540(q39 v25 ir 2) need advice

1) I have been studying since February and took the test August 3rd
2) 650
3) the sooner the better. I have spent a lot of time already for this test
4) I wanted to start applying this Round 1 in September

Hi random99,

With this Official Score, you have an opportunity to pick up BIG points in BOTH the Quant and Verbal sections. Now that you've faced the Official GMAT, you can use that knowledge of Test Day to better prepare for this next attempt. Since the GMAT is a predictable, standardized Test, you CAN train to score at a higher level - so far, the combination of materials that you've used just hasn't been enough to get you to your score goal. Thus, some adjustments to how you 'see' (and respond to) the GMAT must be made. The 'tricky' part going forwards is that you've likely developed some 'bad habits' over the course of your prior studies - and it's going to take some time to get you out of those 'bad habits' and into new 'good' habits. This may or may not be doable before the Round 1 deadlines, so you might have to consider pushing back your applications to Round 2.

I have a few questions about how you handled Test Day itself:

On Test Day:
1) How long was the ride to the Test Center from your home?
2) Were there any distractions at the facility or during the Test?
3) What did you do during the two 8-minute breaks?
4) Did you finish any sections early?
5) Did you have to rush to finish any sections (and guess on questions just to finish on time)?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

1) it took me about 90mins to get there public transportation
2) nope
3) first break i was feeling ok so i didn't take it. second break i just did a short walk
4) Quant and Verbal each had about 15 minutes left.
5) i only had to rush on ir a little bit.(so i am not surprised my IR score is had).
I just paid for the ESR and saw I only got 22% of the questions in IR right. My math was basically even per subsection. My SC was horrible. MY RC and CR was ok

Hey random99,

Sounds like you did several hundred questions but are still not getting the results you want. At this point, I would recommend that you focus more on review --- rather than on taking on additional questions.

For questions that you have seen before --- would you be able to answer them quickly with 100% accuracy? If not, then there is work to be done in terms of actually making improvement and learning from your mistakes.

For the quant section, we recommend examining multiple variations off of the same core question type so you are prepared when the same kind of question is asked in a slightly different way.

The SC section is the easiest verbal section to make improvements on. Once you understand how to think and approach this question type, there are only so many ways you can be tested. Here at GMAT Pill we developed the 10 core frameworks which detail the 10 ways to approach GMAT sentence corrections.

Here is a sample video detailing one of the core frameworks: https://www.gmatpill.com/gmat-practice-t ... stion/2184

For CR, we recommend a visual framework approach to help you understand the complex short passages and how each item relates to each other.

Here is a video describing the visual framework approach: https://www.gmatpill.com/criticalreasoni ... Estate.mp4

To improve RC - you really need visual guidance. Don't read articles about how to improve reading. You improve by actually doing or watching someone else do.

That's why you might find these video walkthroughs helpful: https://www.gmatpill.com/practicequestio ... tions.html

Best of luck on your studies- and we are here to help.

Hello random99,

You've put a lot of time and effort into your studies, which is definitely what the GMAT requires. When you did OG questions did you keep a record? I mean, did you keep a record of the questions that you missed by section and why you missed them? Did you allocate time to review the results of your practice tests in depth? Do you see any pattern for instance that you run out of time or that you miss a specific question type frequently? Studies should always be balanced. At the same time, it's important to work on the areas where you can make the most improvement. If you are really excellent in CR but consistently miss SC questions, there's a great opportunity to boost your score by working on SC. Finally, when you take your practice tests, are you taking them whole without breaks? If so, are you getting fatigued? Once you understand these things you can find ways to work with them and improve your score.

Hang in there!

Hi random99,

I've sent you a PM with some specific notes/advice about your situation.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich