How to improve my score ? Looking for advise 640 - ???

[david.loaiza.felix]

Hello MMGMAT staff and everyone in general.

Last month (23rd of november) I took the GMAT, after months and months of preparation. I scored a 640, I was happy, but not satisfied with my score.

I scored a Q:45 and V:34.

I am a non-native english speaker, and I have been focusing on improving my verbal score. I have been focusing on RC and CR questions. I used the Strategy guides of Manhattan and several other resources.

I was hoping to get an expert reply about this.

I have been studying for about 3 weeks now, and I think I have improved my accuracy a little bit.
My goal is to get a score of at least 670.. ( I would not mind if I get an 800)..

I am planning on taking the test again in January 3rd or 4th week of january.

Do you think is possible to improve my score on that time(3 or 4 weeks) and get to the score I want? improve at least 30 points?

I am also re-reading all the Quantitative material specially geomety, angles, coordinate-plane. I hope I can improve my Q, score too.

Please let me know you opinion.. Thanks in advance

[StaceyKoprince]

Nice work! Let's see... a 30 point increase in about a month. Yes, that's possible. You might need a little more time though - it really depends on what's going on with your strengths and weaknesses.

If you'd like to get more detailed advice, then we need more data on your strengths and weaknesses. 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!)

[david.loaiza.felix]

Hello Stacey,
Thanks for your reply I really appreciated.

Since I am currently trying to improve my verbal score, I am spending around 70% of my studytime on the verbal section. Around 3-4 hours everyday. Most of my study time on CR and RC.

I have already taken the 6 CAT form MGMAT, they are good practice, I would say that sometimes I feel the questions here are a bit more challenging that on the GMATPREP software. I am retaking the 6 CAT again just for practice, but I would like to show the information about the first 6 CAT. The other results are inflated because I already knew some questions.

I am particularly worry about the verbal section (not native english speaker) I am retaking the test soon (3rd time), I hope it is the last time.

The last two times I got an 5.5 on AWA sections both times and 6 on IR both times.



Here is some information about the CAT.(VERBAL SECTION) I have noticed that on the prep tests I have taken I ran out of time at the end of the verbal section, the last 4 or 3 questions. That did not happend on the real test, but maybe thats also a reflection of my performance, maybe I did not read carefully some questions on the test or rushed to make sure not to ran out of time.

CR

84 questions 54 correct / 30 incorrect

23 of the incorrect questions are on the range of 700-800 difficulty
50% accuracy when facing that difficulty level.
2:00 minutes spent on the question( wrong answer)

Overall I spent 1:55 WRONG answers
and 1:38 when right.

Average difficulty (right) 670
Average difficulty (wrong) 730


I think I have improved since I took the 6 CAT, and I am confortable with the format of the questions and I know how to apporach most of them, and at the end I understand the logic behind them. The problem here is that I think I spend too much time on some questions (Critical Reasoning). The accuracy on the high difficulty CR questions is poor. I have been listening to the videos of RON and how he reasons the CR questions(great resource).

On the Quantitative section, I let go the questions that I obviously dont know. But on the Verbal section I find it more difficult, I feel that there is little room for mistake there, and I can not let go that easily.


I am just sharing the CR sections results, because I am particularly worry about those questions. I feel confident about my SC accuracy (I still practice SC) and I have recently found a method to tackle RC questions that works well for me.

Taking Notes (sounds obvious) but before I tried scanning the passage. Now I just read the passage carefully and divide it in several sections, making notes about each section. That works well for me, but it also consumes time when the readings are confusing.

Overall, I would say that my main problem is TIME STRATEGY. I am getting better. But now I am worry that I have already worked on most of the material available (official guides 12-13, verbal review, GMATPREP, MGMAT CAT and other materials).

I know that the most important thing, is to understand the logic behind the questions, and try to identify if a similar reasoning appears on a different question. Why something is right and why the wrong answers are wrong.

I have read some post about people that when taking a test (real/preparation) look at the question number they are. Lets say # 20 on the Verbal section and try to have at this point 37 min. How usefull do you think a similar strategy will work? I am worry about the last 10 questions, because normally I dont have enough time to finish. How much time would you recomend to set aside for the last 10 questions? I know that it is difficult to answer that since the difficulty or the topics make it difficult to predict how much time someone would spend on each question.. but maybe a rough average might be useful..


I am really sorry for the long post. Thanks in advance

[StaceyKoprince]

Great, so we don't need to worry about either IR or essay.

You have some timing issues (even if that didn't happen on the real test), so read these:

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... to-win-it/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... nt-part-1/

Note: the second article is a 2-parter; make sure to read both halves.

Next, on your data... too much data actually. I don't want to know how you did on all 6 tests. I want to know how you did on the most recent 2 or possibly 3 tests - because that's where your skills are now. :)

Also, you told me the overall data but not how you're doing on the different sub-types - Find assumption, strengthen, weaken, inference / draw a conclusion, etc. Are you struggling equally with all of them? Or are some easier / harder for you than others?

Continue with Ron's videos. Here are some additional CR resources:
Overall process:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... g-problem/

4 main question types (concentrate on the ones that are giving you the most trouble):
Inference / Draw a Conclusion: http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... e-Problem/
Find Assumption:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -problems/
Weaken:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... n-problem/
Strengthen:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... n-problem/

On the Quantitative section, I let go the questions that I obviously dont know. But on the Verbal section I find it more difficult, I feel that there is little room for mistake there, and I can not let go that easily.

You can (and will) get many questions wrong on both sections. Read that In It To Win It article (linked above). You need to convince yourself that you are actually expecting to get lots of questions wrong and the real strategy there is to recognize the too-hard ones faster so that you can let them go without losing time.

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

But now I am worry that I have already worked on most of the material available (official guides 12-13, verbal review, GMATPREP, MGMAT CAT and other materials).

But you haven't actually learned everything that you needed to learn from those materials. It doesn't matter whether you already know the answer to something. Most of your learning comes AFTER you finish trying a problem and AFTER you see the answer. Read the "how to study" section here:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -the-gmat/

I know that the most important thing, is to understand the logic behind the questions, and try to identify if a similar reasoning appears on a different question. Why something is right and why the wrong answers are wrong.

Yes, that's a good start - but it's only a start. On verbal, you also need to understand why the right answer looks wrong, and why the wrong answer looks good! That's where the traps actually lie. If you learn how the questions "get" you, you'll be learning how not to make the same mistakes in future.

Re: your last question about timing, I address that in my time management article (linked at top).