What would you all say to do when start studying a new section, and get stuck? do you just go slow, try to understand it thoroughly, take practice problems on it, etc…??? I don’t take the exam until December, but i can tell the Quant is going to hold me off a while. i’ve read the Quant on the test isn’t that bad and you don’t have to use a calculator that much too…idk?. Should I be memorizing the different formula’s and writing them down, or learning how to compute everything on the calculator or both??? I’m so confused already and i’ve only been studying for 1 week!
You should not be memorizing anything. You should be trying to master the concept and really understand the logic behind the LOS. There is something specific in each LOS that your required to understand, not memorize. First and foremost follow the LOS. Some LOS may be quantitative in nature but not require you to be able to make a calculation, but to simply be able to explain it. In such a case, why waste your time trying to master the calculation. The formulas are tools to help you reach conclusions. That said, you need to understand your tools. More specifically, you need to understand how inputs effect your outcomes. If you start there it becomes much easier to recall the formulas themselves. The exam is conceptual, true. That means we can likely expect many questions asking how our conclusions/outcomes would vary from changes in the data, as opposed to being asked to make calculations. Memorizing formulas will not help much in that case. As far as the calculator, of course you need to learn to use it effectively. Time is key, my suggestion would be just get through the material once trying your best to understand the concepts as much you can along the way, answer the questions at the end of the section, correct them and move on. Once you’ve gone through the entire curriculum, double back and cover the material you struggled with more in depth. Lastly, leave the last month to work test taking strategies and building speed and focus as you answer questions. I pretty much have given you a rundown of my life since January. I’m only sitting for level one too, so we’ll see if my strategy pays off in a few weeks.
thanks! and hey good luck to ya. i am interested to see what people say on here after june…