Hi
I'm scheduled to take the GMAT (2nd time) on Dec. 29th. I took my first test in July and got a 340. I have been studying ever since trying to focus on the fundamentals. I took my first mock GMAT prep two weeks ago and got a 360, last week I took the Veritas mock test and got a 510 and then 430. Today I took my 4th test and got a 410. I am trying to get a hold of the emotions I go through while taking the test but I am also noticing I am getting problems that are easy wrong because a) I am running out of time b) forget how to set up the problem c) make a stupid errors. In the Verbal I am really surprised that I have not improved at all. I don't know how to study for the verbal because when I re-read the questions I get wrong I get them right. Please give me some advise...I need at least a 500 (the school told me). Please give me how as I never want to go through this test again. I want to make it happen this time!
Thank you,
Laura

Hi Laura - I think you and I spoke on the phone the other day.

I think your best bet is to work on material mastery at this point and this, in turn, will help your confidence on the test.
When you go through homework, are you getting every problem correct? When you're working untimed, do you get every problem correct, and only miss problems when you're being timed? We have to figure out how much of the problem is timing, how much is anxiety / nerves, and how much is material-based...

Let's talk through some of this via email - help@veritasprep.com - I think getting a better handle on some of the material is the first step here, and we'll work with the text anxiety simultaneously.

Valerie
Veritas Help

You are right we spoke the other day and I did a lot better today with the nerves. I did have computer problems at the beginning but I felt better overall. I finished all of my homework books (except the last three) b/c my instructor told me that I should focus on things I will see on the test. From my homework I got at least 75-80% correct on the math. The ones I got wrong I had someone help me with them. On the test 90% of the problems I understand after I go through them.

I am going to study some problems today and take another mock tomorrow. I will email you the results and let you know how I did. Thank you so much for your help! I really need to get through this.