Ready to dominate the GMAT? Try us FREE and see for yourself why students trust DTP for their GMAT Prep. Start your Free Trial: www.dominatetestprep.com/offers/VYpvBfXa
I can personally vouch for this training. After watching a few videos on UA-cam I signed up for his program and it worked. I hadn't been in school for over 30 years and I was struggling on every section of the test. But I followed his plan and passed my exam and was accepted into my dream university. You won't regret buying his home-study.
Thanks a lot Brett you give a real insight into GMAT. Putting your content on youtube for free means helping thousands and thousands of guys trying to achieve their dreams and goals. Thank you again hope you are able to succeed in your dreams and goals. Love Peace and Prosperity 🕉️
I appreciate that, Mehul. All the best of success to you as well, and don't hesitate to let me know how else I can help you on your GMAT and business school journey!
Jeremy Nelson Thanks for the kudos Jeremy. I'm glad you've found my channel! The good news is that IR isn't really all that important in the bigger scheme of things. Admissions officers simply don't care as much about your IR score as they do your 200-800 point quant/verbal score. Additionally, the best way to prepare for IR is to prepare for the other sections, since the content tested is the same (albeit in different question formats). I do have an IR-specific video lesson that may help you -- www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-integrated-reasoning/ -- but frankly, I think you'd be better served with one of our other courses since again, everything translates. Good luck and let me know how else I can help!
Aldenizio Bezerra Awesome! So glad you're enjoying my content on UA-cam. Hope to have the opportunity to help you prepare for the GMAT in even more depth!
Omg, soooooooo helpful!!! Watch the whole video you wont be sorry. Quant is currently my hardest section, and the next video definately helped me quite a bit.
Thank you for the content you created I was so nervous to even take the GMAT but not so much anymore. I’m pursing my masters in an entirely different perspective since joining this UA-cam channel. In the video you asked what I was most concerned about for the GMAT and math is what I’m most worried about. Though through patience and perseverance I will not give up I am aiming for 700 plus so I’m hoping studying and all your videos could help me. Thank you.
I love hearing this! Thanks for taking the time to share. I'm glad these videos have given you confidence. As you continue to dive in to your prep, if your practice test scores aren't trending toward 700+, I know you'll also benefit from the more comprehensive content in my full prep courses. But for now, continue to enjoy the free videos here on this channel. Good luck and let me know how else I can help. I'm glad you found us!
Brett Sir , you are awesome i just casually watching your this video and you made me an inspiration of the GMAT and now i will focus in getting a good score in GMAT i am new to GMAT so i kindly dont know how to answer your question but i guess i will be surely ready after watching all of your series questions Thank You for your support its worth a million
Yes, definitely watch the rest of my free videos on UA-cam and you should see significant progress! And then if you really want to dive deep into all of the content and strategies tested on the GMAT, you can check out one of my full courses or a-la-carte video lessons: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/. Good luck!
Hi Brett, just wanna say thank you for this beautiful video, it has pretty much equipped me with the GMAT essentials. Although I have never sat for a GMAT, I do intend to because I wanna do my MBA in 2016. Thank you again and am headed to watch your next video for GMAT Mastery- the Math strategies:)
Thanks for the great video. I've been studying for the past two weeks and will take my first GMAT in late October. I'm glad I've found your channel and I'll definitely be watching more videos.
Awesome! I'm glad you've found my channel as well. Glad the videos are helping. BTW, I'm hosting a free GMAT probability & combinatorics webinar TONIGHT if you're interested. There's still time to register here: www.dominatetestprep.com/p/probability-combinatorics-webinar-with-brandon-royal. Good luck and let me know how else I can help.
I am learning through GMAT official books. That is also making benefit to me, but i believe practical and watching how to do it makes me much more stronger. I am still worry about the time management? which is the key practice in GMAT.
Yes, it can be tough to learn from a textbook alone, and remember that textbooks don't always teach you the non-standard strategies that help you get right answers more efficiently and effectively. As far as time management, be sure to watch Part 3 in this GMAT Master Series. You can also read this article I wrote on the subject: www.dominatethegmat.com/2011/06/effective-gmat-time-management-techniques/. Good luck!
TBH this was the best GMAT video I saw today. The strategy suggested by you states that I must try to spend a few more seconds on first 5 questions than rest of the questions and pay much lesser attention on the last 2-3 questions. I hope this strategy stands true for both Quant and Verbal section.
Ideally you'll still get to the final few questions with enough time to give them serious consideration. Getting them right can give your score that final boost it needs to hit your target! But what I'm saying is that getting the final few questions wrong won't hurt your score nearly as bad as getting wrong answers earlier in the section, so pace accordingly. And "yes," the verbal and quant sections are both computer-adaptive in the same way.
In the Verbal Section, critical reasoning has the type of question to apply the answer into the context of the question. Most of the time I would be dilemma between two possible answers. Once I'd got the Key answer, I believed the longer choice of the two usually is the correct one.
Brett, First, thank you for taking the time to help test takers like me in the challenge of getting the best score we can on the GMAT. To answer your question: I'm most concerned Time. I know that practice makes perfect, but when test conditions set in, time goes by much much faster (at least it feels that way). I'm concerned about the my overall strategy for making sure I've given myself enough time to dominate the GMAT... Time pressure is usually what breaks me than not knowing the content. Additionally, I'm not sure of the best way to cover all the subjects. I have the Manhattan Preps books (slowly working through them) & I'm planning on taking a class in mid April, because I know for a fact I'm not a great self teacher or the type of person that can learn from a book (which is making getting through the Prep books a lot of work.... which can be very demotivating). Greatness is a lot of small things done well, day after day and continually beating on ones craft (in this case the GMAT) Again, thank you for taking the time to do what you do. It is truly valued and appreciated.
Here's a fun article I wrote recently with some interesting -- and effective! -- mindsets and strategies to help you with your time management concerns: www.dominatethegmat.com/2014/10/two-unusual-but-effective-gmat-time-management-strategies/. Regarding your need to cover all of the GMAT subjects without wanting to just study from a book, I would encourage you to consider our comprehensive online GMAT "Full Course." You can learn more and register here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/gmat-online-test-full-course/. I have a lot or respect for Manhattan GMAT, but they're really expensive and I can't tell you how many of my students came to me AFTER taking a Manhattan GMAT course and still not getting the score they were looking for. Let me know how else I can help. I'm looking forward to working with you!
Hello Bret I am taking the exam in 1 month due to datelines I have to meet up with. The sections that really trouble me are Quant and Verbal. I need like a crash programe to be set in a months's time. Thanks for what your doing, your really a source of inspiration. I was lost when I started my preparations but your video has given me some hope.
If you're looking for a crash course, I often have students sign up for my Full Course just weeks (and sometimes even day!) before their GMAT. You can really make a lot of progress in a month's time. Here are the details: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/gmat-online-test-full-course/. Best of luck to you and let me know how else I can help!
Hey Brett, Great videos. I've been studying for the GMAT since January 2015 (dedication is a curse) with one of your competitors (rhymes with Smaplan). I've taken their course twice, taken their pre-tests and have taken the actual GMAT over my journey. I'm here because my Quant score is abysmal! The Quant section kills me, specially the Algebra and DS. I've memorized all sorts or mathematical rules, definitions and equations (quadratics, formulas or circles triangles, exponents, square roots, etc) yet a decent score continues to elude me... it's a complete bummer. I'm going to take the GMAT again, I hope that some of your strategies will help. Happy Holidays! Jon
+jfa0927 Yeah, if you've learned nothing from my videos yet, hopefully you've come away with the idea that the traditional approach to GMAT math isn't always the best approach! Note that I do have a-la-carte courses on specific topics like Algebra and DS, so if you're hesitant to take another full course but do still need/want a little extra help, reach out to me. Good luck!
Great Video! I'm Mostly concerned about the Quantitative portion! I have never been big on mathematics and I'm going to be applying for Rice University Jones Business school. I m going through and and every one of the videos you have posted. great resources and information so far!
Currently I'm following the content + Strategy + Practice method. Following everything from your website. I'm planning to take gmat in another 4 months.
Sounds great. FYI I'm hosting "Ace the GMAT" author Brandon Royal for a free webinar tomorrow evening (August 17th, 2016) on GMAT probability and combinatorics. There's still time to register if you're interested: www.dominatetestprep.com/p/probability-combinatorics-webinar-with-brandon-royal. Even if you can't attend live, go ahead and register anyway so that you get the link to the recording. Enjoy!
hey...thank u very much..i love to watch your video. i am more concerned whether i will be able to keep my concentration up until the marathon test finish!
That's why taking full-length GMAT practice tests are so important. They help you to develop that mental stamina you'll need in addition to helping you apply what you're learning during your studying. Good luck!
Integrated reasoning for me is very complicated. Even tho is easier for most people. Also the fact that English is not my first language makes me spend much more time trying to understand a problem before even start working on it ! My test is in 7 days
IR is actually challenging for a lot of people since there are a lot of questions to answer in a short amount of time. The good news is that the core content tested is largely the same as what's tested on the main Quant and Verbal sections, so spend most of your time there. Then just make sure you know the logistics of the unique IR question formats.
I'm most concerned about Math. I passed math in high school but it's always been a challenge for me. Like the person you described in the last part of this video I tend to freeze up when trying to get it done on my own despite scoring well in class. My biggest challenge with GMAT math is the wording. It usually takes me a while to figure out what they are asking for and not knowing right off the bat tends to make me really nervous and makes thing worste.
+Talicia Leslie Well then be sure to watch Part 2 in this "GMAT Mastery" series because I teach you several strategies to help you know how to immediately proceed when you see certain types of questions. And then of course if you want a game plan for every single question type test on the GMAT, both quant and verbal, I'd love to have you as one of my Full Course students: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-gmat-prep-course/. Good luck!
Do you have an example of what you consider "obscure" quant problems? Remember that if they're "obscure," you may not encounter them on the GMAT and even if you do, getting one or two such questions wrong really won't hurt your score all that much. Focus on mastering the most common question types first (I'll be covering those in a future video), as they'll give you the biggest bang for your buck in terms of your GMAT score.
I teach everything you need to know on the GMAT about exponents, roots and radicals in this video lesson, if you're interested: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-algebra-topics/
Thanks for the video. I'd say I'm most concerned with applying the concepts in a timely manner. My main strategy is to practice lots of questions as this really helped me on the CPA exam, but I also need to make sure I'm getting refreshed on the content as well.
Yep, you're exactly right. Working tons of practice problems will help you with the pattern recognition that will help with overall time management. So will applying some of my non-standard strategies so that you can get more right answers more efficiently. Good luck and let me know how else I can help!
First of all what a GREAT video and helpful strategies in order to get a high score in the GMAT. In regards of my personal concerns I'll say that the main 2 things that gets me more in trouble: Sentence Corrections & Integreated Reasoning...
Glad you found benefit in this video, Leonardo! The good news for you is that Sentence Corrections are the easiest part of GMAT Verbal to improve in. Focus on mastering the most commonly-tested points of English grammar on the GMAT (www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-sentence-correction-part-2/) and you'll be golden! As for I.R.? B-schools aren't putting too much weight on that score yet, so don't lose too much sleep over it :)
I didn't expect to take a GMAT exam since I was exempt from it due to being in a 5 year program. Unfortunately, this past semester I had a professor that had given me a C and dropped my GPA to below the requirement for exemption. I am now required to take the exam by July 1st and I am LOST and don't know where to start. I am looking for specific help on the math sections and some trips for the verbal. This video was great, will definitely be watching more to help me.
+Alyssa Pietanza Sorry to hear that you'll now have to take the GMAT, Alyssa, but I'm glad you found my UA-cam Channel! If you want to go even more in depth, I do have a Full GMAT Math Course (www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-gmat-quantitative-course/) as well as a-la-carte GMAT verbal lessons. Good luck and let me know how else I can help!
Hey Brett, I agree with all other people about this amazing video! Congrats and thank you so much for taking the time to help us to get the most out of the GMAT exam. I am trying to apply for a Msc in Management but certainly feel very unsure about the math section. At school and University I was really good in math, but when I tried the practice exams its like my mind has been completely erase!! And I am not able to get a good score in math.
Hi! Great video! Thank you for your valuable tips. I will certainly continue watching your gmat GMAT lessons. My biggest concern on the GMAT is the time, specially when dealing with Verbal questions. I usually spend a whole lot of time on the reading comprehension and critical reasoning questions. Sentence correction as to say for the big sentences (with a bunch of modifier phrases) is also a problem when it comes to time pacing. English is my second language and that's certainly a drawback. Hope I can manage to improve my pace with practice and some of your orientation.Thank you!!
Thanks for taking the time to comment and share where you are with things. I think you'll enjoy the "Part 3" video where I introduce some key time management strategies, including for the verbal section. On CR in particular, learning the common argument patterns will help save you a lot of time. And on RC, make sure you're reading for "big picture" understanding and not getting lost in the weeds. You can always go back and find the specific details if that's what the question calls for. I discuss all of that in more detail in our GMAT Verbal Course, of course. Anyway, good luck and let me know how else I can help!
Hey Brett, really appreciate what you've done to help potential test takers like us. I love the name of your channel. It's more like a war-cry to me !!! The Quant Section is where my focus lies...I need to develop speed,strategy and stamina for the test.( 4hrs ..no horseplay). "The Three S'es" as I'd like to call them. Hopefully you can give me some insight into the same. Thanks & Regards, James
If you know you really do just need to focus on the Quant Section, you might consider our comprehensive quantitative prep course: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-quantitative-section/. The key to the stamina piece is to take plenty of full-length practice tests where you write the essay and do the IR section so that you know how it feels halfway through the Verbal section when your brain is already fried :) The speed and strategy pieces, of course, are covered in my course. Good luck!
Hey Brett, this introductory video on the GMAT is priceless! Thank you so much! You also mention in the video as one of the examples, about subject-verb agreement and the other rules for verbal. My question is that I believe (or I like to believe) that I am pretty good at sentence correction without knowing these rules. I am a little reluctant on learning these "rules" for which I will have to certainly unlearn a lot and I am just scared the whole process might just make things more complicated for me. Would you advise that I simply go by my gut in the exam and with the option that just "feels" right, rather than mug up all those "rules" and then attempt the sentence correction questions on the GMAT. Thank you in advance for answering my question.
I'd suggest that you put your theory to the test and take a full-length practice test and see how you do. See what your verbal score is, and specifically how many (and which) of the S.C. questions you get wrong. Even for the most gifted English scholars, your "ear" and "gut" can still betray you at times -- especially on the 650+ level S.C. questions. You might start there, but you'll need a few strategies (like I teach in my videos) for how to filter the answer choices and make the correct choice between two "pretty good" answers in the event you're only able to narrow it down to 2 grammatically correct choices.
Yes, everything in this video (and all of the videos that are still active on this UA-cam Channel as well as all of the videos in my paid course, obviously) are still relevant to today's GMAT.
Great video. I wish I would have found it sooner. I am retaking the GMAT on Saturday morning. I have to get at least a 500 for school. Data Sufficiency is my down fall. I bombed the first test that I took. Looking for anything that will get me closer to my target score at this point. Definitely going to watch the entire series now.Thanks.
Glad you found it with a few days to spare :) All of my free tips here on UA-cam will help. Also check out my "last minute GMAT advice" video. But if you want to dive deeper into any particular topics before Saturday, you can check out my a-la-carte lessons there: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/. You can learn a lot in just 3+ days. Enjoy!
Hi Brett, First of all, I would like to thank you for making this video. I am sure that avoiding the skipping of questions will help me a lot. I am actually concerned about time management. I am facing the same issue in both of the sections. In the Last minute I am typically left with 4-5 Questions in Quant and 6-7 Questions in English. Please help me out on this. It's taking a bad toll on my scores. Thanks a lot !
I have a bunch of articles and videos about GMAT time management on my blog (just type "time management" into the search area and see what comes up), but here's a particularly helpful and thorough article that you can start with: www.dominatethegmat.com/2011/06/effective-gmat-time-management-techniques/. Hope it helps!
Doing the GMAT in about 3 weeks with the least amount of time to prepare. Extremely nervous. Hopefully with some dedicated preparation and your videos, I can do really well.
+darek459 Good luck! I think you'll find my videos here on UA-cam helpful. Additionally, here's an article I wrote to help you craft a study plan in terms of where to focus your efforts if you have limited time to prepare: www.dominatethegmat.com/2014/02/how-to-study-for-the-gmat-your-gmat-game-plan/. Finally, if you need any last-minute guidance on specific topic areas, I do have a-la-carte lessons that go into more depth than what you'll find here on UA-cam. You can peruse them here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/. Let me know how it goes!
This video is very helpful to get an overview as I am currently beginning my GMAT sojourn. The one question that is flashing in my mind is " How long is enough to score >700 in GMAT provided that I have 25 hours in a week to spare on preparation?" Any guidance will be very much appreciated! Godspeed!
Good question. Here's an article I wrote with some concrete numbers for that: www.dominatethegmat.com/2012/07/how-long-should-i-study-for-the-gmat/. Obviously it varies from student to student, but as you can see, people who score 700+ study around 100 hours, on average. But remember that quality is more important than quantity. My Full GMAT Prep Course can be completed in less than 100 hours, for example, and it's helped countless students crack 700 on the GMAT.
It has been 23 years since I graduated from university, and have been deeply consumed in the corporate world since then. Now I have decided to go back to school and achieve my old dream...MBA. what mostly concerns me? would I be able to memorize all these mathematical formulas and problem solving? probably yes, but the first thought makes me shiver enough to start worrying !
Rabih Halawi Congratulations on such a bold career move! Fear not...everything on the GMAT is learnable, even if it has been 23 years for you :) The number of formulas you have to memorize for the GMAT is surprisingly small, at least if you learn how to solve problems the way I teach them ;) There's usually a way to get a right answer without memorizing esoteric math formulas, though there are certainly a few you need to know. Baby steps...dive in, and it'll all come with time and practice. Good luck and let me know how else I can help!
Dominate the GMAT Much appreciated & very encouraging. I have now the books and have started 3 days ago. not have too much time for classes (obviously long daily working hours), and I wish I can attend your classes, however geographically speaking it is impossible. Nevertheless, I can tell you the video you have posted on UA-cam are doing much so far. I agree with you on the correlation of Content-Strategy-Practice. This will be the plan to follow. I will keep you updated. Once again, many thanks for the reply.
Rabih Halawi All of my courses are online, and I have students literally from all over the world. Geography is no longer limiting with today's technology! Check out my Full Course here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/gmat-online-test-full-course/. I'm looking forward to working with you!
Thanks for the video. It was really helpful. I am concerning that I don’t have enough time to study before applying for the schools. I overwork almost every weekday and am just knackered in weekends. That’s why I am watching many youtube videos while I am on the subway.
I'm glad you found this video helpful. You might want to step back and take a "big picture" look at the application process, and map out your timelines. Even if your application deadlines are fast approaching, it may not matter if you don't have the GMAT score you need. So putting in the time to study effectively for the GMAT may need to come first -- even if it means applying Round 2 (or even Round 3).
Thanks for sharing Gitanjali! Do you have a game plan yet for attacking those question types? The good news is that each of those question categories have key strategies and mindsets that, once mastered, make them very doable. I have a-la-carte video lessons on all three of those topics here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/
Brett, thanks for another insightful video. I feel fairly good about my exam this coming Friday (6 days from now). I've been going over easy and medium questions (both Q and V) to ensure that I conquer the easier questions for a solid trajectory on the exam. What do you recommend to do between now and Friday?
Confidence is key! I'm glad you're feeling good about things. First of all, here's a video with some last-minute GMAT advice for you: ua-cam.com/video/K06kcGLtv2s/v-deo.html. Beyond that, it sort of depends on your current strengths/weaknesses and target score. If you're shooting for something in the mid- to upper-600's (or to crack 700), for example, then you should add "hard" questions to your studying over the coming week. Keep hammering away at SC's, as that's where the biggest gains are usually made on the verbal section. And really make sure you have my non-standard math strategies mastered for all question types for which they apply. I'd also suggest taking at least one more full-length computer practice test between now and test day -- ideally earlier in the week. I have some for sale on my website if you've already taken the two free ones from mba.com. Good luck and let me know how else I can help!
The problem for me is that, I have to dredge up all these memories from high school and it's been 12 years since I've been there. I've already gotten two degrees and now that I'm going to get my Master's, there's all of this extra stuff that has to be done and it's very frustrating. I really did go through life thinking that I would never have to use that stuff that I learned in highschool again. Teachers don't tell us that, yes, you're going to need it if you plan on getting a masters degree, regardless of the fact that they preached going to college to students all the time! I don't think they ever had hope for us in the first place, let along one of us gets this far!
Haha! I definitely know what you're talking about and understand the frustration. But as I mention in the video, everything is learnable (or "re"-learnable after 12 years) so don't lose too much sleep over it. Treat the GMAT as the "means to an end" that it is, and then hopefully this time around it really will be the last time you need to use some of this math...;) (That said, if you're going for an MBA you will use more of it than you think....).
Hi, i love the videos that you post here, i think they're really helpful. To me, effectively managing time in Verbal section (although quant section is not a problem at all) seems extremely difficult, in descending order of difficulty level - RC, CR & SC. Please do offer few more tips on this in your upcoming videos (considering Indian/asian students who are not native english speakers). Thanks a lot.
I think you'll find our Full GMAT Verbal Course incredibly helpful for you, even as a non-native English speaker: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-gmat-verbal-course/. I'm looking forward to working with you!
thank you very much for your effort! my biggest problem, certainly quantitative - data sufficiency. Verbal should not be a problem, I hope I am not getting too confident about it. And what do you think, how important are AWA and IR, do they even look at those scores during the admission? Thank you once again.
+meelo89 AWA and IR are the least important scores to be sure. Don't spend too much time and attention on those, especially since everything you need to do well (e.g. effectively analyzing arguments) is learned preparing for the quant and verbal sections. Admissions offices look at those scores, but as long as they're respectable, it's your 200-800 point "main" score that matters the most.
Hi: My biggest concern is that by the time i finish to study to gmat i foget some material that i learned in the begging. How can I make these contents and trategies to be a second nature to me?
Hi, thank you for these videos. Since the first few questions are the most important, is there a rule what math problems come first (geometry, algebra)? Thanks
I'll look to add some stuff here in the future. In the meantime, you can find all of my best RC content and strategies here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-reading-comprehension/.
Hey, I just found this channel so I apologize if my question is answered in another video. You noted that the first few questions are important because they sort of set the bar for the following questions. I'd like to know if that applies to the start of each section, or only to the first questions on the test as a whole.
Good question. As far as I know, based on everyone I've talked to (including inside the GMAC), it starts per section. That makes sense because the first two sections, AWA and IR, aren't computer-adaptive at all. Plus, remember that you get a separate raw Verbal and Quant score, so even though your final 200-800 point score is aggregate, the GMAT does treat each section independently. Here's a thread with some more info about the GMAT scoring algorithm: gmatclub.com/forum/how-does-the-gmat-algorithm-work-120297.html.
Thank you for the great video! I started studying for the GMAT very late(just a week ago) and I have the exam in 5 days from now. Luckily I am a very quick learner and I have covered all of the "content" there is to know more or less and I feel confident in doing all of it. The main worry I have at the moment is to be able to do questions quickly, especially when it comes to the CR and RC; the math questions I feel like I can do rather quickly, even the most difficult ones, but I am not a very fast reader. Also, I am a bit of a perfectionist so the second issue I have is to decide when I should skip a question and how often I should look at the clock in the coner during the actual test. Lastly, I still have my 2 test exams left so when do you think I should do them considering that I have 5 more days to study? Thank you in advance!
I wouldn't suggest taking a practice test the day before your real one, so that pretty much means that you should take one today and one tomorrow. Depending on how your time management is, that may be overkill. You may be good just taking one more practice test before the real thing. Use your judgment on that based on how the next one goes. Good luck!
Thank you Brett for this opportunity! I am quite confused about the strategy buildup and overall GMAT preparation, as in where to start and all. I start practicing with time as a constraint , but not able to achieve to fullest. Out of the Sections, I find CR and SC the most difficult, and need to time the difficult questions of the QUANT Section. Besides am not able to use the concept of error logging. if u can help. Much Appreciated. THank You!
HI Brett , NIce video to help kickstart the preparation. I have the problem with concentration and continued focus required for the preparation. Due to frequent travels in my current job, I am not able to maintain the momentum. Could you help me out with that ?
Those sound like two different issues. Is the problem due to the travel you do with your job? Or do you have something like ADHD where prolonged concentration is the problem? Regarding the former, a lot of my students travel for work. My detailed course syllabus will help you stay on track, and I'll make sure to send you electronic copies of the textbooks (if you decide to work with me) so that you can access them even when you're traveling. There are always solutions for busy people to stay on track. Regarding the latter, I can refer you to a colleague who has an audio program that helps people with the "inner game" of the GMAT. Let me know.
Tx Brett! Awesome video. But i have a quest, say ,for every question that i get right, i go up by 10 points, dosent every wrong ans bring me down by 10 points too?
No Smitha, as explained in this video your score actually fluctuates by more early in a section. So if you get one of the first questions right, your score might go up by 50 points, but if you get one of the last questions wrong, it will only bring your score down by 5 or 10 points. It's not a 1-to-1 ratio. Does that make sense?
Brett, thanks for your detailed videos. I feel more confident after watching your videos. I find difficult questions related to probabilities. Have really hard time understanding how to solve them. If you could help with them, I would be very grateful. Thanks
Our "Probabilities and Combinatorics" video lesson is one of our most popular! I think you'll find that it will help you answer all types of probability questions on the GMAT: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/probability-and-combinatorics/
This video is an eye-opener. I am able to get only 2 questions correct of out 5. Also, it takes more time to understand the passage. It would be really helpful if you can provide with some good strategy to excel in this particular section...Thanks - Siva
+Sivathanu Pillai You're talking about Reading Comprehension? I cover that in detail here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-reading-comprehension/.
Great video. I am most concerned about the timing aspect of the GMAT. I have dyslexia and timed exams create intense anxiety and stress as a result I test poorly. I've experienced this throughout my life and have compensated for it by doing more homework or take home exams or extra credit type work to make up for the poor exam scores. Please advise.
Brett - Great video and an eye opening experience especially when you go over how the scoring is broken down based on your first 3-5 answers of the test. My concern is with the Analytical Writing section. It's been over almost 20 years since being out of school and I have been in business (although with a science degree) for over 15. With practice, I can do OK with math sections and as well with the verbal sections. Do you have any suggestions to prepare for the writing section? I am planning on taking the test in February or March and I have been casually studying since early December. Thanks!
The best way to prepare for the analytical writing section is to prepare for Critical Reasoning on the main GMAT verbal section. In other words, effectively analyzing an argument for the essay is exactly what you do to answer CR questions -- identify the parts of the argument, zero in on the conclusion, and figure out the [faulty] assumptions the author is making to draw his conclusion from the given premise(s). Then it's just a matter of getting good at writing about all that in essay format in under 30 minutes! Incidentally I teach all of those foundational CR skills a-la-carte here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-critical-reasoning-part-1/. It think it'll help you with the essay for sure. Let me know how else I can help and good luck!
The good news is that Sentence Correction is usually the easiest question type to improve in on the verbal section of the GMAT. Let me know how I can help!
Brett, Thanks for the information (and the 20 points). I will be taking a practice test soon, but based on the sample questions I've seen, I feel that the quantitative section may be the most difficult for me. I've always been decent at math, but having to re-learn the stuff I haven't used in a long time is a worry for me. I plan on taking the GMAT in May, so I'm trying to get an effective self-study plan together. Any recommendations on how to study for this test ? Thanks.
I would highly encourage you to consider one of our comprehensive online GMAT prep courses. They're incredibly affordable and you'll get much better results than if you just try to study on your own. We offer a math-only course if that's where you think you need the most help. You can learn more about it here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-quantitative-section/. If you're dead-set on doing self-study, I wrote this article about how to make the most of your self-study time and how to craft your own study program: www.dominatethegmat.com/2014/02/how-to-study-for-the-gmat-your-gmat-game-plan/. Hope to have the chance to work with you!
First, realize that ~2:00 per question is plenty of time. Often students speed up in their own minds, not realize how much time they really have. That's where careless erros happen. Second, speed will come from improved pattern recognition and proper application of the different strategies for each type of question. Once you learn to recognize the ideal approach for each type of question, you'll naturally get faster at solving them. And as with all things, practice will help you as well. Good luck and let us know how else we can help!
hello Brette, Great Video thanks. Data sufficiency is my huge issue. I just discovered your videos maybe you made a video on that already. If you haven't, it would be great to have strategies on that. I am still on content mastering, but i will surely get more material from you when I get to the Strategy part. Thank you!
Excellent! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. If you go to my UA-cam channel and search "data sufficiency," I have a couple more free videos up there that I think will help you. And then of course you can dive deeper with our comprehensive a-la-carte Data Sufficiency lessons here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-data-sufficiency-part-2/
My biggest concern about the gmat is about not having the time to learn and to practice quickly enough to be able to beat it. How can I be sure that the way I am studying is the quickest way possible to get the score I want ? What are the learning strategies I could use to speed this process up? Big question when you're busy during the day...
Paul-Emmanuel Bidault Good question. You should know that there aren't any real shortcuts to GMAT mastery. On average, students who score 600 or higher study around 100 hours. But there are definitely some things you can do to get a bigger return on your study hours. Here's an article I wrote about how to maximize your study time, where to focus your efforts, and an overall game plan for dominating the GMAT: www.dominatethegmat.com/2014/02/how-to-study-for-the-gmat-your-gmat-game-plan/. Good luck!
You've got this! (I've had plenty of students sign up for my GMAT course just a week or two before their GMAT, so if you feel like you still need more targeted prep, I think you'd benefit from it. Let me know.)
Thank you for the video Brett, it helps me out a lot to understand the process of scoring, I'm realy concern about the data sufficiency questions, if I got this wrong how much will affect my score??
About half the questions on the quant section will be Data Sufficiency, Guillermo, so it will affect your score significantly if you don't learn how to do them well. Fortunately, there are a few simple mindsets that once you learn them, it makes D.S. questions a whole lot easier. I teach it all here (and Part 2): www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-data-sufficiency-part-1/
Glad you found it helpful! Regarding inequalities, thanks for the recommendation. In the meantime, you can learn all about how to answer inequalities questions in our comprehensive GMAT math course: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-gmat-quantitative-course/. I'm looking forward to working with you!
I wish to take the GMAT and did a sample test and earned 310 without ever reading for it and it kind of hit my moral down and want to know how long i can take to prepare for the exam. Am Cameroon, i found the quant section most apprehendable than the others. Your advice will really be of great help to me. thanks.
Here's an article I wrote about how long you should expect to study for the GMAT: www.dominatethegmat.com/2012/07/how-long-should-i-study-for-the-gmat/. Truthfully, if your score is a 310, I highly recommend that you consider our Full GMAT Prep Course: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-gmat-prep-course/. It will teach you everything you need to know to dominate the GMAT, and since it's online, you can access it from Cameroon. Good luck and I hope to have the opportunity to work with you!
I've not been doing so great on the data sufficiency. I have the logic model down, but I feel like I have to complete the problem in its entirety to get the answers. While this would take too much time, I cannot figure out the shortcut strategies. I know I am missing something here?!? Any suggestions?
The main thing, as I discuss in my "D.S. Part 1 lesson" (www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-data-sufficiency-part-1/), is to always ask yourself before starting to answer the problem: "What information, if they give it to me, would enable me to answer the question?" Then look at the statements and see if they give you that info! For example, maybe the question asks, How many people play both flute and clarinet? Well, you'd quickly identify that as a "Sets" question governed by the 2-Sets formula A+B-Both+Neither=Total. So if you're trying to solve for "Both," then the statements must somehow give you A, B, Neither, and Total for you to be able to solve. That way you don't actually have to solve the question, you just have to see if you could!
+Gurjeet Kaur Paneser All question types on the verbal section? Or some more than others? I have a comprehensive GMAT verbal course (www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-verbal-section/) if you're looking for strategic help. In the meantime, the best advice I can give you between now and test day is...read more! The more you read, the better you'll do on Reading Comp and Sentence Correction. As for CR, there's a bit more you need to learn there. Good luck and let me know how else I can help!
+Dominate the GMAT Thanks for your response! The problem with me is I don't have consistency in verbal and also I don't find myself confident enough in any of the verbal section
Most concerned about Quant portion of the GMAT. Also concerned that I haven't been practicing in the most efficient manner these last 5 months. I have 2 weeks until I take the GMAT
Brandon Evans What have you been doing to prepare? Two weeks is still a good amount of time to make significant gains. Here's an article I wrote about how to study for the GMAT in the most efficient way possible: www.dominatethegmat.com/2014/02/how-to-study-for-the-gmat-your-gmat-game-plan/. Hope it helps!
I've been doing about 20-30 practice questions each day from the official gmat test book and online book. Mostly concentrating on the quant/data sufficiency because they tend to be the most challenging for me.
Brandon Evans Have you checked out my a-la-carte video lessons? At only $25 each, they're a cost-effective way to beef up on your trouble areas, especially with just a couple weeks left to prepare. Here's the link: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/. Enjoy them and good luck!
Hey Brett, First I want to say that you are pretty awesome at explaining, I wish I had had more crystal clear teachers like you throughout my school life. Anyway, my hardest problem is the actual "translation" of a word problem into an equation or a diagram, it kind of feels like I have the pieces of the puzzle, biut I just dont know how to put them together, like they were all floating in my head. Anyway thanks again.
+Joshua Navarrete Guizar Yeah, there are some basic things to know like "is" translates to "=", "more than" translates to "+", etc. So if you see a word problem like, "John is 5 years older than Sarah...," you'd start writing an equation as "J = S + 5." However, as I teach in my videos, the traditional algebraic approach may not be the best strategy on many GMAT word problems. So your trouble with translating a word problem into an equation can probably be solved by mastering my non-standard math strategies! Continue to check out my free videos here on UA-cam, but if you really want to master these concepts, you may need to buy some of my a-la-carte lessons or enroll in one of my online courses to figure it all out.
hey Brett, good job with these videos and I am glad that I see a person like you who genuinely wants to help students get a good score. My question is, are there any particular questions/topics that we need to master in order to reach the 700+ barrier? I mean, we want to reach there, right? But from what I understood, the permutations/combinatorics topic is mostly asked when you are around the 700+ barrier. But what topics do you think we should master in order to get there? What are the 600+ questions? Thank you
There aren't really specific "700+" topics. You'll see 600-level permutations/combinations questions, and even 500-level variations as well. It's just that to crack 700, you need to be able to solve harder versions of all the question types -- especially the number properties questions. The other key to cracking 700 isn't so much content knowledge as it is time management and test-taking ability. It's a bit of a juggling act to crack the 700 barrier, and it's a combination of lots of different things. Also remember that your total score is a combination of both Quant AND Verbal, so even if you learn to do the hardest probability questions in your sleep, if you still struggle on Sentence Correction or harder reading comp passages, you won't be able to score over 700 either. Finally, remember that plenty of people get into the top schools with scores in the 600's. Make sure the rest of your application is up to par as well. Good luck!
Hello Brett and thank you for helping us with your awesome videos. I am planning to take GMAT in 2 weeks and my scores in the practice tests are not the scores I want. Well I am concerned about sentence correction as it is giving me a really hard time in the practice tests. I get almost 50% of its questions wrong. Before taking these tests I thought I know how to answer correctly but now I think I need to relearn it all.
You don't have to relearn all of it, but it may be helpful to have a clear methodology for how to attack them in the most effective way possible. Focus on the 6 most commonly-tested points of grammar, especially pronouns, subject-verb agreement, and modifiers. Also learn the "bracketing technique" for blocking out fluff and zeroing in on the key parts of the sentence being tested. I cover it all in detail, with worksheets and examples, here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-sentence-correction-part-1/.
Thank you Brett! You are doing an amazing work giving the key to live for everyone! That is incredible! In the video you told we can ask you questions about ours concerns. I don't know if my concern really about GMAT techniques, but my problem is that I am very bad at reading information. My English is not so good and it takes me so long to get a written information so I need to come back at read it again and again to get what the test is asking me. or may be it is a problem with my concentration, because I'm trying to read books in English but It doesn't seems that I have any progress. So may be you know some tips that would help me to get the task faster or it's also about practice and with more practicing I will do it better? Thank you again!
It could be a few things, Quentin. You'll have to pass the TOEFL to go to a U.S. business school, right? How is your preparation for that coming along? The reason I ask is that it may simply be a function of your English not quite being up to par yet, as you suggested. The only remedy for that is to read, read, and read some more! And maybe get some English tutoring. If it's a concentration issue, there are some psychological techniques discussed in this webinar we did last week that could help you: thriveteam.adobeconnect.com/p2juizawahz/. Beyond that, there are some strategies I teach in my Reading Comprehension lessons (www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-reading-comprehension/) about how to read the passages more quickly and get right answers in less time. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the free video. I have heard various arguments on both sides about whether the earlier questions influence your score more than the later ones. It seems logical to me that they would. However, has this been verified definitively? Is there proof? Cheers, Ciaran P.S. Two areas I struggle with the most are the tougher Data Sufficiency and also Permutations/Combinations.
It has been verified, yes, Ciaran. Perhaps it's semantics to say that it's not exactly that earlier questions are "worth" more, but it is the case that your score fluctuates more early in a section than at the end of the section. Same effective result. The bigger argument is over what to do about it. The reality is that all you can really do is try as hard as possible on each question and cut your losses and move on when/if it becomes clear that it'll take much longer than 2-ish minutes for you to solve the problem. What is more within your control, as I explained in the video, is ensuring that you don't run out of time at the end of a section. Leaving questions unanswered results in a major penalty.
@@dominatethegmat I think there is a kind of tumour that if you give exam before Aug end as the students who appear are low in no. S you get extra 20 points. The computer adjusts it.
I just sent you an e-mail. Additionally, you might want to listen to this interview with one of my students who increased his GMAT score 120 points: podcast.dominatetestprep.com/548431/1923473-8-how-i-raised-my-gmat-score-120-points-with-matt-kunzler. He said one of the things that helped him the most with verbal was reading the New York Time "Science" section first thing every morning. Give it a try!
You're not alone Vinay! The good news is that there are just a few key things to learn that will shift your thinking and put you in a better position to get more of these question types right. I have a two-part video series explaining how to master GMAT Critical Reasoning in detail. You can learn more here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-critical-reasoning-part-1/ (P.S. Everything you learn in these two video lessons will help you with the AWA essay as well!).
Vinay Acharya Manhattan GMAT has some good verbal topic-specific books. And an author named Brandon Royal has a nifty little book on reasoning that will help you a lot with Critical Reasoning: www.amazon.com/The-Little-Blue-Reasoning-Book/dp/1897393601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397173319&sr=8-1&keywords=brandon+royal
I just freeze up when I look at the clock or out during Reading Comprehension Questions. Find it really daunting to retain every bit of info in long tests and consequently just blank out.
Obviously that's not going to help you get right answers, so you're going to need to figure out how to get past that! One of the thing I teach my students with respect to RC is to "actively" read the passages by taking short notes on your scratch paper. It helps to keep your mind engaged to the most important parts of the passage. Also, make sure you're learning to read for "big picture." You don't need to read every word. Go into it knowing that the passages will be long, boring, and convoluted. But that's okay. Your job is to get right answers, not to give a book report to your spouse when you get home :)
Hey, I wanted to ask you one question especially about the GMAT Verbal. I am preparing for the verbal, which I found the most toughest. Every time I see a verbal question I get confused. I doubt whether the concept I am applying is correct or not and even if I answer the question I am not 100% sure whether I answered it correctly. In case of quantitative you can be sure but how to do the same for verbal. Please help me with verbal.
Well the best strategy for attacking each of the different verbal question types is a bit different depending on which question type you're looking at. So I don't have a blanket answer for you. In other words, the way you approach a SC question will be a little different from the way you approach RC questions. If you're serious about beefing up your GMAT Verbal score, I would highly recommend that you take our Verbal Course where we cover everything you've asked about in great detail: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-verbal-section/.
+daishu42 Well let me know if there's anything else I can do to help! And we do have topic-specific a-la-carte "mini courses" that may fit your budget better, if there are certain topics (e.g. data sufficiency or algebra or probability) that you really need to beef up on: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/. Good luck!
Thanks a lot for this valued video. Actually my main issue that I have just one month to give the GMAT test and English is my second language which I'm worried that it would give me some hard time in the verbal reasoning section.
Yes, the GMAT can be difficult for non-native English speakers. For a verbal standpoint, the good news is that there are a handful of key English grammar rules that will serve you well on the Sentence Correction section: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-sentence-correction-part-2/. Let me know how else I can help!
Breth I am really happy too see this video it address the main concerns which GMAT participants face during their journey. I want to know what is the average IQ needed to conquer GMAT. Have a Gud day
Here's an article I wrote about how many hours you should expect to study for the GMAT: www.dominatethegmat.com/2012/07/how-long-should-i-study-for-the-gmat/. Here's an article about recommended resources and an overall GMAT study plan: www.dominatethegmat.com/2014/02/how-to-study-for-the-gmat-your-gmat-game-plan/.
Brett, Im Jaime from Colombia and Im trying to do a Master in business In Jean Moulin in Lyon. I really don't know what is going to happen the day of the exam 18th of February (3 weeks from today), and from my point of view I'm not prepare at all to do it. Having this limited period of time I found in your videos all the information that I need to know before to do the Gmat exam. Im workin just with the text book the GMAT review as you mentioned in one of your videos and I don't want to have more books because my time is limited. My routine is to separated the days of the week one for each section and timing every exercise, maybe in this way I will be at least half prepare.... I would like to know your opinion and if you have any advice I will appreciated
Hi Jaime, I just spent the past year and a half living in Colombia (Bogota for a year, then Cartagena and Medellin). What a beautiful country and beautiful people! Have you taken any full-length practice tests yet? I would advise that you start there? Remember that you can change your test date if you realize that you're truly not ready. Also, in terms of your studying, I think it's better to do a little bit from each section each day because that's how the real GMAT is -- you need to train your brain to switch from topic to topic in a short amount of time.
Dominate the GMAT Hi Brett, Thanks for the advice. Yes I did a practice exam, the one what it comes in the software GMATprep. my score was a terrible 260, but I did it without mathematics review or be familiarize with the terminology of the exam. Again thank you, to people like me, it is really valuable your feedback. PS. I knew that you were filming in Colombia, is impossible no to recognise your Country. Currently I live in Australia completely dedicated it to the GMAT
jaime mendez Yep, this particular video was shot in Tabio, just outside of Bogota. Anyway, good luck and let me know how else I can help! Even if you think you don't have enough time to take my Full Course before your GMAT, remember that I have a-la-carte lessons on all of the math topics: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/.
My biggest concern after two/three months of prep is how do you tackle the 700 level data sufficiency questions without wasting much time on it. The most difficult part is when u have to chose between option c and e.
Yep, that can be tricky on the harder questions for sure. The more you do, the more you'll know what to look for. Have you done all of the "hard" DS questions in the Official Guide?
What have you done to study GMAT quant so far? Stay tuned because I'll be releasing another new video in a couple days that will give you some great Quant section strategies.
I have been studying for a close to two months but I'm having a hard time with how much progress I have made since I started. I feel given my past in high school math where I struggled a lot might come to bite me back. Just recently graduated from college and graduate with a B range GPA and hoping if I really put in the time and study for a few months I can get a midrange gmat score. Also, I am not a strong test taker. Any ideas or suggestions?
Yep, I have lots of suggestions! First, watch the other two parts in this "GMAT Mastery" series. I think they'll help you. Second, it sounds like you'd benefit from a prep course. I hope you'll consider ours. Finally, just a word of encouragement that everything on the GMAT is learn-able, even if you didn't do very well in math in high school. I've had plenty of students who claimed to be hopeless cases when it came to GMAT math, yet we were able to get them where they needed to go. The GMAT isn't a math test, it's a reasoning test. As such, don't approach your preparation trying to do all the math in a traditional way. As you'll see in these UA-cam videos and in my Full GMAT Prep Course, often the best approach to certain question types is a non-traditional approach. Your goal is to get right answers so that you can move on to business school, not to make your high school algebra teacher proud. Study accordingly. I'm here to help. Feel free to e-mail me at brett@dominatethegmat.com if you'd like to continue the conversation. Good luck!
![Dominate the GMAT [GMAT Focus Edition]](http://yt3.ggpht.com/Kbq1aDtR6pjsWa44p0SW6dVeLean2PgdIbHAGBfBrmwguSlqmhPQDk9UCmh73xpisalYbKC4pg=s48-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj)
Ready to dominate the GMAT? Try us FREE and see for yourself why students trust DTP for their GMAT Prep.
Start your Free Trial: www.dominatetestprep.com/offers/VYpvBfXa
I can personally vouch for this training. After watching a few videos on UA-cam I signed up for his program and it worked. I hadn't been in school for over 30 years and I was struggling on every section of the test. But I followed his plan and passed my exam and was accepted into my dream university. You won't regret buying his home-study.
Thank you for the kind words, Topher. I'm thrilled you had such a positive experience with our course. All the best to you in your myriad endeavors!
Thanks a lot Brett you give a real insight into GMAT. Putting your content on youtube for free means helping thousands and thousands of guys trying to achieve their dreams and goals. Thank you again hope you are able to succeed in your dreams and goals. Love Peace and Prosperity 🕉️
I appreciate that, Mehul. All the best of success to you as well, and don't hesitate to let me know how else I can help you on your GMAT and business school journey!
Integrated reasoning is the bane of my existence. These videos though are the best I've found! and I have sifted through so many thus far,
Jeremy Nelson Thanks for the kudos Jeremy. I'm glad you've found my channel! The good news is that IR isn't really all that important in the bigger scheme of things. Admissions officers simply don't care as much about your IR score as they do your 200-800 point quant/verbal score. Additionally, the best way to prepare for IR is to prepare for the other sections, since the content tested is the same (albeit in different question formats). I do have an IR-specific video lesson that may help you -- www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-integrated-reasoning/ -- but frankly, I think you'd be better served with one of our other courses since again, everything translates. Good luck and let me know how else I can help!
Best Gmat class I found in youtube so far, Tks Brett
Greetings form Brazil
Aldenizio Bezerra Awesome! So glad you're enjoying my content on UA-cam. Hope to have the opportunity to help you prepare for the GMAT in even more depth!
Omg, soooooooo helpful!!! Watch the whole video you wont be sorry.
Quant is currently my hardest section, and the next video definately helped me quite a bit.
Thank you for the content you created I was so nervous to even take the GMAT but not so much anymore. I’m pursing my masters in an entirely different perspective since joining this UA-cam channel.
In the video you asked what I was most concerned about for the GMAT and math is what I’m most worried about. Though through patience and perseverance I will not give up I am aiming for 700 plus so I’m hoping studying and all your videos could help me.
Thank you.
I love hearing this! Thanks for taking the time to share. I'm glad these videos have given you confidence. As you continue to dive in to your prep, if your practice test scores aren't trending toward 700+, I know you'll also benefit from the more comprehensive content in my full prep courses. But for now, continue to enjoy the free videos here on this channel. Good luck and let me know how else I can help. I'm glad you found us!
Brett Sir ,
you are awesome i just casually watching your this video and you made me an inspiration of the GMAT and now i will focus in getting a good score in GMAT i am new to GMAT so i kindly dont know how to answer your question but i guess i will be surely ready after watching all of your series questions
Thank You for your support its worth a million
Yes, definitely watch the rest of my free videos on UA-cam and you should see significant progress! And then if you really want to dive deep into all of the content and strategies tested on the GMAT, you can check out one of my full courses or a-la-carte video lessons: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/. Good luck!
Hi Brett, just wanna say thank you for this beautiful video, it has pretty much equipped me with the GMAT essentials. Although I have never sat for a GMAT, I do intend to because I wanna do my MBA in 2016.
Thank you again and am headed to watch your next video for GMAT Mastery- the Math strategies:)
Glad it helped!
Good morning Dear. .....?
Thanks for the great video. I've been studying for the past two weeks and will take my first GMAT in late October. I'm glad I've found your channel and I'll definitely be watching more videos.
Awesome! I'm glad you've found my channel as well. Glad the videos are helping. BTW, I'm hosting a free GMAT probability & combinatorics webinar TONIGHT if you're interested. There's still time to register here: www.dominatetestprep.com/p/probability-combinatorics-webinar-with-brandon-royal. Good luck and let me know how else I can help.
I am learning through GMAT official books. That is also making benefit to me, but i believe practical and watching how to do it makes me much more stronger. I am still worry about the time management? which is the key practice in GMAT.
Yes, it can be tough to learn from a textbook alone, and remember that textbooks don't always teach you the non-standard strategies that help you get right answers more efficiently and effectively. As far as time management, be sure to watch Part 3 in this GMAT Master Series. You can also read this article I wrote on the subject: www.dominatethegmat.com/2011/06/effective-gmat-time-management-techniques/. Good luck!
TBH this was the best GMAT video I saw today.
The strategy suggested by you states that I must try to spend a few more seconds on first 5 questions than rest of the questions and pay much lesser attention on the last 2-3 questions. I hope this strategy stands true for both Quant and Verbal section.
Ideally you'll still get to the final few questions with enough time to give them serious consideration. Getting them right can give your score that final boost it needs to hit your target! But what I'm saying is that getting the final few questions wrong won't hurt your score nearly as bad as getting wrong answers earlier in the section, so pace accordingly. And "yes," the verbal and quant sections are both computer-adaptive in the same way.
I just started to study for the Gmat and found this videos on youtube. Thank you very much Brett for these pieces of advice. Many thanks from France
In the Verbal Section, critical reasoning has the type of question to apply the answer into the context of the question. Most of the time I would be dilemma between two possible answers. Once I'd got the Key answer, I believed the longer choice of the two usually is the correct one.
Brett,
First, thank you for taking the time to help test takers like me in the challenge of getting the best score we can on the GMAT. To answer your question: I'm most concerned Time. I know that practice makes perfect, but when test conditions set in, time goes by much much faster (at least it feels that way). I'm concerned about the my overall strategy for making sure I've given myself enough time to dominate the GMAT... Time pressure is usually what breaks me than not knowing the content.
Additionally, I'm not sure of the best way to cover all the subjects. I have the Manhattan Preps books (slowly working through them) & I'm planning on taking a class in mid April, because I know for a fact I'm not a great self teacher or the type of person that can learn from a book (which is making getting through the Prep books a lot of work.... which can be very demotivating).
Greatness is a lot of small things done well, day after day and continually beating on ones craft (in this case the GMAT)
Again, thank you for taking the time to do what you do. It is truly valued and appreciated.
Here's a fun article I wrote recently with some interesting -- and effective! -- mindsets and strategies to help you with your time management concerns: www.dominatethegmat.com/2014/10/two-unusual-but-effective-gmat-time-management-strategies/. Regarding your need to cover all of the GMAT subjects without wanting to just study from a book, I would encourage you to consider our comprehensive online GMAT "Full Course." You can learn more and register here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/gmat-online-test-full-course/. I have a lot or respect for Manhattan GMAT, but they're really expensive and I can't tell you how many of my students came to me AFTER taking a Manhattan GMAT course and still not getting the score they were looking for. Let me know how else I can help. I'm looking forward to working with you!
Hello Bret I am taking the exam in 1 month due to datelines I have to meet up with. The sections that really trouble me are Quant and Verbal. I need like a crash programe to be set in a months's time. Thanks for what your doing, your really a source of inspiration. I was lost when I started my preparations but your video has given me some hope.
If you're looking for a crash course, I often have students sign up for my Full Course just weeks (and sometimes even day!) before their GMAT. You can really make a lot of progress in a month's time. Here are the details: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/gmat-online-test-full-course/. Best of luck to you and let me know how else I can help!
Hey Brett,
Great videos. I've been studying for the GMAT since January 2015 (dedication is a curse) with one of your competitors (rhymes with Smaplan). I've taken their course twice, taken their pre-tests and have taken the actual GMAT over my journey. I'm here because my Quant score is abysmal! The Quant section kills me, specially the Algebra and DS. I've memorized all sorts or mathematical rules, definitions and equations (quadratics, formulas or circles triangles, exponents, square roots, etc) yet a decent score continues to elude me... it's a complete bummer. I'm going to take the GMAT again, I hope that some of your strategies will help.
Happy Holidays!
Jon
+jfa0927 Yeah, if you've learned nothing from my videos yet, hopefully you've come away with the idea that the traditional approach to GMAT math isn't always the best approach! Note that I do have a-la-carte courses on specific topics like Algebra and DS, so if you're hesitant to take another full course but do still need/want a little extra help, reach out to me. Good luck!
Great video - very helpful points! To everyone taking GMAT in 2021 - All the best. Pray you get into your dream schools :)
Great Video! I'm Mostly concerned about the Quantitative portion! I have never been big on mathematics and I'm going to be applying for Rice University Jones Business school. I m going through and and every one of the videos you have posted. great resources and information so far!
A brilliant video. A real Booster ! Thank you very much Breth.
My pleasure. Glad you found the video so helpful! Good luck and let me know how else I can help.
Currently I'm following the content + Strategy + Practice method. Following everything from your website. I'm planning to take gmat in another 4 months.
Sounds great. FYI I'm hosting "Ace the GMAT" author Brandon Royal for a free webinar tomorrow evening (August 17th, 2016) on GMAT probability and combinatorics. There's still time to register if you're interested: www.dominatetestprep.com/p/probability-combinatorics-webinar-with-brandon-royal. Even if you can't attend live, go ahead and register anyway so that you get the link to the recording. Enjoy!
***** I saw your chat in the webinar forum. You were a day early! The webinar is tomorrow (Wednesday) night at 8:30pm EST. See you then!
hey...thank u very much..i love to watch your video. i am more concerned whether i will be able to keep my concentration up until the marathon test finish!
That's why taking full-length GMAT practice tests are so important. They help you to develop that mental stamina you'll need in addition to helping you apply what you're learning during your studying. Good luck!
Integrated reasoning for me is very complicated. Even tho is easier for most people. Also the fact that English is not my first language makes me spend much more time trying to understand a problem before even start working on it ! My test is in 7 days
IR is actually challenging for a lot of people since there are a lot of questions to answer in a short amount of time. The good news is that the core content tested is largely the same as what's tested on the main Quant and Verbal sections, so spend most of your time there. Then just make sure you know the logistics of the unique IR question formats.
I'm most concerned about Math. I passed math in high school but it's always been a challenge for me. Like the person you described in the last part of this video I tend to freeze up when trying to get it done on my own despite scoring well in class. My biggest challenge with GMAT math is the wording. It usually takes me a while to figure out what they are asking for and not knowing right off the bat tends to make me really nervous and makes thing worste.
+Talicia Leslie Well then be sure to watch Part 2 in this "GMAT Mastery" series because I teach you several strategies to help you know how to immediately proceed when you see certain types of questions. And then of course if you want a game plan for every single question type test on the GMAT, both quant and verbal, I'd love to have you as one of my Full Course students: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-gmat-prep-course/. Good luck!
Great video. Greatest concerns: obscure quant problems, time management.
Do you have an example of what you consider "obscure" quant problems? Remember that if they're "obscure," you may not encounter them on the GMAT and even if you do, getting one or two such questions wrong really won't hurt your score all that much. Focus on mastering the most common question types first (I'll be covering those in a future video), as they'll give you the biggest bang for your buck in terms of your GMAT score.
Great video Brett. My main concern is Algebra - I find understanding equations very hard, as well as exponents and roots.
I teach everything you need to know on the GMAT about exponents, roots and radicals in this video lesson, if you're interested: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-algebra-topics/
Thank you for your videos! Finally I got it how they actually score GMAT
You're welcome. I'm glad you found this particular video helpful!
Thanks for the video. I'd say I'm most concerned with applying the concepts in a timely manner. My main strategy is to practice lots of questions as this really helped me on the CPA exam, but I also need to make sure I'm getting refreshed on the content as well.
Yep, you're exactly right. Working tons of practice problems will help you with the pattern recognition that will help with overall time management. So will applying some of my non-standard strategies so that you can get more right answers more efficiently. Good luck and let me know how else I can help!
First of all what a GREAT video and helpful strategies in order to get a high score in the GMAT.
In regards of my personal concerns I'll say that the main 2 things that gets me more in trouble: Sentence Corrections & Integreated Reasoning...
Glad you found benefit in this video, Leonardo! The good news for you is that Sentence Corrections are the easiest part of GMAT Verbal to improve in. Focus on mastering the most commonly-tested points of English grammar on the GMAT (www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-sentence-correction-part-2/) and you'll be golden! As for I.R.? B-schools aren't putting too much weight on that score yet, so don't lose too much sleep over it :)
I didn't expect to take a GMAT exam since I was exempt from it due to being in a 5 year program. Unfortunately, this past semester I had a professor that had given me a C and dropped my GPA to below the requirement for exemption. I am now required to take the exam by July 1st and I am LOST and don't know where to start. I am looking for specific help on the math sections and some trips for the verbal. This video was great, will definitely be watching more to help me.
+Alyssa Pietanza Sorry to hear that you'll now have to take the GMAT, Alyssa, but I'm glad you found my UA-cam Channel! If you want to go even more in depth, I do have a Full GMAT Math Course (www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-gmat-quantitative-course/) as well as a-la-carte GMAT verbal lessons. Good luck and let me know how else I can help!
thanks mr brett every time i watched your video i get more courageous to take the gmat in September 2021
That's great to hear! Confidence will serve you well on test day for sure. Continue to prepare well and let me know how else I can help.
An excellent video! Thanks for all this knowledge.
Very good explanation
Thanks!
Hey Brett, I agree with all other people about this amazing video! Congrats and thank you so much for taking the time to help us to get the most out of the GMAT exam. I am trying to apply for a Msc in Management but certainly feel very unsure about the math section. At school and University I was really good in math, but when I tried the practice exams its like my mind has been completely erase!! And I am not able to get a good score in math.
Hi! Great video! Thank you for your valuable tips. I will certainly continue watching your gmat GMAT lessons. My biggest concern on the GMAT is the time, specially when dealing with Verbal questions. I usually spend a whole lot of time on the reading comprehension and critical reasoning questions. Sentence correction as to say for the big sentences (with a bunch of modifier phrases) is also a problem when it comes to time pacing. English is my second language and that's certainly a drawback. Hope I can manage to improve my pace with practice and some of your orientation.Thank you!!
Thanks for taking the time to comment and share where you are with things. I think you'll enjoy the "Part 3" video where I introduce some key time management strategies, including for the verbal section. On CR in particular, learning the common argument patterns will help save you a lot of time. And on RC, make sure you're reading for "big picture" understanding and not getting lost in the weeds. You can always go back and find the specific details if that's what the question calls for. I discuss all of that in more detail in our GMAT Verbal Course, of course. Anyway, good luck and let me know how else I can help!
Thank you!! I'll check your course and your videos.
Hey Brett, really appreciate what you've done to help potential test takers like us. I love the name of your channel. It's more like a war-cry to me !!!
The Quant Section is where my focus lies...I need to develop speed,strategy and stamina for the test.( 4hrs ..no horseplay). "The Three S'es" as I'd like to call them.
Hopefully you can give me some insight into the same.
Thanks
&
Regards,
James
If you know you really do just need to focus on the Quant Section, you might consider our comprehensive quantitative prep course: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-quantitative-section/. The key to the stamina piece is to take plenty of full-length practice tests where you write the essay and do the IR section so that you know how it feels halfway through the Verbal section when your brain is already fried :) The speed and strategy pieces, of course, are covered in my course. Good luck!
This is very brilliant thank you so much
You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful. Let me know how else I can help!
Hey Brett, this introductory video on the GMAT is priceless! Thank you so much!
You also mention in the video as one of the examples, about subject-verb agreement and the other rules for verbal. My question is that I believe (or I like to believe) that I am pretty good at sentence correction without knowing these rules. I am a little reluctant on learning these "rules" for which I will have to certainly unlearn a lot and I am just scared the whole process might just make things more complicated for me.
Would you advise that I simply go by my gut in the exam and with the option that just "feels" right, rather than mug up all those "rules" and then attempt the sentence correction questions on the GMAT.
Thank you in advance for answering my question.
I'd suggest that you put your theory to the test and take a full-length practice test and see how you do. See what your verbal score is, and specifically how many (and which) of the S.C. questions you get wrong. Even for the most gifted English scholars, your "ear" and "gut" can still betray you at times -- especially on the 650+ level S.C. questions. You might start there, but you'll need a few strategies (like I teach in my videos) for how to filter the answer choices and make the correct choice between two "pretty good" answers in the event you're only able to narrow it down to 2 grammatically correct choices.
Is this still relevant now-a-days? Thanks in advance!
Yes, everything in this video (and all of the videos that are still active on this UA-cam Channel as well as all of the videos in my paid course, obviously) are still relevant to today's GMAT.
@@dominatethegmat Awesome! Thanks a lot so far for the great content.
Thanks for the video. timing & accuracy are my concerns. But will practice and dominate it. Thanks again for the tips.
Great video. I wish I would have found it sooner. I am retaking the GMAT on Saturday morning. I have to get at least a 500 for school. Data Sufficiency is my down fall. I bombed the first test that I took. Looking for anything that will get me closer to my target score at this point. Definitely going to watch the entire series now.Thanks.
Glad you found it with a few days to spare :) All of my free tips here on UA-cam will help. Also check out my "last minute GMAT advice" video. But if you want to dive deeper into any particular topics before Saturday, you can check out my a-la-carte lessons there: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/. You can learn a lot in just 3+ days. Enjoy!
Hi Brett,
First of all, I would like to thank you for making this video. I am sure that avoiding the skipping of questions will help me a lot. I am actually concerned about time management. I am facing the same issue in both of the sections. In the Last minute I am typically left with 4-5 Questions in Quant and 6-7 Questions in English. Please help me out on this.
It's taking a bad toll on my scores. Thanks a lot !
I have a bunch of articles and videos about GMAT time management on my blog (just type "time management" into the search area and see what comes up), but here's a particularly helpful and thorough article that you can start with: www.dominatethegmat.com/2011/06/effective-gmat-time-management-techniques/. Hope it helps!
Thanks a lot Brett. I really appreciate you taking out time to answer queries.
Doing the GMAT in about 3 weeks with the least amount of time to prepare. Extremely nervous. Hopefully with some dedicated preparation and your videos, I can do really well.
+darek459 Good luck! I think you'll find my videos here on UA-cam helpful. Additionally, here's an article I wrote to help you craft a study plan in terms of where to focus your efforts if you have limited time to prepare: www.dominatethegmat.com/2014/02/how-to-study-for-the-gmat-your-gmat-game-plan/. Finally, if you need any last-minute guidance on specific topic areas, I do have a-la-carte lessons that go into more depth than what you'll find here on UA-cam. You can peruse them here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/. Let me know how it goes!
This video is very helpful to get an overview as I am currently beginning my GMAT sojourn. The one question that is flashing in my mind is " How long is enough to score >700 in GMAT provided that I have 25 hours in a week to spare on preparation?" Any guidance will be very much appreciated! Godspeed!
Good question. Here's an article I wrote with some concrete numbers for that: www.dominatethegmat.com/2012/07/how-long-should-i-study-for-the-gmat/. Obviously it varies from student to student, but as you can see, people who score 700+ study around 100 hours, on average. But remember that quality is more important than quantity. My Full GMAT Prep Course can be completed in less than 100 hours, for example, and it's helped countless students crack 700 on the GMAT.
Dominate the GMAT Many Thanks for taking time to answer the question! I will look into your solution:)
It has been 23 years since I graduated from university, and have been deeply consumed in the corporate world since then. Now I have decided to go back to school and achieve my old dream...MBA. what mostly concerns me? would I be able to memorize all these mathematical formulas and problem solving? probably yes, but the first thought makes me shiver enough to start worrying !
Rabih Halawi Congratulations on such a bold career move! Fear not...everything on the GMAT is learnable, even if it has been 23 years for you :) The number of formulas you have to memorize for the GMAT is surprisingly small, at least if you learn how to solve problems the way I teach them ;) There's usually a way to get a right answer without memorizing esoteric math formulas, though there are certainly a few you need to know. Baby steps...dive in, and it'll all come with time and practice. Good luck and let me know how else I can help!
Dominate the GMAT
Much appreciated & very encouraging. I have now the books and have started 3 days ago. not have too much time for classes (obviously long daily working hours), and I wish I can attend your classes, however geographically speaking it is impossible. Nevertheless, I can tell you the video you have posted on UA-cam are doing much so far. I agree with you on the correlation of Content-Strategy-Practice. This will be the plan to follow. I will keep you updated. Once again, many thanks for the reply.
Rabih Halawi All of my courses are online, and I have students literally from all over the world. Geography is no longer limiting with today's technology! Check out my Full Course here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/gmat-online-test-full-course/. I'm looking forward to working with you!
Thanks for the video. It was really helpful. I am concerning that I don’t have enough time to study before applying for the schools. I overwork almost every weekday and am just knackered in weekends. That’s why I am watching many youtube videos while I am on the subway.
I'm glad you found this video helpful. You might want to step back and take a "big picture" look at the application process, and map out your timelines. Even if your application deadlines are fast approaching, it may not matter if you don't have the GMAT score you need. So putting in the time to study effectively for the GMAT may need to come first -- even if it means applying Round 2 (or even Round 3).
thanks Brett, for a great video!! I am worried about critical reasoning, sentence correction and data sufficiency.
Thanks for sharing Gitanjali! Do you have a game plan yet for attacking those question types? The good news is that each of those question categories have key strategies and mindsets that, once mastered, make them very doable. I have a-la-carte video lessons on all three of those topics here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/
Brett, thanks for another insightful video. I feel fairly good about my exam this coming Friday (6 days from now). I've been going over easy and medium questions (both Q and V) to ensure that I conquer the easier questions for a solid trajectory on the exam. What do you recommend to do between now and Friday?
Confidence is key! I'm glad you're feeling good about things. First of all, here's a video with some last-minute GMAT advice for you: ua-cam.com/video/K06kcGLtv2s/v-deo.html. Beyond that, it sort of depends on your current strengths/weaknesses and target score. If you're shooting for something in the mid- to upper-600's (or to crack 700), for example, then you should add "hard" questions to your studying over the coming week. Keep hammering away at SC's, as that's where the biggest gains are usually made on the verbal section. And really make sure you have my non-standard math strategies mastered for all question types for which they apply. I'd also suggest taking at least one more full-length computer practice test between now and test day -- ideally earlier in the week. I have some for sale on my website if you've already taken the two free ones from mba.com. Good luck and let me know how else I can help!
Quant..I found it very difficult for me.
The problem for me is that, I have to dredge up all these memories from high school and it's been 12 years since I've been there. I've already gotten two degrees and now that I'm going to get my Master's, there's all of this extra stuff that has to be done and it's very frustrating. I really did go through life thinking that I would never have to use that stuff that I learned in highschool again. Teachers don't tell us that, yes, you're going to need it if you plan on getting a masters degree, regardless of the fact that they preached going to college to students all the time! I don't think they ever had hope for us in the first place, let along one of us gets this far!
Haha! I definitely know what you're talking about and understand the frustration. But as I mention in the video, everything is learnable (or "re"-learnable after 12 years) so don't lose too much sleep over it. Treat the GMAT as the "means to an end" that it is, and then hopefully this time around it really will be the last time you need to use some of this math...;) (That said, if you're going for an MBA you will use more of it than you think....).
Hi, i love the videos that you post here, i think they're really helpful.
To me, effectively managing time in Verbal section (although quant section is not a problem at all) seems extremely difficult, in descending order of difficulty level - RC, CR & SC.
Please do offer few more tips on this in your upcoming videos (considering Indian/asian students who are not native english speakers).
Thanks a lot.
I think you'll find our Full GMAT Verbal Course incredibly helpful for you, even as a non-native English speaker: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-gmat-verbal-course/. I'm looking forward to working with you!
Thx for the tips!
My pleasure!
thank you very much for your effort! my biggest problem, certainly quantitative - data sufficiency. Verbal should not be a problem, I hope I am not getting too confident about it. And what do you think, how important are AWA and IR, do they even look at those scores during the admission? Thank you once again.
+meelo89 AWA and IR are the least important scores to be sure. Don't spend too much time and attention on those, especially since everything you need to do well (e.g. effectively analyzing arguments) is learned preparing for the quant and verbal sections. Admissions offices look at those scores, but as long as they're respectable, it's your 200-800 point "main" score that matters the most.
Hi:
My biggest concern is that by the time i finish to study to gmat i foget some material that i learned in the begging. How can I make these contents and trategies to be a second nature to me?
Hi, thank you for these videos. Since the first few questions are the most important, is there a rule what math problems come first (geometry, algebra)? Thanks
No, the first questions will be random -- so prepare for anything/everything!
Thanks
Reading comprehension is the toughest part for me. Please share tips to tackle RC.
I'll look to add some stuff here in the future. In the meantime, you can find all of my best RC content and strategies here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-reading-comprehension/.
Thanks. I will check this.
Hey, I just found this channel so I apologize if my question is answered in another video. You noted that the first few questions are important because they sort of set the bar for the following questions. I'd like to know if that applies to the start of each section, or only to the first questions on the test as a whole.
Good question. As far as I know, based on everyone I've talked to (including inside the GMAC), it starts per section. That makes sense because the first two sections, AWA and IR, aren't computer-adaptive at all. Plus, remember that you get a separate raw Verbal and Quant score, so even though your final 200-800 point score is aggregate, the GMAT does treat each section independently. Here's a thread with some more info about the GMAT scoring algorithm: gmatclub.com/forum/how-does-the-gmat-algorithm-work-120297.html.
Thank you for the great video! I started studying for the GMAT very late(just a week ago) and I have the exam in 5 days from now. Luckily I am a very quick learner and I have covered all of the "content" there is to know more or less and I feel confident in doing all of it. The main worry I have at the moment is to be able to do questions quickly, especially when it comes to the CR and RC; the math questions I feel like I can do rather quickly, even the most difficult ones, but I am not a very fast reader. Also, I am a bit of a perfectionist so the second issue I have is to decide when I should skip a question and how often I should look at the clock in the coner during the actual test. Lastly, I still have my 2 test exams left so when do you think I should do them considering that I have 5 more days to study?
Thank you in advance!
I wouldn't suggest taking a practice test the day before your real one, so that pretty much means that you should take one today and one tomorrow. Depending on how your time management is, that may be overkill. You may be good just taking one more practice test before the real thing. Use your judgment on that based on how the next one goes. Good luck!
Thank you Brett for this opportunity! I am quite confused about the strategy buildup and overall GMAT preparation, as in where to start and all. I start practicing with time as a constraint , but not able to achieve to fullest.
Out of the Sections, I find CR and SC the most difficult, and need to time the difficult questions of the QUANT Section. Besides am not able to use the concept of error logging. if u can help. Much Appreciated. THank You!
I'll be glad to help! Feel free to send me a direct e-mail at brett@dominatethegmat.com.
HI Brett ,
NIce video to help kickstart the preparation.
I have the problem with concentration and continued focus required for the preparation. Due to frequent travels in my current job, I am not able to maintain the momentum. Could you help me out with that ?
Those sound like two different issues. Is the problem due to the travel you do with your job? Or do you have something like ADHD where prolonged concentration is the problem? Regarding the former, a lot of my students travel for work. My detailed course syllabus will help you stay on track, and I'll make sure to send you electronic copies of the textbooks (if you decide to work with me) so that you can access them even when you're traveling. There are always solutions for busy people to stay on track. Regarding the latter, I can refer you to a colleague who has an audio program that helps people with the "inner game" of the GMAT. Let me know.
Tx Brett! Awesome video. But i have a quest, say ,for every question that i get right, i go up by 10 points, dosent every wrong ans bring me down by 10 points too?
No Smitha, as explained in this video your score actually fluctuates by more early in a section. So if you get one of the first questions right, your score might go up by 50 points, but if you get one of the last questions wrong, it will only bring your score down by 5 or 10 points. It's not a 1-to-1 ratio. Does that make sense?
Brett,
thanks for your detailed videos. I feel more confident after watching your videos. I find difficult questions related to probabilities. Have really hard time understanding how to solve them. If you could help with them, I would be very grateful.
Thanks
Our "Probabilities and Combinatorics" video lesson is one of our most popular! I think you'll find that it will help you answer all types of probability questions on the GMAT: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/probability-and-combinatorics/
This video is an eye-opener. I am able to get only 2 questions correct of out 5. Also, it takes more time to understand the passage. It would be really helpful if you can provide with some good strategy to excel in this particular section...Thanks - Siva
+Sivathanu Pillai You're talking about Reading Comprehension? I cover that in detail here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-reading-comprehension/.
Great video. I am most concerned about the timing aspect of the GMAT. I have dyslexia and timed exams create intense anxiety and stress as a result I test poorly. I've experienced this throughout my life and have compensated for it by doing more homework or take home exams or extra credit type work to make up for the poor exam scores. Please advise.
Glad you liked it! Check out my response to the question you posed on my other video. I provided you a link and some advice that should help.
Thank you
Brett - Great video and an eye opening experience especially when you go over how the scoring is broken down based on your first 3-5 answers of the test. My concern is with the Analytical Writing section. It's been over almost 20 years since being out of school and I have been in business (although with a science degree) for over 15. With practice, I can do OK with math sections and as well with the verbal sections. Do you have any suggestions to prepare for the writing section? I am planning on taking the test in February or March and I have been casually studying since early December. Thanks!
The best way to prepare for the analytical writing section is to prepare for Critical Reasoning on the main GMAT verbal section. In other words, effectively analyzing an argument for the essay is exactly what you do to answer CR questions -- identify the parts of the argument, zero in on the conclusion, and figure out the [faulty] assumptions the author is making to draw his conclusion from the given premise(s). Then it's just a matter of getting good at writing about all that in essay format in under 30 minutes! Incidentally I teach all of those foundational CR skills a-la-carte here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-critical-reasoning-part-1/. It think it'll help you with the essay for sure. Let me know how else I can help and good luck!
Great video. Sentence correction!
The good news is that Sentence Correction is usually the easiest question type to improve in on the verbal section of the GMAT. Let me know how I can help!
Am i the only one thinking he looks like the tall guy in how i met your mother?
Thanks for your videos you're the best
You're welcome! (I get the Peyton Manning comparison, but this is the first How I Met Your Mother comparison...)
Brett,
Thanks for the information (and the 20 points). I will be taking a practice test soon, but based on the sample questions I've seen, I feel that the quantitative section may be the most difficult for me. I've always been decent at math, but having to re-learn the stuff I haven't used in a long time is a worry for me. I plan on taking the GMAT in May, so I'm trying to get an effective self-study plan together. Any recommendations on how to study for this test ?
Thanks.
I would highly encourage you to consider one of our comprehensive online GMAT prep courses. They're incredibly affordable and you'll get much better results than if you just try to study on your own. We offer a math-only course if that's where you think you need the most help. You can learn more about it here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-quantitative-section/. If you're dead-set on doing self-study, I wrote this article about how to make the most of your self-study time and how to craft your own study program: www.dominatethegmat.com/2014/02/how-to-study-for-the-gmat-your-gmat-game-plan/. Hope to have the chance to work with you!
I am most concerned about being able to answer the quantitative questions as fast as necessary to complete the section.
First, realize that ~2:00 per question is plenty of time. Often students speed up in their own minds, not realize how much time they really have. That's where careless erros happen. Second, speed will come from improved pattern recognition and proper application of the different strategies for each type of question. Once you learn to recognize the ideal approach for each type of question, you'll naturally get faster at solving them. And as with all things, practice will help you as well. Good luck and let us know how else we can help!
hello Brette,
Great Video thanks. Data sufficiency is my huge issue. I just discovered your videos maybe you made a video on that already. If you haven't, it would be great to have strategies on that. I am still on content mastering, but i will surely get more material from you when I get to the Strategy part. Thank you!
Excellent! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. If you go to my UA-cam channel and search "data sufficiency," I have a couple more free videos up there that I think will help you. And then of course you can dive deeper with our comprehensive a-la-carte Data Sufficiency lessons here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-data-sufficiency-part-2/
I am concerned about the RC section. I find it difficult to understand what I am reading
My biggest concern about the gmat is about not having the time to learn and to practice quickly enough to be able to beat it. How can I be sure that the way I am studying is the quickest way possible to get the score I want ? What are the learning strategies I could use to speed this process up? Big question when you're busy during the day...
Paul-Emmanuel Bidault Good question. You should know that there aren't any real shortcuts to GMAT mastery. On average, students who score 600 or higher study around 100 hours. But there are definitely some things you can do to get a bigger return on your study hours. Here's an article I wrote about how to maximize your study time, where to focus your efforts, and an overall game plan for dominating the GMAT: www.dominatethegmat.com/2014/02/how-to-study-for-the-gmat-your-gmat-game-plan/. Good luck!
Sir. I have to take this test in 16 days
You've got this! (I've had plenty of students sign up for my GMAT course just a week or two before their GMAT, so if you feel like you still need more targeted prep, I think you'd benefit from it. Let me know.)
Thank you for the video Brett, it helps me out a lot to understand the process of scoring, I'm realy concern about the data sufficiency questions, if I got this wrong how much will affect my score??
About half the questions on the quant section will be Data Sufficiency, Guillermo, so it will affect your score significantly if you don't learn how to do them well. Fortunately, there are a few simple mindsets that once you learn them, it makes D.S. questions a whole lot easier. I teach it all here (and Part 2): www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-data-sufficiency-part-1/
Great vedio... could you please post a vedio for inequality part . i m not able to solve inequality problems..thank u
Glad you found it helpful! Regarding inequalities, thanks for the recommendation. In the meantime, you can learn all about how to answer inequalities questions in our comprehensive GMAT math course: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-gmat-quantitative-course/. I'm looking forward to working with you!
it's very helpful video! Thank you.
I wish to take the GMAT and did a sample test and earned 310 without ever reading for it and it kind of hit my moral down and want to know how long i can take to prepare for the exam. Am Cameroon, i found the quant section most apprehendable than the others. Your advice will really be of great help to me. thanks.
Here's an article I wrote about how long you should expect to study for the GMAT: www.dominatethegmat.com/2012/07/how-long-should-i-study-for-the-gmat/. Truthfully, if your score is a 310, I highly recommend that you consider our Full GMAT Prep Course: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-gmat-prep-course/. It will teach you everything you need to know to dominate the GMAT, and since it's online, you can access it from Cameroon. Good luck and I hope to have the opportunity to work with you!
I've not been doing so great on the data sufficiency. I have the logic model down, but I feel like I have to complete the problem in its entirety to get the answers. While this would take too much time, I cannot figure out the shortcut strategies. I know I am missing something here?!? Any suggestions?
The main thing, as I discuss in my "D.S. Part 1 lesson" (www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-data-sufficiency-part-1/), is to always ask yourself before starting to answer the problem: "What information, if they give it to me, would enable me to answer the question?" Then look at the statements and see if they give you that info! For example, maybe the question asks, How many people play both flute and clarinet? Well, you'd quickly identify that as a "Sets" question governed by the 2-Sets formula A+B-Both+Neither=Total. So if you're trying to solve for "Both," then the statements must somehow give you A, B, Neither, and Total for you to be able to solve. That way you don't actually have to solve the question, you just have to see if you could!
Nice. Thanks. I'll go through some more questions and see if the amount of correct answers increases. You are a rock star!
Thanks a lot for this wonderful video. My main concern is verbal section.
+Gurjeet Kaur Paneser All question types on the verbal section? Or some more than others? I have a comprehensive GMAT verbal course (www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-verbal-section/) if you're looking for strategic help. In the meantime, the best advice I can give you between now and test day is...read more! The more you read, the better you'll do on Reading Comp and Sentence Correction. As for CR, there's a bit more you need to learn there. Good luck and let me know how else I can help!
+Dominate the GMAT
Thanks for your response!
The problem with me is I don't have consistency in verbal and also I don't find myself confident enough in any of the verbal section
Most concerned about Quant portion of the GMAT. Also concerned that I haven't been practicing in the most efficient manner these last 5 months. I have 2 weeks until I take the GMAT
Brandon Evans What have you been doing to prepare? Two weeks is still a good amount of time to make significant gains. Here's an article I wrote about how to study for the GMAT in the most efficient way possible: www.dominatethegmat.com/2014/02/how-to-study-for-the-gmat-your-gmat-game-plan/. Hope it helps!
I've been doing about 20-30 practice questions each day from the official gmat test book and online book. Mostly concentrating on the quant/data sufficiency because they tend to be the most challenging for me.
Brandon Evans Have you checked out my a-la-carte video lessons? At only $25 each, they're a cost-effective way to beef up on your trouble areas, especially with just a couple weeks left to prepare. Here's the link: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/. Enjoy them and good luck!
Hey Brett,
First I want to say that you are pretty awesome at explaining, I wish I had had more crystal clear teachers like you throughout my school life. Anyway, my hardest problem is the actual "translation" of a word problem into an equation or a diagram, it kind of feels like I have the pieces of the puzzle, biut I just dont know how to put them together, like they were all floating in my head.
Anyway thanks again.
To be more specific, anything regarding ratios, sequences and combined rates :( so bad.
+Joshua Navarrete Guizar Yeah, there are some basic things to know like "is" translates to "=", "more than" translates to "+", etc. So if you see a word problem like, "John is 5 years older than Sarah...," you'd start writing an equation as "J = S + 5." However, as I teach in my videos, the traditional algebraic approach may not be the best strategy on many GMAT word problems. So your trouble with translating a word problem into an equation can probably be solved by mastering my non-standard math strategies! Continue to check out my free videos here on UA-cam, but if you really want to master these concepts, you may need to buy some of my a-la-carte lessons or enroll in one of my online courses to figure it all out.
hey Brett,
good job with these videos and I am glad that I see a person like you who genuinely wants to help students get a good score.
My question is, are there any particular questions/topics that we need to master in order to reach the 700+ barrier? I mean, we want to reach there, right? But from what I understood, the permutations/combinatorics topic is mostly asked when you are around the 700+ barrier. But what topics do you think we should master in order to get there? What are the 600+ questions?
Thank you
There aren't really specific "700+" topics. You'll see 600-level permutations/combinations questions, and even 500-level variations as well. It's just that to crack 700, you need to be able to solve harder versions of all the question types -- especially the number properties questions. The other key to cracking 700 isn't so much content knowledge as it is time management and test-taking ability. It's a bit of a juggling act to crack the 700 barrier, and it's a combination of lots of different things. Also remember that your total score is a combination of both Quant AND Verbal, so even if you learn to do the hardest probability questions in your sleep, if you still struggle on Sentence Correction or harder reading comp passages, you won't be able to score over 700 either. Finally, remember that plenty of people get into the top schools with scores in the 600's. Make sure the rest of your application is up to par as well. Good luck!
Hello Brett and thank you for helping us with your awesome videos. I am planning to take GMAT in 2 weeks and my scores in the practice tests are not the scores I want. Well I am concerned about sentence correction as it is giving me a really hard time in the practice tests. I get almost 50% of its questions wrong. Before taking these tests I thought I know how to answer correctly but now I think I need to relearn it all.
You don't have to relearn all of it, but it may be helpful to have a clear methodology for how to attack them in the most effective way possible. Focus on the 6 most commonly-tested points of grammar, especially pronouns, subject-verb agreement, and modifiers. Also learn the "bracketing technique" for blocking out fluff and zeroing in on the key parts of the sentence being tested. I cover it all in detail, with worksheets and examples, here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-sentence-correction-part-1/.
Thank you Brett! You are doing an amazing work giving the key to live for everyone! That is incredible!
In the video you told we can ask you questions about ours concerns. I don't know if my concern really about GMAT techniques, but my problem is that I am very bad at reading information. My English is not so good and it takes me so long to get a written information so I need to come back at read it again and again to get what the test is asking me. or may be it is a problem with my concentration, because I'm trying to read books in English but It doesn't seems that I have any progress.
So may be you know some tips that would help me to get the task faster or it's also about practice and with more practicing I will do it better?
Thank you again!
It could be a few things, Quentin. You'll have to pass the TOEFL to go to a U.S. business school, right? How is your preparation for that coming along? The reason I ask is that it may simply be a function of your English not quite being up to par yet, as you suggested. The only remedy for that is to read, read, and read some more! And maybe get some English tutoring. If it's a concentration issue, there are some psychological techniques discussed in this webinar we did last week that could help you: thriveteam.adobeconnect.com/p2juizawahz/. Beyond that, there are some strategies I teach in my Reading Comprehension lessons (www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-reading-comprehension/) about how to read the passages more quickly and get right answers in less time. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the free video. I have heard various arguments on both sides about whether the earlier questions influence your score more than the later ones. It seems logical to me that they would.
However, has this been verified definitively? Is there proof?
Cheers,
Ciaran
P.S. Two areas I struggle with the most are the tougher Data Sufficiency and also Permutations/Combinations.
It has been verified, yes, Ciaran. Perhaps it's semantics to say that it's not exactly that earlier questions are "worth" more, but it is the case that your score fluctuates more early in a section than at the end of the section. Same effective result. The bigger argument is over what to do about it. The reality is that all you can really do is try as hard as possible on each question and cut your losses and move on when/if it becomes clear that it'll take much longer than 2-ish minutes for you to solve the problem. What is more within your control, as I explained in the video, is ensuring that you don't run out of time at the end of a section. Leaving questions unanswered results in a major penalty.
Hi. Tha ks for a great video. I have 1 question. Does it make a difference if I give Gmat before Aug or after Aug?
I don't think it matters, no. Why do you ask? As long as you get your score before your application deadlines, you should be fine.
@@dominatethegmat I think there is a kind of tumour that if you give exam before Aug end as the students who appear are low in no. S you get extra 20 points. The computer adjusts it.
@@nitipriyasingh1387 I haven't heard anything like that. Just a rumor.
How to improve on RC? I am not able to do that.
I just sent you an e-mail. Additionally, you might want to listen to this interview with one of my students who increased his GMAT score 120 points: podcast.dominatetestprep.com/548431/1923473-8-how-i-raised-my-gmat-score-120-points-with-matt-kunzler. He said one of the things that helped him the most with verbal was reading the New York Time "Science" section first thing every morning. Give it a try!
Verbal : Critical reasoning is the most critical aspect of Gmat i am concerned about as i am pretty bad in it . Can you assist me with it???
You're not alone Vinay! The good news is that there are just a few key things to learn that will shift your thinking and put you in a better position to get more of these question types right. I have a two-part video series explaining how to master GMAT Critical Reasoning in detail. You can learn more here: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-critical-reasoning-part-1/ (P.S. Everything you learn in these two video lessons will help you with the AWA essay as well!).
Any good books for Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning??
Vinay Acharya Manhattan GMAT has some good verbal topic-specific books. And an author named Brandon Royal has a nifty little book on reasoning that will help you a lot with Critical Reasoning: www.amazon.com/The-Little-Blue-Reasoning-Book/dp/1897393601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397173319&sr=8-1&keywords=brandon+royal
I just freeze up when I look at the clock or out during Reading Comprehension Questions. Find it really daunting to retain every bit of info in long tests and consequently just blank out.
Obviously that's not going to help you get right answers, so you're going to need to figure out how to get past that! One of the thing I teach my students with respect to RC is to "actively" read the passages by taking short notes on your scratch paper. It helps to keep your mind engaged to the most important parts of the passage. Also, make sure you're learning to read for "big picture." You don't need to read every word. Go into it knowing that the passages will be long, boring, and convoluted. But that's okay. Your job is to get right answers, not to give a book report to your spouse when you get home :)
Hey, I wanted to ask you one question especially about the GMAT Verbal. I am preparing for the verbal, which I found the most toughest. Every time I see a verbal question I get confused. I doubt whether the concept I am applying is correct or not and even if I answer the question I am not 100% sure whether I answered it correctly. In case of quantitative you can be sure but how to do the same for verbal. Please help me with verbal.
Well the best strategy for attacking each of the different verbal question types is a bit different depending on which question type you're looking at. So I don't have a blanket answer for you. In other words, the way you approach a SC question will be a little different from the way you approach RC questions. If you're serious about beefing up your GMAT Verbal score, I would highly recommend that you take our Verbal Course where we cover everything you've asked about in great detail: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/full-verbal-section/.
Quantitative Section, I really need to pass this GMAT. I take it again in a couple of weeks.
+daishu42 What are you doing differently this time around to prepare?
+Dominate the GMAT nothing drastically just studying more and watching videos. I really can't afford to pay for any course.
+daishu42 Well let me know if there's anything else I can do to help! And we do have topic-specific a-la-carte "mini courses" that may fit your budget better, if there are certain topics (e.g. data sufficiency or algebra or probability) that you really need to beef up on: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/. Good luck!
critical thinking, data sufficiency, reading comprehension
Thanks a lot for this valued video. Actually my main issue that I have just one month to give the GMAT test and English is my second language which I'm worried that it would give me some hard time in the verbal reasoning section.
Yes, the GMAT can be difficult for non-native English speakers. For a verbal standpoint, the good news is that there are a handful of key English grammar rules that will serve you well on the Sentence Correction section: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/gmat-sentence-correction-part-2/. Let me know how else I can help!
Thumbs up to you ! Thanks a lot :)
Breth I am really happy too see this video it address the main concerns which GMAT participants face during their journey. I want to know what is the average IQ needed to conquer GMAT. Have a Gud day
what is the best study material to start with and how many hours should I invest in studying for the gmat before testing
Here's an article I wrote about how many hours you should expect to study for the GMAT: www.dominatethegmat.com/2012/07/how-long-should-i-study-for-the-gmat/. Here's an article about recommended resources and an overall GMAT study plan: www.dominatethegmat.com/2014/02/how-to-study-for-the-gmat-your-gmat-game-plan/.
Brett,
Im Jaime from Colombia and Im trying to do a Master in business In Jean Moulin in Lyon.
I really don't know what is going to happen the day of the exam 18th of February (3 weeks from today), and from my point of view I'm not prepare at all to do it. Having this limited period of time I found in your videos all the information that I need to know before to do the Gmat exam. Im workin just with the text book the GMAT review as you mentioned in one of your videos and I don't want to have more books because my time is limited. My routine is to separated the days of the week one for each section and timing every exercise, maybe in this way I will be at least half prepare.... I would like to know your opinion and if you have any advice I will appreciated
Hi Jaime, I just spent the past year and a half living in Colombia (Bogota for a year, then Cartagena and Medellin). What a beautiful country and beautiful people! Have you taken any full-length practice tests yet? I would advise that you start there? Remember that you can change your test date if you realize that you're truly not ready. Also, in terms of your studying, I think it's better to do a little bit from each section each day because that's how the real GMAT is -- you need to train your brain to switch from topic to topic in a short amount of time.
Dominate the GMAT Hi Brett,
Thanks for the advice. Yes I did a practice exam, the one what it comes in the software GMATprep. my score was a terrible 260, but I did it without mathematics review or be familiarize with the terminology of the exam. Again thank you, to people like me, it is really valuable your feedback.
PS. I knew that you were filming in Colombia, is impossible no to recognise your Country. Currently I live in Australia completely dedicated it to the GMAT
jaime mendez Yep, this particular video was shot in Tabio, just outside of Bogota. Anyway, good luck and let me know how else I can help! Even if you think you don't have enough time to take my Full Course before your GMAT, remember that I have a-la-carte lessons on all of the math topics: www.dominatethegmat.com/video-purchase/a-la-carte-topics/.
My biggest concern after two/three months of prep is how do you tackle the 700 level data sufficiency questions without wasting much time on it. The most difficult part is when u have to chose between option c and e.
Yep, that can be tricky on the harder questions for sure. The more you do, the more you'll know what to look for. Have you done all of the "hard" DS questions in the Official Guide?
Wow .. was indeed a great video.. I am really worried about the Quant section and I fear I might screw up in that. :(
What have you done to study GMAT quant so far? Stay tuned because I'll be releasing another new video in a couple days that will give you some great Quant section strategies.
I have been studying for a close to two months but I'm having a hard time with how much progress I have made since I started. I feel given my past in high school math where I struggled a lot might come to bite me back. Just recently graduated from college and graduate with a B range GPA and hoping if I really put in the time and study for a few months I can get a midrange gmat score. Also, I am not a strong test taker. Any ideas or suggestions?
Yep, I have lots of suggestions! First, watch the other two parts in this "GMAT Mastery" series. I think they'll help you. Second, it sounds like you'd benefit from a prep course. I hope you'll consider ours. Finally, just a word of encouragement that everything on the GMAT is learn-able, even if you didn't do very well in math in high school. I've had plenty of students who claimed to be hopeless cases when it came to GMAT math, yet we were able to get them where they needed to go. The GMAT isn't a math test, it's a reasoning test. As such, don't approach your preparation trying to do all the math in a traditional way. As you'll see in these UA-cam videos and in my Full GMAT Prep Course, often the best approach to certain question types is a non-traditional approach. Your goal is to get right answers so that you can move on to business school, not to make your high school algebra teacher proud. Study accordingly. I'm here to help. Feel free to e-mail me at brett@dominatethegmat.com if you'd like to continue the conversation. Good luck!
the other strategies you will develop when you solve a lot of problems but this WIBNI strategy is new ...Liked it ...thanks :)