by StaceyKoprince Wed Aug 20, 2008 4:25 pm
Hi - no need to repost requests; we'll answer your question as quickly as we can, but it typically takes several days (if not longer). You should wait at least a week without a response before reposting if you think we might have missed your question - but be really careful, because we answer the oldest ones first, so if you keep reposting to your own thread, you'll keep resetting the date, and you'll end up waiting longer for a response!
Have you been taking the CAT exams according to the class schedule? If so, you'll have an opportunity to request a test review from your teacher at the end of the course. She or he will go through your three exams and tell you what you should work on between then and your test date.
I generally recommend taking your final practice test a week before the real thing and your second-to-last test two weeks before the real thing. Other than that, I don't recommend taking practice tests more often than once every 3 weeks, approximately. I like your plan to do timed sections - make sure that you are choosing a random mix of questions (so that you don't know what kind of problem you're about to do!) and that you are selecting questions at different difficulty levels, not just the easiest or the hardest. Generally, if you are currently in the 600 range, you probably shouldn't even include the first 20-30 questions in each section in the purple and green books. You also shouldn't include the last 20-30 questions.
It sounds like you also have some work to do to finish the red strategy guides. And use your performance on the random question sets you do to determine where you need to go back and review material from the strategy guides.
If you have done the tests according to the class schedule, do make sure to sign up for that test review with your teacher - that will be the best advice because s/he will be able to personalize it to your own strengths, weaknesses, and goals!
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep