important? timing or having more questions correct?
I want to also address the way I intended to practice. I was thinking that i would practice an area alone by doing as many practice questions as possible, then when i was able to get them correct most of the time, address timing and THEN switch to another topic. I see that this is not effective, but how am i supposed to practice then? I, of course, have checked some of the mistakes and keep them in an error log that I review.
I will start practicing verbal in the way you suggest, but what do you think I should do to change my performance?. In addition, how should I time SC ? is it enough to do only 8 questions per day? what t do you think I can do to improve in CR and SC? should i also include practicing verbal every day?
I am currently stressed out after seeing how bad my performance in CR was when i was actually thinking that my problem (quickly understanding the arguments) had already been solved.
Thank You.
- EnriqueR905
- Students
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2016 1:41 pm
Re: HELP! Desperate to improve!
Hello Stacey, hope you are well. I wanted to give you an update of my performance.
2 hours ago I took my 2nd CAT and fortunately I got the score I need for my application.I feel more confident now and eager to improve on what areas I am weaker.
My overall score was 580 (Q 53, V 28) I know it is not the best score,but it is more than enough for the school I want to apply.My overall performance felt better, I was very confident in the Quant section and not so afraid of the Verbal section after improving my speed while reading (although CR kept me nervous).My timing, was not the best but I am learning how to let some questions go and it worked,but at the end of the Quant section I had to guess in row of around 7 questions, getting most of them wrong and leaving the last question unanswered.This could mean that my performance was better than before.In addition, I had 3 strings of only two questions wrong and one with more than 4 (the part in which i had to move quickly).
On the Verbal section,though, I got 20 correct, 20 incorrect and 1 question unanswered. 9 out 16 questions correct in SC, 3 out of 14 questions incorrect in CR and 8 out of 12 RC questions incorrect, making CR my big weakness in Verbal.I had 6 strings of incorrect questions, one with 3 questions, 2 with four questions and 3 with 2 questions each and CR questions were 9 out of 17.
Based on all of this, what do you think of my performance on this CAT? what do you think I should do to increase my accuracy in CR? Also, I would like to know if you could give me some advice on how to create and effective error log.
Thank You for your support
Best,
Enrique.
2 hours ago I took my 2nd CAT and fortunately I got the score I need for my application.I feel more confident now and eager to improve on what areas I am weaker.
My overall score was 580 (Q 53, V 28) I know it is not the best score,but it is more than enough for the school I want to apply.My overall performance felt better, I was very confident in the Quant section and not so afraid of the Verbal section after improving my speed while reading (although CR kept me nervous).My timing, was not the best but I am learning how to let some questions go and it worked,but at the end of the Quant section I had to guess in row of around 7 questions, getting most of them wrong and leaving the last question unanswered.This could mean that my performance was better than before.In addition, I had 3 strings of only two questions wrong and one with more than 4 (the part in which i had to move quickly).
On the Verbal section,though, I got 20 correct, 20 incorrect and 1 question unanswered. 9 out 16 questions correct in SC, 3 out of 14 questions incorrect in CR and 8 out of 12 RC questions incorrect, making CR my big weakness in Verbal.I had 6 strings of incorrect questions, one with 3 questions, 2 with four questions and 3 with 2 questions each and CR questions were 9 out of 17.
Based on all of this, what do you think of my performance on this CAT? what do you think I should do to increase my accuracy in CR? Also, I would like to know if you could give me some advice on how to create and effective error log.
Thank You for your support
Best,
Enrique.
- StaceyKoprince
- ManhattanGMAT Staff
- Posts: 9360
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:05 am
- Location: Montreal
Re: HELP! Desperate to improve!
That's great! Congratulations!
And, yes, if you got that score even after missing 7 questions at the end of quant, then your score could have been even higher. If you can learn to make better decisions about time management, then maybe you can hit 600+.
2 questions wrong in a row is to be expected; you don't need to count that as a "string" of wrong answers. Even 3 in a row will happen occasionally. It's more problematic if you have 4+ wrong in a row or what I call a cluster (something like 2 wrong, 1 right, 2 wrong—so you only have 2 in a row wrong, but you also have 4 out of 5 total wrong).
You said that you had one unanswered on verbal. Did you also have a string wrong at the end there? Were you rushing? Or did you just happen to run out of time on the last question?
What test did you use? If it was one of ours, you can use this article to analyze your data more deeply:
http://tinyurl.com/analyzeyourcats
If you do that, let me know what your analysis reveals. (In particular, I'd like to know your buckets. See the article for details.)
If a 580 is more than enough for your schools AND you got that score after having your score drop at the end for quant, I think the biggest thing you need to do is work on your timing / decision-making and then go in there and take the real test! There isn't any value in getting a much higher score than you need. Just get what you need for your programs and go spend your very valuable time doing other, more important things in life.
I will add: given the anxiety that you have faced in the past when taking the real test, you may want to plan to take it twice, just to help you try to manage and minimize that anxiety. What do you think?
And, yes, if you got that score even after missing 7 questions at the end of quant, then your score could have been even higher. If you can learn to make better decisions about time management, then maybe you can hit 600+.
2 questions wrong in a row is to be expected; you don't need to count that as a "string" of wrong answers. Even 3 in a row will happen occasionally. It's more problematic if you have 4+ wrong in a row or what I call a cluster (something like 2 wrong, 1 right, 2 wrong—so you only have 2 in a row wrong, but you also have 4 out of 5 total wrong).
You said that you had one unanswered on verbal. Did you also have a string wrong at the end there? Were you rushing? Or did you just happen to run out of time on the last question?
What test did you use? If it was one of ours, you can use this article to analyze your data more deeply:
http://tinyurl.com/analyzeyourcats
If you do that, let me know what your analysis reveals. (In particular, I'd like to know your buckets. See the article for details.)
If a 580 is more than enough for your schools AND you got that score after having your score drop at the end for quant, I think the biggest thing you need to do is work on your timing / decision-making and then go in there and take the real test! There isn't any value in getting a much higher score than you need. Just get what you need for your programs and go spend your very valuable time doing other, more important things in life.
I will add: given the anxiety that you have faced in the past when taking the real test, you may want to plan to take it twice, just to help you try to manage and minimize that anxiety. What do you think?
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
- EnriqueR905
- Students
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2016 1:41 pm
Re: HELP! Desperate to improve!
Hello Stacey, thank you for your response.
The CAT test i took was from MGMAT. Regarding the Verbal section.I was actually rushing at the end of the section and I did not have enough time to answer the last question.However, I did not get strings at the end of the section, only two in the middle of 4 questions mainly because I had to face CR questions in a row and those questions, for some reason, have been giving me some trouble lately.
I already reviewed my CAT and learned from my mistakes and I discovered that my weakest areas are geometry in quant and CR in verbal. When I see geometry questions, most of the time I do not know how to approach the question even though I understand the theory behind it. When I answer CR questions,the same thing happens.Therefore, I would like to know how I could improve in this situation, I have already learned all the formulas, type of questions, and how to approach the questions.
On the other hand, from the day I took the CAT to today, I have been feeling relieved but at the same time a little nervous, thinking on whether I will be able to replicate the success I had in the real GMAT and for this reason, I have procrastinated a lot and I feel a little nervous because since I have obtained the grade, I should schedule the test ASAP but I feel very slow while at the same time bored and a little bit concerned.
So, I would like to know if I should schedule the test ASAP? should worry about geometry and CR and, if I do, how can I improve? how can practice in order to improve my timing? should do some 37 or 41 question sessions to replicate the testing conditions? should i study less?
Thank you for consideration,
Best
Enrique.
The CAT test i took was from MGMAT. Regarding the Verbal section.I was actually rushing at the end of the section and I did not have enough time to answer the last question.However, I did not get strings at the end of the section, only two in the middle of 4 questions mainly because I had to face CR questions in a row and those questions, for some reason, have been giving me some trouble lately.
I already reviewed my CAT and learned from my mistakes and I discovered that my weakest areas are geometry in quant and CR in verbal. When I see geometry questions, most of the time I do not know how to approach the question even though I understand the theory behind it. When I answer CR questions,the same thing happens.Therefore, I would like to know how I could improve in this situation, I have already learned all the formulas, type of questions, and how to approach the questions.
On the other hand, from the day I took the CAT to today, I have been feeling relieved but at the same time a little nervous, thinking on whether I will be able to replicate the success I had in the real GMAT and for this reason, I have procrastinated a lot and I feel a little nervous because since I have obtained the grade, I should schedule the test ASAP but I feel very slow while at the same time bored and a little bit concerned.
So, I would like to know if I should schedule the test ASAP? should worry about geometry and CR and, if I do, how can I improve? how can practice in order to improve my timing? should do some 37 or 41 question sessions to replicate the testing conditions? should i study less?
Thank you for consideration,
Best
Enrique.
- StaceyKoprince
- ManhattanGMAT Staff
- Posts: 9360
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:05 am
- Location: Montreal
Re: HELP! Desperate to improve!
You got the score that you want despite those weaknesses, so no, you don't have to worry about trying to fix those weaknesses at this point. Rather, be aware that certain question types are weaknesses so that you can guess and move on when you realize that you aren't making progress on that problem. Or, when you are behind on time, so that you can choose to guess on those to get caught back up. Or, for a small subset, so that you can choose to guess immediately no matter what because you know you hate that type of problem.
If you are nervous about whether you will replicate your success on your last test, do this: spend the next 7 to 14 days generally reviewing and practicing. Your goal during this period isn't to fix big weaknesses. Your goal is to solidify your processes and learn to minimize any careless mistakes you are making. Then take another practice test. If you are able to replicate your success, then you know that you are ready for the real test!
Your practice should be in the same mode it was before: sets of 4, 8, 12 questions (not 37 or 41—that's a waste unless you are actually taking a practice CAT). You can still learn to manage time and make better decisions through smaller sets of questions.
If you are nervous about whether you will replicate your success on your last test, do this: spend the next 7 to 14 days generally reviewing and practicing. Your goal during this period isn't to fix big weaknesses. Your goal is to solidify your processes and learn to minimize any careless mistakes you are making. Then take another practice test. If you are able to replicate your success, then you know that you are ready for the real test!
Your practice should be in the same mode it was before: sets of 4, 8, 12 questions (not 37 or 41—that's a waste unless you are actually taking a practice CAT). You can still learn to manage time and make better decisions through smaller sets of questions.
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
- EnriqueR905
- Students
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2016 1:41 pm
Re: HELP! Desperate to improve!
Hello Stacey, hope you are well.
I would like to inform you that I just finished my GMAT test and scored 640!
I am happy with the results,after experimenting such horrible feelings,I can now feel more secure of my abilities.
I want to also thank you for your kind words and support throughout these months, they were very important for me to keep working hard.
Now I am very happy because I can focus on what is yet to come and the fact that i do not need to study for this test again (until I pursue an MBA of course).
I would like to inform you that I just finished my GMAT test and scored 640!
I am happy with the results,after experimenting such horrible feelings,I can now feel more secure of my abilities.
I want to also thank you for your kind words and support throughout these months, they were very important for me to keep working hard.
Now I am very happy because I can focus on what is yet to come and the fact that i do not need to study for this test again (until I pursue an MBA of course).
- StaceyKoprince
- ManhattanGMAT Staff
- Posts: 9360
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:05 am
- Location: Montreal
Re: HELP! Desperate to improve!
That's excellent!! Congratulations! I'm really happy for you. And I'm glad that I was able to be of help.
Good luck with your applications; let me know how it goes!
Good luck with your applications; let me know how it goes!
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep