470 and so it begins

Question

So I have just begun my journey to the GMAT. It was a fairly sudden decision to try and take the GMAT as I found out about its coming changes and decided it was now or never if I wanted a high score.

Throughout my academic career, I have always had to work harder than most in order to succeed. With this in mind I register for the Veritas program and started class on March 5th.

Profile: 
26 years old
Industrial Design graduate
GMAT goal: 650

I knew my Quant score was going to be low, and to be brutally honest I could barely remember my multiplication tables. So I did 6 days of reviewing mathmatics and learning some arithmetical short cuts. I then took my first CAT simulation and scored a 470 Q15 V35.

Yes you read that right... 15 in the Quantitative portion of the simulation exam.

Needless to say after some shock and contemplating just giving up, I have decided I will at least give the GMAT all that I've got before calling it quits. I then scheduled my GMAT appointment for the 25th of May in order to provide a real push to focus and study hard and reserve a spot before the test is changed.

This leaves me 72 days to turn my Quant around and hopefully bump up my Verbal a bit too. Wish me luck; I will need it.

I will post updates as my journey progresses.

gladiator999 · Answer

Wish you lots of luck buddy ,but i think that alone won't help you much . Pick up the quant concept books and go through them couple of times. Just by doing that you will see that from 15 your score will come to 30.Thereafter there is plenty of material available that can help you to go into the 40s .
But one good thing about your score is a 35 in verbal. Believe me its easy to improve in quant as compare to verbal. So get your basics right and you will definitely get your desired score buddy.

speare13 · Answer

thanks Gladiator999.

The Quant concept books you mention, is it the Official Guide's Quantitative Review, or is there an even better one?

gladiator999 · Answer

Start with the Manhattan GMAT Set of 8 Strategy Guides . there are 4 Quant books in that. Go through them and then you can see the difference buddy.

thekidjj · Answer

Like gladiator said, pick up the Manhattan GMAT quant books. You might also want to get their fundamentals strategy guide. Certainly don't give up. I went from a Q25 to a Q47 using the MGMAT and OG materials. Don't let the change in the test worry you. The only thing that's changing is the issue essay is being replaced with integrated reasoning. You can't study for it and like the AWA it won't count in your overall score.

speare13 · Answer

So after studying about 30 hours a week for the last two weeks I have noticed no increase (possibly even a decrease) in my quant skills from studying the veritas prep books and going to class.

On the suggestion of you guys I have ordered the MGMAT Quant books along with the OG Quant review. these books are far better than the veritas ones and after one day of studying from them I can see the difference.

However I am now 67 days away from my GMAT appointment and have a lot of ground to cover. So myself and a fellow veritas student met with a private tutor today and after a 2 hour discussion we are nearly certain we are going to drop the veritas class and simply go with the semi-private tutor for two 2 hour sessions per week for the next 9 weeks.

Coincidentally 20 sessions with him is going to be cheaper than the entire veritas program. which has 1 teacher to 17 students, mean while semi private tutoring is 1 teacher to 2 students and the lessons will be taylored directly to each of our problem area's. I feel this will be best for me as right now in the quant lessons at veritas it is going by too fast for me to grasp and the entire veritas program is design around the false assumption of its students having a strong fundamental math knowledge... which I don't have.

I know its a fairly sudden change in strategy this close to the test, however veritas was not teaching me what I needed to learn in a way that was going to help so a new approach was needed

speare13 · Answer

Just took my second practice CAT and scored a 590 Q40 V31

It appears that leaving the Veritas prep course and venturing out with a personal tour has worked according to plan. After studying on average 20 to 30 hours a week my quant score has gone from a 15 to a 40 in just under two months. However in the past two months I have worked only on quant, my plan now is to work on my verbal score and continue to do regular quant review.

Something I found encouragement for further quant improvement, is that after reviewing what questions I got incorrect, I was able to get the correct answer and see where I made mistakes.

now just 26 days left.

dzodzo85 · Answer

Wow, my friend, keep on pushing, I am also not giving up on believing that I can improve my GMAT score. Keep on pushing till you hit your target score.

speare13 · Answer

Thanks a lot.

Giving up and believing that it is well within your own reach to improve your score is a key factoring in doing so.

After all, if I can go from a 15 to a 40 in quant and still plan to improve further it is possible for anyone.

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470 and so it begins

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