From 590 to a target score of 700+ what are the best resources to use

Hi EMPOWERgmat,

Thank you for your response. So here is what you had inquired for:
Studies:
1) What study materials do you currently possess? --> I am referring to OG2018, some local institute material & few online free resources
2) With this initial CAT, did you take the FULL Exam (including the Essay and IR sections)?--> Yes

Goals:
3) What is your goal score? --> 720 - 740 (Can say I am targeting a decent above 700 score)
4) When are you planning to apply to Business School? -->2019 intake as I am already late I believe for most college deadlines for 2018
5) What Schools are you planning to apply to? Honestly, I have not done a thorough research to boil down to like top 3 or 5 right now. But since I have a 9+ years work experience, I am looking for an executive program that can be good for my career. I know of few such programs at ISB, UCLA, NUS, so basically flexible with any geography but want to get into something that would help me build my career on top of my current experience.

Hi pushpitkc,

Thank you so much for your response! These are really good insights and since I am planning for my preparations, this is a big help.
I was exactly looking for such information
I am yet to go through all the links and explore the materials but its nice to know what to look for otherwise there is so much information available everywhere that it gets confusing in the end.
I am sure I will have queries in future. Will reach out then.
Thanks again for now

Hi
A score of 590 on the first prep test is very good. It means generally the concepts are pretty much clear. Further resources, you can refer to the MGMAT guides for Verbal and Quant as they are one of the best.
Regarding prep tests, Gmatprep tests are the closest to the actual Gmat. It is advisable to buy the Gmat prep 1 and 2 test packs each consisting of 2 tests, so you get 4 tests. These are suggested to be taken at the final stages of preparation. Additionally you can practice the MGMAT tests or Veritas prep tests. Both are somewhat difficult compared to the actual test but give you good practice.
Hope this helps!

Hi Shenaz,

Raising a 590 to a 720+ will require that you make significant improvements to how you handle BOTH the Quant and Verbal sections and that training will likely take at least another 3 months of consistent, guided study. This is meant to say that your goal IS achievable, but you'll have to be efficient with your studies going forward.

Given everything that you've described, 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.

1) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week?

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

Hi Shenaz,

3 months is a good enough time to improve your score. It’s a good thing you have given GMAT PREP once. You now know your weaknesses and work on them. If you are willing to study dedicatedly for 4 months, you are sure to achieve your goal. I believe you may benefit from taking an additional 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 easily track your progress in that you can identify your strengths and analyze and improve on your weak areas.

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 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.

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

Lastly, you can check out a very interesting article by Mike McGarry from Magoosh detailing a 3 month study plan

https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/3-month-g ... -students/. You will find it very helpful as it gives out a study plan as per your needs.

Hope this helps. All the best.