Just wanted to draw the attention of fellow bloggers to the Beat the GMAT scholarship. There are 6 scholarships valued at approx $8, 500. The winner will get a GMAT prep course with one of the leading prep companies.
All one is required to do is to register himself/herself at BTG site and write few essays. The good thing about participating in this competition is that you get to think hard about why MBA?, why GMAT? etc. Also one of the question forces you to think hard about your story. How your story is different from others and how you are more deserving than others. Writing these essays will already propel you into the next orbit of your journey to a top b-school.
The essay questions are available here: BTG scholarship Essays, Deadline is May-20-2010. Winners will be announced within 10 days of the essay submission deadline. One can redeem the prize by as late as June-2011.
Prospective GMAT takers don't miss out on this opportunity.
Showing posts with label GMAT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GMAT. Show all posts
Sunday, April 4
Friday, January 15
Statistics -- GMAT
I guess all of you must be familiar with the formulae of Mean, Median and Standard Deviation {S.D} ... even if you are not its fine!! Good news is that GMAT does not test your knowledge of formulae involved..Statistics questions do pop up in the exam and following tips might come handy:
1. Standard Deviation gives the dispersion or spread of the data around its mean
* simply means that if standard deviation is large data is spread over a greater range around mean...or a lot of the data points are not close to the mean value
2. Adding or Subtracting a constant value from each term in the set has NO EFFECT ON SD
3. If each term in the set is multiplied by a number > 1 then SD increases
4. If each term in the set is multiplied by a number < 1 then SD decreases
5. If each term divided by a number > 1 then SD decreases
6. If each term divided by a number > 0 but number < 1 then SD increases .
let us say we divide each term by number 'n' , 0 < n < 1 then SD increases
7. Changing the sign of all terms in set has no bearing on SD..
8. If you are given multiple sets of numbers and you have to find out the set with largest and smallest SD just look at the set where the difference between the terms is greatest and the set where the difference between the terms is smallest respectively..
{ i hope the wording is not confusing, i know it sucks brevity per se :) }
1. Standard Deviation gives the dispersion or spread of the data around its mean
* simply means that if standard deviation is large data is spread over a greater range around mean...or a lot of the data points are not close to the mean value
2. Adding or Subtracting a constant value from each term in the set has NO EFFECT ON SD
3. If each term in the set is multiplied by a number > 1 then SD increases
4. If each term in the set is multiplied by a number < 1 then SD decreases
5. If each term divided by a number > 1 then SD decreases
6. If each term divided by a number > 0 but number < 1 then SD increases .
let us say we divide each term by number 'n' , 0 < n < 1 then SD increases
7. Changing the sign of all terms in set has no bearing on SD..
8. If you are given multiple sets of numbers and you have to find out the set with largest and smallest SD just look at the set where the difference between the terms is greatest and the set where the difference between the terms is smallest respectively..
{ i hope the wording is not confusing, i know it sucks brevity per se :) }
Tuesday, December 29
Permutation n Combination
This is one of the most dreaded topics that a candidate can face in the GMAT exam. But, there are limited patterns that are asked in GMAT and if we can master them then i don't think one will have any trouble in solving these type of questions on GMAT.
I just got hold of my notes and decided to share em with fellow bloggers {there are some good questions that i will paste at the end of this post}:
1 Permutation : Permutation means arrangement of things. The word arrangement is used, if the order of things is considered.
2. Combination: Combination means selection of things. The word selection is used, when the order of things has no importance.
3. Example: Suppose we have to form a number of consisting of three digits using the digits 1,2,3,4,
To form this number the digits have to be arranged. Different numbers will get formed depending upon the order in which we arrange the digits. This is an example of Permutation.
4. Now suppose that we have to make a team of 11 players out of 20 players, This is an example of combination, because the order of players in the team will not result in a change in the team. No matter in which order we list out the players the team will remain the same! For a different team to be formed at least one player will have to be changed.
5. nPr = n!/(n-r)!
6. Note : Factorial of negative-number is not defined. The expression –3! has no meaning.
7. Number of permutations of n-thing, taken all at a time, in which ‘P’ are of one type, ‘g’ of them are of second-type, ‘r’ of them re of third-type, and rest are all different is given by :-
(n!)/(p!*q!*r!)
8. Circular permutations
(a) If clockwise and anti clock-wise orders are different, then total number of circular-permutations is given by (n-1)!
(b) If clock-wise and anti-clock-wise orders are taken as not different, then total number of circular-permutations is given by (n-1)!/2!
Restricted – Permutations
9(a) Number of permutations of ‘n’ things, taken ‘r’ at a time, when a particular thing is to be always included in each arrangement:
r*( n-1) P(r-1)
9(b) Number of permutations of ‘n’ things, taken ‘r’ at a time, when a particular thing is never taken:
(n-1) P(r)
10. nCr = nC(n-r) {general formula}
11. Total number of ways of selecting one or more things out of n different things
nC1 + nC2 + nC3 + ------------- + nCn = 2^n - 1
12. Total number of ways of selecting ZERO or More things out of n different things
(nC0 + nC1 + -----------------nCn) = 2^n
13. (nC0 + nC1 + -----------------nCn) = 2^n {general formula}
14. Number of ways of selecting zero or more things from ‘n’ identical things is given by :- n+1
15. Number of ways of selecting one or more things from ‘p’ identical things of one type ‘q’ identical things of another type, ‘r’ identical things of the third type and ‘n’ different things is given by :
(p+1) (q+1) (r+1)(2^n – 1)
Some good questions to apply the theory
Q How many ways can 10 letters be posted in 5 post boxes, if each of the post boxes can take more than 10 letters?
Q How many numbers are there between 100 and 1000 such that atleast one of their digits is 6?
Q How many ways can 4 prizes be given away to 3 boys, if each boy is eligible for all the prizes?
Q How many alphabets need to be there in a language if one were to make 1 million distinct 3 digit initials using the alphabets of the language?
Q How many number of times will the digit '7' be written when listing the integers from 1 to 1000?
Q Badri has 9 pairs of dark Blue socks and 9 pairs of Black socks. He keeps them all in a same bag. If he picks out three socks at random what is the probability he will get a matching pair?
Q How many words of 4 consonants and 3 vowels can be made from 12 consonants and 4 vowels, if all the letters are different?
Q If the letters of the word CHASM are rearranged to form 5 letter words such that none of the word repeat and the results arranged in ascending order as in a dictionary what is the rank of the word CHASM?
Q When four fair dice are rolled simultaneously, in how many outcomes will at least one of the dice show 3?
Q There are 5 Rock songs, 6 Carnatic songs and 3 Indi pop songs. How many different albums can be formed using the above repertoire if the albums should contain at least 1 Rock song and 1 Carnatic song?
I just got hold of my notes and decided to share em with fellow bloggers {there are some good questions that i will paste at the end of this post}:
1 Permutation : Permutation means arrangement of things. The word arrangement is used, if the order of things is considered.
2. Combination: Combination means selection of things. The word selection is used, when the order of things has no importance.
3. Example: Suppose we have to form a number of consisting of three digits using the digits 1,2,3,4,
To form this number the digits have to be arranged. Different numbers will get formed depending upon the order in which we arrange the digits. This is an example of Permutation.
4. Now suppose that we have to make a team of 11 players out of 20 players, This is an example of combination, because the order of players in the team will not result in a change in the team. No matter in which order we list out the players the team will remain the same! For a different team to be formed at least one player will have to be changed.
5. nPr = n!/(n-r)!
6. Note : Factorial of negative-number is not defined. The expression –3! has no meaning.
7. Number of permutations of n-thing, taken all at a time, in which ‘P’ are of one type, ‘g’ of them are of second-type, ‘r’ of them re of third-type, and rest are all different is given by :-
(n!)/(p!*q!*r!)
8. Circular permutations
(a) If clockwise and anti clock-wise orders are different, then total number of circular-permutations is given by (n-1)!
(b) If clock-wise and anti-clock-wise orders are taken as not different, then total number of circular-permutations is given by (n-1)!/2!
Restricted – Permutations
9(a) Number of permutations of ‘n’ things, taken ‘r’ at a time, when a particular thing is to be always included in each arrangement:
r*( n-1) P(r-1)
9(b) Number of permutations of ‘n’ things, taken ‘r’ at a time, when a particular thing is never taken:
(n-1) P(r)
10. nCr = nC(n-r) {general formula}
11. Total number of ways of selecting one or more things out of n different things
nC1 + nC2 + nC3 + ------------- + nCn = 2^n - 1
12. Total number of ways of selecting ZERO or More things out of n different things
(nC0 + nC1 + -----------------nCn) = 2^n
13. (nC0 + nC1 + -----------------nCn) = 2^n {general formula}
14. Number of ways of selecting zero or more things from ‘n’ identical things is given by :- n+1
15. Number of ways of selecting one or more things from ‘p’ identical things of one type ‘q’ identical things of another type, ‘r’ identical things of the third type and ‘n’ different things is given by :
(p+1) (q+1) (r+1)(2^n – 1)
Some good questions to apply the theory
Q How many ways can 10 letters be posted in 5 post boxes, if each of the post boxes can take more than 10 letters?
Q How many numbers are there between 100 and 1000 such that atleast one of their digits is 6?
Q How many ways can 4 prizes be given away to 3 boys, if each boy is eligible for all the prizes?
Q How many alphabets need to be there in a language if one were to make 1 million distinct 3 digit initials using the alphabets of the language?
Q How many number of times will the digit '7' be written when listing the integers from 1 to 1000?
Q Badri has 9 pairs of dark Blue socks and 9 pairs of Black socks. He keeps them all in a same bag. If he picks out three socks at random what is the probability he will get a matching pair?
Q How many words of 4 consonants and 3 vowels can be made from 12 consonants and 4 vowels, if all the letters are different?
Q If the letters of the word CHASM are rearranged to form 5 letter words such that none of the word repeat and the results arranged in ascending order as in a dictionary what is the rank of the word CHASM?
Q When four fair dice are rolled simultaneously, in how many outcomes will at least one of the dice show 3?
Q There are 5 Rock songs, 6 Carnatic songs and 3 Indi pop songs. How many different albums can be formed using the above repertoire if the albums should contain at least 1 Rock song and 1 Carnatic song?
Friday, December 11
AWA - 5.5
Finally, got my AWA result...5.5 ...So i would re-iterate don't spend much time on AWA...
i had not even spell-checked or proof read my actual essays...
i guess blogging helps ;) ...
i had not even spell-checked or proof read my actual essays...
i guess blogging helps ;) ...
Thursday, December 10
Reflections - GMAT do's and dont's
I am through with my GMAT but as i reflect on my preparation and GMAT experience, i have certain suggestions that will really help perspective test takers.
AWA: AWA score does not matter much but its better to write AWA on last 2-3 mocks. {Simply to build stamina.} Write AWA for 1 hour before you start the quant section.
Mocks: I guess 6 Manhattan, GMAT prep {with as many retakes as possible} and one free GMAT club test {quant is really good} are sufficient. Last 2-3 mocks should be given in a cyber cafe {would replicate the exam centre experience} under timed conditions.
if you get 750 on a mock dont think that you will get 750 on real thing...see the score as a range..750 mock means 700-800{omg 800 ;)} on real thing...
Mock Analysis: Analysis of mocks should take you more time than actually writing them.
1. Never look at the answers straight away if you geta problem wrong. Try hard and solve it, will help you in learning a lot of concepts. Simply looking at answer wont solve the purpose.
2. Look at the explanation of each and very answer choice...why a particular choice is wrong...GMAT repeats a certain pre set patterns...RECOGNIZE THE PATTERNS
Exercise: If you regularly train with weights nothing like it...else start jogging ...daily for 20-25 mins...will help a lot in relieving stress ... and will keep you energetic...i jogged till the very last day...and believe me it helped.
Eat Healthy: GMAT prep is stressful and often you will neglect your diet. Keep taking multivitamins {Zinco-vit was the one that i took}, have lots of fruits...keep hydrated {atleast 2 lt of water everyday}...
SLEEP: Sleep really well for 10-15 days before the exam...you should be so charged up before the exam that GMAT should be afraid of you...Think of GMAT as your perspective date and be eager for the meeting...
Meditate: Meditate -- breath deep...pray...it gives strength
Exam day: Prefer morning time...because of exam anxiety a lot of people dont sleep well and get up too early on exam day...dont book afternoon or evening appointment...you will un-necessarily tire yourself...
Eat a healthy breakfast...consume carbohydrates..be very normal..read paper or watch tv if you normally do so at that time...
Take red-bull or any other energy drink -- caffeine will keep you awake during verbal section....also keep some nutribars and chocolates for breaks...
Utilize your breaks wisely...STRETCH..WASH YOUR FACE..RE-CHARGE...
during the exam SIMPLY FOCUS ON THE QUESTION AT HAND AND FORGET ABOUT THE REST...
Keep an eye on the watch...guess intelligently if you have to....REMEMBER 30% OF QUESTIONS ARE EXPERIMENTAL...
and yes before the xam be honest and consistent with your prep,..Work smart --
all da best :)
p.s: i love you..oops watched this movie yesterday night..want to go to ireland..can someone sponsor me>>
p.s: Will post some DS fundae soon....
AWA: AWA score does not matter much but its better to write AWA on last 2-3 mocks. {Simply to build stamina.} Write AWA for 1 hour before you start the quant section.
Mocks: I guess 6 Manhattan, GMAT prep {with as many retakes as possible} and one free GMAT club test {quant is really good} are sufficient. Last 2-3 mocks should be given in a cyber cafe {would replicate the exam centre experience} under timed conditions.
if you get 750 on a mock dont think that you will get 750 on real thing...see the score as a range..750 mock means 700-800{omg 800 ;)} on real thing...
Mock Analysis: Analysis of mocks should take you more time than actually writing them.
1. Never look at the answers straight away if you geta problem wrong. Try hard and solve it, will help you in learning a lot of concepts. Simply looking at answer wont solve the purpose.
2. Look at the explanation of each and very answer choice...why a particular choice is wrong...GMAT repeats a certain pre set patterns...RECOGNIZE THE PATTERNS
Exercise: If you regularly train with weights nothing like it...else start jogging ...daily for 20-25 mins...will help a lot in relieving stress ... and will keep you energetic...i jogged till the very last day...and believe me it helped.
Eat Healthy: GMAT prep is stressful and often you will neglect your diet. Keep taking multivitamins {Zinco-vit was the one that i took}, have lots of fruits...keep hydrated {atleast 2 lt of water everyday}...
SLEEP: Sleep really well for 10-15 days before the exam...you should be so charged up before the exam that GMAT should be afraid of you...Think of GMAT as your perspective date and be eager for the meeting...
Meditate: Meditate -- breath deep...pray...it gives strength
Exam day: Prefer morning time...because of exam anxiety a lot of people dont sleep well and get up too early on exam day...dont book afternoon or evening appointment...you will un-necessarily tire yourself...
Eat a healthy breakfast...consume carbohydrates..be very normal..read paper or watch tv if you normally do so at that time...
Take red-bull or any other energy drink -- caffeine will keep you awake during verbal section....also keep some nutribars and chocolates for breaks...
Utilize your breaks wisely...STRETCH..WASH YOUR FACE..RE-CHARGE...
during the exam SIMPLY FOCUS ON THE QUESTION AT HAND AND FORGET ABOUT THE REST...
Keep an eye on the watch...guess intelligently if you have to....REMEMBER 30% OF QUESTIONS ARE EXPERIMENTAL...
and yes before the xam be honest and consistent with your prep,..Work smart --
all da best :)
p.s: i love you..oops watched this movie yesterday night..want to go to ireland..can someone sponsor me>>
p.s: Will post some DS fundae soon....
Saturday, December 5
The Debrief
q-50 --93 percentile, v - 41 - 92 percentile --overall - 740 -- 97 percentile.. AWA --result awaited
Prep time -- Approx 6 weeks --daily 2 hours
Study Material --
SC {accuracy rate at the start - approx 40% ..at the end approx 90%}
Manhattan SC guide must have gone through it atleast 7 times. Don't just read it STUDY IT.
Once i grasped the basics well i picked up OG, did all the questions thoroughly. When i say thoroughly i mean to say that i figured out error in each and every answer choice. This helped me to understand the various patterns of error that appear on the GMAT. {Accuracy had improved to about 70%}
When i say ientify the error -- dont simply say that this choice is awkward or does not make sense etc etc --- pen down the error type...whether it is Sub-Verb or Pronoun or modifier ---
Adamjohn's Notes -- Has some of the finest questions and also superb explanations by an expert called 800Bob. Learnt a lot of tricks here and have posted some of them on my blog
1000 SC -- did approx 400 questions, some people say that 1000 sc is not a reliable source. Agreed! but the %age of poor questions is low. This source is good for practise once you are done with OG. Again identify the error type in each and every choice.
CR {Accuracy at the start -- approx 40-50% ..at the end 70-75%, though hit rate in OG was 90+% but OG level is way too low as compared to the real thing.}
Powerscore Bible -- won't recommend it -- consumes too much time....though practice the following from powerscore:
1. Flaw in reasoning,
2. Evaluate the argument --- Saw atleast 3 questions on real thing
BTG {Beat The GMAT} Forum Questions -- did a lot of them and tried to support my answers with reasoning....Please share your reasoning with every answer...simply saying IMO A,B or C wont help a lot....
Approach -- Read the argument carefully -- Clearly mark out the conclusion -- understand the reasoning ---Paraphrase ---- read the question ----attack the answer choices
Be extra careful about the boundary words such as "many", "Some", "All", "only" etc.
RC {Starting hit rate --approx 85% --towards the end 90+% }
Read The Economist, The New scientist everyday for approx 20-30 mins. After reading each para pause for 5 seconds PARAPHRASE -- Tell yourself what the author is trying to say. --- MOVE AHEAD --- DO the same for every para --- In the end take out 10 seconds --- Link up all the paragraphs --- total reading time for a typical GMAT RC passage would be close to 3 Minutes....but by following this approach you will take very less time to answer the questions.
I won't recommend to skim the passage --- RC means READING COMPREHENSION --it tests your comprehension not the skimming ability.
Quant --Was good in quant but was making careless mistakes
{If you lack the basics then pick up any elementary school level book and brush up the fundamentals}
1. Read the question carefully
2. Pen down what you have to calculate -- the variable name and units--
3. READ THE CONDITIONS GIVEN IN QUESTION CAREFULLY AND KEEP THEM IN MIND --for eg if x > 0 no need to put x = -2 or x = 0
4. Always test the inequalities for 0,1, -1, 1/2 and -1/2
Daily solve 20 questions --- i regularly solved 20 questions on BTG {Beat The GMAT} --- at times i failed to post my answer but religiously solved problems in DS and PS thread.
AWA ----- Simply prepared a template a day before and never wrote it in any of the mocks --- WAS ONE BIG MISTAKE
For last 2 or 3 mocks attempt AWA...
I would suggest give your last 2 mocks in a cyber cafe and write AWA
Mock CATS {always gave each section 70 mins of time}
I consistently hit 760+ in last 5-6 mocks. Scored 790 in one of the GMAT prep where 3-4 questions were repeat.
GMAT PREP is a must and re-take it as many times as possible. Because of the adaptive nature of test and large repository of the questions you will get to solve a lot of different questions.
Manhattan GMAT -- Verbal is very close to the real thing -- MARK MY WORDS HERE -- Manhattan's quant is way off mark the real thing but their Verbal is damn good, i would say i improved from V-18 to V-41 because of MANHATTAN
But their pool of 700+ level questions is too small and by the time you have attempted 3 mocks the quality of questions gets diluted....Please add a lot more 700+ questions to your tests.....
TEST Experience:
{i didn;t take any leave for prep ... i would say be consistent for 6 weeks or so and put 2 hours or so daily....on weekends i would simply give mocks and analyze them thoroughly}
Day before test
1. Watched Cricket --- Was in office -- went to Gym, ran for 25 mins -- took sauna and relaxed...
2. Tried to get my mind off the test, at one time i almost forgot that i have my test tomo
3. But as i tried to sleep ---> i got butterflies in my stomach....Slept for hardly 4 hours---this was a perenial Sin--- SLEEP WELL BEFORE THE EXAM
Test Day
5:30 am -- Woke Up
Deep Breathing
Lots of water
approx 8: Am -- news paper
Took shower, Had breakfast -- Bananas + Boiled Eggs
Watched Sehwag throw away his wicket after a blistering performance
Headed to a temple -- to gain some SPIRITUAL STRENGTH --- PRAY -- if you are an atheist then you can simply remember your parents or any person whom you idolize--- IT helps
Was in centre 30 mins before the test --- centre was empty --no test takers...I was allowed to sit 20 mins before the sched time
Fired off both the AWA in 30 mins --- 15 mins each -- never reviewed what i wrote...had a template and vomited it....above 4 everything would be a bonus :)
Had a nutribar -- Stretched -- total break time -- 4 minutes [By the Way You get only 8 mins of break in between sections now --- UTILIZE YOUR BREAKS PROPERLY}
Quant -- first ques -- co-ord geometry -- forgot the formula and felt frustrated after 5 mins guessed and moved on ---NEVER ALLOWED MYSELF TO FEEL DOWN BECAUSE OF THIS ACT--- My performance would be judged by how i fare on 37 questions not by my response to 1st question ----at times it is good to make intelligent guess and move on....
Lots of inequalities, modulus, number prop, co-ordinate geometry --> last 2 questions were esp tricky
Advise -- Pace yourself well -- i completed the section in 69 mins or so --- could have better utilized my time
Verbal -- MANHATTAN GMAT ---SHALL I SAY MORE ?? -- ATTEMPT THE MOCKS AND READ THE EXPLANATION CAREFULLY THATS IT....
SC and RC were predictable...CR -- Got 1 strengthen and wekaen ques each...most were evaluate and vulnerable to crticism type
NEVER TRY TO ANALYZE YOUR PERFORMANCE BY THE QUESTIONS YOU SEE
Took a deep breath ----- honestly was expecting 750 --opened my eyes --Saw 740 --- was kind of mixed reaction --- But i would take it ....
Prep time -- Approx 6 weeks --daily 2 hours
Study Material --
SC {accuracy rate at the start - approx 40% ..at the end approx 90%}
Manhattan SC guide must have gone through it atleast 7 times. Don't just read it STUDY IT.
Once i grasped the basics well i picked up OG, did all the questions thoroughly. When i say thoroughly i mean to say that i figured out error in each and every answer choice. This helped me to understand the various patterns of error that appear on the GMAT. {Accuracy had improved to about 70%}
When i say ientify the error -- dont simply say that this choice is awkward or does not make sense etc etc --- pen down the error type...whether it is Sub-Verb or Pronoun or modifier ---
Adamjohn's Notes -- Has some of the finest questions and also superb explanations by an expert called 800Bob. Learnt a lot of tricks here and have posted some of them on my blog
1000 SC -- did approx 400 questions, some people say that 1000 sc is not a reliable source. Agreed! but the %age of poor questions is low. This source is good for practise once you are done with OG. Again identify the error type in each and every choice.
CR {Accuracy at the start -- approx 40-50% ..at the end 70-75%, though hit rate in OG was 90+% but OG level is way too low as compared to the real thing.}
Powerscore Bible -- won't recommend it -- consumes too much time....though practice the following from powerscore:
1. Flaw in reasoning,
2. Evaluate the argument --- Saw atleast 3 questions on real thing
BTG {Beat The GMAT} Forum Questions -- did a lot of them and tried to support my answers with reasoning....Please share your reasoning with every answer...simply saying IMO A,B or C wont help a lot....
Approach -- Read the argument carefully -- Clearly mark out the conclusion -- understand the reasoning ---Paraphrase ---- read the question ----attack the answer choices
Be extra careful about the boundary words such as "many", "Some", "All", "only" etc.
RC {Starting hit rate --approx 85% --towards the end 90+% }
Read The Economist, The New scientist everyday for approx 20-30 mins. After reading each para pause for 5 seconds PARAPHRASE -- Tell yourself what the author is trying to say. --- MOVE AHEAD --- DO the same for every para --- In the end take out 10 seconds --- Link up all the paragraphs --- total reading time for a typical GMAT RC passage would be close to 3 Minutes....but by following this approach you will take very less time to answer the questions.
I won't recommend to skim the passage --- RC means READING COMPREHENSION --it tests your comprehension not the skimming ability.
Quant --Was good in quant but was making careless mistakes
{If you lack the basics then pick up any elementary school level book and brush up the fundamentals}
1. Read the question carefully
2. Pen down what you have to calculate -- the variable name and units--
3. READ THE CONDITIONS GIVEN IN QUESTION CAREFULLY AND KEEP THEM IN MIND --for eg if x > 0 no need to put x = -2 or x = 0
4. Always test the inequalities for 0,1, -1, 1/2 and -1/2
Daily solve 20 questions --- i regularly solved 20 questions on BTG {Beat The GMAT} --- at times i failed to post my answer but religiously solved problems in DS and PS thread.
AWA ----- Simply prepared a template a day before and never wrote it in any of the mocks --- WAS ONE BIG MISTAKE
For last 2 or 3 mocks attempt AWA...
I would suggest give your last 2 mocks in a cyber cafe and write AWA
Mock CATS {always gave each section 70 mins of time}
I consistently hit 760+ in last 5-6 mocks. Scored 790 in one of the GMAT prep where 3-4 questions were repeat.
GMAT PREP is a must and re-take it as many times as possible. Because of the adaptive nature of test and large repository of the questions you will get to solve a lot of different questions.
Manhattan GMAT -- Verbal is very close to the real thing -- MARK MY WORDS HERE -- Manhattan's quant is way off mark the real thing but their Verbal is damn good, i would say i improved from V-18 to V-41 because of MANHATTAN
But their pool of 700+ level questions is too small and by the time you have attempted 3 mocks the quality of questions gets diluted....Please add a lot more 700+ questions to your tests.....
TEST Experience:
{i didn;t take any leave for prep ... i would say be consistent for 6 weeks or so and put 2 hours or so daily....on weekends i would simply give mocks and analyze them thoroughly}
Day before test
1. Watched Cricket --- Was in office -- went to Gym, ran for 25 mins -- took sauna and relaxed...
2. Tried to get my mind off the test, at one time i almost forgot that i have my test tomo
3. But as i tried to sleep ---> i got butterflies in my stomach....Slept for hardly 4 hours---this was a perenial Sin--- SLEEP WELL BEFORE THE EXAM
Test Day
5:30 am -- Woke Up
Deep Breathing
Lots of water
approx 8: Am -- news paper
Took shower, Had breakfast -- Bananas + Boiled Eggs
Watched Sehwag throw away his wicket after a blistering performance
Headed to a temple -- to gain some SPIRITUAL STRENGTH --- PRAY -- if you are an atheist then you can simply remember your parents or any person whom you idolize--- IT helps
Was in centre 30 mins before the test --- centre was empty --no test takers...I was allowed to sit 20 mins before the sched time
Fired off both the AWA in 30 mins --- 15 mins each -- never reviewed what i wrote...had a template and vomited it....above 4 everything would be a bonus :)
Had a nutribar -- Stretched -- total break time -- 4 minutes [By the Way You get only 8 mins of break in between sections now --- UTILIZE YOUR BREAKS PROPERLY}
Quant -- first ques -- co-ord geometry -- forgot the formula and felt frustrated after 5 mins guessed and moved on ---NEVER ALLOWED MYSELF TO FEEL DOWN BECAUSE OF THIS ACT--- My performance would be judged by how i fare on 37 questions not by my response to 1st question ----at times it is good to make intelligent guess and move on....
Lots of inequalities, modulus, number prop, co-ordinate geometry --> last 2 questions were esp tricky
Advise -- Pace yourself well -- i completed the section in 69 mins or so --- could have better utilized my time
Verbal -- MANHATTAN GMAT ---SHALL I SAY MORE ?? -- ATTEMPT THE MOCKS AND READ THE EXPLANATION CAREFULLY THATS IT....
SC and RC were predictable...CR -- Got 1 strengthen and wekaen ques each...most were evaluate and vulnerable to crticism type
NEVER TRY TO ANALYZE YOUR PERFORMANCE BY THE QUESTIONS YOU SEE
Took a deep breath ----- honestly was expecting 750 --opened my eyes --Saw 740 --- was kind of mixed reaction --- But i would take it ....
Friday, December 4
Kissed the GMAT
I dont know whether i should be happy or sad, but i know that i won't have to date Miss G again {atleast i think so}.
My exam was at 10:45 am today, was in office till 21:00 yesterday night. Hardly slept because of anxiety and woke up at 5:30 Am today.
Heard "eye of the tiger" and "gonna fly now" from Rocky to pump myself before leaving for the centre. Went to a divine place to seek blessings of god {am a god loving man -- read it as god fearing ;) }Packed some nutri-bars, chocolates and a can of Red Bull to re-fuel myself during breaks.
will share lots of insights very soon...i am dead tired right now...
q50 - v-41 ..overall 97 percentile..740 {barely missed 750 -- so a bit sad also, was stupid to finish verbal in 70 mins}
gonna fly now....
My exam was at 10:45 am today, was in office till 21:00 yesterday night. Hardly slept because of anxiety and woke up at 5:30 Am today.
Heard "eye of the tiger" and "gonna fly now" from Rocky to pump myself before leaving for the centre. Went to a divine place to seek blessings of god {am a god loving man -- read it as god fearing ;) }Packed some nutri-bars, chocolates and a can of Red Bull to re-fuel myself during breaks.
will share lots of insights very soon...i am dead tired right now...
q50 - v-41 ..overall 97 percentile..740 {barely missed 750 -- so a bit sad also, was stupid to finish verbal in 70 mins}
gonna fly now....
Sunday, November 1
Manhattan GMAT :'(
After a long time gave one MGMAT. Didn't write the essays {my bad} and screwed up quant. I always used to think that quant is my strong point but this CAT opened my eyes. I was short of time in the end and made hell lot of mistakes. I had to make blind guesses on 6 questions and what i would call intelligent guesses on as many as 5 questions. So, you see 1/3 of quant section was done by guessing :).
I made 14 mistakes in quant {almost all of my guesses were wrong} and 13 mistakes in verbal. The incorrigible optimist in me tries to assuage my pain by saying that "my performance is balanced", i made almost equal number of mistakes in both sections.
Takeaways:
Need to start writing the AWA,
Improvement in SC and CR but performance has declined in RC {haven't practised RC for past many weeks so i was expecting a dip here},
Made atleast 3 careless mistakes {didn't even read the question properly}
Poor time management
Quant--
Good thing is -- DS has improved,
Bad thing is -- PS has taken a hit {am an engineer and any engineer would laugh at me if i share my quant score with him/her }
* Poor time management
* Was not able to apply the fundamentals
* Calculation mistakes
* to add to all this i made atleast 3 careless mistakes{didn't even read the question properly}
The target is to bring the no. of mistakes down to a maximum of 4 or 5 in each section. I need to get my fundae right in "inequalities", "number properties" and "set theory". Also, will have to start practising RC.
I made 14 mistakes in quant {almost all of my guesses were wrong} and 13 mistakes in verbal. The incorrigible optimist in me tries to assuage my pain by saying that "my performance is balanced", i made almost equal number of mistakes in both sections.
Takeaways:
Need to start writing the AWA,
Improvement in SC and CR but performance has declined in RC {haven't practised RC for past many weeks so i was expecting a dip here},
Made atleast 3 careless mistakes {didn't even read the question properly}
Poor time management
Quant--
Good thing is -- DS has improved,
Bad thing is -- PS has taken a hit {am an engineer and any engineer would laugh at me if i share my quant score with him/her }
* Poor time management
* Was not able to apply the fundamentals
* Calculation mistakes
* to add to all this i made atleast 3 careless mistakes{didn't even read the question properly}
The target is to bring the no. of mistakes down to a maximum of 4 or 5 in each section. I need to get my fundae right in "inequalities", "number properties" and "set theory". Also, will have to start practising RC.
Tuesday, October 20
Preparing for the GMAT – Confused???
Various questions pop up in the mind of an MBA applicant while preparing for the GMAT: How much time should be devoted to preparation?, whether to book the date first or prepare first, Is it good to pre-pone/Post-pone the date?, Which material to use?, When to start giving Mock CATs, How many Mock CATs etc etc.
When i first thought about giving GMAT, i knew nothing about it. All the information that i could get on the net only increased my problems. So much material and so many Mock CATs to choose from, different plans employed by various candidates to crack the GMAT. My friends who have given the GMAT cleared up a lot of doubts but each one of them suggested a different approach and different set of books to prepare for the exam.
I believe most of the GMAT applicants are confronted with following questions:
1. How much time shall I keep aside for GMAT preparation??
There will be people who will simply book a date a week ahead and crack 770 and there will always be people who will slug it out for months and get a jaw dropping score such as 550. Its good to aim high but its better to know your capabilities and manage your expectations. Its easier to go from 500 to 650 or from 500 to 690 but for every 10 point gain in your score post the 690 mark hard work alone won't help, Smart work along with rock solid determination, laser sharp focus and an insurmountable desire to succeed is required.
To be honest the time will depend upon your capabilities and your target score. The preparation time is inversely proportional to your capabilities and target score. But anything from 45 days to 180 days is more than enough. A longer preparation period can lead to burnout and you might peak before your G-day.
So, how to find out the ideal prep duration? I would say go ahead and book a date 3 months ahead. This takes us to our next two questions:
Whether to book the date first or prepare first,
Is it good to pre-pone/Post-pone the date?
Not everyone has the determination to put in few hours of preparation everyday. Booking a date might give you the much needed kick and invoke a sense of urgency. You might ask what if I am unable to cover the course in 3 months? Now I will say you can always go ahead and post pone the exam. I know I am going to draw flak for saying this but I would like to give my rationale. Normally a prep plan looks something like this:
1. CR -- Go through the fundamentals using Manhattan or Powerscore -- 7 days
2. Start practising CR questions -- OG-11 - 5 Days, OG-12 - 5days, 1000 CR - till 30 Feb -- as many as possible
3. Manhattan SC guide-- 7 days
4. SC practise -- OG-11,12 , 1000SC -- 25 days
5. Quant prep -- bla bla
6. Mock CATs -- bla bla
But one soon realizes that it is not so easy to execute the plan. Some might have to put in long hours in the office, some might have to travel, some might get injured or ill {like me :'(}, some have to devote time to their family.
Above all at the time of preparing a plan one is not sure as to how much time it would take to complete a given topic. A lot of candidates have not touched quant or verbal books for years after the college and for this reason many candidates feel rusty when they start solving the questions. The plan which was prepared earlier is gone for a toss.
CR - Powerscore bible -- 7 days {oh hell, i can’t even go through those 500+ pages in 15 days and my G-day is coming}, the anxiety of not completing a given topic within the timeline takes the toll of the preparation. The quantitative approach takes over the qualitative approach for test preparation. Candidate simply wants to do as many questions as possible without properly analyzing the questions and Mock CATs. If you want to know how to analyze the questions and Mock CATs then BTG{Beat the GMAT} has tonnes of info.
If you feel that you are taking some time over and above what you had initially allotted to a section/topic then don't let the quality suffer. Do each and every question with utmost dedication, check out each and every answer choice and make sure that you know why you are crossing out a particular choice and why you are selecting a particular choice as the final answer. {So how am i going to meet my deadlines?? My G-Day is coming} that’s why i said: you can always postpone the exam. Don’t make it a habit though, don’t take undue advantage of the fact that this exam can be postponed but use this flexibility to benefit yourself.
Take the stock of the situation, by preparing for 15-20 days you will get a fair enough idea of your abilities and the time that you need to attain the peak. Accordingly either pre-pone the exam or post pone it. Why pre-pone the exam?? Ok, you have prepared well for 45 days and now you are getting 750+ in the Mock CATs and you still have 45 days to go. If you are sure that you won't get burnt out by the end then don’t pre-pone otherwise you know what my suggestion would be.
Fair enough, i have taken a date 3 months ahead, i have given one Mock CAT now what? Which material shall i use? Again, this is a very subjective question. The choice of material totally depends upon your curent level. If you lack the basics then attempting the Manhattan Mock CAT quant will only shatter your confidence. And if you are finding it hard to understand what is parallelism and what is subject verb agreement then there is no point in attempting the questions from OG. Choose the prep material wisely.
One question that is bugging me right now is whether to start giving Mock CATs or wait for few more weeks. I think a lot of candidates face this problem while preparing for GMAT. I don’t want to give a lot of CATs because doing so might lead to a burn-out and giving too few CATs might leave me a bit unpolished before my date with the beast.
As of now i am not well prepared to tackle the quant section. I am making all sorts of careless and calculation mistakes. I am not well acquainted with fundamentals of Set theory {esp 3 sets}, Progressions, Combinatorics and Stats. I am through with the fundamentals of CR and SC but still haven't achieved a good hit rate {esp in SC :'(, lack of concentration is dragging my accuracy.}. I am not sure whether it would be good to waste time on Mock CATs while i am still brushing up Quant fundamentals or go ahead and track my progress in verbal section.
Some people are of the opinion that one should first be well versed with all the sections of the GMAT before attempting the Mock CATs. While others support the strategy of giving as many Mock CATs as you can before the real GMAT.
Give one Mock CAT in the begining to know where do you stand and then wait till you are well versed with basics of all the sections. Once you have covered all the sections start giving Mock CATs and analyze them in detail {as explained in the article written by stacy}. You must know your strengths and weaknesses, after giving Mock CATs you must develop a gut feeling as to when it is best to guess and move ahead.
Don't try and give each and every Mock CAT,
I would like to invite thoughts of fellow bloggers.
When i first thought about giving GMAT, i knew nothing about it. All the information that i could get on the net only increased my problems. So much material and so many Mock CATs to choose from, different plans employed by various candidates to crack the GMAT. My friends who have given the GMAT cleared up a lot of doubts but each one of them suggested a different approach and different set of books to prepare for the exam.
I believe most of the GMAT applicants are confronted with following questions:
1. How much time shall I keep aside for GMAT preparation??
There will be people who will simply book a date a week ahead and crack 770 and there will always be people who will slug it out for months and get a jaw dropping score such as 550. Its good to aim high but its better to know your capabilities and manage your expectations. Its easier to go from 500 to 650 or from 500 to 690 but for every 10 point gain in your score post the 690 mark hard work alone won't help, Smart work along with rock solid determination, laser sharp focus and an insurmountable desire to succeed is required.
To be honest the time will depend upon your capabilities and your target score. The preparation time is inversely proportional to your capabilities and target score. But anything from 45 days to 180 days is more than enough. A longer preparation period can lead to burnout and you might peak before your G-day.
So, how to find out the ideal prep duration? I would say go ahead and book a date 3 months ahead. This takes us to our next two questions:
Whether to book the date first or prepare first,
Is it good to pre-pone/Post-pone the date?
Not everyone has the determination to put in few hours of preparation everyday. Booking a date might give you the much needed kick and invoke a sense of urgency. You might ask what if I am unable to cover the course in 3 months? Now I will say you can always go ahead and post pone the exam. I know I am going to draw flak for saying this but I would like to give my rationale. Normally a prep plan looks something like this:
1. CR -- Go through the fundamentals using Manhattan or Powerscore -- 7 days
2. Start practising CR questions -- OG-11 - 5 Days, OG-12 - 5days, 1000 CR - till 30 Feb -- as many as possible
3. Manhattan SC guide-- 7 days
4. SC practise -- OG-11,12 , 1000SC -- 25 days
5. Quant prep -- bla bla
6. Mock CATs -- bla bla
But one soon realizes that it is not so easy to execute the plan. Some might have to put in long hours in the office, some might have to travel, some might get injured or ill {like me :'(}, some have to devote time to their family.
Above all at the time of preparing a plan one is not sure as to how much time it would take to complete a given topic. A lot of candidates have not touched quant or verbal books for years after the college and for this reason many candidates feel rusty when they start solving the questions. The plan which was prepared earlier is gone for a toss.
CR - Powerscore bible -- 7 days {oh hell, i can’t even go through those 500+ pages in 15 days and my G-day is coming}, the anxiety of not completing a given topic within the timeline takes the toll of the preparation. The quantitative approach takes over the qualitative approach for test preparation. Candidate simply wants to do as many questions as possible without properly analyzing the questions and Mock CATs. If you want to know how to analyze the questions and Mock CATs then BTG{Beat the GMAT} has tonnes of info.
If you feel that you are taking some time over and above what you had initially allotted to a section/topic then don't let the quality suffer. Do each and every question with utmost dedication, check out each and every answer choice and make sure that you know why you are crossing out a particular choice and why you are selecting a particular choice as the final answer. {So how am i going to meet my deadlines?? My G-Day is coming} that’s why i said: you can always postpone the exam. Don’t make it a habit though, don’t take undue advantage of the fact that this exam can be postponed but use this flexibility to benefit yourself.
Take the stock of the situation, by preparing for 15-20 days you will get a fair enough idea of your abilities and the time that you need to attain the peak. Accordingly either pre-pone the exam or post pone it. Why pre-pone the exam?? Ok, you have prepared well for 45 days and now you are getting 750+ in the Mock CATs and you still have 45 days to go. If you are sure that you won't get burnt out by the end then don’t pre-pone otherwise you know what my suggestion would be.
Fair enough, i have taken a date 3 months ahead, i have given one Mock CAT now what? Which material shall i use? Again, this is a very subjective question. The choice of material totally depends upon your curent level. If you lack the basics then attempting the Manhattan Mock CAT quant will only shatter your confidence. And if you are finding it hard to understand what is parallelism and what is subject verb agreement then there is no point in attempting the questions from OG. Choose the prep material wisely.
One question that is bugging me right now is whether to start giving Mock CATs or wait for few more weeks. I think a lot of candidates face this problem while preparing for GMAT. I don’t want to give a lot of CATs because doing so might lead to a burn-out and giving too few CATs might leave me a bit unpolished before my date with the beast.
As of now i am not well prepared to tackle the quant section. I am making all sorts of careless and calculation mistakes. I am not well acquainted with fundamentals of Set theory {esp 3 sets}, Progressions, Combinatorics and Stats. I am through with the fundamentals of CR and SC but still haven't achieved a good hit rate {esp in SC :'(, lack of concentration is dragging my accuracy.}. I am not sure whether it would be good to waste time on Mock CATs while i am still brushing up Quant fundamentals or go ahead and track my progress in verbal section.
Some people are of the opinion that one should first be well versed with all the sections of the GMAT before attempting the Mock CATs. While others support the strategy of giving as many Mock CATs as you can before the real GMAT.
Give one Mock CAT in the begining to know where do you stand and then wait till you are well versed with basics of all the sections. Once you have covered all the sections start giving Mock CATs and analyze them in detail {as explained in the article written by stacy}. You must know your strengths and weaknesses, after giving Mock CATs you must develop a gut feeling as to when it is best to guess and move ahead.
Don't try and give each and every Mock CAT,
I would like to invite thoughts of fellow bloggers.
Sunday, October 4
Critical Reasoning
Today i spent sometime on understanding the basics of CR. I would like to summarize few key points which must be kept in mind while attacking the CR questions:
1. Read actively: No matter what the complexity of stimulus is you should read the argument actively. One must keep a note of BOUNDAY WORDS {such as some, many, most, Only if, all, none etc} for they define the scopre of the argument. For example:
Only few soccer players become soccer legends. Some soccer players frequently change their partners and many soccer legends sleep with some girls. Zidane is a soccer legend.
If above mentioned information is true then which of the following MUST be true?
a.) Zidane slept with many girls -- which might be true but we are looking for something which MUST be true{but the stimulus says MANY soccer legends not all sleep with SOME girls and not MANY}
b.) Zidane headbutted Materazzi -- {This type of answer choices are out of scope answer choices ... whether Zidane head butted Materazzi or Butt headed him is not within the scope of this stimulus.}
c.) Zidane frequently changed his partners {again -- stimulus says some soccer players do that not all -- so this info might again be true but is not necesarily true.}
d.) Zidane was a soccer player -- correct --{how else he can be a soccer legend ?? }
2. Identify the Conclusion: Don't read the question before you read the stimulus and have a crystal clear idea about the conclusion of the argument. I am saying this because most of the questions either have to attack the conclusion or support it. Even if it is a method of reasoning or a Bold face question it helps to know the conclusion. Say in a bold face question one of the bold part is the conclusion of the argument and 3 of the answer choices mention that very part as an asumption or premises then you can quickly cross out those 3 choices.
Now, the conclusion can appear anywhere in the stimulus. In the begining, in the middle or in the end. few things which should be kept in mind are:
Using premise and conclusion indicators to confuse the reader:
“Therefore, since higher debt has forced consumers to lower their savings, banks now have less money to loan.”**
“Higher debt has forced consumers to lower their savings” is the premise;“banks now have less money to loan” is the conclusion. So, in this instance“therefore” still introduces a conclusion, but the appearance of the conclusion
is interrupted by a clause that contains a premise.
See how the premise and conclusion indicators can be clubbed to catch the pasive readers off the guard.
Sub-conclusion and Conclusion: Not every CR stimulus will have a simple structure wherein the premises will lead to the conclusion. One trick that GMAT plays is to place the main conclusion at the begining of the stimulus without any conclusion indicator and then place a sub-conclusion with a conclusion indicator at the end of the stimulus.
a simple argument appears as follows:
Premise ----> Conclusion
a complex argument takes an initial conclusion and then uses it as a premise for another conclusion:
Premise ---> Conclusion/Premise {sub-conclusion} -----> Conclusion
Psychologist**: The obligation to express gratitude cannot be fulfilled anonymously. However much society may have changed over the centuries, human psychology is still driven primarily by personal interaction. Thus, the important social function of positively reinforcing those behaviors that have beneficial consequences for others can be served only if the benefactor knows the source of the gratitude.
Take sometime to identify the conclusion and sub-conclusion of the above mentioned stimulus. Due to stress during the exam it is quite possible that you mistake sub-conclusion for the main conclusion {idiom --> mistake x for y ;) }
3. Read the question properly: Read the question properly, whether it is a strengthen the argument question or Strengthen Except question {i.e all of the following strengthen the argument excep??}
Also, there might be multiple levels in the question itself. For e.g:
Let us consider that some environmentalists are in favour of exploiting the natural resources to the fullest while others are not. The stimulus can load you with tonnes of other information. And the question might be as follows:
All of the following strengthen the attack against the defensibility of exploiting natural resources Except??
simplify the ques as --> which choice does not strengthen the attack on environmentalists who support the exploitation of natural resources..
Again have a crystal clear idea of what you are supposed to do...
Will share more ideas as and when i learn something new.
** Source: Powerscore CR Bible
1. Read actively: No matter what the complexity of stimulus is you should read the argument actively. One must keep a note of BOUNDAY WORDS {such as some, many, most, Only if, all, none etc} for they define the scopre of the argument. For example:
Only few soccer players become soccer legends. Some soccer players frequently change their partners and many soccer legends sleep with some girls. Zidane is a soccer legend.
If above mentioned information is true then which of the following MUST be true?
a.) Zidane slept with many girls -- which might be true but we are looking for something which MUST be true{but the stimulus says MANY soccer legends not all sleep with SOME girls and not MANY}
b.) Zidane headbutted Materazzi -- {This type of answer choices are out of scope answer choices ... whether Zidane head butted Materazzi or Butt headed him is not within the scope of this stimulus.}
c.) Zidane frequently changed his partners {again -- stimulus says some soccer players do that not all -- so this info might again be true but is not necesarily true.}
d.) Zidane was a soccer player -- correct --{how else he can be a soccer legend ?? }
2. Identify the Conclusion: Don't read the question before you read the stimulus and have a crystal clear idea about the conclusion of the argument. I am saying this because most of the questions either have to attack the conclusion or support it. Even if it is a method of reasoning or a Bold face question it helps to know the conclusion. Say in a bold face question one of the bold part is the conclusion of the argument and 3 of the answer choices mention that very part as an asumption or premises then you can quickly cross out those 3 choices.
Now, the conclusion can appear anywhere in the stimulus. In the begining, in the middle or in the end. few things which should be kept in mind are:
Using premise and conclusion indicators to confuse the reader:
“Therefore, since higher debt has forced consumers to lower their savings, banks now have less money to loan.”**
“Higher debt has forced consumers to lower their savings” is the premise;“banks now have less money to loan” is the conclusion. So, in this instance“therefore” still introduces a conclusion, but the appearance of the conclusion
is interrupted by a clause that contains a premise.
See how the premise and conclusion indicators can be clubbed to catch the pasive readers off the guard.
Sub-conclusion and Conclusion: Not every CR stimulus will have a simple structure wherein the premises will lead to the conclusion. One trick that GMAT plays is to place the main conclusion at the begining of the stimulus without any conclusion indicator and then place a sub-conclusion with a conclusion indicator at the end of the stimulus.
a simple argument appears as follows:
Premise ----> Conclusion
a complex argument takes an initial conclusion and then uses it as a premise for another conclusion:
Premise ---> Conclusion/Premise {sub-conclusion} -----> Conclusion
Psychologist**: The obligation to express gratitude cannot be fulfilled anonymously. However much society may have changed over the centuries, human psychology is still driven primarily by personal interaction. Thus, the important social function of positively reinforcing those behaviors that have beneficial consequences for others can be served only if the benefactor knows the source of the gratitude.
Take sometime to identify the conclusion and sub-conclusion of the above mentioned stimulus. Due to stress during the exam it is quite possible that you mistake sub-conclusion for the main conclusion {idiom --> mistake x for y ;) }
3. Read the question properly: Read the question properly, whether it is a strengthen the argument question or Strengthen Except question {i.e all of the following strengthen the argument excep??}
Also, there might be multiple levels in the question itself. For e.g:
Let us consider that some environmentalists are in favour of exploiting the natural resources to the fullest while others are not. The stimulus can load you with tonnes of other information. And the question might be as follows:
All of the following strengthen the attack against the defensibility of exploiting natural resources Except??
simplify the ques as --> which choice does not strengthen the attack on environmentalists who support the exploitation of natural resources..
Again have a crystal clear idea of what you are supposed to do...
Will share more ideas as and when i learn something new.
** Source: Powerscore CR Bible
Tuesday, September 22
Sentence Correction - 2
Manhattan SC guide is regarded as {regarded must be followed by as} the bible of SC and i have no doubt about that {can't use it here}. Summarising few of the imp concepts that i picked up while going through Adamjon's notes {these points are not mentioned in Manhattan guide}:
1. One of the {plural noun} is ---
One of the {Plural noun} THAT ARE
2. Each of the three cats is {each preceds the subject}
Three cats each are {each follows the subject}
Three cats, each of which is
3. Be on a lookout for word placement, certain words moving from one position to other can alter the intent of author:
ALL children are covered with mud
Children are ALL covered with mud
4. Known vs Unknown:
If original sentence is certain about an outcome then cross out the answer choices that indicate uncertainity:
Drop in fuel prices will boost auto sales
Drop in fuel prices might boost auto sales
5. Relative pronouns {who, that, which} generally agrees with the immediately preceding noun.
{However in certain cases it might refer to a noun earlier than the immediately preceding noun.}
--> It, They, Them agree with the subject of preceding clause or sentence
6. Don't use conditional verb {could, may, might etc}with Possible/Possibly
7. Adverbs of frequency should be placed between auxiliary verb and past participle:
--> As anyone has ever come -- correct
--> As anyone ever has come -- incorrect
8. Between can be used for more than two items if the relationship is one to one, however much it may be repeated with different partners.
--> Dr. Sayre’s lecture recounted several little-known episodes in the relations between nations that illustrate what is wrong with alliances and treaties that do not have popular support.
9. It doesn't matter whether the subject is singular or plural after will you must use have and not has,
Will have ----
10. Not only generally calls for a later but also but But also does not necessarily calls for an earlier not only. e.g:
--> Rio de Janeiro has some of the world's most famous beaches, but it also has some of the world's most notorious slums
11. Majority should be used with countable nouns
A majority of -- plural
One half of voters -- Plural
A lot of voters -- plural
12. Regard and consider are similar in meaning. But Regard must be followed by As while consider should not be followed by as or to be.
I regard him as a friend.
I consider him a friend.
13. Do NOT USE Subjuntive in a clause begining with Until.
14. Different Than -- can be used to compare a noun and a clause. But should never be used to compare two nouns. Delhi is different than "it was 10 years ago" is correct.
15. Concerned for -- worried/anxious
Concerned with -- related to
Native to -- characterstic or species -- tigers are native to india
Native of -- birthplace -- i am a native of Jupiter
16. Due to is different from Because of.
Due to should only be used to mean caused by.
The game was postponed due to rain -- incorrect
The game's postponement was due to rain -- correct
17. Credit with -- accredited with -- edison is credited with inventing the bulb
Credit to -- give money -- The bank credited $1 million to my account {why in the hell you are writing this blog then ??}
Credit for -- Money received for -- The customer received a $20 credit for the interruption in service.
1. One of the {plural noun} is ---
One of the {Plural noun} THAT ARE
2. Each of the three cats is {each preceds the subject}
Three cats each are {each follows the subject}
Three cats, each of which is
3. Be on a lookout for word placement, certain words moving from one position to other can alter the intent of author:
ALL children are covered with mud
Children are ALL covered with mud
4. Known vs Unknown:
If original sentence is certain about an outcome then cross out the answer choices that indicate uncertainity:
Drop in fuel prices will boost auto sales
Drop in fuel prices might boost auto sales
5. Relative pronouns {who, that, which} generally agrees with the immediately preceding noun.
{However in certain cases it might refer to a noun earlier than the immediately preceding noun.}
--> It, They, Them agree with the subject of preceding clause or sentence
6. Don't use conditional verb {could, may, might etc}with Possible/Possibly
7. Adverbs of frequency should be placed between auxiliary verb and past participle:
--> As anyone has ever come -- correct
--> As anyone ever has come -- incorrect
8. Between can be used for more than two items if the relationship is one to one, however much it may be repeated with different partners.
--> Dr. Sayre’s lecture recounted several little-known episodes in the relations between nations that illustrate what is wrong with alliances and treaties that do not have popular support.
9. It doesn't matter whether the subject is singular or plural after will you must use have and not has,
Will have ----
10. Not only generally calls for a later but also but But also does not necessarily calls for an earlier not only. e.g:
--> Rio de Janeiro has some of the world's most famous beaches, but it also has some of the world's most notorious slums
11. Majority should be used with countable nouns
A majority of -- plural
One half of voters -- Plural
A lot of voters -- plural
12. Regard and consider are similar in meaning. But Regard must be followed by As while consider should not be followed by as or to be.
I regard him as a friend.
I consider him a friend.
13. Do NOT USE Subjuntive in a clause begining with Until.
14. Different Than -- can be used to compare a noun and a clause. But should never be used to compare two nouns. Delhi is different than "it was 10 years ago" is correct.
15. Concerned for -- worried/anxious
Concerned with -- related to
Native to -- characterstic or species -- tigers are native to india
Native of -- birthplace -- i am a native of Jupiter
16. Due to is different from Because of.
Due to should only be used to mean caused by.
The game was postponed due to rain -- incorrect
The game's postponement was due to rain -- correct
17. Credit with -- accredited with -- edison is credited with inventing the bulb
Credit to -- give money -- The bank credited $1 million to my account {why in the hell you are writing this blog then ??}
Credit for -- Money received for -- The customer received a $20 credit for the interruption in service.
Friday, September 18
Sentence Correction
The use of colloquial language coupled with our innate ability to decipher the intended meaning are the biggest roadblocks for someone who is trying to achieve a high hit rate in SC. I find it really tough to spot the subjunctive, have problem with questions involving modifiers and being a non native speaker my ears find it hard to spot the idioms.
So, whats the way out for people like me? Practice, practice and practice. Thats the response i get from people who have either cracked the GMAT or who are GMAT instructors. Great, with all the resources handy i started practising and soon found my accuracy rate jump from 50% to approx 70-75%. Now i have hit the ceiling and hard work alone won't help me. I need to practice smarter and need to train at an altitude {no i'm not going to Himalayas, i will be practising harder problems}. But i soon figured out that solving harder problems alone won't help my cause. I need to figure out why a specific answer choice is right and why others are wrong.
Now i make a point to identify the error type in each of the answer choice. Also, i make sure to put down the reason for selecting a particular option. This habit has slowed me down a bit but i have become aware of so many fundamentals which i had been ignoring earlier. When to use -ing form of modifier, how "it, they, them" are different from subject pronouns etc. I have shortlisted Adamjon's notes /Sahil's notes and OG to get a good grasp of fundamentals. I am trying hard not to choose an option only by relying on my ears {what sounds right is not always gramatically correct}, i make sure that the option falls in one of the error category.
This habit helped me to figure out my problem areas in SC -- subjunctive/modifiers/idioms. Also, one should read the sentence in totality and try to get an understanding of author's intention. For eg:
The Lake Manyara Park in Tanzania affords the visitor with unequalled opportunities to photograph lions playing in trees without the aid of telephoto lenses.
Author intends to say that lions can be photographed without the aid of telephoto lenses but the sentence above gives an impression that lions are playing in trees withou the aid of TP lenses. {Here our mind plays the trick, it deciphers the intended meaning}
I found a useful tool in 2-3 split approach, which says that you often find answer choices where based upon the structure of sentence you can club the problems into 2 groups. Now, if you find a particular error in a group abandon all the choices falling in that group {No point in wasting time on wrong choices}. With practice it is easy to spot these 2-3 patterns and you will often find yourself struggling between 2 choices which are very close. Once you achieve this level hard work alone won't help, its time to work smarter. for e.g:
The voluminous personal papers of Thomas Alva Edison reveal that his inventions typically sprang to life not in a flash of inspiration but evolved slowly from previous works.
(A) sprang to life not in a flash of inspiration but evolved slowly
(B) sprang to life not in a flash of inspiration but were slowly evolved
(C) did not spring to life in a flash of inspiration but evolved slowly
(D) did not spring to life in a flash of inspiration but had slowly evolved
(E) did not spring to life in a flash of inspiration but they were slowly evolved
A and B have sprang and C,D and E have did not spring...evolved slowly is in a and c and b and e have were slowly evolved.
Will share more of my thoughts on SC and other topics as and when i learn new fundae.
So, whats the way out for people like me? Practice, practice and practice. Thats the response i get from people who have either cracked the GMAT or who are GMAT instructors. Great, with all the resources handy i started practising and soon found my accuracy rate jump from 50% to approx 70-75%. Now i have hit the ceiling and hard work alone won't help me. I need to practice smarter and need to train at an altitude {no i'm not going to Himalayas, i will be practising harder problems}. But i soon figured out that solving harder problems alone won't help my cause. I need to figure out why a specific answer choice is right and why others are wrong.
Now i make a point to identify the error type in each of the answer choice. Also, i make sure to put down the reason for selecting a particular option. This habit has slowed me down a bit but i have become aware of so many fundamentals which i had been ignoring earlier. When to use -ing form of modifier, how "it, they, them" are different from subject pronouns etc. I have shortlisted Adamjon's notes /Sahil's notes and OG to get a good grasp of fundamentals. I am trying hard not to choose an option only by relying on my ears {what sounds right is not always gramatically correct}, i make sure that the option falls in one of the error category.
This habit helped me to figure out my problem areas in SC -- subjunctive/modifiers/idioms. Also, one should read the sentence in totality and try to get an understanding of author's intention. For eg:
The Lake Manyara Park in Tanzania affords the visitor with unequalled opportunities to photograph lions playing in trees without the aid of telephoto lenses.
Author intends to say that lions can be photographed without the aid of telephoto lenses but the sentence above gives an impression that lions are playing in trees withou the aid of TP lenses. {Here our mind plays the trick, it deciphers the intended meaning}
I found a useful tool in 2-3 split approach, which says that you often find answer choices where based upon the structure of sentence you can club the problems into 2 groups. Now, if you find a particular error in a group abandon all the choices falling in that group {No point in wasting time on wrong choices}. With practice it is easy to spot these 2-3 patterns and you will often find yourself struggling between 2 choices which are very close. Once you achieve this level hard work alone won't help, its time to work smarter. for e.g:
The voluminous personal papers of Thomas Alva Edison reveal that his inventions typically sprang to life not in a flash of inspiration but evolved slowly from previous works.
(A) sprang to life not in a flash of inspiration but evolved slowly
(B) sprang to life not in a flash of inspiration but were slowly evolved
(C) did not spring to life in a flash of inspiration but evolved slowly
(D) did not spring to life in a flash of inspiration but had slowly evolved
(E) did not spring to life in a flash of inspiration but they were slowly evolved
A and B have sprang and C,D and E have did not spring...evolved slowly is in a and c and b and e have were slowly evolved.
Will share more of my thoughts on SC and other topics as and when i learn new fundae.
Monday, July 27
Quant - MGMAT
Gave one MGMAT test and scored 51 on quant. But, i made a number of careless mistakes MGMAT quant is really tough as compared to Kaplan or Gprep. The quant in MGMAT has lots of questions on combinatorics, problems require a lot of calculations and the level of problems is way above other practice tests.
The best part about MGMAT tests is that you get to see detailed analysis about your performance. You get to know your mistakes topic-wise and also on a scale of 600-800 score. One can take MGMAT test in the begining to get a better understanding about one's weak and strong areas. I would advise not to take more than 1 test before you cover all the basics {because without a good grasp of fundamentals it would be difficult to crack MGMAT quant and that could shatter your confidence}.
Give one MGMAT and analyze your performance with the help of Manhattan's performance tracking sheet.
I found that i am excellent when it comes to PS but i suck in DS. I need to go through Number properties, Set theory, Combinatorics, statistics and questions related to series. I am good on word transaltions, Geometry, Mensuration etc.
I have heard good reviews about GMAT math bible and i might order one {can anybody share his/her review?}.
The best part about MGMAT tests is that you get to see detailed analysis about your performance. You get to know your mistakes topic-wise and also on a scale of 600-800 score. One can take MGMAT test in the begining to get a better understanding about one's weak and strong areas. I would advise not to take more than 1 test before you cover all the basics {because without a good grasp of fundamentals it would be difficult to crack MGMAT quant and that could shatter your confidence}.
Give one MGMAT and analyze your performance with the help of Manhattan's performance tracking sheet.
I found that i am excellent when it comes to PS but i suck in DS. I need to go through Number properties, Set theory, Combinatorics, statistics and questions related to series. I am good on word transaltions, Geometry, Mensuration etc.
I have heard good reviews about GMAT math bible and i might order one {can anybody share his/her review?}.
Tuesday, July 7
GMAT Score!! Is it really a make or break thing?
GMAT score is often the most talked about topic when it comes to MBA journey of an applicant. People so often start preparing for GMAT even before they finalize schools and in some cases even before they could answer why MBA {I too belonged to this category ;)}.
Is it true that one's GMAT score is the decisive factor in one's application? {i know this is the most cliched question and most answered question in the GMAT forums. I will just try to bring a different perspective to this question.} Undoubtedly, GMAT score is very important and you can get some idea about its importance from the following numbers:
Source: Kellogg Business school website
Its not tough to conclude from the above numbers that the lowest score pool has the highest conversion %age and the 750+ pool has the lowest conversion %age. There is not a huge difference between number of applicants in the two pools(718 vs 885). Then what could be the decisive factor??
It is important to realize that one's application consists of the following parameters (this list does not represent the relative importance of any of the factor, all the factors are equally important):
1. GMAT score
2. Work Experience
3. Extra currics
4. Recommendations
5. Undergrad transcripts
6. ESSAYS (I believe them to be most imp -- essays must give a clear and interesting picture of the candidate to the Adcom)
The highest no. of applicants are from 680-740 pool and if your score is in this bracket then stop bothering about retaking the exam and start working on other aspects of the application.
Good GMAT score is necessary but not sufficient!
Is it true that one's GMAT score is the decisive factor in one's application? {i know this is the most cliched question and most answered question in the GMAT forums. I will just try to bring a different perspective to this question.} Undoubtedly, GMAT score is very important and you can get some idea about its importance from the following numbers:
Source: Kellogg Business school websiteIts not tough to conclude from the above numbers that the lowest score pool has the highest conversion %age and the 750+ pool has the lowest conversion %age. There is not a huge difference between number of applicants in the two pools(718 vs 885). Then what could be the decisive factor??
It is important to realize that one's application consists of the following parameters (this list does not represent the relative importance of any of the factor, all the factors are equally important):
1. GMAT score
2. Work Experience
3. Extra currics
4. Recommendations
5. Undergrad transcripts
6. ESSAYS (I believe them to be most imp -- essays must give a clear and interesting picture of the candidate to the Adcom)
The highest no. of applicants are from 680-740 pool and if your score is in this bracket then stop bothering about retaking the exam and start working on other aspects of the application.
Good GMAT score is necessary but not sufficient!
GMAT prep
For past few weeks i could not study much. With appraisal cycle around the corner and so many pending deliverables i could not manage my time well. Now that everything is over i am back to my prep.
Completed my geometry preparation. Soon i will post my notes which cover everything from circles to triangles to polygons. Also, i worked on mensuration problems. Geometry requires one to stretch his or her imagination. Need to scan my notes and upload them.
Completed my geometry preparation. Soon i will post my notes which cover everything from circles to triangles to polygons. Also, i worked on mensuration problems. Geometry requires one to stretch his or her imagination. Need to scan my notes and upload them.
Saturday, June 13
The prep begins
Its been 5 years since i passed out of college and appeared in any sort of exam. To gauge my current level i gave one mock GMAT test and scored pretty badly. I used crack_the_GMAT test and got 580 (q51, v14). It was hard to concentrate and i did quant in 40 minutes and verbal in around 35 minutes.
I found quant to be easy but the verbal section stunned me. I felt as if all the choices were the same. If i have to meet my target of > = 750, then i need to work hard on basics of verbal. Getting a 51 on quant was a pleasant feeling but i made few silly mistakes ( i think i got 3 wrong out of 37 and all 3 were stupid mistakes).
I have not yet taken the date and don't intend to take one till i feel confident, i will start putting in 1-2 hours daily for first 3-4 weeks and once my stamina improves i will start clocking 3 hours or so during weekdays and maybe more on weekends. (Ms S is not going to like my idea of studying so much )
I have shortlisted the following material for my prep:
Sentence Correction: Manhattan -- have heard a lot about it, og-10 and 12
CR - OG-10, 12
RC -- will try and read articles of The Economist to improve my concentration levels
Quant -- will brush up some fundamentals and solve tons of problems esp DS
Will try and learn few tricks to solve the problems efficiently and if i find any such tricks i will share them with you all.
I found quant to be easy but the verbal section stunned me. I felt as if all the choices were the same. If i have to meet my target of > = 750, then i need to work hard on basics of verbal. Getting a 51 on quant was a pleasant feeling but i made few silly mistakes ( i think i got 3 wrong out of 37 and all 3 were stupid mistakes).
I have not yet taken the date and don't intend to take one till i feel confident, i will start putting in 1-2 hours daily for first 3-4 weeks and once my stamina improves i will start clocking 3 hours or so during weekdays and maybe more on weekends. (Ms S is not going to like my idea of studying so much )
I have shortlisted the following material for my prep:
Sentence Correction: Manhattan -- have heard a lot about it, og-10 and 12
CR - OG-10, 12
RC -- will try and read articles of The Economist to improve my concentration levels
Quant -- will brush up some fundamentals and solve tons of problems esp DS
Will try and learn few tricks to solve the problems efficiently and if i find any such tricks i will share them with you all.
Friday, June 12
I wAnt To bEll thE cAt!!!
Men love CATS (no slang intended) ! Atleast i do, a considerable part of my life has been spent chasing the cats. Be it the species called "Felis Catus" or the "Common Admission Test" or my latest fascination "Computer Adaptive Test".
I adopted one stray cat (actually the cat started to live in my house and i used to give her the left overs to feed on. But to add to my list of community services i would say that i had adopted the cat) in year 1999 and took good care of her( believe me). But the cat lived upto her treacherous image and left me alone in year 2000. This heartache screwed up my IIT JEE preparations (As if it was not for this reason i would have pummeled the JEE entrance).
After being dumped by a" felis catus" in year 2000, another CAT (common admission test) gave me a heartache in 2003. I had prepared hard for the exam but the paper got leaked (it was for the first time in the history of CAT, as if i would have scored 99.99 percentile if the paper was not cancelled ;) ) I was really DETERMINED to "bell the CAT" ( don't know whether i really wanted to crack the CAT or it was peer influence, i think it was latter) but again CAT delivered the knock out punch.
If i have to go by the history, i should stay away from CATS(be it animal, exam or any damn thing called cat) . Recently, a CAT called Computer Adaptive Testing aka GMAT crossed my path (As per hindu mythology its not a very auspicious sign) and boy, this time i really want to own this CAT.
I will keep you guys updated of my chase.(as of now only Ms S reads my blog :'( , so i shud have written i will keep you updated Ms S)
I adopted one stray cat (actually the cat started to live in my house and i used to give her the left overs to feed on. But to add to my list of community services i would say that i had adopted the cat) in year 1999 and took good care of her( believe me). But the cat lived upto her treacherous image and left me alone in year 2000. This heartache screwed up my IIT JEE preparations (As if it was not for this reason i would have pummeled the JEE entrance).
After being dumped by a" felis catus" in year 2000, another CAT (common admission test) gave me a heartache in 2003. I had prepared hard for the exam but the paper got leaked (it was for the first time in the history of CAT, as if i would have scored 99.99 percentile if the paper was not cancelled ;) ) I was really DETERMINED to "bell the CAT" ( don't know whether i really wanted to crack the CAT or it was peer influence, i think it was latter) but again CAT delivered the knock out punch.
If i have to go by the history, i should stay away from CATS(be it animal, exam or any damn thing called cat) . Recently, a CAT called Computer Adaptive Testing aka GMAT crossed my path (As per hindu mythology its not a very auspicious sign) and boy, this time i really want to own this CAT.
I will keep you guys updated of my chase.(as of now only Ms S reads my blog :'( , so i shud have written i will keep you updated Ms S)
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