50 points in 10 days?

Question

Hi all,

I need to score a 470 on the GMAT by the end of this month (January). I took the practice test a couple days ago and a scored a 480. Yesterday I went to take the actual test and got a 450.

I now know that I need to strive for at least a 500 for me to comfortably secure a 470 on test day. I prefer to the take the test in 10 days (January 17th) and I need some advice on how to secure at least a 470.

What can I do in the next 10 days to best prepare? I see that the online courses are long and meant for people putting in months of work. I need to understand what to focus on primarily in the next 10 days - ALL my sections need work.

I can post my score breakdowns, but they are really inconsistent. My best section on the practice test (IR, 80th percentile) turned out to be my worst on the actual test and vice versa.

Thank you!!

Abhi077 · Answer

Hi, sorry to hear about your bad test day but do not worry, you're seeking help in the right place.
I can see that you have around 22 days to work upon your GMAT, and trust me you can score much more than what you've targeted.
First things first, you need to brush up your basics. for anything above 500, your basics must be clear. If they aren't, go through these links
For quant:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/all-you-need ... l#p1130136
https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-math-bo ... l#p1073182
For Verbal:
SC:
I would recommend Manhattan SC guide and the following articles
https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-math-bo ... l#p1073182
https://gmatclub.com/forum/compiled-thu ... l#p1237066

for CR,
Go through power score bible, if you don't have one, go through this https://gmatclub.com/forum/powerscore-c ... 15864.html
Also these,
https://gmatclub.com/forum/zomg-the-ban ... 00473.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/mod-nightbla ... l#p2272709
For RC,
I would recommend Manhattan RC guide and a lot of practice. analyse the question patterns
Practice as many official questions as you can and review them thoroughly. spend considerable amount of time on every official question and maintain a error log. ( go through this https://gmatclub.com/forum/importance-o ... 68428.html)
That's about it, since you don't have time to chose among the prep courses, GMAT club in itself is a big resource. just keep exploring. Goodluck, crush the GMAT!

NivenProfido · Answer

Thanks so much, Abhi for the positivity and great resources. It means a lot.

Today I'm looking for anything and everything that can give me some direction. I have found a 2 week boot camp by Manhattan Prep that costs $2,000 and starts in a couple days. Do you think this is a good option or should I just take advantages of free material and numerous free trials throughout the month?

Thanks again for your input.

Abhi077 · Answer

I don't think you need that. $2000 is too much to spend on GMAT prep imo. Also, your target score can easily be achieved through the above mentioned resources, just go step by step. But then again, if you need some guided prep, here are some amazing test prep courses you can consider for a month
you can try empower gmat https://gmatclub.com/coupon-codes-and-d ... nt?fl=menu which includes both quant and verbal as well as express study plans. do check it out i guess they have a free trial.
Or you can try https://gmatclub.com/coupon-codes-and-d ... nt?fl=menu for a month's time but it's just for quant. Remember, Quant and CR can be worked upon and improved in shortest possible time.
Here's a list of free trials you can utilize:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/free-trials- ... ml?fl=menu.
If you need any further assistance, feel free to contact

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi NivenProfido,

To start, it's worth noting that to hit 470 on the GMAT, you do NOT need to correctly answer ANY questions that you think are too hard or too weird (so quickly 'dumping' those questions - so that you will have more time to spend on all of the other questions - would be a good idea). In addition, you are remarkably close to a 470+ right now, so you do NOT need to significantly improve in all areas to earn that Score.

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on your timeline and your goals:

1) When you say that you "need" a 470, what does that mean exactly? Will that Score guarantee you entry into a particular Program (and if so, then how do you know that?)?
2) What application deadlines are you currently facing?
3) Have you actually scheduled your next attempt yet (for 10 days from now) or do you have the flexibility to schedule it for a bit later?

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

NivenProfido · Answer

In my research I've seen that there is not too much on the prep on the IR section. On the exam, the reason I did the worst on this section was and wasn't able to reach my score was because of timing issues, I ran out of time and had to blind guess on the last 3-4 questions. What can I do to best prepare for this section?

Thanks again

Thanks again

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi NivenProfido,

You are in an interesting spot because you are very close to your score goal; however, since you scored 450, you clearly need to improve your foundational GMAT quant and verbal skills. I think that despite having just 10 days, you still need to follow a study plan that consists of linear learning and topical practice. In other words, learn a particular topic, and then practice that topic until you’ve gained mastery. I realize that you won’t be able to get through all of the quant and verbal topics, but at least you can ensure that whatever you study, you’ll really understand. My fear is that if you rush through all of GMAT quant and verbal, you’ll just tread water for 10 days and not make any significant improvements.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi NivenProfido,

Most Business Schools do not place much importance (if any) on an Applicant's IR Score, so you should not be focusing on that section during this next phase of your studies.

In my prior post, I included a few questions - and the answers to those questions are quite important to helping you to properly plan out how to use your remaining study time:

1) When you say that you "need" a 470, what does that mean exactly? Will that Score guarantee you entry into a particular Program (and if so, then how do you know that?)?
2) What application deadlines are you currently facing?
3) Have you actually scheduled your next attempt yet (for 10 days from now) or do you have the flexibility to schedule it for a bit later?

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

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