After almost two months of GMAT prep, still low score

Question

Hello everyone,
I started studying for the GMAT almost two months ago continuously, every day, for 6+ hours.
I took the GMAT almost 3 weeks ago and had a score a bit above 600 and have been scoring around 550 on the Practice Tests.
I am aiming for a 700+ by mid June.
Despite all my efforts, I feel like I am not getting any better and this has been demotivating me.
I constantly review my mistakes and study the theory in parallel, but it seems like nothing is working

.
It seems like it will take me for ever (if ever) to reach a 700+ score.
Is this still doable? Do you have any advise on what to do, which strategies to implement considering that I only have 2 weeks worth of studying left?
Thanks in advance for the advice!

. It seems like it will take me for ever (if ever) to reach a 700+ score. Is this still doable? Do you have any advise on what to do, which strategies to implement considering that I only have 2 weeks worth of studying left? Thanks in advance for the advice!

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Consider including your score breakup and which areas of the exam you find more slippery than others (i.e. RC). May be worth postponing your exam until you score 700+ on an Official Mock or two. The Share GMAT Experience subforum may be helpful to check out as well. You could see what others have done to successfully improve their score, for example.

How to score high on the GMAT. Why solving approach is important.

How to score high on the GMAT. Why solving approach is important.

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Marie.

Did you take a baseline test? It could be that you have improved a lot from where you started.

You can for sure score 700+, but it's unlikely that you'll increase your score by around 100 points in two weeks.

Can you provide a bit more detail about how you have been preparing?

Also, on the tests you've taken, what have the Quant/Verbal score breakdowns been?

MarieGMAT · Answer

Hello Marty! Thank you very much for your response! I am a big fan of your tutorials- so I am thrilled that you have responded to my post. Please find below my Practice Test/GMAT score history so far: Official PT 1: 540 Q36 V28 Official PT 2: 510 Q40 V21 Official PT 3: 540 Q42 V23 Official GMAT score: 610 Q44 V30 Official PT 4: 560 Q44 V23 I read the GMAT Official Guide 2022 and solved all the exercises in this book. I read the Manhattan books (all Verbal, some Quants topic) and watched a few Youtube videos. My weaknesses are: CR, SC and DS. I try to solve ~20 CR, ~20 SC, ~3-5 RC passages, ~10 DS and ~10 PS per day => solve the questions and review the answers to understand why I didn't get the right answer. I have been trying as hard as I can to study as many hours as possible per day - however, I feel like I am not improving at all. Do you have any advise on what I can do to progress faster? Thanks again

.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi MarieGMAT,

Many GMATers spend 3 months (or more) of consistent study time before they hit their 'peak' scores, so if you took the Official GMAT after only about 1 month of study (and you've been studying for less than 2 months in total), then you should not expect to have mastered any of the concepts or question types just yet. It's also interesting that your Official Score was notably higher than your CAT/mock Scores - meaning that you may have been taking your CATs in a way that makes the process more challenging and/or you got a bit 'lucky' on Test Day. To hit a 700+, you will almost certainly need to commit to 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.

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:

1) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks?
2) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

If you took your Official GMAT at a Test Center, then you might also choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report. While the ESR doesn’t provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what went wrong on Test Day (and what you should work on to score higher). If you purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.

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

Contact Rich at: [email protected]

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi MarieGMAT,

I do think you've had great progress so far, but you have to keep in mind that two months of studying is not a ton of time! So, the best thing you can do is, stay the course, keep moving forward, and just give yourself more time to prepare. You see what I mean?

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After almost two months of GMAT prep, still low score

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