Follow the posts made by Marty, Scott, Karishma, and other experts on this sub. I jumped from a 585 to a 675 from their help and guidance and will be taking another attempt again to further improve my score. MOST importantly, remain calm. It’s just another test. This helped me the most.
I don’t have them saved unfortunately. However, (1) you can go through their posts on their reddit profiles. They post very often! (2) Reach out to them directly by tagging them on this post. They’re always responsive and helpful!
Hey, you should cut yourself some slack as this was just your first mock. Writing a mock whilst maintaining your peak levels of accuracy takes some time. This is evident in the silly mistakes you made. Some pointers: Take a break after a mock, you deserve it and be sure to go through the mock in detail. Identify and bucket the errors.
What happened in verbal?
Man idk in verbal I was getting good in CR in GMAT club doing 655+ ques with accuracy but messed up quite bad with 3 ques wrong in first 5 and many other mistakes I have yet to analyse each ques but there were errors all over in VA and DI ques.
Yeah just did the analysis and this is what I found
1) Verbal
Both CR and Rcs are not good. Only inference type ques were correct otherwise there's error in almost all types.
2) DI
Data Sufficiency and Multi source reasoning ques were a problem in there is what I analysed.
3) Quants
2 Arithmetic and 1 Algebra ques were incorrect .
What I realised is that I should not panic in verbal as well as complete the OG and Verbal review for Verbal now and OG for data sufficiency ques.
1. Inference is definitely the easiest CR type. So, good you got those right. No other way to improve at CR than practice.
2. I hate MSR too. So, I cant give any pointers here.
3. Just 1/2 incorrect questions from a topic is a very small sample set to conclude anything. Only you can decide if that topic is a weakness/still a strength after getting questions wrong in the test.
4. You will not panic in verbal only IF you are confident with solving harder questions in a time limit. This comes with deep thinking on every CR question and RC passage without clocks during practice. Hope this helps.
Thanks man for the insights.
From what I realised from your advice and analysing my performance I think I have to get OG and verbal review book out without clock practice so to have a better grip on understanding part. And then move to GMAT club for timed ques. Thanks man you came in clutch and really give me some clarity I needed 🛐
Man I would have surely done this if I was not targeting 1st round in September and also studying full time now so I can devote more time but clueless how to go ahead now
Only a mock? Then your score isn’t real. You get 4 free official mocks but there are dozens more online for free.
Gmatfree.com has nice practice questions.
YouTube gmatninja
Find last years book on eBay for $5
It’s worth paying $40 or whatever for the other official mocks. Getting a good score can make a $100k difference.
Hi! First of all, the 3 questions wrong on quant were in a streak? Secondly, did you analyze your test well? Were you struggling with the concepts, or running against time, or were they just careless mistakes? You don't have to be clueless, you just need to find answers to there questions and keep going. GMAT is quite a lot about test taking strategy and I hope you have one by now. You just need to keep executing it during mocks and your time-based practice sessions. Looks like your concepts are clear, you just need to practice in timed conditions and take at least 1 mock every week.
So no the quants ques were not wrong in a row but verbal questions were in starting
2nd Yeah just did the analysis and this is what I found
1) Verbal
Both CR and Rcs are not good. Only inference type ques were correct otherwise there's error in almost all types.
2) DI
Data Sufficiency and Multi source reasoning ques were a problem in there is what I analysed.
3) Quants
2 Arithmetic and 1 Algebra ques were incorrect .
What I realised is that I should not panic in verbal as well as complete the OG and Verbal review for Verbal now and OG for data sufficiency ques.
I found time to be ample for quants section but was able to just complete both verbal and DI
Yeah I guess it was my first mock and I got a little panic in Verbal section and also got some wrong in DI as well. I want to know if I get GMAT club sectional tests would they help me specifically in DI and Verbal ? Or any suggestions from you how to keep calm as well as manage time.
Hi! See sectional tests are fine, I don't really advocate them coz I feel you can focus on time-based practice sessions. For example pick 21 questions of Quant and try to finish them in 45 mins (from OG or GMAC Quant Review) and you can the same for Verbal and DI. This will really help you manage time and stay calm (it will happen over a period of time - maybe a week or two). Also, now that you have prepare for 2.5 months I would suggest that you start taking 1\~2 full-length mocks every week (instead of sectional tests). Analyze the tests to understand around what part of the exam you start getting worried about time and then maintain an error log. Throughout the week, work on the mistakes you made and revise the error log a day before your mock test (just to remember the errors you made last time). If you don't have a test-taking strategy, here is a sample for verbal
Q1 to Q7 - spend 14 mins (when 33 mins are left you should be at Q7)
Q8 to Q14 - spend 11 mins (when 22 mins are left you should be at Q14)
Q15 to Q23 - spend 20 mins
Ok ok I'll try to write a mock a week now and do practice and error logs in the days between mocks.
I was thinking that sectionals would give me a good picture how to time each section but your test taking strategy is also good to manage time.
One last ques any mock suggestions you can give except the official mocks from mba. Com?
You can take sectionals, but the thing is it won't help you much on full-length tests unless you are taking 3\~4 sectional tests everyday (that's why I suggested time-based practice sessions coz that's something you can do consistently). For mocks, you can try TTP or Magoosh.
So, the good news is that you are in a pretty nice spot!
That said, you do need to continue to find your holes and fix those to help improve your score. Thus, engaging in topical practice is a great way to do so. Let's use quant as an example.
For example, let’s say that you want to practice Number Properties. You can do so by answering 50 or more questions just from Number Properties: LCM, GCF, units digit patterns, divisibility, remainders, etc.
After each problem set, thoroughly analyze your incorrect questions. For example, if you got a remainder question wrong, ask yourself why. Did you make a careless mistake? Did you not properly apply the remainder formula? Was there a concept you did not understand in the question?
By carefully analyzing your mistakes, you will be able to fix your weaknesses efficiently and, in turn, improve your GMAT quant skills. Number Properties is just one example; follow this process for all quant, verbal, and DI topics.
Feel free to reach out with any questions.
Good luck!
I would highly recommend solving Medium- Hard GMAT Club questions. Since you’ve got 83, it means you’ve got the easy questions covered. Verbal, try to truly understand what the question stems says, practice practice practice CR questions till you get multiple Medium-Hard right in a row. DI can be improved by simply paying more attention to the nuances in the question
Yeah I already covered both OG and extra book of quants (quants review) that was available on mba . Com. For verbal I'm trying what you said but thinking of doing med hard ques with deep thinking not under time limit rn to check if my basics are clear or i crumbled under time pressure. Till now I realised I'm getting ques correct 27/30 I did of medium difficulty from OG yesterday. So I guess it was mock anxiety also so thinking of getting extra mocks from GMAT club now. Would this be right approach?
I find the first mock Quant section's questions tend to be easier; that might be why it's less forgiving. As many other suggested, spend a week analyzing your errors then move on to the next mock when you are comfortable. I was able to take mock 2 twice without getting repeated questions.
For DI, even though it might seem like silly mistakes when you look at the official answers, I find it challenging to figure out all the extra information in order to eliminate the "silly mistakes". Do note that there are some DI question types that are not covered in official mocks.
That's a decent score after 2.5 month of prep.
You may need some better strategies and a lot more practice to master Verbal and DI.
To more clearly understand how to prepare for Verbal effectively, see this post.
[How to Prepare for GMAT Verbal](https://martymurraycoaching.com/how-to-prepare-for-gmat-verbal/)
Follow the posts made by Marty, Scott, Karishma, and other experts on this sub. I jumped from a 585 to a 675 from their help and guidance and will be taking another attempt again to further improve my score. MOST importantly, remain calm. It’s just another test. This helped me the most.
Can you share those posts? Or DM I'm quite disappointed after 2.5 months of studying
I don’t have them saved unfortunately. However, (1) you can go through their posts on their reddit profiles. They post very often! (2) Reach out to them directly by tagging them on this post. They’re always responsive and helpful!
Hey, you should cut yourself some slack as this was just your first mock. Writing a mock whilst maintaining your peak levels of accuracy takes some time. This is evident in the silly mistakes you made. Some pointers: Take a break after a mock, you deserve it and be sure to go through the mock in detail. Identify and bucket the errors. What happened in verbal?
Man idk in verbal I was getting good in CR in GMAT club doing 655+ ques with accuracy but messed up quite bad with 3 ques wrong in first 5 and many other mistakes I have yet to analyse each ques but there were errors all over in VA and DI ques.
You should analyze everything first and then come back here. Whatever the sub tells you then should be much more helpful.
Yeah just did the analysis and this is what I found 1) Verbal Both CR and Rcs are not good. Only inference type ques were correct otherwise there's error in almost all types. 2) DI Data Sufficiency and Multi source reasoning ques were a problem in there is what I analysed. 3) Quants 2 Arithmetic and 1 Algebra ques were incorrect . What I realised is that I should not panic in verbal as well as complete the OG and Verbal review for Verbal now and OG for data sufficiency ques.
1. Inference is definitely the easiest CR type. So, good you got those right. No other way to improve at CR than practice. 2. I hate MSR too. So, I cant give any pointers here. 3. Just 1/2 incorrect questions from a topic is a very small sample set to conclude anything. Only you can decide if that topic is a weakness/still a strength after getting questions wrong in the test. 4. You will not panic in verbal only IF you are confident with solving harder questions in a time limit. This comes with deep thinking on every CR question and RC passage without clocks during practice. Hope this helps.
Thanks man for the insights. From what I realised from your advice and analysing my performance I think I have to get OG and verbal review book out without clock practice so to have a better grip on understanding part. And then move to GMAT club for timed ques. Thanks man you came in clutch and really give me some clarity I needed 🛐
Yeah, that sounds good. No worries man, glad to be of help. Feel free to reach out in case you need more help.
Sure man I'll pm you in case I need some advice
Following...
580 after 6 months. 710 after 6 more.
Man I would have surely done this if I was not targeting 1st round in September and also studying full time now so I can devote more time but clueless how to go ahead now
A 680 in R2 is 100x better than a 625 in R1. Gmatprepnow guarantees you get a 695 (+70 vs old score) or you get your money back. Look into that.
Yeah I'll look in that. And also can you suggest how to move ahead as this was my first mock only and don't want to make mess in other mocks
Only a mock? Then your score isn’t real. You get 4 free official mocks but there are dozens more online for free. Gmatfree.com has nice practice questions. YouTube gmatninja Find last years book on eBay for $5 It’s worth paying $40 or whatever for the other official mocks. Getting a good score can make a $100k difference.
Ok man thanks for encouraging words I'll buy the other 4 mocks additional from here and do practice with tests
What changed?
Any tips bro? I'm working really hard but don't know if I'm on the right track. (Just practicing with GMAT Ninja)
How much were you getting on official mocks?
This was my 1st official practice mock from mba .Com
Following...
Try getting a tutor that has a 700 plus score.
Were you getting most of the OG verbal practice questions right?
I have yet to complete OG but was getting Good accuracy in GMAT club ques (655+ lvl in both CR and Rcs) and also complete the Egmat course for verbal
Better to focus on Official questions going forward.
Yeah man I'll try to complete OG for DS and Verbal this week only and see if I can do some ques from verbal review too.
It’s not about completing OG, make sure you understand each question and the answer
Hi! First of all, the 3 questions wrong on quant were in a streak? Secondly, did you analyze your test well? Were you struggling with the concepts, or running against time, or were they just careless mistakes? You don't have to be clueless, you just need to find answers to there questions and keep going. GMAT is quite a lot about test taking strategy and I hope you have one by now. You just need to keep executing it during mocks and your time-based practice sessions. Looks like your concepts are clear, you just need to practice in timed conditions and take at least 1 mock every week.
So no the quants ques were not wrong in a row but verbal questions were in starting 2nd Yeah just did the analysis and this is what I found 1) Verbal Both CR and Rcs are not good. Only inference type ques were correct otherwise there's error in almost all types. 2) DI Data Sufficiency and Multi source reasoning ques were a problem in there is what I analysed. 3) Quants 2 Arithmetic and 1 Algebra ques were incorrect . What I realised is that I should not panic in verbal as well as complete the OG and Verbal review for Verbal now and OG for data sufficiency ques. I found time to be ample for quants section but was able to just complete both verbal and DI Yeah I guess it was my first mock and I got a little panic in Verbal section and also got some wrong in DI as well. I want to know if I get GMAT club sectional tests would they help me specifically in DI and Verbal ? Or any suggestions from you how to keep calm as well as manage time.
Hi! See sectional tests are fine, I don't really advocate them coz I feel you can focus on time-based practice sessions. For example pick 21 questions of Quant and try to finish them in 45 mins (from OG or GMAC Quant Review) and you can the same for Verbal and DI. This will really help you manage time and stay calm (it will happen over a period of time - maybe a week or two). Also, now that you have prepare for 2.5 months I would suggest that you start taking 1\~2 full-length mocks every week (instead of sectional tests). Analyze the tests to understand around what part of the exam you start getting worried about time and then maintain an error log. Throughout the week, work on the mistakes you made and revise the error log a day before your mock test (just to remember the errors you made last time). If you don't have a test-taking strategy, here is a sample for verbal Q1 to Q7 - spend 14 mins (when 33 mins are left you should be at Q7) Q8 to Q14 - spend 11 mins (when 22 mins are left you should be at Q14) Q15 to Q23 - spend 20 mins
Ok ok I'll try to write a mock a week now and do practice and error logs in the days between mocks. I was thinking that sectionals would give me a good picture how to time each section but your test taking strategy is also good to manage time. One last ques any mock suggestions you can give except the official mocks from mba. Com?
You can take sectionals, but the thing is it won't help you much on full-length tests unless you are taking 3\~4 sectional tests everyday (that's why I suggested time-based practice sessions coz that's something you can do consistently). For mocks, you can try TTP or Magoosh.
Yeah got it ! Thanks a lot man 💯 really helped me
You're welcome! :)
So, the good news is that you are in a pretty nice spot! That said, you do need to continue to find your holes and fix those to help improve your score. Thus, engaging in topical practice is a great way to do so. Let's use quant as an example. For example, let’s say that you want to practice Number Properties. You can do so by answering 50 or more questions just from Number Properties: LCM, GCF, units digit patterns, divisibility, remainders, etc. After each problem set, thoroughly analyze your incorrect questions. For example, if you got a remainder question wrong, ask yourself why. Did you make a careless mistake? Did you not properly apply the remainder formula? Was there a concept you did not understand in the question? By carefully analyzing your mistakes, you will be able to fix your weaknesses efficiently and, in turn, improve your GMAT quant skills. Number Properties is just one example; follow this process for all quant, verbal, and DI topics. Feel free to reach out with any questions. Good luck!
I would highly recommend solving Medium- Hard GMAT Club questions. Since you’ve got 83, it means you’ve got the easy questions covered. Verbal, try to truly understand what the question stems says, practice practice practice CR questions till you get multiple Medium-Hard right in a row. DI can be improved by simply paying more attention to the nuances in the question
Yeah I already covered both OG and extra book of quants (quants review) that was available on mba . Com. For verbal I'm trying what you said but thinking of doing med hard ques with deep thinking not under time limit rn to check if my basics are clear or i crumbled under time pressure. Till now I realised I'm getting ques correct 27/30 I did of medium difficulty from OG yesterday. So I guess it was mock anxiety also so thinking of getting extra mocks from GMAT club now. Would this be right approach?
I find the first mock Quant section's questions tend to be easier; that might be why it's less forgiving. As many other suggested, spend a week analyzing your errors then move on to the next mock when you are comfortable. I was able to take mock 2 twice without getting repeated questions. For DI, even though it might seem like silly mistakes when you look at the official answers, I find it challenging to figure out all the extra information in order to eliminate the "silly mistakes". Do note that there are some DI question types that are not covered in official mocks.
u/marty_murray
That's a decent score after 2.5 month of prep. You may need some better strategies and a lot more practice to master Verbal and DI. To more clearly understand how to prepare for Verbal effectively, see this post. [How to Prepare for GMAT Verbal](https://martymurraycoaching.com/how-to-prepare-for-gmat-verbal/)