690 on GMAT Prep Software mock. Exam on 12 November. How to prepare?

Hi sushantsarma,

With this starting score, a 750+ score goal is achievable in the timeframe that you've described. The bulk of the missing points that you're after are going to be found in the Verbal section, so I suggest that you start there. Since you already have some study materials, you should plan to study as you see fit for the next 1-2 weeks, then take a new, FULL-LENGTH CAT (with the Essay and IR sections). Once you have that score result, you should post back here and we can discuss how best to proceed from there.

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

Hi sushantsarma,

A 690 cold is a great start! Based on the sore breakdown of your initial practice exam, verbal seems to be a weaker topic than quant. Thus, you may consider focusing the majority of your study efforts on verbal, while less on quant (perhaps a 4 to 1 ratio of verbal to quant.)

In regard to how to study for the GMAT, you must realize that the GMAT is such a challenging exam because there are relatively few questions asked in a given exam, yet those questions come from a huge topic pool. Thus, the best way to get a great GMAT score is to have a thorough understanding of all the topics that may be tested on the exam. To develop such mastery, you want to strive for linear and targeted learning and follow that with focused practice. In other words, you want to master one topic before you move to the next.

When studying verbal, focus on learning one section at a time: reading comprehension, sentence correction, or critical reasoning. For example, when learning about critical reasoning, you want to be able to learn about all aspects of critical reasoning: strengthen and weaken the conclusion, resolve the paradox, find the conclusion, must be true, etc. Follow up your learning with focused critical reasoning practice, so you can determine your specific weaknesses within that topic. Do the same with sentence correction and reading comprehension.

Since your quant score is strong, you may consider slightly altering the above approach and do more focused practice. For example, if you are practicing Number Properties you want to make sure that you can practice a variety of questions from that topic: LCM, GCF, prime factors, divisibility, remainders, etc. The results of that practice will help you to determine how well you have mastered that topic and to determine your remaining weaknesses within that topic.

If you would like some help determining your quant strengths and weaknesses, I welcome you to take my free 37-question quant diagnostic. After completing the diagnostic, you will be provided with a detailed analysis of your proficiency level of GMAT quant topics, as well as an opportunity to discuss your diagnostic results with me or another TTP instructor/coach.

In regard to IR, since those questions test both quant and verbal concepts, you might consider studying IR after you have concluded your quant and verbal prep. Once you enhance your quant and verbal skills, you will find IR to be much more manageable.

Finally, if you find that your current prep books do not allow for focused learning/practice, you might consider using a self-study course. In comparison to GMAT prep books, self-study courses typically provide detailed study plans and have granular analytics, so you can easily track your progress as you move through the course. By being able to track your progress, you will remain more engaged, and you’ll be able to more accurately forecast when you are ready to take your real GMAT.

If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out.

Good luck!!

Hi Scott

Thanks for a detailed and informative reply. I guess I'll begin my preparing on my verbal by practicing on MGMAT and OG.