From 400 on practice CAT to 720 on GMAT - Is it possible?

Just as a point of reference, while it is possible, it is a big undertaking to get 320 points of improvement.

It has been done but I can only think of 20 people on gmat club who have done this type of thing.

I hope you will be #21
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Hi Grspn17,

It's not impossible.
I started with a 450 practice CAT score a few years ago and end up with a 700 in the actual test. (A little lower than your target score)

However, to achieve that kind of improvement in 3 months would require huge efforts.
Looking at your score break down, I'd recommend that you to start reviewing basics in Quant before tackling GMAT questions.
Manhattan's Foundations of GMAT Math is a good place to start.

Hi Grspn17,

90 days is a good enough time to improve your score. If you are willing to study dedicatedly for that period, you are sure to achieve your goal in verbal. I believe you may benefit from taking an additional course in both quant and verbal. 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. Further I see you are a new member here at GMATCLUB and when you sign up at GMATCLUB you get a free 3 days access to EMPOWERgmat course. You can also try out the trail version of Magoosh which will give you a week's access to their course.

Also 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 and they are both within your budget. 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.

Further have a look at MGMAT guides they are phenomenal especially for quant. 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.

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.

yes it is possible just stay focus and don't give up.

Since my last post with everyone following things have happened.

1. I did not study seriously till about end of July, 17. I would study for a week and then take a break for 2 weeks. By the time I would come back I would have forgotten what i had learnt 2 weeks ago.
2. I decided it was time to study seriously, and from 1st of Aug, I started studying every day for about 2-3 hours.

So over the last 6 weeks of my serious studying (Its been 7.5 weeks but I broke my foot and had to take a 10 day break) I have taken 2 MGMAT tests and scored 590 on each.

I took time to review my mistakes and realized the following.

1. I tense up during the tests.
600 level Quant problems for which I take 3:45 mins on average on the tests, I can solve in less than 1:20 mins when I am not under any pressure and because I am not able to go beyond 600 level problems I am unable see 700 level problems on MGMAT tests (I am unsure if MGMAT tests mimic the actual test). I believe this will go as I as practice more.

2. I fail miserably on CR and completely on quant.

I have noticed where I lose points

1. Quant

DS (avg. difficulty of correct answer- 580 and of incorrect answer - 650) and
PS (avg diff. correct 560 and incorrect 610)

Weak topics - Ratios, Statistics, Consecutive integers, Algebra

2. Verbal

CR (avg diff. correct 600 and incorrect 680)
RC (avg diff. correct 680 and incorrect 730) and
SC (avg diff. correct 660 and incorrect 700)

Weak Areas
RC - Inference, Main Idea
CR - Strengthen, Weaken, Draw conclusion, Find assumption (basically everything)

I use Magoosh premium subscription for online studies and OG for regular studies, Princeton review (cracking the GMAT) and MGMAT quant guides for basics.

When i read all the debriefs and see the kind of prep material others are using, I feel the course material I am using will be insufficient to get me to my target score.

Should I still follow the course material mentioned by "Skywalker18" or something else to improve on my score considering my specific weaknesses?
While its a bit embarrassing to admit but 'e-gmat verbal online' is slightly out of my budget, so any other alternative would be highly appreciated.

When are you taking the GMAT? Also, try to list down all the material you have and indicate how much of it you've done.

Hello Ajitesh,

I plan to take GMAT in the second week of Nov, 17 depending on the kind of score i get in my mock tests.

I have below material

1. Magoosh
Video Lessons remaining
Quant - Co-ordinate Geometry, Statistics, Counting and Probability
Verbal - 70% of SC, and complete RC and CR

Problems solved
Quant - 211/663 (32%)
Verbal - 185/553 (33%)

OG - Quant
PS - 112/230 (49%)
DS - 96/174 (55%)

OG - Verbal
RC - 15/26 (58%)
CR - 64/124 (52%)
SC - 64/140 (46%)

Princeton
Finished SC chapter.
Plan to finish DS, CR and RC chapters by end of this week

MGMAT Quant guides
Finished first 4.

If I remember correctly, by GMAC's statistical analysis, it is "easier" to increase your score from a "low" one than to an "average/mid" one...
It is definitely possible but will take a lot of effort and time.
I, for example, improved my score by 100 points...

That’s true. Even I am not too elated by the improvement in score as it’s still at an average level. Until I get into high 600s or low 700s an improvement of 190 is a token improvement.

But the good thing is I have identified my weak areas and I hope by focusing on them I can reach my target score.

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I don't think that Cracking the GMAT book is going to be of much help, but the rest of your material is fine. Take additional material for theory only if you really feel the need for it. Do try to get more official material though, especially the exam packs.