GMAT prep 1 score - Help!!

Question

Hello!
I gave prep 1 today and scored a 460. Q 22 and V 36. I have been studying since 3 months and I was shocked to see this score!
I am not from a math background and have always had a phobia of math. I knew from the beginning that I will have to work on my basics and thus got comfortable with the GMAT math basics by studying the Manhattan Quant as well as verbal and Kaplan strategies. I know for sure that I can improve on my verbal score by focusing more on SC (Manhattan SC guide is awesome) advice for my quant prep. I have completed solving and reviewing the OG 15 twice and am currently working on OG -16. 
Will solving the GMAT question pack 2 or GMAT focus help? I am ready to do anything to boost up my quant score. 
I plan to give the exam on 14 of Oct (not yet registered) and I dream to score a 700 on my paper. Would be glad if anyone could help to make my dream come true!

Kind regards!

thecheftony · Answer

I would focus first on the math fundamentals. You said you have a math phobia but taking a step back and reviewing the basics will be helpful. Is there a particular type of problem you are getting wrong? Is it more DS than PS? Or how about algebra vs geometry? Identifying the source of your low quant score will be helpful in planning for next steps.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi harshitaangarey,

Using this first CAT score as a 'baseline' score, you would have to improve 240+ points in 3 weeks to achieve your score goal. Unfortunately, that is NOT a realistic expectation in such a short period of time, so you should consider pushing back your Test Date so that you can continue to study and improve.

When you took this CAT:
1) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT (including the Essay and IR sections)?
2) Did you have trouble finishing any of the sections on time (and did you have to guess on a bunch of questions just to finish?)?

3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

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

harshitaangarey · Answer

Thanks for all tour replies!

EMPOWERgmatRichC 
Answers for your questions:

When you took this CAT:
1) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT (including the Essay and IR sections)? - I skipped AWA.
2) Did you have trouble finishing any of the sections on time (and did you have to guess on a bunch of questions just to finish?)? - Yes! This is the main problem. I was unable to finish the quant section. I had to guess on last 6 questions. Also, while reviewing my Prep test I realized that most of my mistakes are due to carelessness and anxiety. I solved all the questions without time pressure before reviewing, and was able to solve most of them.

3) When are you planning to apply to Business School? I am planning to apply for fall'16 intake and this is the main reason why i have to give GMAT ASAP. Also because I have spent entire 3 months doing nothing else than studying for GMAT. On one hand I feel like its high time for me to take the test, but on the other hand I dont feel confident!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi harshitaangarey,

Do you know which Schools you plan to apply to?

If you have a list already, then you might have an idea of what a 'competitive' GMAT score for each of those Schools might be. Given everything that you've described, you seem to understand that you don't 'feel ready' to take the GMAT. Rushing in to take it when you're not close to your score goals is not a good idea. Thankfully, if you really want to take the GMAT in 3 weeks, then there's no harm in doing so (if you get a score that you don't like, then you can just cancel it). However, the reality is that you're going to need far MORE study time than you planned for.

What are the EXACT application deadlines for the Schools that you're going to apply to?

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

DmitryFarberMPrep · Answer

A good general rule to follow is that you should go into any official test expecting to score similarly to what you've achieved at home. In fact, you should actively strive to recreate the conditions of your best home test. While some people do a little better on test day than at home, as Rich has said, getting to 700 in a few weeks is not realistic. Honestly, the kind of improvement you're looking for is something that most test-takers  never  achieve, regardless of how long they spend.

I'm not saying all of this to discourage you, but it looks like you need to reassess your situation. You ought to push back your test date or adjust your score expectations. In fact, you may need to do both. To hit 700, you would need to score in the 40s on both Quant & Verbal. That might be something you can make happen in Verbal over the short term, but getting Quant up that high (or getting Verbal so high that Quant can stay a bit lower) is going to take a lot of effort.

By the way, how is your timing on each section? Are you answering all the questions? Are you rushed at the end? Are there questions on which you are spending 3+ minutes?

	Target Test Prep - Save up to $599 $400 Discount + $99 Bonus GMAT Club Tests
	e-GMAT: 60% Off on GMAT Focus Get to 735+ from any starting point
	Magoosh increases your score, guaranteed - 15% off ALL Magoosh GMAT plans with code GMATCLUB15 + Free GMAT Club Tests.
	Manhattan Prep: $99 Bonus Score Higher on Your GMAT Exam. Guaranteed.
	Experts' Global - ~~$1720~~ $960 End-to-End GMAT Prep + App Support: 150+ Videos, 2000+ Questions, 15 FLTs +
	GMATWhiz - $299 ~~$499~~ Experience the course through a free trial.
	GMAT Club Tests - Free Included with every course purchase of $149+ View all deals

GMAT prep 1 score - Help!!

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards