Thanks a lot.

B/Rgds,

alpha.scorpion

I think it's more important to figure out first why are you losing out on RC..

1) Is the reading speed a drag.. leaving you no time to think over questions?
2) Is inference of the text a problem?
3) Are you able to understand the main theme etc. but still get confused with similar looking options?

Once you have analysed your weakness, I think it should be a matter of process to overcome.
I am listing down suggestions in order:

1) While reading / Practicing is definitely going to help. To measure the improvement, take reading tests periodically. They are freely available over net.
Eg. Speed Reading Test Online
Free Speed Reading Test by AceReader

2) Inference is generally a problem when certain aspects slip out of the mind at the end of the reading. To overcome, you could try noting down answers to questions like :
"How is the information flowing across paragraphs? " : such as 1st para - intro, 2nd - examples, 3rd - justification etc.
"Is the author forming an opinion or is he/she stating facts?"

Remember that you dont have to memorize every detail. You can always come back to text / para to confirm a response. But get a general feeler.

3) Eliminate options that suggest extremes, unless justified in the text.
If an option contains words like "exclusively", "absolutely", "never".. while the authors stance wasn't that strong, chances are you'll find a more suitable option.

I hope it helps.

ATB!

My Profile: GMAT 760, 5.0

i gave two Kaplan GMAT tests..

KAPLAN GMAT1=640(41QA,36VA)
KAPLAN GMAT2=580(50QA,24VA not sure)

in the 2nd test i got stumped in CRs although i used to get around 90%acc when i used to do CRs from OG and also i had a good acc i CRs in the first kap gmat...also my acc in RCs is not tat good...where can i get tough RCs and Tough CRs or how shud i improve in these two areas?

Thanks for the reply.

Can you please advice on ways to improve RC. This is my weakest area.

B/Rgds,

alpha.scorpion

I think it's more important to figure out first why are you losing out on RC..

1) Is the reading speed a drag.. leaving you no time to think over questions?
2) Is inference of the text a problem?
3) Are you able to understand the main theme etc. but still get confused with similar looking options?

Once you have analysed your weakness, I think it should be a matter of process to overcome.
I am listing down suggestions in order:

1) While reading / Practicing is definitely going to help. To measure the improvement, take reading tests periodically. They are freely available over net.
Eg. Speed Reading Test Online
Free Speed Reading Test by AceReader

2) Inference is generally a problem when certain aspects slip out of the mind at the end of the reading. To overcome, you could try noting down answers to questions like :
"How is the information flowing across paragraphs? " : such as 1st para - intro, 2nd - examples, 3rd - justification etc.
"Is the author forming an opinion or is he/she stating facts?"

Remember that you dont have to memorize every detail. You can always come back to text / para to confirm a response. But get a general feeler.

3) Eliminate options that suggest extremes, unless justified in the text.
If an option contains words like "exclusively", "absolutely", "never".. while the authors stance wasn't that strong, chances are you'll find a more suitable option.

I hope it helps.

ATB!

My Profile: GMAT 760, 5.0

Thanks for the reply.

Can you please advice on ways to improve RC. This is my weakest area.

B/Rgds,

alpha.scorpion

For RC - practice is the only resort, you can refer to Manhattan GMAT approach & Kaplan is also good. See wht works for you? Finally, just do lot of practice.

Thanks for the reply.

Can you please advice on ways to improve RC. This is my weakest area.

B/Rgds,

alpha.scorpion

In response to your queries:

1 - Time issue at the end of the test happens with everbody, so far i know, even a 750 scorer has to rush on few problems. On GMAT it's not only the number of correct questions, which matter but also the oder in which u r getting'em correct. Spend more time on first 20 then little lesser time on last 21.....after first 20 problems ur difficulty level is more or less stabilized so later 21 problems you can handle well.
2 - Official guide/tests are the best material for prep
3 - Practice is the only resort to good time mgmnt & accuracy
4 - Only practice and experience over different set of problems will help u out with this.

PRACTICE-PRACTICE-PRACTICE

If i'ere to put it across.....if you spend 4 hours in taking test then spend 12 hours in analyzing those.

ATB

Hi...
I have heard that giving gmat in abroad is simpler than giving gmat in India. Is it true ?? I mean we all know how dumb ppl are there No offence
But for an Indian giving Gmat abroad.....is he likely to get simpler questions....
Some ppl say so as the database used in say US is used for that Indian giving exam in US !!
Someone Plz clarify if this holds....i ll be shocked if its true
(this is for a friend who told me this funda)

NOT.TRUE.
UTTER.CRAP.
KICK.YOUR.FRIEND.

Hi...
I know this may not be the right place to ask this question but still hoping someone would reply....
I have heard that giving gmat in abroad is simpler than giving gmat in India. Is it true ?? I mean we all know how dumb ppl are there No offence
But for an Indian giving Gmat abroad.....is he likely to get simpler questions....
Some ppl say so as the database used in say US is used for that Indian giving exam in US !!
Someone Plz clarify if this holds....i ll be shocked if its true
(this is for a friend who told me this funda)

Hi Puys,

I am taking GMAT on 11th July. I have 15 years of work ex and I am targetting Sloan's MSc. Program in Leadership & Strategy at London Business School. Although LBS considers application for this program at a GMAT score of 600, I am targetting 650 as advised by an alumni for giving a realistic chance.

I took my GMAT PrepI yesterday and scored a dismal 510 with a break up of Q42 & V20. In verbal the break up of correct answers were SC 10/17, CR 5/11 and RC 5/13. My observations are as under:

1) Timing is a major issue and I have to guess towards the end to complete the test.
2) Success rate is lot healthier while practicing with OG12.
3) Speed is killing the accuracy.
4) Most of the time, I choose the wrong one after eliminating the first 3 choices.

What should be my strategy to better the score? I have exactly one month and I want to achieve a raw score of Q48 & V32.

Rgds,

alpha.scorpion

In response to your queries:

1 - Time issue at the end of the test happens with everbody, so far i know, even a 750 scorer has to rush on few problems. On GMAT it's not only the number of correct questions, which matter but also the oder in which u r getting'em correct. Spend more time on first 20 then little lesser time on last 21.....after first 20 problems ur difficulty level is more or less stabilized so later 21 problems you can handle well.
2 - Official guide/tests are the best material for prep
3 - Practice is the only resort to good time mgmnt & accuracy
4 - Only practice and experience over different set of problems will help u out with this.

PRACTICE-PRACTICE-PRACTICE

If i'ere to put it across.....if you spend 4 hours in taking test then spend 12 hours in analyzing those.

ATB

Hi Puys,

I am taking GMAT on 11th July. I have 15 years of work ex and I am targetting Sloan's MSc. Program in Leadership & Strategy at London Business School. Although LBS considers application for this program at a GMAT score of 600, I am targetting 650 as advised by an alumni for giving a realistic chance.

I took my GMAT PrepI yesterday and scored a dismal 510 with a break up of Q42 & V20. In verbal the break up of correct answers were SC 10/17, CR 5/11 and RC 5/13. My observations are as under:

1) Timing is a major issue and I have to guess towards the end to complete the test.
2) Success rate is lot healthier while practicing with OG12.
3) Speed is killing the accuracy.
4) Most of the time, I choose the wrong one after eliminating the first 3 choices.

What should be my strategy to better the score? I have exactly one month and I want to achieve a raw score of Q48 & V32.

Rgds,

alpha.scorpion

i gave GMAT prep 2
got 710 (q 50 v 36)

fell short of time for the last 4 questions in verbal :(.

Good score - don't worry.

BTW when you say "fell short of time" I assume you blindly marked some answer and not left it unmarked.

There is very little anyone can say on a forum to take you from a 710 to a 750+ types. Just wishing you luck!

Arun

i gave GMAT prep 2
got 710 (q 50 v 36)

fell short of time for the last 4 questions in verbal :(.

yeah its a little impressive, you just need to focus on increasing your reading speed. but make sure that you dont leave any question because in GMAT the penalty of leaving a question is more than the penalty of doing it wrong.

Good Luck.
Anuj

i gave GMAT prep 2
got 710 (q 50 v 36)

fell short of time for the last 4 questions in verbal :(.

Thanks Anuj.
Will try to give GMAT prep soon....want to give it my best shot!

well i know i am going fast but i don't have the luxury of time due to certain circumstances. That is why i am rushing through things, working on weak areas which are in verbal mostly.

Here are the split scores ( i know my verbal is not good enough, working on it though)

I just gave Kaplan(on CD) CAT 1 got 630
quant 50
verbal 33

Veritas free test: 630
quant 43
verbal 35

Kaplan test 5: 610
quant 41
verbal 29

Manhattan test 2: 590
quant: 41
verbal 29


Manhattan free test : 640
quant: 44
verbal 34

These scores are really demoralizing me!!
Will give GMAT prep 2 today....

Hi Arjun,
These scores should not demoralize you, on the contrary try and find out where you are lacking behind. Kaplan scores are usually not the best judge of your abilities because their difficulty level is higher than the actual GMAT score. I would suggest you to take into account the score which the GMAT prep software shows you because it is of the level of actual GMAT and from the makers of the test so the best judge.
Good Luck for your GMAT, feel free to throw any questions you have

well i know i am going fast but i don't have the luxury of time due to certain circumstances. That is why i am rushing through things, working on weak areas which are in verbal mostly.

Here are the split scores ( i know my verbal is not good enough, working on it though)

I just gave Kaplan(on CD) CAT 1 got 630
quant 50
verbal 33

Veritas free test: 630
quant 43
verbal 35

Kaplan test 5: 610
quant 41
verbal 29

Manhattan test 2: 590
quant: 41
verbal 29


Manhattan free test : 640
quant: 44
verbal 34

These scores are really demoralizing me!!
Will give GMAT prep 2 today....

xaerooo Says

@Psychodementia And the answer to this question is

Its already discussed on the SC forum

Arun

saurabhsachu Says

i don't know whether this is the right forum to post this question.... this year i have got into GIM... and i have my work ex in IT sector.. and i would be doing my MBA in FINANCE in GIM... one of the reasons i did not opt for GMAT is becase i am passionate for FINANCE and experience is in IT sector...the point is that if i opt for second MBA from LSB,CAMBRIDGE,OXFORD,CATOLICA.. even ISB would that make much of a sense after doing MBA from GIM and with 5 years of work ex after that..??

Wrong forum but I will still answer it here (one of the mods is going to ban me one of these days for being lazy )

Good news:
You are thinking into the future

Bad news:
You are thinking way too much into the future.

Life cannot be lived this way. Did you know what you were doing 5 years ago? Go back to the bright summer of 2005 (note how 5 years ago everything in life looks bright - no matter how old you are ) and think about it. I bet you didn't even know that something called GIM existed! My favorite quote by John Lenon: "Life is what happens when you are busy making plans"

So right now figure how you are going to have a blast in GIM, slog your backside off, have fun, get placed in a top company of your liking. That's about it. Don't even worry about what you will do when you get that job

Take care,

Arun

Hi ,
I have been preparing for GMAT for past 16 days, i have prepared for it before also. I am confused in the scoring mechanism of various tests.
My scores:

Manhattan free test :640
Manhattan test 2 CAT :590
Kaplan free : 630
Kaplan CAT 5 online : 640
veritas free : 630
GMAT prep : 610 ( this was before i started my prep)

Can anyone tell me what range in am in current compared to the actual GMAT?
I am really tensed about the scores as they are just way to low!

Like the old joke about Good news and Bad news

Good news:
You are taking ample number of tests and that should build your mental stamina a lot.

Bad news:
In 16 days if you have taken 6 tests then perhaps you are going way too fast. Slow down boy and try to work on your weak areas. You also have not given your split. I would say take the GMATPrep again and that should be an indication of your true level now. But 16 days is way too less - you need to work more on your concepts and application.

Arun

Hi ,
I have been preparing for GMAT for past 16 days, i have prepared for it before also. I am confused in the scoring mechanism of various tests.
My scores:

Manhattan free test :640
Manhattan test 2 CAT :590
Kaplan free : 630
Kaplan CAT 5 online : 640
veritas free : 630
GMAT prep : 610 ( this was before i started my prep)

Can anyone tell me what range in am in current compared to the actual GMAT?
I am really tensed about the scores as they are just way to low!

saurabhsachu Says

and usually what is considered as good GMAT score for these INSTIS??

Hi @Saurabh,

Just my 2cents, my response to ur questions

1. I suppose this depends on person to person & wht u want end of the day? MBA degree from any of the top foreign B-Schools does make lot of difference. If u move up the ladder in coporate world, if u have a degree from Ivy league Univs. ppl take u little more seriously in the corporate world for example Indira Nooyi - IIMC (PGP) then she went to Yale SOM for her double masters. Although there are exceptions like Banga.

2. The schools u quoted - 700 is a safe score to apply to any of these schools. But to these B-schools there are lot of other things which matter over and above decent GMAT score.

I hope this will help.:)

Cheers!

For protection from the summer sun, the Mojave lived in open-sided, flat-topped dwellings known as shades, each a roof of poles and arrow weed supported by posts set in a rectangle.
(A) each a roof of poles and arrow weed
(B) each a roof of poles and arrow weed that are being
(C) with each being a roof of poles and arrow weed
(D) with roofs of poles and arrow weed to be
(E) with roofs of poles and arrow weed that are

@Psychodementia And the answer to this question is

saurabhsachu Says

i don't know whether this is the right forum to post this question.... this year i have got into GIM... and i have my work ex in IT sector.. and i would be doing my MBA in FINANCE in GIM... one of the reasons i did not opt for GMAT is becase i am passionate for FINANCE and experience is in IT sector...the point is that if i opt for second MBA from LSB,CAMBRIDGE,OXFORD,CATOLICA.. even ISB would that make much of a sense after doing MBA from GIM and with 5 years of work ex after that..??

and usually what is considered as good GMAT score for these INSTIS??

i don't know whether this is the right forum to post this question.... this year i have got into GIM... and i have my work ex in IT sector.. and i would be doing my MBA in FINANCE in GIM... one of the reasons i did not opt for GMAT is becase i am passionate for FINANCE and experience is in IT sector...the point is that if i opt for second MBA from LSB,CAMBRIDGE,OXFORD,CATOLICA.. even ISB would that make much of a sense after doing MBA from GIM and with 5 years of work ex after that..??

Hey Arun,
What about CR and RC ?

Rgds,

Fortunately or unfortunately the same strategy applies to both CR and RC as well . Here is the litmus test the *only* thing that should stop you from scoring higher is practice. If you feel there are any other reasons for that not happening then you need to relook at your strategy.

Arun

I would say you are on track if you have consistently scored 700+ on your GMATPrep tests (It's still a bit hard for me to believe actual scores that are significantly lower than GMATPrep scores have nothing to do with NOT holding your nerves on the test day).

For SC I would just say you need to analyze each question on the OG - that's all. If you see at the end of the day there are only a bunch of things that you need to know:
1. Modifiers - there are phrases which modify typically a known and the error introduced would try to modify something else, modify something that is not present etc.
2. Pronouns - essentially try to confuse you by not referring to the intended noun, not have a noun at all, change the number or case etc.
3. Comparisons - compare apples to apples and not oranges. A simple as it can get. Ensure you look at the classic traps - that, those, which etc.
4. Parallelism - ensure that everything that matches up to a verb has the same grammatical structure.
5. Subject-Verb Agreement - identify the correct subject and ensure that the verb acts on it is in the correct number. A bunch of "classic" traps such as additives etc.
6. Tenses - either the entire sentence stays in the same past or present tense (rarely will be it completely in future tense) or if multiple tenses are used there is a logical reason why they are so (observe for words such as "before" "and" etc). 1 special case being past and present perfect.
7. Idioms - just go through the "normal" list and you will figure out the pattern by the time you reach the end of the OG.

Over and above you need to have an eye for spotting anything that the OG would call "awkward and wordy". Apart from this you just need to ensure that you are able to understand what the sentence "means" and if you are able to correct it without making any changes to the meaning. A very key aspect is to understand the only way GMAT can make things tougher is by making it hard for your to understand what they are really saying. I mean try this one:

For protection from the summer sun, the Mojave lived in open-sided, flat-topped dwellings known as shades, each a roof of poles and arrowweed supported by posts set in a rectangle.
(A) each a roof of poles and arrowweed
(B) each a roof of poles and arrowweed that are being
(C) with each being a roof of poles and arrowweed
(D) with roofs of poles and arrowweed to be
(E) with roofs of poles and arrowweed that are

When you are solving such a question the last thing that comes to your mind is the all the rules of grammar. I keep telling this to everyone who cares to listen When you are solving questions on the GMAT and you have about a minute for each of them you WILL NOT look into this question and talk about gerunds or past participles or preposition (ignore my grammar on this sentence ).

So why are we reading up reams and reams of grammar notes - online, offline, Manhattan pdf, saahil's notes, spidey's notes. We just end up "mugging up" rules with no freaking clue how it is going to help us. Did you know that the actual GMAT will NEVER and I repeat NEVER ask you to differentiate between WHICH and THAT. It will never make it a make or break rule atleast.

Another thing people worry about is the minor details and I blame Manhattan to a large extent for this. Though I have acknowledged the fact that they did codify the rules of grammar for GMAT in a better way than others, somehow they have lulled an entire generation (so to speak since I am counting the post-2005 post-Pearsvue generation in this) into believing that you can mug up a bunch of rules and walk your way into a 750+. The debriefs of your heroes who talk about who they cracked that 40+ raw score in verbal fails to mention one thing - that they would have done so even without the Manhattan guide - just that it made it easier for them. Somehow that is interpreted as "if-you-don't-mug-up-your-dead". And you have another bunch of dyed-in-the-wool-Manhattan-fanatic who will swear by his Subjunctive mood. I wish that were true but alas it is NOT! (note the use of subjunctive in my last sentence ).

Net net if you have a clear strategy towards solving questions, solve questions with a crisp approach and use grammar as a framework to solve you will never find SC to be troublesome.

Arun

PS: Another food for thought - I think you need to enjoy GMAT and treat each question as a challenge, as a puzzle. That way not only will you love the 12 odd weeks you spend doing it but also end up scoring great. But I know - easier said than done

Thanks alot Arun, will try to work on all these things.

I would say you are on track if you have consistently scored 700+ on your GMATPrep tests (It's still a bit hard for me to believe actual scores that are significantly lower than GMATPrep scores have nothing to do with NOT holding your nerves on the test day).


Net net if you have a clear strategy towards solving questions, solve questions with a crisp approach and use grammar as a framework to solve you will never find SC to be troublesome.

Arun

PS: Another food for thought - I think you need to enjoy GMAT and treat each question as a challenge, as a puzzle. That way not only will you love the 12 odd weeks you spend doing it but also end up scoring great. But I know - easier said than done

Hey Arun,
What about CR and RC ?

Rgds,

Hi,

I appeared for gmat in oct 09 and scored 640 (Q49 V29). I was performing good in mock tests...Scored 720 and 740 in my last 2 gmat prep tests before the exam but unfortunately something went wrong in the actual exam. So i am planning to appear for gmat again and looking for a score of somwhere around 710+.

As you can see from my previous gmat score i need to work on verbal section. In verbal section specifically i am weak in SC's. In mocks also i scored fairly good in RC and CR section but SC's always dooms my overall score. Recently, i appeared for a gmat prep test and scored 690. Now, i want start my preparation again for the gmat hence, need some guidance in formulating the strategy.


Thanks

I would say you are on track if you have consistently scored 700+ on your GMATPrep tests (It's still a bit hard for me to believe actual scores that are significantly lower than GMATPrep scores have nothing to do with NOT holding your nerves on the test day).

For SC I would just say you need to analyze each question on the OG - that's all. If you see at the end of the day there are only a bunch of things that you need to know:
1. Modifiers - there are phrases which modify typically a known and the error introduced would try to modify something else, modify something that is not present etc.
2. Pronouns - essentially try to confuse you by not referring to the intended noun, not have a noun at all, change the number or case etc.
3. Comparisons - compare apples to apples and not oranges. A simple as it can get. Ensure you look at the classic traps - that, those, which etc.
4. Parallelism - ensure that everything that matches up to a verb has the same grammatical structure.
5. Subject-Verb Agreement - identify the correct subject and ensure that the verb acts on it is in the correct number. A bunch of "classic" traps such as additives etc.
6. Tenses - either the entire sentence stays in the same past or present tense (rarely will be it completely in future tense) or if multiple tenses are used there is a logical reason why they are so (observe for words such as "before" "and" etc). 1 special case being past and present perfect.
7. Idioms - just go through the "normal" list and you will figure out the pattern by the time you reach the end of the OG.

Over and above you need to have an eye for spotting anything that the OG would call "awkward and wordy". Apart from this you just need to ensure that you are able to understand what the sentence "means" and if you are able to correct it without making any changes to the meaning. A very key aspect is to understand the only way GMAT can make things tougher is by making it hard for your to understand what they are really saying. I mean try this one:

For protection from the summer sun, the Mojave lived in open-sided, flat-topped dwellings known as shades, each a roof of poles and arrowweed supported by posts set in a rectangle.
(A) each a roof of poles and arrowweed
(B) each a roof of poles and arrowweed that are being
(C) with each being a roof of poles and arrowweed
(D) with roofs of poles and arrowweed to be
(E) with roofs of poles and arrowweed that are

When you are solving such a question the last thing that comes to your mind is the all the rules of grammar. I keep telling this to everyone who cares to listen When you are solving questions on the GMAT and you have about a minute for each of them you WILL NOT look into this question and talk about gerunds or past participles or preposition (ignore my grammar on this sentence ).

So why are we reading up reams and reams of grammar notes - online, offline, Manhattan pdf, saahil's notes, spidey's notes. We just end up "mugging up" rules with no freaking clue how it is going to help us. Did you know that the actual GMAT will NEVER and I repeat NEVER ask you to differentiate between WHICH and THAT. It will never make it a make or break rule atleast.

Another thing people worry about is the minor details and I blame Manhattan to a large extent for this. Though I have acknowledged the fact that they did codify the rules of grammar for GMAT in a better way than others, somehow they have lulled an entire generation (so to speak since I am counting the post-2005 post-Pearsvue generation in this) into believing that you can mug up a bunch of rules and walk your way into a 750+. The debriefs of your heroes who talk about who they cracked that 40+ raw score in verbal fails to mention one thing - that they would have done so even without the Manhattan guide - just that it made it easier for them. Somehow that is interpreted as "if-you-don't-mug-up-your-dead". And you have another bunch of dyed-in-the-wool-Manhattan-fanatic who will swear by his Subjunctive mood. I wish that were true but alas it is NOT! (note the use of subjunctive in my last sentence ).

Net net if you have a clear strategy towards solving questions, solve questions with a crisp approach and use grammar as a framework to solve you will never find SC to be troublesome.

Arun

PS: Another food for thought - I think you need to enjoy GMAT and treat each question as a challenge, as a puzzle. That way not only will you love the 12 odd weeks you spend doing it but also end up scoring great. But I know - easier said than done

Hi,

I appeared for gmat in oct 09 and scored 640 (Q49 V29). I was performing good in mock tests...Scored 720 and 740 in my last 2 gmat prep tests before the exam but unfortunately something went wrong in the actual exam. So i am planning to appear for gmat again and looking for a score of somwhere around 710+.
As you can see from my previous gmat score i need to work on verbal section. In verbal section specifically i am weak in SC's. In mocks also i scored fairly good in RC and CR section but SC's always dooms my overall score. Recently, i appeared for a gmat prep test and scored 690. Now, i want start my preparation again for the gmat hence, need some guidance in formulating the strategy.


Thanks

xaerooo Says

My gmat is on 27 may 2010.. my gmat prep1 score 710 Q:49(12 incorrect) V:37(12 incorrect) gmat prep2 havent written yet.. need to improve my va score by about 8 to 10 points to reach my target score.. Should i stick to OG or switch to some other book (have only used OG 12 ed and OG Verbal review so far)?? And also any other tips??

You want to get raw score of about 46-48 in Verbal - With that score you are looking at a 780-790 (Q50 V4

That is in the 99th percentile - and no book, no forum, no blog, no test prep, no PERSON for that matter can tell you how to get a 99th percentile.

Set realistic targets for yourself. However to answer your specific question - yes OG is your best bet. You need to reduce your Verbal mistakes to around 3-4.

Arun

My gmat is on 27 may 2010.. my gmat prep1 score 710 Q:49(12 incorrect) V:37(12 incorrect) gmat prep2 havent written yet.. need to improve my va score by about 8 to 10 points to reach my target score.. Should i stick to OG or switch to some other book (have only used OG 12 ed and OG Verbal review so far)?? And also any other tips??

@vpitc

It's not only the number of questions getting incorrect which matters, but also the order in which u getting them incorrect.

cheers

I got a raw score of 47 in quants section of GMAT prep 2 with 15 incorrect answers. is it possible?

Vijay

Vijay Dinanath Chauhan - possible hai

Arun

helo.
am planin to give gmat this decmbr.with al the other exams includin cat
i hav practicaly zero knowledge bt the test patrns n the universities and the sylabus
wud lyk to knw about
1)the best gmat clases in mumbai
2)unis in US which dun ned work ex(r they gud)
3)total expenditure for 2 yrs(i hrd its abt 70lacs)
4)wat else do i ned to prepare for other than gmat
5)n wat is the score i ned to get in order to get int a gud university

wud be thnkful..try to reply ASAP

:

Firstly don't write ASAP - if its bad enough that we are doing this for free - you are putting SLAs to the delivery

Secondly your questions are very basic. Do some R&D; on www.mba.com and also on the threads on PG (especially GMAT and MBA forums). I think that will get you on track. Each of your question requires a very indepth answer which no one will do for you.

Arun

helo.
am planin to give gmat this decmbr.with al the other exams includin cat
i hav practicaly zero knowledge bt the test patrns n the universities and the sylabus
wud lyk to knw about
1)the best gmat clases in mumbai
2)unis in US which dun ned work ex(r they gud)
3)total expenditure for 2 yrs(i hrd its abt 70lacs)
4)wat else do i ned to prepare for other than gmat
5)n wat is the score i ned to get in order to get int a gud university

wud be thnkful..try to reply ASAP

:

I got a raw score of 47 in quants section of GMAT prep 2 with 15 incorrect answers. is it possible?

Vijay

MissionPGPX - I have been seeing your posts on the PG forum and I'm pretty sure you will do very well. All the best!

Tumhe Gujarat no cho atle "Besht Luck" :thumbsup:(as they say in Gujarat ).

Arun

Thanks doc. No marks for guessing what my name is... Its Jignesh... hahahaha... 24 hrs to go... sitting in office and getting bored, not much of a work... planning to take post lunch off and visit the centre, but some chocolates and go home. revise essays and errors once again and then sleep...

thanks for all the wishes... will write more tomorrow, hopefully good news...

PS: my GMAT is 3 days away..

MissionPGPX - I have been seeing your posts on the PG forum and I'm pretty sure you will do very well. All the best!

Tumhe Gujarat no cho atle "Besht Luck" :thumbsup:(as they say in Gujarat ).

Arun

Thanks for the help guys ..!! Cheers ! and Best of Luck to All !

I understand your predicament but sir if you yourself cannot say where you are going wrong then how can anyone help you on the forums?

Just a tip: I think you are getting way too many mistakes in your initial questions (6-7 mistakes in the first 10 questions) which is causing you get stuck at the mid 600s. You need to decipher why you are getting those questions wrong. Else 12 mistakes in verbal equally distributed should give you more like a 38 raw score.

Arun

oh Boy, @fire.starter, u just scared the he__ out of me man... I am scoring 710 and 720 in my last 4 GMATPrep tests with 9-10 wrong in verbal section, scoring range from 36 to 40. and i felt like confident, but with your score of 29 with similar number wrong i doubted GMATPrep.

but thanks Dr. arun. you are right, the more number of question you get right in first 20 the better is your score. I remember in one of my tests i got only 4 wrong from from 35 questions and got last 6 all wrong lapse in concentration, still i scored 38 in verbal with 710 overall.

my 2 cents for fire.starter, focus more on RCs, because u r likely to get 1 wrong before or after RC and if you get 2 wrong in RC as well, you are already 3 down there in range of 5 questions, this will reduce no of high scoring questions GMAT will throw you. Also ur quant is ranging from 44 to 48 which means, u have potential of 48 but on a bad day, u can screw up. better you stabilize ur quant as minimum 49...
GOOD LUCK...
PS: my GMAT is 3 days away...

Hi Guys !
Gmat is like 9 days away, GMAT Prep1 score 610 V:28 Q:44, GMAT Prep2 640 V:29 Q:48, I have no idea where I am going wrong in verbal, 29 of 41 correct. Equal wrong answers in RC & CR, SC a little better. Really need help with verbal, if anyone can suggest anything that would help me improve even the slightest in the last remaining week, would really appreciate it ! Thanks Guys ! Cheers !

I suggest that you go through your mistakes in all the tests you gave and ensure that you do not make similar mistakes again.I am not sure what score you are targetting.But the above strategy should wor very well for your Quant.You should try harder to increase your quant score in these 9 days.IMO you should work on your SC more.Work a bit on typical questions like inference,weaken and strengthen conclusion.

Good Luck!:cheers:

I understand your predicament but sir if you yourself cannot say where you are going wrong then how can anyone help you on the forums?

Just a tip: I think you are getting way too many mistakes in your initial questions (6-7 mistakes in the first 10 questions) which is causing you get stuck at the mid 600s. You need to decipher why you are getting those questions wrong. Else 12 mistakes in verbal equally distributed should give you more like a 38 raw score.

Arun

Thanks for the tip Arun, I do have a row of wrong answers but its somewhere in the middle which I have noticed is always there, most of the times because of a tough RC. Thanks anyways, appreciate it !

Hi Guys !
Gmat is like 9 days away, GMAT Prep1 score 610 V:28 Q:44, GMAT Prep2 640 V:29 Q:48, I have no idea where I am going wrong in verbal, 29 of 41 correct. Equal wrong answers in RC & CR, SC a little better. Really need help with verbal, if anyone can suggest anything that would help me improve even the slightest in the last remaining week, would really appreciate it ! Thanks Guys ! Cheers !

In this 9 days...for VA I think you should focus on CR n SC part more...the RC part you can improve your score by increasing concentration while exam..for RC you need not spend time at home.
Anyways...all the best for your GMAT!!!

Hi Guys !
Gmat is like 9 days away, GMAT Prep1 score 610 V:28 Q:44, GMAT Prep2 640 V:29 Q:48, I have no idea where I am going wrong in verbal, 29 of 41 correct. Equal wrong answers in RC & CR, SC a little better. Really need help with verbal, if anyone can suggest anything that would help me improve even the slightest in the last remaining week, would really appreciate it ! Thanks Guys ! Cheers !

I understand your predicament but sir if you yourself cannot say where you are going wrong then how can anyone help you on the forums?

Just a tip: I think you are getting way too many mistakes in your initial questions (6-7 mistakes in the first 10 questions) which is causing you get stuck at the mid 600s. You need to decipher why you are getting those questions wrong. Else 12 mistakes in verbal equally distributed should give you more like a 38 raw score.

Arun

Hi Guys !
Gmat is like 9 days away, GMAT Prep1 score 610 V:28 Q:44, GMAT Prep2 640 V:29 Q:48, I have no idea where I am going wrong in verbal, 29 of 41 correct. Equal wrong answers in RC & CR, SC a little better. Really need help with verbal, if anyone can suggest anything that would help me improve even the slightest in the last remaining week, would really appreciate it ! Thanks Guys ! Cheers !

My routine for a day -
Wake up at 8 am
9-5:30 (office)
6:00 - 8 (Solve OG11)
8-9:30 (gym)
reach home by 10-10:30 and then sleep by 12-12:30.

Firstly you have not mentioned - how long you take, how much you are scoring etc. Did you take a diagnostic and can you give us your scores - including Q & V split?

Can you do gym in the morning (wake up an hour earlier and stay back half hour later at work) and come back home by 7. Relax, eat, watch TV and whatever else and study from 9pm to 11pm. That way you can "silo" your time without letting work, gym, driving home etc all be stacked in the same zone.

I am not sure if this will help but try to rejig your schedule a bit according to your convenience and check if it was break the barrier.

Arun

Hi,
I have a problem, not in solving problems or scores.
I loose concentration while solving sometimes. Also I solve after my office work, so sometimes i dont feel like solving but even then i stretch myself to solve which reduces my efficiency and i feel disappointed. But, if I take more time and solve I am able to solve with almost 100% accuracy. I am not able to find out how to fix my schedule and concentrate. Please help in this regards how can i build my concentration.
My routine for a day -
Wake up at 8 am
9-5:30 (office)
6:00 - 8 (Solve OG11)
8-9:30 (gym)
reach home by 10-10:30 and then sleep by 12-12:30.

Hi Guys,
I have been studying for GMAT,the last 4 months.I have also written GMAT in the past with scores of 650 and 590.I began my preparation a third time by joining the princeton review in December.My initial scores with the princeton tests were somewhat dismal and were between 590-610.I gave GMAT Prep and got a 680,it was then that I decided to move to a different test series which has more predictable results.
It was in March when I decided to write MGMAT tests.I have written 4 tests so far and the scores have been consistent at around 670-690 levels over a period of 6 weeks.The scores are stuck between 35-36 in verbal and 45-47 in Quant.
I really need to score around 720 to get admission to a decent college.I am also planning on giving GMAT in the next one month.
I have completed the following:
OG 12.
OG 11-Verbal only
Verbal Review
Princeton review online material.

Can someone throw some study suggestions which can really pull my score another 40 points.Also I would appreciate if someone shares his/her trail of MGMAT test scores and actual GMAT score with me.

Thanks!!

First of all I would say just keep going and don't feel frustrated at this juncture. I can feel your pain and know how hard it is to pick the books after so many months of hard work.

I would say you need to improve both your quant and verbal by only a few points more. In Quant it has to be around 48-49 and in verbal around 38-40 to guarantee a 700+ (infact around 720). Now at this stage its hard for anyone to say exactly what can fix things for you. I would suggest that you spend a lot of time looking at your mistakes and see what you could have avoided. Is there a specific area where you are making mistakes (inference questions in RC, inequalities in DS, boldfaces in CR etc) and try to have specific strategies to counter that. At this level you really need to take a microscope and put it to each item.

Let us know if there are any specific areas you need help on.

Arun

Thanks Abhishek & Psychodementia!

Hi Guys,
I have been studying for GMAT,the last 4 months.I have also written GMAT in the past with scores of 650 and 590.I began my preparation a third time by joining the princeton review in December.My initial scores with the princeton tests were somewhat dismal and were between 590-610.I gave GMAT Prep and got a 680,it was then that I decided to move to a different test series which has more predictable results.
It was in March when I decided to write MGMAT tests.I have written 4 tests so far and the scores have been consistent at around 670-690 levels over a period of 6 weeks.The scores are stuck between 35-36 in verbal and 45-47 in Quant.
I really need to score around 720 to get admission to a decent college.I am also planning on giving GMAT in the next one month.
I have completed the following:
OG 12.
OG 11-Verbal only
Verbal Review
Princeton review online material.

Can someone throw some study suggestions which can really pull my score another 40 points.Also I would appreciate if someone shares his/her trail of MGMAT test scores and actual GMAT score with me.

Thanks!!

Guys,

I aim to appear for GMAT in July 2010. After few weeks of diggy dodgy attempts, I guess I have finally gathered some momentum...I am doing ok with Quants with an average of 8/10, however I am struggling with Sentence correction with 3/10. I need some guidance to crack sentence correction...
- What are the basic rules?
- Any material that I should refer?
- Crack codes etc

My profile:
Education: MCom with average acads
Work Exp: 6.5 years
Field: PMO / Project Manager with a leading Investment Bank
Designation: Vice President
Extra currics: Strong Extra currics, General Secretary of College, University level Theatre and University Water Polo team

If possible purchase the Manhattans SC book...its awesome!!
Though OG is the bible but it lacks the rules for the rules you have to refer solution/explations at the back...so read manhattan and solve OG...Also try to find out (by giving some test) that in which portion of SC are you making mistakes (r u forgetting idioms or are getting confused in tenses or clauses,modifiers,etc) and then focus on that specific area (for eg. for idioms start reading the list in manhattan daily whenever u get time it hardly takes 10 mins to revise them all)...
BEST of LUCK!!

Guys,

I aim to appear for GMAT in July 2010. After few weeks of diggy dodgy attempts, I guess I have finally gathered some momentum...I am doing ok with Quants with an average of 8/10, however I am struggling with Sentence correction with 3/10. I need some guidance to crack sentence correction...
- What are the basic rules?
- Any material that I should refer?
- Crack codes etc

My profile:
Education: MCom with average acads
Work Exp: 6.5 years
Field: PMO / Project Manager with a leading Investment Bank
Designation: Vice President
Extra currics: Strong Extra currics, General Secretary of College, University level Theatre and University Water Polo team

I think your basic approach in SC is fundamentally flawed. Try to talk to someone (who has scored 700+) and try to see if you can rectify it or if he/she can give you some pointers. 3 out of 10 (I presume on OG questions) is definitely poor and not 700 level.

Did you take a diagnostic? If not then strongly recommend you download the GMATPrep software from mba.com and take a test and let us know your scores (including split and # of mistakes in each section).

Arun

Guys,

I aim to appear for GMAT in July 2010. After few weeks of diggy dodgy attempts, I guess I have finally gathered some momentum...I am doing ok with Quants with an average of 8/10, however I am struggling with Sentence correction with 3/10. I need some guidance to crack sentence correction...
- What are the basic rules?
- Any material that I should refer?
- Crack codes etc

My profile:
Education: MCom with average acads
Work Exp: 6.5 years
Field: PMO / Project Manager with a leading Investment Bank
Designation: Vice President
Extra currics: Strong Extra currics, General Secretary of College, University level Theatre and University Water Polo team

Hi,
I am planning to take GMAT in July 2010.
So far I have completed following:(1 month of preparation)
1. KAPLAN Premier version.
2. 50% of OG.
Every morning, I take 10 SC, 10 CR, 2 RC, 10 DS and 10 Math questions and do time-bound test(for quant 2 min/question and for verbal 1.8 min/question).
Much to my frustration, I have scored poorly in following tests:
1) PPGMAT- 620
2) Manhatton Free CAT- 590
While I am able to meet the time limit/ question and score consistently 80/90% in the tests I take at home, I could not complete either of the above tests. I am getting a bit frustrated.
What can I do to do better?
Thanks in advance for your help.

I think there are 2 things that changes from doing isolate problem sets v/s taking full length tests.

1. You get a random mix of question with significantly higher level of difficulty level on an average than you get in say a typical Kaplan/OG question. Think about it this way - to get a 620 you have attempted (at some point in your test) questions which were of a 680-700 range, made mistakes and got them wrong.

2. Also the fact that in a test it is more "random" i.e. you cannot predict what the next question will be, might be another reason which makes the tests more tough. Because now you need to shift gear from SC to CR, then back to SC before RC and so on.......

3. Instead of sitting for an hour at a stretch (I am assuming you are taking all the questions in a single sitting) on a test you will be focusing your attention for over 3 hours. This is a law of diminishing attention - you will be okay at about the 1hour mark but after that you concentration kind of dips drastically. Especially after question number 20-25 in verbal.

4. Not completing tests penalizes you more severely than getting those questions wrong. No matter what - ensure you time yourself properly and finish the test.

5. Another related point might be that because you are so worked up on the final score i.e. that you are taking a test that you might be spending way too much time on specific questions OR do way too much of double-checking. You would need to learn the ability to mark and move on i.e. not spend more than 3-4 minutes on ANY question - no matter how close you feel you are to solving it.

I feel it could be more of point #5 however you are the best judge. There is no other reason why a 80-90% accuracy in timed setting can result in test scores around 600.

Arun

PS: You didn't mention your split in V and Q

Hi,
I am planning to take GMAT in July 2010.

So far I have completed following:(1 month of preparation)
1. KAPLAN Premier version.
2. 50% of OG.

Every morning, I take 10 SC, 10 CR, 2 RC, 10 DS and 10 Math questions and do time-bound test(for quant 2 min/question and for verbal 1.8 min/question).

Much to my frustration, I have scored poorly in following tests:
1) PPGMAT- 620
2) Manhatton Free CAT- 590

While I am able to meet the time limit/ question and score consistently 80/90% in the tests I take at home, I could not complete either of the above tests. I am getting a bit frustrated.

What can I do to do better?
Thanks in advance for your help.

Firstly don't post multiple times of the same topic. If you felt you wanted to add something (say specific Neha's name) then just go back and edit the post

With a name like fire-starter I imagine you are in a tearing hurry but can you please google? This anyway is not a forum for warez

Arun

Sorry mate, new to this thing, anyways thanks for those guidelines will try and follow them and also thanks for all that you`ve posted all thru this thread, been really helpful I was pretty much following the wrong methodology for my prep, got quite some idea from all the gyan I got from here ! Cheers !

Hello Fire Starter !
I have 1000 RC/CR/SC, please send me PM. Will be glad to send it across.

Anand Thiru

Fire starter

fire.starter Says

hey Neha ! Well jus checking if you have any idea where I can find the documents for 1000 SC/CR/RC ? Will really appreciate the help ! Thanks !

Firstly don't post multiple times of the same topic. If you felt you wanted to add something (say specific Neha's name) then just go back and edit the post

With a name like fire-starter I imagine you are in a tearing hurry but can you please google? This anyway is not a forum for warez

Arun

hey Neha ! Well jus checking if you have any idea where I can find the documents for 1000 SC/CR/RC ? Will really appreciate the help ! Thanks !

Hi Puys !!

Need 1000 SC !!! where can i find it .. ! Can any of u guys send it to me please ?