Tuesday, March 9, 2021

5 study tips for GMAT preparation

 

GMAT is one of the most revered standardized tests, dreaded by most, tamed by some, few have a clear understanding of how and how long to prepare for the test. Any gap in preparation and you are in for a shock; retake a costly mistake. Do it right the first time itself.

Use every weapon in your armory to improve your score even by 10 points. 

A verbal section has 36 questions on grammar, reading comprehension and critical reasoning. and a math section that comprises 31 questions based on fundamental math concepts and data sufficiency.

Here are 5 study tips which can help you prepare for the GMAT.

1. Be systematic in your preparation

Study daily. 

Devote 30 to 60 minutes.

A sample 60 min daily schedule

Day 1:
30 mins- reading comprehension practice
15 mins – Revise sentence correction rules. Apply SC rules in questions
15 mins- Revise number system concepts. Apply number system concepts on practice sums

Day 2:
30 mins- reading comprehension practice
15 mins – Revise critical reasoning rules. Apply CR rules in questions
15 mins- Revise geometry concepts. Apply geometry concepts on sums

repeat...

2. Focus on building accuracy first… speed later

You have 36 question in the verbal section. You need to complete the section in 65 mins. 
You got less than 2 minutes per question.

When you start your prep you might take 10 minutes to solve a math question or  
30 minutes to read and answer the questions in a reading comprehension passage.

Do not worry. Take you time. Focus on getting all the questions correct.

When you review the questions again, look for
  • alternate approaches while solving a math question. These approaches can minimize problem solving time.
  • clue words which can help you identify SC errors fast
  • cue words, which can help you make inferences, while analyzing Reading comprehension passages ….

When you identify these clues, you will be able to arrive at an answer faster.

So be patient. 
Seek help if you need more speed-building techniques  ..

My contact info is here..

3. Aim to finish you prep as soon as possible

The top scores in the GMAT spend 120+ hours, on average. 

The length of each study session can be 1 hr to 2 hrs, depending on your attention span.

Do not prolong your preparation, you might get demotivated. 

4. Use the right study material

Your study material should have
1.  in-depth concept discussion 
2.  practice questions
3.  test taking strategies

Some of you might require additional material, apart from the GMAT course material. For example
  • basic math refresher course 
  • basic verbal course 
  • basic course on reasoning.
Do your research and choose the right material. 

We, at semantics, have designed course-ware for GMAT aspirants with no prior preparatory experience. Covering all areas of testing extensively, the course package provides all learning material required and experiences ideal for you to master the exam and score high.


5. Follow a study plan

Before you start your preparation, you need to make a study plan. 

This is not a test that you can cram for. To ace the GMAT you need to study daily. 

You need to gradually build your skills and stamina, so that you can hit peak performance on test day.

Remember GMAT tests more than the formulae in math and grammar rules in the verbal 

GMAT tests your ability to 
  • Make decisions 
  • Think critically
  • Reason with numbers
  • Identify patterns and so on

If you need help in making a study plan. Feel free to contact me..

Happy learning...



Monday, February 22, 2021

10 must NOT DOs for GMAT reading comprehension

 

10 must NOT DOs for GMAT reading comprehension


1.Reading only for the topic

Read for the author’s opinions running parallel to the topic as well

2.Concentrating on the specific details

Higher weight-age questions demand overall intent, flow and tone of the passage.

3.Choosing a stated idea for inference question

The answer to an inference question is never explicitly stated in the passage; it is implied

4.Taking the notes too far

One way to keep track of a long passage is by making thought flow chart; use symbols arrows to show relationships

5.Losing track of ‘who says what’

The passage may present multiple perspectives- of the author’s, someone else’s ( being quoted)..

6.Overlooking the question stem.

Some question stems are simple, yet others roundabout. ensure that you are clear what the question asks.

7.Undermining the need to build vocabulary

One third of the RC questions demand word knowledge…. Skepticism, laudatory, archaic, condescending…these all appear

8.Over reading

Skip, examples, specific details, long parenthetical statements….

9.‘ NOT SEEing crucial words- Only, except, not in the question stem


10. First reading- a slow ‘thorough’ reading

The first reading can be a faster skimming, for the main points of discussion.

If you need help in GMAT verbal preparation, Feel free to ping me..

My contact link is here:



Happy learning

 



Saturday, February 13, 2021

GMAT preparation - 4 things to do before you start your prep

 


Here are 4 must to do activities, if you are starting your GMAT preparation today.

Activity 1: Take a free GMAT starter test

Here is the link

https://www.mba.com/exam-prep/gmat-official-starter-kit-practice-exams-1-and-2-free

Analyze the scores. Don’t look at the answers, as you will need to do this same test again. 

Observe the number correct vs number wrong.

If you need in-depth analysis, send me the scores... 

Book a web-meeting here: Fill this form . mention your scores.


Activity 2: Self-introspect- Do I self-study or Do I go for coaching?

Tricky question.

Keep these pointers in mind while taking a call.


Time 

If you are starting cold, you will spend significant time to get into the GMAT thinking mode. 


Under a mentor: 

The time to get into prep mode will be faster, as there will be knowledge transfer from the tutor. 

 

Material

If you search for GMAT material, you will get plenty of options. Book/videos/tests/etc…. Which material is sufficient? Which material is apt for you?


Under a mentor:

The tutor will assess you and give you the right resources based on your strengths and weakness. Focus your energy on preparation instead of resource collection....

 

Study plan

 How many hours do I study, what do I study first…. What do I study next…


Under a mentor: 

The tutor will design a comprehensive custom study plan. The plan will bring a structure to your preparation.

 

Doubt clarification

There are lots of forums where you can post your doubts and get them clarified. However, a mentor will help you if

  • Your mock test scores have plateaued
  • You are not able to understand the solution given in the resources material
  • You need a different approach for the problem, if you are not able to understand the given..


Under a mentor: 

A tutor will clarify your doubts and help you cross the chasm..

 

 Accountability

You will get results, only if you are accountable. If there is no accountability, then you will be preparing with no targets. No end dates.


 Under a mentor: 

A tutor will set realistic milestones. When you cross the milestone, you will be motivated to work towards the next milestone….


Activity 3: Make  a time-table

Keep roughly 20+hrs per week for preparation.  

  • 1/3rd  the time - understanding concepts. 
  • 1/3rd the time -  doing area wise tests. 
  • 1/3rd the time - analyzing your performance and using alternate approaches to solve questions. 

Activity 4:Work on additional skills

 While preparing for a competitive exam like GMAT, you need to focus on additional skills such as

  1. Time management
  2. Decision making
  3. Lateral thinking
  4. Critical reading
  5. Stress management

And more…

Solving only math and verbal questions  will not help you ace the exam. Your test taking skills also matters.

If you need help in GMAT preparation, Feel free to ping me..

My contact link is here:



Happy learning

 

Sunday, January 31, 2021

GMAT math thinking skills - 9

GMAT tests your logical skills as well as your knowledge of math concepts.  To score high, you need to remember various formulas, theorems. Also you need to master critical problem-solving skills.

Today I am going to  take you through one problem -solving skill –

Attention to detail

Take this problem .


I am going to show you, two ways to solve this sum

Method 1 :  The traditional approach


You need to choose the numbers which negate each other

For example Row 6 column 6 = 36.

Row 5 column 6 = -30 and  Row 1 column 6 is -6

So 36+ (-30-6) =0.

You need to choose the right numbers

 Add the remaining numbers you will get the answer


I have highlighted the different combinations with letters

1J

-2I

3H

-4J

5D

-6A

-2

4G

-6C

8G

-10I

12I

3J

-6B

9H

-12H

15E

-18B

-4F

8G

-12F

16F

-20E

24B

5E

-10

15

-20G

25D

-30D

-6

12

-18C

24C

-30A

36A

 

Numbers left =  12 15  -6 -10 -2

Sum = 9

This method takes a long time

Method 2: Pattern recognition


This approach is a lot faster.

If you look at the numbers column-wise can you see a pattern(ignore signs)

column 1: 1 2,3,4,5,6

column 2: 2x1,2x2,2x3,2x4,2x5,2x6 

.

.

column 6: 6x1,6x2,6x3………..6x6

When the signs are inserted, then a pattern emerges  i.e. = 1-2+3-4+5-6

lets calculate the sum of the repeating pattern 1-2+3-4+5-6 = -3


Hence column 1 adds upto -3

Next column will be -2+4-6+8-10+12 = -2 x(1-2+3-4+5-6)= -2x-3 = 6

Next column will be 3 x(1-2+3-4+5-6)= 3 x-3 = -9

Next column will be -4 x(1-2+3-4+5-6)= -4 x-3 = 12

Next column will be 5 x(1-2+3-4+5-6)= 5 x-3 = -15

Next column will be -6 x(1-2+3-4+5-6)= -6 x-3 = +18

Answer = -3+6-9 +12-15+18 = 9

If you want to maximize your math scores in the GMAT.. Lets have a chat...


My contact link is here:



Lets try another sum

 



Thursday, January 28, 2021

3 essential skills to ace GMAT verbal

 


If you are starting your GMAT preparation  then you need to work on concepts and develop skills. 

So what are the skills?

Here are 3 essential skills which are required to ace the GMAT verbal

1. Writing a summary – rewording a paragraph in your own words

2. Observing the structure of the passage

3. Identifying clue words. 

These are 3 of the 10 major skills, you need to hone during GMAT preparation. 

If you need any help in GMAT preparation. Ping me.


My contact link is here:

Now, let us understand each skill in detail.

Skill 1: Write a summary

This skill involves rewording the paragraph in your own words.

While reading a paragraph, you need to observe

  • the main points of the paragraph.
  • an “opinion” or a “feeling” statement (for example: Author's opinion)

A summary should be 1 or 2 lines long. 

Lets take an example

Example 1

There are times when the night sky glows with bands of color. The bands may begin as cloud shapes and then spread into a great arc across the entire sky. They may fall in folds like a curtain drawn across the heavens. The lights usually grow brighter, then suddenly dim. During this time the sky glows with pale yellow, pink, green, violet, blue, and red. These lights are called the Aurora Borealis. Some people call them the Northern Lights. Scientists have been watching them for hundreds of years. They are not quite sure what causes them. In ancient times people were afraid of the Lights. They imagined that they saw fiery dragons in the sky. Some even concluded that the heavens were on fire.

 

Summary:

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, are bands of color in the night sky. Ancient people thought that these lights were dragon on fire, and even modern scientists are not sure what they are.

 

Notice:

There are times when the night sky glows with bands of color. The bands may begin as cloud shapes and then spread into a great arc across the entire sky. They may fall in folds like a curtain drawn across the heavens. The lights usually grow brighter, then suddenly dim. During this time the sky glows with pale yellow, pink, green, violet, blue, and red. These lights are called the Aurora Borealis. Some people call them the Northern Lights.Scientists have been watching them for hundreds of years. They are not quite sure what causes them. In ancient times people were afraid of the Lights. They imagined that they saw fiery dragons in the sky. Some even concluded that the heavens were on fire.

 

1. The lines in blue is factual information. 

In GMAT they rarely ask you questions based on  factual information. So this part can be ignored.

2. The line in red is the main idea. 

The whole paragraph talks about Aurora Borealis. So main idea can be “description of Auora Borealis”

Further 

3. You can notice two opinion statements. These lines are underlined.

Opinion 1: Scientists are not sure, what causes them

Opinion 2: Ancient people are afraid.

So the summary of this paragraph has two components:  main idea+ opinions.

Some paragraphs may not have opinions. 

Note*

In your preparatory phase, take notes. Write down the summary of each paragraph. When you start taking computer adaptive tests, you wont have time to jot down the summaries on paper. Instead, you will be able to frame the summaries in your mind.(To reach this stage, you need to do extensive practice though.)

What next?



Skill 2: Observe the structure of the passage

It is imperative you observe the structure/layout of the passage. 

You need to identify the link/relationships that connect the lines in the paragraph.

For example a paragraph may follow this structure

  • Line 1: Conclusion (main point, author is trying to prove)
  • Line 2: Reason 1
  • Line 3: Reason 2
  • Line 4: Example

Or

  • Line 1: Claim ( a view without evidence)
  • Line 2: Counter conclusion (main point, author is trying to prove)
  • Line 3: Reason 1 for the counter conclusion
  • Line 4: Example for the counter conclusion

So on and so forth

This skill(identifying the layout) is essential to ace the critical reasoning and the reading comprehension section of the exam

Let us take an example and observe the layout

Read the passage and write the layout

Purebred cows native to Mongolia produce, on average, 400 liters of milk per year; if Mongolian cattle are crossbred with European breeds, the crossbred cows can produce, on average, 2,700 liters per year. An international agency plans to increase the profitability of Mongolia’s dairy sector by encouraging widespread crossbreeding of native Mongolian cattle with European breeds.

The layout of the passage is as follows:

Purebred cows native to Mongolia produce, on average, 400 liters of milk per year; if Mongolian cattle are crossbred with European breeds, the crossbred cows can produce, on average, 2,700 liters per year. An international agency plans to increase the profitability of Mongolia’s dairy sector by encouraging widespread crossbreeding of native Mongolian cattle with European breeds.

 

1. Underlined line in brown is the objective /conclusion

2. Line in red is the plan/ reason which leads to the conclusion

3. Line is green is a hypothetical opinion


Note*

To tackle a critical reasoning question, you need to identify the conclusion first.


So layout here is

  • Line 1: claim
  • Line 2: conclusion
  • Line 3: plan

Lets take a complex passage

Rain-soaked soil contains less oxygen than does drier soil. The roots of melon plants perform less efficiently under the low-oxygen conditions present in rain-soaked soil. When the efficiency of melon roots is impaired, the roots do not supply sufficient amounts of the proper nutrients for the plants to perform photosynthesis at their usual levels. It follows that melon plants have a lower-than-usual rate of photosynthesis when their roots are in rain-soaked soil. When the photosynthesis of the plants slows, sugar stored in the fruits is drawn off to supply the plants with energy. Therefore, ripe melons harvested after a prolonged period of heavy rain should be less sweet than other ripe melons.

 

Now draw a layout

 Check your answer here

Can you see how the lines are inter-connected?

Line 1 leads to line 2… which leads to line 3…and so on.

The last line is the conclusion.

So focus on the layout of the paragraph


Skill 3: Identify clue words

 

There are clue words which are strategically placed in the given paragraph.  These words can help you identify the relationships between lines.

Some of the clue words are

 And,because,hence,thus,therefore, yet….

 Lets take an example


 I got fever because I ate ice cream.


Here because indicates a cause and an effect. 

 

I ate ice cream is the reason ..I got fever is the effect


Now lets take a sentence correction question

 

A peculiar feature of the embryonic mammalian circulatory system is that in the area of the heart the cells adhere to one another, beating in unison yet adopting specialized orientations exclusive of one another.

 Here the clue word is “yet”

“beating in unison” yet “ adopting specialized”

 Here “yet” is used as a conjunction . It means but or nevertheless. 

In-spite of beating together the heart cells adopt different orientations which are not related

 

What next?



These are 3 of the 10 major skills you need to hone while preparing.

If you need any help in GMAT preparation. Ping me.

 

Happy learning!. 

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

How to develop our logic thinking to ace the GMAT


I have taken this article from "speaking tree" blog.

According to Aristotelian theory, humans are the most evolved form of thinking and feeling beings so far. What is more, we alone have the potential to grow and evolve into the spiritual dimension. But what precisely, if anything, sets us apart from other living creatures? Is it the faculty of reasoning? But reasoning does not, and cannot, teach us anything new. Socrates was a man, a mortal being. Therefore, Socrates is mortal.

You can see here that there is no new truth that the third and concluding statement expresses that is not clearly implied in the first two sentences.

The conclusion of any piece of syllogistic reasoning does not enable us to learn anything new other than what is contained in its premise. You have the same limitation with inductive logic where you arrive at general truths from particular examples.

The mind grasps reality by establishing relationships between entities that it perceives new and perceptions that it carries from the past. The distinguishing feature of humans lies in our capacity for self-awareness.

Self-awareness is the key to develop logical thinking

Other living creatures may have the ability to perform a greater variety of tasks or may have developed superior sensibilities in certain areas, but we have the capacity to look at ourselves and be aware of ourselves.
We can attain knowledge, but what is unique about us is that we can also get to know how we can attain that knowledge. A human being is like a computer that can see how it has been programmed and, thereby, transcend its programming.

credit - speaking tree.
https://www.speakingtree.in/article/ability-to-be-self-aware

Thursday, January 14, 2021

GMAT preparation : 3 study hacks

 


Are you in a full-time job? Are you a time-starved test aspirant?


Do you want to balance work and GMAT preparation?

Do you want to maximize your performance in the GMAT?


If your answer is yes, then this article is apt for you.

 

I suggest 3 study hacks which can make your preparation effective


Study hack 1:

Get a customized study plan + coach

You can either make your own study plan based on the generic plans, which are available or you could work with a GMAT coach, like me. We can work together and arrive at a study plan

Working with a coach has its benefits.

3 benefits

1. Get a customized study plan:

     The study plan is designed, after assessing your strengths and weakness. Your weak areas should be covered extensively. Some of you might be at level 0 in math others might be at level 0 in verbal. Each learner is different. You need a unique plan 

2.  Avoid retakes: 

      A haphazard preparation will lead to a poor score. You should take the GMAT after the coach gives you the go-ahead signal.

3.  Re-orient your preparation,if your section test scores plateau:  

    If approach A doesn’t work, then try approach B. If B doesn’t work then try approach C. Only when you work with a coach, you can re-orient the preparation often, because the coach based on his/her experience can guide you better. 

All great athletes work with a support team. Then only they are able to achieve peak performance.

 

Study hack 2:

Be consistent in your preparation

I recommend that you study daily for 30 to 50 mins, if your preparation time is 2 months+

or 

study 1.5hrs daily if your preparation time is less than 2 months.

A sample 50-minute schedule

1. 20 mins Reading comprehension

2. 15 mins of Sentence correction rules revision practice / Critical reasoning rules revision and practice

3. 15 mins math rules revision and practice

Do not break the preparation flow, especially during the initial preparatory phases.

Note*- Reading comprehension must be practiced daily.


Study Hack 3:

Take section tests often

I make all my students take section tests often.25+ section tests and 5 full Mock tests

The section tests should cover only one topic say Sentence Correction or Reading Comprehension or Data Sufficiency.

Time duration can be 20 mins or 30 mins.

Also, I also give my students speed drills. 10 min tests..

Note* - Keep a track of your accuracy rate and maintain an error log

You could use the GMAT official guide and make your own series of section tests.

Do 12 questions in 25 mins.

For example 12 Sentence correction questions in 25 minutes or 12 data sufficiency questions in 25 minutes.

Also take triple the time to review the performance.


Feel free to ping me , if you need GMAT (math/verbal) help

My contact link is here:


Happy learning. 


 

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

How to overcome GMAT math anxiety?



Do you have a non-math background?

Has it been a long time since you touched your math books?

Feeling anxious?


Many students ask me this question.

"Can I ace the GMAT math, if I have a non-math background?"   Yes, you can.


Remember GMAT tests you on math reasoning primarily. 


To overcome anxiety, You need to learn math concepts.+ You need to develop math skill-sets too.


Formula/theorems (Area of the circle, HCF and LCM of numbers...)  are the math concepts.



So what are the math skill-sets?

Definition of a skill-set: A skill-set is the combination of knowledge and abilities that you've developed through your life and work. You use these skills-sets to tackle problems.


We, at semantics, have developed modules, which can hone a students math and verbal skill sets.

Let me take you through one math skill-set. 

Problem Decomposition  

Definition: Decomposition is  the process of breaking a problem down into smaller parts to make it easier to tackle.


If you have a non- math background, you might find it difficult to comprehend word problems.

One way to analyze word problems is - break problems into meaning-full chunks.  


You need to

1. break the problem into  2 or more segments.

2. Analyse each segment.

3. Infer data (if necessary)

4. Diagram information…

Only after all this, you write equations and solve..


Let me demonstrate the above process via a math question


Lets take this problem and break it into segments.

Segment 1: "Each machine produces 1 toy every 3 minutes"


Segment 2"After replacement : 40% of machines  produce 1 toy every 2 minutes"

When you process segment 2, you should also infer additional information.

This information is not explicitly mentioned.

Inference:  If 40% of the machines produce 1 toy every 2 minutes, then 60% of the machines produce 1 toy every 3 minutes

 

Segment 3: "Percentage increase in the number of toys produced in 60 minutes."

 

After breaking the problems into segments, you should use one of the many problem solving approaches.

Lets use this approach:  substitution of numbers.


Assume 100 machines are there initially

 

Segment 1:

Total time is 60 mins.

1 machine produces a toy every 3 minutes . Hence 20 toys are produced by 1 machine in 60 mins.

There are totally 100 machines.. Hence number of toys produced = 100 x 20=  2000 toys

 

Segment 2:

Total number of machines = 100

 type 1: 40% of the machines (i.e. 40 machines) produce 1 toy every 2 minutes,

type 2: 60% of the machines (i.e. 60 machines)  produce 1 toy every 3 minutes

Lets calculate number of machines produced by  type 2 first.. 

1 machine produces a toy every 3 minutes . Hence 20 toys are produced by 1 machine in 60 mins. Totally 60 machines.. Hence 60x20= 1200 toys  

 

Let us calculate number of machines produced by type 1.

1 machine produces a toy every 2 minutes . Hence 30 toys are produced by 1 machine in 60 mins. Totally 40 machines.. Hence 40x30= 1200 toys

so totally 1200+1200 = 2400 toys are produced.


Segment 3:

Percentage change =  (2400-2000)/2000 x 100 = 20% 


Hope you have understood this problem solving process.

Even if you have a non-math background, you can learn these processes and apply them on a wide genre of questions.

If you need help in GMAT math or verbal..

Feel free to reach out:

My contact link is here:


Happy learning. 

 


Tuesday, January 5, 2021

GMAT sentence correction : How do you start your prep

Grammar, most think, is boring

But can anything be boring if it leads to your biggest dream? No, right?  So take a liking for grammar, usage, Standard English, correct English …whatever you call it.




Literate writing is grammatical. To express clearly and effectively- both oral and written- a functional knowledge of the rules and rudiments of English is necessary. You should be able to analyse a sentence, locate errors and modify the sentence. These skills are crucial to language testing in aptitude tests. How and where to use those rules-syntactical and semantic aspects- corresponding to word arrangement and intended meaning respectively-determine your success in grammar based questions.

Grammar-based questions of top exams such as GMAT, present many challenges- long and complex sentences, multiple errors, subtle differences.

Thorough preparation is the key. Thanks to media, we’ve internalized a lot of nonstandard jargon, which we assume are appropriate even in the academic context. Much of those usages are incorrect in a test scenario. Hence you have to both learn and unlearn grammar.

How do you start

If you sit down to learn grammar, there is a mindboggling collection of grammar books on the shelves that examine every nuance from a linguistic point of view. You do not need all these. You just need an aptitude-focused course, that exhaustively catalogues and illustrates those usage points that are relevant to graduate level entrance tests.


Stage 1: Identify

work with simple exercises in a workbook form covering all parts of speech. This helps to review sentence structures long forgotten.

Study illustrative sentences for those usages- nouns, pronouns, subject, verb, modifiers, conjunctions, prepositions… how they agree with other parts of the sentence.


Stage 2: Analyse

 now you must move on to syntax- various word arrangements in the sentence, the dos and don’ts of sentence construction, sentence variety, effectiveness  expressions


Stage 3: Plan

 work with test related concepts, the format of commonly asked  questions, strategies for answering those question types and speed techniques.


Stage 4: Implement

Practice with good quality questions, take timed  full verbal tests, review areas of weakness.


Watch this sentence correction video tutorial.  You can do this simple exercise to understand one basic building block - subject and verb


Lets have a chat if  you are stuck in the GMAT sentence correction .. 

Further

If you want to ace the GMAT math or verbal... 

Feel free to get in touch with me

My contact link is here: