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sh_vivek · 2009 September 12th, 02:56 PM

Guys,
i was sincerely hoping to get beyond 700. I took GMATPrep 4 times and out of those four attempts i got 700+ thrice.I took Kaplan's also and scored between 690 to 730.
Today was not my day probably. I got timed out both in Quant and Verbal, though this never happened in my mocks.Perhaps this happened because i wanted to make sure that i have marked correctly in first 20. In both tests, i had roughly around 10 questions to solve with 5 mins remaining. So you can easily guess that these questions were simply answered without even going through the questions.
Can you guys please help me by suggesting how to increase my speed. If i do not increase my speed i am doomed. please pour in your thoughts guys. One thing i can think of is taking more mocks, but i have aready used my GMAT Prep tests. please advise guys.
Thanks a lot.

mitzi · 2009 September 12th, 04:31 PM

sh_vivek,

Have you consider using a timer to pace yourself up? Don't give it up. As long as you don't throw a towel into the ring, you will get a champion's belt. Buckle up.

Best,
Mitzi

AdsCPA · 2009 September 12th, 04:44 PM

hi,

I have downloaded some old Prep .exe files from net, but I am not sure whether they will work out, because I haven't started with prep's yet....

Dawgie · 2009 September 13th, 08:41 AM

How long did you study total?

sh_vivek · 2009 September 13th, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawgie

How long did you study total?

i would say 1.5 months of serious study, backed by 6 months of passive study.

abhasjha · 2009 September 17th, 12:18 PM

Hi vivek ,

680 still constitutes top 80 % bucket at most business school . This score is not bad by any standards . Congratulations for scoring 680.

Having said that , I would also add that I have seen your reply to a lot of questions in critical reasoning and reading comprehension ....... Looking at those i am sure that you certainly deserve more than 680 .

There are many things in life where you fail once - you do not get a second chance . Fortutunately this is not the case with GMAT . You can have more than 1 shot .

If you really feel that 680 is below your standard then the only way out is to write the test again and give a befitting reply to GMAC. DO not have any emotional attachement such as you worked so hard and still the score is not according to your liking .

I am sure that you dug your own graveyard by adopting a strategy of scoring first 20 questions correctly without caring how much time you took . Ideally you should have made 5 checkposts in verbal that is you should have been aware of how many minutes should be left on the clock after you answered 8 question then 16th then 24th then 32 and then 40th question .

If the timing went haywire after say 16th question you should have speeded up after that . You need to have more time left towards the last 10 questions in each section as these questions are generally tough. For every one the test would start at a medium difficulty level and if you take too much time to finish questions of moderate difficulty then obviously you will be short of time on difficult questions . After every 7-8 questions you may get a tough question if you can solve it well and good if not proceed - do not take it on your ego - GMAC wont penalise you severly if you made a error or two in the first ten . If you dont believe me then simulate this on the G prep and you can see the results .

The whole strategy of answering first ten questions or so correctly at any cost is -faulty . Quite a few times GMAT will give the 1st question too difficult and time consuming and people don not proceed -loose a lot of time on clock and then this plays on their mind through out the test - lowering their score . Sometimes the test may also start by giving you five questions in a row which are from DS and the answer to all of them would be - E . Seeing so many E's may dent your confidence. Basically these are all the mind games that GMAC plays with you .

Ideally you should have a rule that you should not take more than say 3 minutes on any question- come what may be !!! There is no point in rushing towards the end . In my view it is equally important to have sufficient time in last 10 question in each section .

Now that you have already exhausted a lot of prctice materail try using LSAT material for critical reasoning and reading comprehension . These may be new to you . esnip has explanation to more than 2500 critical reasoning question of LSAT and more than 1000 questions of reading comprehension . try solving those . search with key words "36 official LSAT tests " on esnip to get the material .

As regards FLTS - you can try manhattan 6 tests , 800 score tests , knewton test - etc for the next time .

In case you do not get the LSAT material that i am talking about then PM me . I wish you all the best in your future endeavours .

Abhas

finsisher · 2009 September 17th, 04:27 PM

never mind its a competitive score

gmatissimple · 2009 September 17th, 05:50 PM

Cong for 680.

I was also suffering from time constraint. I have studied lots to enhance my reading speed. Lastly I got that helpful thing. I think you can increase your reading speed. I have done so. My reading speed was 170 words per minute. Now, I can read 400 words per minute.

Go to 4shared.com and download the Evelyn Wood reading speed book. It will help. I am sure.

sh_vivek · 2009 September 18th, 10:19 AM

Thanks a lot guys for you support and encouragement.
Abhasjha, my special thanks to you for giving a good analysis. As you rightly said, i dug my own graveyard by investing too much time on initial few questions. I got to rethink my strategy. Actually, i was biased by reading the forum posts where peole have given too much stress on ensuring that initial 15 or so questions can make or mar one's score. I am planning to subscribe the Manhattan's tests. Do you guys think it's worth?
I am definatly going to take GMAT again. I beleive, i could have done better; atleast should have crossed 700.
Thanks again guys for your encouraging words

.

eravi11 · 2009 September 19th, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sh_vivek

Thanks a lot guys for you support and encouragement.
Abhasjha, my special thanks to you for giving a good analysis. As you rightly said, i dug my own graveyard by investing too much time on initial few questions. I got to rethink my strategy. Actually, i was biased by reading the forum posts where peole have given too much stress on ensuring that initial 15 or so questions can make or mar one's score. I am planning to subscribe the Manhattan's tests. Do you guys think it's worth?
I am definatly going to take GMAT again. I beleive, i could have done better; atleast should have crossed 700.
Thanks again guys for your encouraging words

.

I would say yes to Manhattan tests given that you need practice tests which are somewhat closer to actual thing and would help you to set your pacing strategy. Other tests in market are not exact representative of real thing but they can be used for practice sake in terms of quantity not quality..

2009 September 12th, 02:56 PM	#1 (permalink)
sh_vivek first attempt:timed out Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 842	Devastated : got paltry 680 Guys, i was sincerely hoping to get beyond 700. I took GMATPrep 4 times and out of those four attempts i got 700+ thrice.I took Kaplan's also and scored between 690 to 730. Today was not my day probably. I got timed out both in Quant and Verbal, though this never happened in my mocks.Perhaps this happened because i wanted to make sure that i have marked correctly in first 20. In both tests, i had roughly around 10 questions to solve with 5 mins remaining. So you can easily guess that these questions were simply answered without even going through the questions. Can you guys please help me by suggesting how to increase my speed. If i do not increase my speed i am doomed. please pour in your thoughts guys. One thing i can think of is taking more mocks, but i have aready used my GMAT Prep tests. please advise guys. Thanks a lot. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. --The Alchemist

2009 September 17th, 12:18 PM	#6 (permalink)
abhasjha my posts create furor Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 292	Hi vivek , 680 still constitutes top 80 % bucket at most business school . This score is not bad by any standards . Congratulations for scoring 680. Having said that , I would also add that I have seen your reply to a lot of questions in critical reasoning and reading comprehension ....... Looking at those i am sure that you certainly deserve more than 680 . There are many things in life where you fail once - you do not get a second chance . Fortutunately this is not the case with GMAT . You can have more than 1 shot . If you really feel that 680 is below your standard then the only way out is to write the test again and give a befitting reply to GMAC. DO not have any emotional attachement such as you worked so hard and still the score is not according to your liking . I am sure that you dug your own graveyard by adopting a strategy of scoring first 20 questions correctly without caring how much time you took . Ideally you should have made 5 checkposts in verbal that is you should have been aware of how many minutes should be left on the clock after you answered 8 question then 16th then 24th then 32 and then 40th question . If the timing went haywire after say 16th question you should have speeded up after that . You need to have more time left towards the last 10 questions in each section as these questions are generally tough. For every one the test would start at a medium difficulty level and if you take too much time to finish questions of moderate difficulty then obviously you will be short of time on difficult questions . After every 7-8 questions you may get a tough question if you can solve it well and good if not proceed - do not take it on your ego - GMAC wont penalise you severly if you made a error or two in the first ten . If you dont believe me then simulate this on the G prep and you can see the results . The whole strategy of answering first ten questions or so correctly at any cost is -faulty . Quite a few times GMAT will give the 1st question too difficult and time consuming and people don not proceed -loose a lot of time on clock and then this plays on their mind through out the test - lowering their score . Sometimes the test may also start by giving you five questions in a row which are from DS and the answer to all of them would be - E . Seeing so many E's may dent your confidence. Basically these are all the mind games that GMAC plays with you . Ideally you should have a rule that you should not take more than say 3 minutes on any question- come what may be !!! There is no point in rushing towards the end . In my view it is equally important to have sufficient time in last 10 question in each section . Now that you have already exhausted a lot of prctice materail try using LSAT material for critical reasoning and reading comprehension . These may be new to you . esnip has explanation to more than 2500 critical reasoning question of LSAT and more than 1000 questions of reading comprehension . try solving those . search with key words "36 official LSAT tests " on esnip to get the material . As regards FLTS - you can try manhattan 6 tests , 800 score tests , knewton test - etc for the next time . In case you do not get the LSAT material that i am talking about then PM me . I wish you all the best in your future endeavours . Abhas Last edited by abhasjha : 2009 September 17th at 01:42 PM.

2009 September 18th, 10:19 AM	#9 (permalink)
sh_vivek first attempt:timed out Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 842	Thanks a lot guys for you support and encouragement. Abhasjha, my special thanks to you for giving a good analysis. As you rightly said, i dug my own graveyard by investing too much time on initial few questions. I got to rethink my strategy. Actually, i was biased by reading the forum posts where peole have given too much stress on ensuring that initial 15 or so questions can make or mar one's score. I am planning to subscribe the Manhattan's tests. Do you guys think it's worth? I am definatly going to take GMAT again. I beleive, i could have done better; atleast should have crossed 700. Thanks again guys for your encouraging words . _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. --The Alchemist

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2009 September 12th, 04:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
mitzi Push it to the limit! Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Posts: 2,600	sh_vivek, Have you consider using a timer to pace yourself up? Don't give it up. As long as you don't throw a towel into the ring, you will get a champion's belt. Buckle up. Best, Mitzi

2009 September 12th, 04:44 PM	#3 (permalink)
AdsCPA Eager! Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 51	hi, I have downloaded some old Prep .exe files from net, but I am not sure whether they will work out, because I haven't started with prep's yet....

2009 September 13th, 08:41 AM	#4 (permalink)
Dawgie I JUST got here. Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 4	How long did you study total?

2009 September 17th, 04:27 PM	#7 (permalink)
finsisher TestMagic Guru Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,845	never mind its a competitive score

2009 September 17th, 05:50 PM	#8 (permalink)
gmatissimple Have 760+ in GMAT Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 660	Cong for 680. I was also suffering from time constraint. I have studied lots to enhance my reading speed. Lastly I got that helpful thing. I think you can increase your reading speed. I have done so. My reading speed was 170 words per minute. Now, I can read 400 words per minute. Go to 4shared.com and download the Evelyn Wood reading speed book. It will help. I am sure.

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