Request help building 2nd GMAT prep game-plan!

[ChaseH305]

Hi!

I took the test on December 30 and didn't perform like I wanted to unfortunately (looking for a 670+). Scored a 600 (Q:35/32nd% & V:38/85th%). Definitely bummed out that I did so poorly on quant.

I'm at a standstill with my studies at the moment and could really use a hand with building a game-plan for getting ready to take the test again.

For context, my last several scores:

04 NOV (MGMAT) 590 (Q:38/V:33)
02 DEC (MGMAT) 630 (Q:37/V:38)
24 DEC (GMAC PREP) 650 (Q:39/V:40)
30 DEC (GMAT ACTUAL) 600 (Q:35/V38)

I've reviewed my last two MGMAT CATs using the "4 steps to get the most out of your CATs" articles and feel like my verbal score is good to go. Conversely, my quant score needs to be much improved!

VERBAL:
I think my verbal score is good to go. That said, two tests in a row I missed the last four questions in a row due to timing (MGMAT and GMAC prep). Per the assessment reports my timing looked good and I felt like I was on top of the timing gates right up until the last five minutes. I think that I may be spending too much time reading the RC passages. I will try to clean that up! The only verbal question I have is would it be a good idea to "burn" 2-3 questions earlier in the test to stay ahead of timeline? Obviously if I can get faster at reading the RC passages that won't be necessary, but if I don't before the next GMAT?

QUANT:
I reviewed my CATs trying to use the "Bins" in the article, but I don't know if it fits for me! I found that virtually all quant areas are a weakness so I need to attack at least some of those weaknesses! In terms of timing, my DS looks OK, but I need to pick up the pace a little bit on the PS questions. In terms of content areas, the CAT assessments lead me to believe I need to improve across the spectrum! Starting at such a deficit, I feel like prioritizing the most frequently tested subjects across quant is the way to go. Would love to hear your thoughts on how I can get my quant scores up to something more reasonable!

I would like to take the GMAT again in about a month, but would wait if you think I should spend more time getting my quant sorted out. So moving forward I would really appreciate help building a game plan that builds up my quant capabilities and at least maintains my verbal with a target test date between mid-February and mid-March.

Thanks so much in advance! I really appreciate it!

Cheers,
Chase

[StaceyKoprince]

Did you take our class? (The system is telling me yes, but sometimes it's wrong.)

If you took our course, then you're eligible for a free Post-Exam Assessment (if you haven't done it already). This is a phone call with an instructor to figure out what happened on test day and come up with a plan to re-take the test. If this applies to you, please send an email to gmat@manhattanprep.com and request the Post-Exam Assessment (PEA).

Your real test score was a bit lower than practice, yes. Still within normal deviation. (Did you take those practice tests under 100% official conditions, including essay, IR, breaks, etc? If you deviate, that can result in an artificially inflated score.)

So the question is how to lift your skills in general (because your practice tests weren't at 670, your goal) while also doing what you can to have a "good" day / be on the higher end of your normal range on real test day. (One factor: make sure practice tests are taken under 100% official conditions.)

Your verbal score is already great. The verbal does factor into the 3-digit score too, though, so if you can lift it a little more, that will only help.

More of your focus will be on quant, of course. You need to get that score high enough that it doesn't raise an eyebrow during the admissions process.

For verbal, yes, burn 2-3 questions earlier in the section...and that's true no matter what, regardless of whether you get faster at RC. The point is not that you will learn how to do every last problem fast - they can always give you something harder. The strategy is to make the best investment decisions as you can throughout the section, which includes identifying the hardest / most annoying questions as you see them throughout the section, and moving on quickly. Otherwise, you'll find yourself in...well, in exactly the situation you've found yourself: forced to guess at the end because you didn't cut yourself off on too-hard questions earlier.

So, yes. Do that.

Re: quant, if it is true that your performance is equal across all categories, then yes, prioritize based on frequency with which stuff is tested. But that's very unusual. How deeply did you dive into the data? For instance, if you have two areas that are both 50% correct and the timing is okay...they may still not be identical. Click to look at the individual problems to see their difficulty ratings. Did you miss 700+ questions only? Then that's not a problem - I'd call that bucket 1. Did you miss 1 or more sub-600 problems? That's an issue. Holes in foundation, careless mistakes, something - if it's commonly tested, you've got to go figure out how to make it better, because you can't afford to miss sub-600 level problems if you want to get to 670+.

For frequently-tested topics, take a look at the main page of this folder (General GMAT Strategy Questions). There's a pinned topic that lists these areas for each section.

Let me know whether you qualify for the PEA (and, if so, go do that - that will give you your detailed study plan). If not (or if you just want to talk more here, too), look a little more deeply into the data as described above and let me know whether anything pops out there. Match that up with the frequently-tested topics list and then let me know what those are.

Meanwhile, take a look here for more resources on how to read RC:
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... rehension/

And take a look at these:
http://tinyurl.com/executivereasoning
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... -the-gmat/
http://tinyurl.com/2ndlevelofgmat

If you haven't already been approaching your studies / the test in those ways, start.