General QS

No, they are not considered in your 800 total

Hi sourodatta1993,

No, IR and AWA do not impact your GMAT score. Your GMAT score only depends on Quant and Verbal sections. So, the main focus has to be quant and verbal. Having said that, if you are beginner and are looking to start your prep, then I will be happy to help you. Before starting your GMAT prep, you need to understand what is actually tested on GMAT because without knowing the destination there is no point starting your prep. Let me help you understand that.

What GMAT actually tests?

If you are in a misconception that understanding concepts will help you score well on GMAT, let me tell you the harsh truth. GMAT is a test of application of concepts and it would require a strong conceptual knowledge and the right use of strategies to ace the test. You might not like this, but GMAT doesn’t just give you questions which require you to solve them using a formula. It goes far beyond that. To solve a particular question, it is important to understand what is it that the question is asking, identify the underlying concept and then apply that conceptual knowledge to get the solution. The reason why students take a lot of time to prepare for GMAT is because

• they do not understand what is it that is actually tested on GMAT
• so, they start their preparation by practicing questions from OG or a few random materials
• When they take a mock, they get shattered on seeing the score as months of preparation could only get them the average score a beginner will get.
• So, they start seeking advises regarding the study strategy and start their preparation from scratch.

As you see, a lot f time, effort and money gets wasted in the process. GMAT is a test which requires a considerable investment of all three parameters. So, it is important to make sure to invest them in the right manner and get the desired result.

What should be the right way to prepare:

As you have just started your preparation, I recommend you to take an official GMAT prep mock and see where you stand. Identify your stronger and weaker areas based on the result. Once you do this, the ideal plan has to be to:

• Learn the concepts – one topic at a time (Start with your stronger area)
• Learn the right methodologies to solve the questions of that particular topic
• Start taking sectional quizzes and make sure to solve the questions using the methodology learnt
• Make sure to move to the next topic, only when you get at least easy-medium questions right.
• If you have less than 60% accuracy in any topic, identify the reason behind the struggle and work on improving it.
• Once you move to the next topic, it is important to maintain the momentum that you had in the previous topics. Many students tend to forget the concepts they learnt once they start focusing on new topics. This is the time when OG comes into picture. You can practice a minimum of 5 questions of a particular topic everyday so that you do not lose touch with that topic
• Once you are done with all the topics, start taking mocks at regular intervals and see the score pattern
• Once you start getting a consistent score, you are good to book a slot.

How do you plan your prep?

A study plan plays a very important role in your GMAT prep. Having the right study plan ensures half the work to be done because while making a study plan you have to organize the concepts, arrange them on a weekly basis, and put the deadlines. This is a very time taking process. As you are beginner, you might face a few challenges in making the study plan. But do not worry. You can get your personalized study plan for free by signing up for the free trial of GMATWhiz.

I say personalized study plan because it is unique for you. A generic study plan doesn't suit everyone because everyone has one's own challenges and everyone cannot dedicate the same number of hours every week. So, a personalized study plan is a study plan which is servers your interests.

Hope you found it helpful. If you wish to know more about GMAT and how to strategize your prep, you can get in touch with me over a call. You can schedule a free consultation call using the below link.

Click here to schedule a call

Hi sourodatta1993,

Your first few posts on GMAT Club were about 4 weeks ago, so have you been studying much since then or are you still gathering information for your studies?

The AWA and IR Scores are separate Scores that do NOT impact your Overall Score out of 800 (only the Quant and Verbal sections effect that Score).

Before I can offer you any additional advice for your studies, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

1) Have you taken any practice CATs/mocks yet? If you have, then how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?
2) What study materials do you currently have access to?
3) What is your overall goal score?
4) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

Hi sourodatta1993,

The AWA and IR sections to not contribute to your overall (out of 800) GMAT score. Since you seem to be just starting out with your GMAT, here are some helpful articles:

[url=https://blog.targettestprep.com/what-does-gmat-stand-for/What Does GMAT Stand For?[/url][url=https://blog.targettestprep.com/what-is-the-gmat-format/What is the GMAT Format?[/url]

No!! AWA and IR don't affect your GMAT score. It only depends on quant and verbal sections.