Advice needed: What am I doing wrong?

Hi paulmaegoh,

To start, raising a 450 to a 570 is a noteworthy improvement. If you've looking to score significantly higher though, then there's still a lot of work to do. 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 how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) Have you used any other study materials besides the books that you mentioned?
3) On what dates did you take EACH of your CATs and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score?
5) When is your exact Test Date?
6) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
7) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

HI paulmaegoh,

I’m glad you reached out, and I’m happy to help. Looking at your current study routine, you have been following the approach of what I call “practice first and figure the rest out later” -- in other words, doing practice problems before understanding the concepts on which those problems are based, and thus trying to learn solely from reading solutions to problems. Trying to learn in such a way will leave gaps in your knowledge and impede progress. Thus, since you are plateauing, perhaps try a more linear and structured approach to your prep. In other words follow a study plan that allows you to learn each GMAT quant and verbal topic individually and then practice each topic until you’ve gained mastery. Certainly, if you’d like more specific advice on how to improve your quant and verbal skills, feel free to reach out.

Regarding resources, in addition to seeking advice in this thread, take a look at the GMAT Club reviews for the best quant and verbal courses, and also read through some GMAT success stories to see what materials have worked well for other test-takers.

Lastly, you may find it helpful to read the following article about How to Score a 700+ on the GMAT — A Mini Guide for Success.

Thank you for your reply! My Q score was 37 and V 32. I end up making lots of careless mistakes, even on questions I have done before. I just got the Manhattan books. Will start prepping further. Thanks!

Thank you so much for your reply! I have gotten the Manhattan Prep books and am now trying to work on the basics.

Hi, thanks for your help. Here are my answers:
Studies:
1) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week? I've studied for about 2 months now. Because of work, I only study around 14 hours a week. I am now trying to cut my hours and extra-curricular activities to punch up to 30 hours a week.
2) Have you used any other study materials besides the books that you mentioned? No, I have not. I have just gotten the new Manhattan Prep books. Will also start using the GMAT Club Free Verbal guide.
3) On what dates did you take EACH of your CATs and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?Can't remember the exact dates, but they were 2 weeks apart. I scored Q:37, V:32 on the most recent one. I did not recall save my previous scores unfortunately.

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score? My score goal is 680, but if I can do better, I must try.
5) When is your exact Test Date? 9 October 2019.
6) When are you planning to apply to Business School? I'm applying for 2020. Will need to submit my application by November.
7) What Schools are you planning to apply to? LBS for MAM, LSE for MiM, and WBS for MiM. As I am an alumnus for LSE, my GMAT grades will not be accounted for.

Hi paulmaegoh,

From what you describe, your prior studies were 'book heavy' and so is your ongoing study plan; unfortunately, many Test Takers who study in that way end up getting 'stuck' at a particular score level. Even the best books are limited in what they can teach you; they also can't force you to approach questions in a certain way and their explanations are often one-sided.

Raising a 570 to the point that you can consistently score 680+ will likely require at least another 2 months of consistent, guided study - and you'll have to make significant improvements to how you handle BOTH the Quant and Verbal sections. Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Exam, so you CAN train to score at a higher level. However, your current timeline only gives you about 6 weeks of study time. If you could push back your Test Date (even if it was just for a few weeks), then that extra study time could be quite beneficial.

Based on the information that you have provided, you would likely find it beneficial to invest in a GMAT Course of some type (either Guided Self-Study or instructor-led), so you should plan to look into the available options. 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 out 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