Help for GMAT - low score

Question

Hi,

I did the GMAT for the first time two years ago and I scored 440, without studying too much. 
In two days I will re-do it but in my CATs my maximum score was 560.

I want to enter in a business school where the min.score is 600, median 710 and last year score range 640-770.
My deadline to do the GMAT is January 15th. So I have 1 month to improve my score.

My doubt is whether I can achieve this high score and how to achieve. Do you think it is possible? What should I do?

Thank you

Kinshook · Answer

Hi  campea

Following steps may help: - 
1. You have to identify your strengths and weaknesses. 
2. You need to have a study plan to achieve your target score. 
3. First complete one good online GMAT course to build your fundamentals.
4. Give a few mocks to assess your performance.
5. After every mock identify your weak areas and work on them.

campea · Answer

Thank you Kinshook Chaturvedi! What GMAT course do you recommend?

Kinshook · Answer

I have only complete e-GMAT course till now and I found it OK.
You can check review all GMAT courses on GMATClub.com

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi campea,

Based on your post, there are two issues to consider: what type of GMAT Score do you ultimately "need" for the Schools that you plan to apply to AND how much additional study time will it take you to achieve that Score?

The first question is ultimately an Admissions question, so you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. Those Experts should be able to answer your Admissions questions and help define the specific areas of your profile that could use some improvement.

There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/

Once we know the type of Score that we should be aiming at, we can better discuss how you should best proceed with your studies. 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) How long have you studied for this 2nd attempt? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?
4) What Schools are you planning to apply to? What are the application deadlines after January 15th for each of those Schools?

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

Pallavi2020 · Answer

campea Don't be disheartened. The bad score just shows that there is a scope for improvement and I am sure that with proper study plan and decepline you can do it. I would recommend checking out the study plans and sucess stories here on the forum. It helps a lot.

Also, if you have any doubts in Maths fundamentals please feel free to reach out. As far as verbal is concerned, I am still working on it

Posted from my mobile device

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hey campea,

So sorry to hear that you could not score well on GMAT. But do not get disappointed. An improvement is always possible. It's just that you have to identify what went wrong and work on your weak areas. I will definitely help you in the process.

Having said that, I would like to know a few more details before suggesting you anything. A score of 440 indicates that:
  You are having conceptual gaps 
 And you are struggling with the application of concepts that is you are not approaching the questions in the right way

So, I would like to know you current level of preparation, the resources you used till now and your approach towards solving questions. These details will help guide you in a better way. As you have only a month's time, I suggest that we get in touch over a call, have a detailed discussion and quickly narrow down things. This way you can have a proper study plan and can be clear of what to study on any given day. You can use the below link to get in touch with me.

Click here to schedule a call

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi campea,

I'm glad you reached out, and I'm happy to help. Before providing advice, I'd like to learn more about your situation with the GMAT. Once you respond to the questions asked, I can provide some additional advice. In the meantime, here is a helpful article to get you started:

How to Score a 700+ on the GMAT — A Mini Guide for Success

gmatgames · Answer

For Quant I would suggest Target test prep course.
And for verbal Egmat or Gmatwhiz.
You can surely achieve a high score with a well designed prep course.

campea · Answer

EMPOWERgmatRichC

My target score is 650. For the second attempt, I have beens studying since October. I study 20h per week more less. I have used the Manhattan, OG and I started the economist gmat tutor free trial, but I did not finish all the courses.

The mock exams, one I did early October (29Q 20V), early December (28Q 21V) and another one on 6th December (40Q 17V).

The only school that I want to apply is Stockholm School of Economics and the application deadline is January 15th.

Thank you.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi campea,

In your initial post, you stated that you were planning to take your next Official GMAT in a couple of days. Once you have your next Score, you should post back here (or you can feel free to PM me directly) and we can discuss the results and how you might best proceed with your studies.

Since you have just one CAT/mock Score at the '560 level', we have to be careful about assuming that that is an accurate reflection of your current skills (meaning that you may have gotten a bit 'lucky' or 'unlucky' on that Test - and your actual ability level is lower or higher than 560). Assuming that you took your most recent CAT in a realistic fashion that matches-up with how you will take the Official GMAT, then from a statistical-standpoint, raising a 560 to the point that you can consistently score 650+ will likely require that you commit to at least another 2 months of consistent, guided study - and you will have to make significant improvements to how you handle BOTH the Quant and Verbal sections. Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Exam, so you CAN train to score at a higher level. With a January 15th deadline, you have not more than about 4.5 week of potential study time though, so you might need to consider pushing back your Test Date and application plans.

1) Is the January 15th deadline the last deadline to apply? If there is a later Round, then when is it?
2) What is the minimum Score that you would apply with?

"Review" is an exceptionally important part of the GMAT training process; your ability to define WHY you're getting questions wrong is essential to defining the areas that you need to work on (and the specific things that you need to 'fix'). As such, I'd like to know a bit more about your last CAT. While a full Mistake Tracker would provide a lot more information, there are some basic questions that you should be able to answer (and the more EXACT you can be with your answers, the better):

After reviewing each section of this recent CAT, how many questions did you get wrong....
1) Because of a silly/little mistake?
2) Because there was some math/verbal that you just could not remember how to do?
3) Because the question was too hard?
4) Because you were low on time and had to guess?
5) How many Verbal questions did you 'narrow down to 2 choices' but still get wrong?

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

CrackverbalGMAT · Answer

Hi campea , At the outset, we are delighted to know that you have decided for taking the exam head on!To answer your question,YES!!-It is very possible to improve your score given the fact that you have taken the test once and you are familiar with the set up.However,we feel a few pointers from our end may be helpful for you!Please find them here. POINTERS TO ASSIST YOU ACE YOUR GMAT TEST (Based on your inputs): (i)We suggest you start brushing up your basic concepts at the earliest. We also suggest you incorporate practicing multiple questions of the chapter or topic that you're practicing to improve on the basics. Please remember brushing up your fundamentals and having a strong foundation and hold of them is essential for a strong GMAT Prep. Give yourself time to think and arrive at the solution yourself instead of watching the solution . T he more you exercise your ability to think, the sharper you would get overtime. It's always quality over quantity. (ii)Practice by understanding a concept and immediately converting the understanding by doing a question without looking at the solution or answer video. This this way there will be a balance of learning and you will not find yourself being burnt out at towards the end of the hour by doing only concepts at the end or only questions at the end. (iii). Taking mock test in preparing through them is non-negotiable in the GMAT prep. So, we firmly suggest you to start taking the mock tests as soon as possible. They will boost your confidence or give you a real time feel of what you need to improve on before you sit in the real test. Anlayze the tests and make sure the errors would not be repeated to the best of your abilities,if such a question does appear in the real paper. (iv) Jot down all the topics of every subject. Arrange these topics in the order of your comfortability in solving the questions from them. Focus on your STRONG areas and make sure they are well practiced to fetch you good score. Simultaneously, build up on areas that you are not very comfortable with yet and try not to skip any area. Make it a fullp-proof preparation. (v) Practice questions from the Official Guide(OG) and most importantly analyze your errors . There is nothing better than knowing where you are going wrong and which areas need the mending. We also suggest you to practice from GMAT Club daily to feel the sense of real time answering and being in the process while also encountering relevant questions at the same time. (vi) Have a schedule ready and stick to it. Make sure a routine is se and preparation turns an intrinsic process. You can refer to our Youtube video on it. (vii) Keep revision intact in your schedule especially for the weekends, analyse and review your mock tests and the scores. (viii) Finally, do not burn yourself out . Maintain a positive attitude as you prepare. Take help from us on any question/concept/query and we are more than glad to assist you in this amazing journey. A SUMMARY OF THE ABOVE MENTIONS (a)Start brushing up your basic concepts at the earliest (b) Understand the concept and build up on the understanding by practicing question(s) from it. (c) Taking mock test in preparing through them is non negotiable (d)Use GMAT Club questions daily to enhance practice (e) Think and arrive at the solution “yourself “ (f) Analyse the errors from OG and make sure you would NOT repeat them when you encounter such “type” of questions again (g) Have a schedule ready and if necessary, you may share the same with us so we can fine-tune it, if need be. (h) Revision once in 5-7 days cannot be skipped to full-proof your Prep. (i) A healthy, positive attitude while you prepare. Further summarizing this : Clarity on Basics + Questions from the concepts +OG Analysis + GMAT club daily questions + Mock Tests + Revision will give a complete preparation and make you exam ready. We hope you have understood the raw necessities for a full proof GMAT prep with this.

However, there always lies a scope of improvement. Feel free to reach out to us. We cannot wait to see you taking admission in your dream B-School! !

Thanking You Team CrackVerbal

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