Hitting 38-40 in Verbal, stuck at 41-43 in quant. Please help!

Dear Shrikunj,
My friend, that sounds like a good start, but I would say: don't be so self-reliant. Ask for help.

You see, if there is something subtle about a math problem that you don't see, you may be apt to overlook this again when it passes in a VE or in the MGMAT book or in a related lesson. If you ask an expert to explain it to you, then that expert is likely to go to the heart of the concept you overlooked and make it explicit to you. In the learning process, it very important to understand that, like any other person, you are limited by your own limits, which are often invisible to you, and you need the perspective of someone else who can point out what is just beyond your current reach.

I would say, with every math question you got wrong --- yes, use the MGMAT guides, which are excellent; yes, review the Magoosh video lectures. All good, but also, search for the question here on GMAT Club (many Magoosh questions are posted here already). If you find, read the questions & explanations in that thread. If nothing in the discussion addresses your question, add your question to the thread. If you can't find the question posted anywhere already, then start a new thread. Post the question, and then in your question, be extremely detailed about your approach, about what you thought you should do, what you tried, what you know you couldn't go, etc. Make as much of your thinking process as explicit as possible, giving experts the chance to correct subtle misunderstandings and suggest subtle shifts in approaches. In any of those, feel free to enlist my aid if you would like my feedback.

Does all this make sense?
Mike

Hi Shrikunj,

You didn't state it in your prior posts, but what is your score goal?

Based on your prior CAT scores, you have a big opportunity to pick up points in the Quant section. With these Quant Scaled Scores, you're likely pretty good at the straight-forward 'math' questions that you face (although you are making some silly/little mistakes throughout the section), but you're missing out on LOTS of strategy-based points (likely in DS, but in some PS questions as well).

Many Test Takers spend 3 months (or more) on their studies before they hit their 'peak' scores, so it's possible that you just have not put in enough time and effort yet. If, however, you've developed some 'bad habits' during these first 1.5 months, then you'll have to work to fix those bad habits before you'll be able to make any big improvements to your performance.

When are you planning to apply to Business School?
Do you know which Schools you plan to apply to?

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

Hey Mike,
Thank you once again. Yes, I think understanding how my approach to a question is wrong is crucial to eliminating future errors in such problems. Just going through the incorrect questions from the MGMAT mocks and looking for the solutions here. Will surely keep in touch with you to reach my dream score of 700+!
PS Thank you for the wonderful maths lectures on Magoosh. Really hope just the fact that I should finish watching all the lectures by next week should boost my score by a few points because of the tiny fundamental concepts which I will get to understand in the probability and counting modules.

Hey Rich,
My goal is to hit 700-720, and I feel the jump to 700 is possible with fewer errors in quant. Is that a reasonable assessment? The final home stretch of 30 days of prep lies ahead of me, and I do think i will be able to put in 3+ hours everyday despite my college schedule.
Further, could you please explain how I could become better at picking out these patterns and strategies in DS and PS which you referred to? Most of my errors do stem from problems which require picking out such patterns.
I plan on applying to the Masters in Management programs at LBS, Fuqua, HEC,etc. for the fall 2016 term. Need to give the GMAT by mid October because I have virtually non stop work in college from that point till mid-December, and then I'll need time to work on my overall application before the Round 2 deadlines in early Jan.

Hi Shrikunj,

Based on how you've described your studies so far, it sounds like you've been essentially self-teaching (and nitpicking tactics and details from the sources that you've worked with). To make the big jump in Quant that you're looking for, you cannot continue to work in this way. Since the Quant section of the GMAT isn't really a 'math test', you really need to shift your studies to emphasize Quant Tactics, pattern-matching, etc. which will mean changing your overall study approach and investing in some new resources.

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

Hi Rich,
Yes, I have been studying without a dedicated tutor as such. Could you please let me know what are these resources (books, tests, articles) you referred to? Wouldn't mind investing in them to ensure I become better at the more challenging quant questions which are currently stumping me!

Hi Shrikunj,

Based on everything that you've described, I think that the EMPOWERgmat Quant Score Booster would help you considerably. Most of our clients complete that Study Plan in under a month, so the time commitment wouldn't be too intense. We have a variety of free resources on our site (www.empowergmat.com), so you can 'test out' the Course before setting up an account.

If you have any additional questions, then you can feel free to contact me directly.

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