GMAT re-take advice

Question

Hi Experts,

As discussed in my earlier post i gave GMAT on Aug 18th Score:640
AWA- 4.5
IR-6
Quant-46
Verbal-31

As i am applying next year R1 i have time but i do not waste any more time and get back straight into preparation for attempting GMAT again.
I have not studied since the test but i want to start now.
Few things i must mention ,earlier i was hoping for a 680 i believed that was what i am capable of and landed at even less. But i think this time
i must aim higher prepare better and stronger and aim for a 700 + and the question is why i can't !

As the score shows i am weak in verbal , never scored high on most of practice CATs even. Specially sentence correction and RC.
Book i used for earlier prep was 
OG2015 and some books with many sample question provided by a test prep company.

Also I dint manage time very well on verbal as 10 min was left by the time i finished the entire section. So there must be questions
where i could have got correct answer if i had used time wisely.

So please suggest me on following question:

1.How much time i should give in prep this time ? (considering i am working full time now and can devote 2 hours daily for studies and weekends)
2.How to improve my verbal score ?
3.Study materials to refer ?
4.What practice CATs i should take as GMAC official prep test have been used and scores are inflated if i retake same CAT.

Lastly and most important question HOW DO I KICK-OFF PREP this time?

Your advice are very much appreciated.

Thanks-
Pranav

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi prnvprem,

To start, for anyone who'd like to know the 'backstory' leading up to this point (there are a number of relevant details):

gmat-prep-advice-for-last-2-3-weeks-before-the-test-202362.html#p1566909

Although I do not recall you stating it, do you know which Business Schools you plan to apply to? I ask because a 640 is a solid score (it's just shy of the 80th percentile overall) and could be enough to get you into your first choice Business School.

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

prnvprem · Answer

Hi Rich,

Business Schools i plan to apply are :

1.Berkeley Haas
2.UCLA Anderson
3.NYU Stern

Thanks-
Pranav

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Pranav,

You've named some competitive Schools, but your score is 'in range' (albeit at the lower end of the range) for all three. A higher GMAT score would almost certainly help your applications, but you would actually benefit more by making sure that you have a strong OVERALL application. As such, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile. There's a Forum full of them here:

ask-admission-consultants-124/

What are your exact application deadlines? I ask because it might be difficult to study and retake the GMAT AND put together 3 well-crafted applications before you reach those deadlines. It would likely be to your advantage to apply for Round 2.

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

prnvprem · Answer

Hi Rich,

First of all thanks a lot for all this guidance. As i have said earlier i am not looking for admission this year. From start i had planned this year to take GMAT get a good score and then work on overall application and apply for next year Round 1. Also now i would like to tell you little about my work:

I am working for an MNC but projects i have been involved till now are for several domestic clients in our country (public sector) Utility industry till now which required me to stay at client location and lots and lots of client interaction and also some project coordination as the entire team can not set up at client location. So it has been a great experience for me and i grew more as an
individual during these times not only with work skills but also with man management and understanding people's view.I am still in early stages of my career i believe with 2.5 years of experience but still was awarded this year client champion award for my contributions which is unusual for someone at my level. Now i have an opportunity to work for an international client and for me 
it will help to enhance my profile even more and not only profile but also for me to develop and understand different set of people and situations , this is why i want to work for a year more.

Thanks-
Pranav

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Pranav,

Thanks for taking the time to remind me about your situation. If I remember correctly, you are now 'on site' at a client's location and there was some concern that your study time would be limited. How much available study time do you think you will have in a typical week?

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

prnvprem · Answer

Hi Rich,

I will have at least 20 hours a week .

Thanks-
Pranav

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Pranav,

Based on everything that you've described, I think that you could retest in a little over a month and hit your score goals. Given your desire for Verbal-centric resources, I think that you would find the EMPOWERgmat Verbal Score Booster to be quite helpful. Most of our clients finish that Study Plan in under a month, so it would fit your schedule nicely. Since your Overall Score would also benefit from some improvements to the Quant section, you'll likely want to devote some additional time to that area (with an Account, you will also be able to access any of the Quant resources that interest you - and I have a few that I would recommend that you work through). We have a variety of free resources at our website (www.empowergmat.com), so that you can 'test out' the Course before you set up an account.

Since you've used the GMAC CATs already, you should plan to use a 'block' of CATs that you have NOT used before (any of the ones from MGMAT, Veritas or Kaplan will be fine).

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

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