700+ for September

Question

Hello Folks,

I'm planning to apply to a top MBA program, so aiming for 700+.

However, there's a problem: I scored 440 on my diagnostic a year ago.

Given my low diagnostic, is it possible for me to hit the 700+ range come September? I heard the GMAT is highly coachable, so theoretically 800 is achievable with enough time and practice. However, as I only have 4 months, what can I realistically do to boost my score by +260 points?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi this_guy,

Raising a 440 to a 700+ will take some serious work - and you'll have to make improvements you handle BOTH the Quant and Verbal sections. While 4 months is a great 'chunk' of potential study time, you'll have to be efficient with how you study. Unfortunately, a year-old Practice Test score isn't useful in assessing your current abilities. As such, I suggest that you take a new FULL-LENGTH practice CAT Test; you can download 2 for free from www.mba.com (and they come with some additional practice materials). If you want to do a little studying first, so that you can familiarize yourself with the basic content and question types, then that's okay - but you shouldn't wait too long to take that initial CAT. That score will give us a good sense of your natural strengths and weaknesses and will help provide a basis for comparison as you continue to study. A FULL CAT takes about 4 hours to complete, so make sure that you've set aside enough time to take it in one sitting. Once you have those scores, you should report back here and we can come up with a study plan.

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

this_guy · Answer

Thank you for your helpful reply. I will complete a full-length test as soon as I can.

I'm also considering a prep course to optimize my studies the next 4 months. Is this considered good ROI? I'm thinking Manhattan or Veritas.

P.S. 440 was my score without studying. Forgot to mention this.

Skywalker18 · Answer

Hi this_guy , Raising your score from 440 to 700+ will require a lot of effort. Just to put things into perspective, 760 is 99 percentile and a score of 800 of is rare . You should take one of the GMAT Prep practice tests and based on your performance you can decide on your approach. - OG and Verbal review - Don't just solve questions but think like the test maker and analyze the details. - Magoosh on demand - this is a course with decent ROI - For Quant - Manhattan or Veritas prep guides are good - GMAT Club tests are fantastic for quant practice. -Also , solve the questions in Bunuel's signature. SC - e-GMAT and Manhattan SC - It can be improved in the least amount of time . This is the best e-GMAT module. - CR - Powerscore , e-GMAT , MGMAT Ron's videos -RC - MGMAT or Veritas reading strategy - GMAT Prep exam pack 1 and 2 - GMAT question pack 1 e-GMAT Scholaranium - Good tool for verbal practice. For practice tests, I would advise that you should stick to GMAT Prep exams. You can use MGMAT or Veritas for additional practice. Hope this helps!!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi this_guy,

A 700+ score is the 90th percentile, meaning that 90% of Test Takers either CAN'T or WON'T do what it takes to score at that level. As you can imagine, most Test Takers can't get to that level by studying on their own, so investing in the right practice materials is key.

Beyond doing lots of practice problems though, you need consistent, professional guidance, so that you can learn all of the patterns, tactics and 'secrets' of the GMAT (without having to try to figure out all of that stuff on your own). You would likely find it beneficial to invest in a GMAT Course of some kind (either Guided Self-Study or instructor-led). Most GMAT Companies offer some type of free materials (practice problems, Trial Accounts, videos, etc.) that you can use to 'test out' a product before you buy it. We have a variety of those resources at our site (www.empowergmat.com). I suggest that you take advantage of all of them then choose the one that best matches your personality, timeline and budget.

If you have any additional question, then just let me know.

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

SUPERSARS · Answer

Extremely difficult but not impossible.
1-Try to get your quant score to 49-50
2-Improve your verbal score to a minimum of 38

You need to work very hard to isolate your weaknesses and work on them. I would say 4 months is great. Most people spend 3 months solid on their GMAT prep strategies.

jkolachi · Answer

Its possible, don't waste time and focus on your weaknesses. Spend a lot of time reviewing your mistakes and make sure you don't make the same mistake twice. Its possible. Good luck

rohan2345 · Answer

Four months should be good enough to achieve your target score. It’s a good thing you have taken a practice test. You can now know your weaknesses and work on them. If you are willing to study dedicatedly for that period, you are sure to achieve your goal. I believe you may benefit from taking a GMATPREP course. If you are willing, there are some great GMAT prep companies that can help you with your preparation.

In order to make an informed decision I would highly encourage you to go to their websites and try on their free trial and decide for yourself which one do you like better. You try out free access to EmpowerGMAT, Magoosh and Optimus Prep as they have great reviews on GMATCLUB.

Also for verbal, I would highly encourage you to consider e-gmat verbal online or the e-gmat verbal live course. They are both amazing courses especially designed for non-natives. They offer almost 25% of their courses for free so you can try out their free trial to decide which one you want to go for. Plus the e-gmat Scholaranium which is included in both the courses is one of the best verbal practice tools in the market.

You can also try out the MGMAT guides they are phenomenal and cover the entire syllabus really well. I must add that if you are particularly looking to discover and improve on your weak areas in quant; a subscription to GMATCLUB tests is the best way to do that. They are indeed phenomenal and will not only pinpoint your weak areas but also help you improve on them. Further taking multiple mocks might help. Apart from the GMATPREP, Manhattan GMAT tests and Veritas Prep Tests in my experience have a good verbal and Quant section and will certainly help you point out and improve your weak areas.

Further another advantage of taking many mocks is to build up your stamina. Apart from the GMATPREP tests, taking practise tests of any major GMATPREP company ought to do that.

Lastly I would also encourage you to purchase the latest version of OG and the verbal review for some great additional practice. Here is a link that will help you with your decision.

https://gmatclub.com/forum/best-gmat-ve ... 68383.html

Hope this helps. All the best.

nahid78 · Answer

Possible but you need patience and hard working attitude. All the best.

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