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10 Dec 2016, 21:37
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Hello
I am new here but today, after writing the gmat for the first time, and bombing it badly, I feel I need help. So, I am reaching out to any and everyone on here for any helpful advice on how I can improve my score.
Some background on me:
-I don't have a quant educational or professional background
-My gmat score was an abysmal 330. I really struggled with the quant. I just blanked. I wasn't as panicky as I thought I would be, but I really didn't know where to start. I have been studying since October, using the OG and cracking the Gmat book 2015. Mostly I was using free resources on the Internet like khan Academy to brush up on basic skills like roots, exponents, fractions. Clearly, given the score, I need more help with that. In retrospect, as well, I may not have focused on as many gmat problems or full length tests as I should have. This has been eye-opening because now I understand how much more effort and time I'm going to have to put into this. And this is where my request for help comes from. I don't know where to start. I thought I was doing the right thing by focussing on pre-Gmat material how do I balance that with doing the length tests and actual OG problems? How do I know when I'm ready to move on from that? I'm not sure of my confidence will ever be extremely high...
-as for the verbal, I honestly expected to do much better than I did. I don't even have an excuse for what happened. I felt quite comfortable but I made a mistake by panicking that I didn't have enough time to fully read the long passages in the CR so I can admit that I didn't fully understand the argument and began guessing blindly. Considering that I scored in the 40th percentile though now I'm questioning my abilities here too.
-when I did a few full length tests the books were saying that I was scoring within the 440 to 550 range. I had expected to write the test more than once but obviously I didn't think that my first score would be this low. I also understand that in order for it to be my ideal score, which is 600-650, I may have to ride it even more than twice. I'm prepared to do that, and to get there in stages, but I need some direction because I feel really lost. Should I pay for the gmatpill package? Magoosh? Which would be more helpful?
-I also will admit that I had no idea it in the IR section. In the practice tests I didn't score amazing but I also wasn't clueless, but today I was quite clueless.
-I planned to apply in January but I can see that that is not realistic now. The score is the last piece of the puzzle in terms of my package that I need to conquer. I'm more than confident in the rest of my package but I need this to be just decent. The truth is, and I'm not sure if I'm aiming low but I don't need a 700… I just need in the low to mid 600s. Honestly I would feel proud of myself if I could just get in that range regardless of whether my desired school thinks that's good enough or not… At this point it's just become very personal and I want nothing else but to know what it feels like to see my hard work result in a score I can talk about without wanting to cry of embarrassment.
Please be kind but please be as constructive as you can because I am all ears. I know I can do this and I really want to. I just don't want to make the same mistakes by doing the same things and expecting different results. I am willing to self study and to really allocate time even though I work full-time. I even got a really good tip from this forum about recording in an Excel spreadsheet all of the types of problems that I get stuck in. I'll track whatever… Can someone just help point me in the right direction? If I could aim to apply in the third round's IE April or March that would be fantastic. Of course, ideally, if you think it's possible with the resources out there and considering all of this that I may be able to make my 600 score by the end of January, then tell me what I have to do.
Sorry for the long post but I really need help… And I'm not trying to play a DS on you… I want you to have all the information so you can give me the best answer possible! Thank you.
Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum mobile app
I am new here but today, after writing the gmat for the first time, and bombing it badly, I feel I need help. So, I am reaching out to any and everyone on here for any helpful advice on how I can improve my score.
Some background on me:
-I don't have a quant educational or professional background
-My gmat score was an abysmal 330. I really struggled with the quant. I just blanked. I wasn't as panicky as I thought I would be, but I really didn't know where to start. I have been studying since October, using the OG and cracking the Gmat book 2015. Mostly I was using free resources on the Internet like khan Academy to brush up on basic skills like roots, exponents, fractions. Clearly, given the score, I need more help with that. In retrospect, as well, I may not have focused on as many gmat problems or full length tests as I should have. This has been eye-opening because now I understand how much more effort and time I'm going to have to put into this. And this is where my request for help comes from. I don't know where to start. I thought I was doing the right thing by focussing on pre-Gmat material how do I balance that with doing the length tests and actual OG problems? How do I know when I'm ready to move on from that? I'm not sure of my confidence will ever be extremely high...
-as for the verbal, I honestly expected to do much better than I did. I don't even have an excuse for what happened. I felt quite comfortable but I made a mistake by panicking that I didn't have enough time to fully read the long passages in the CR so I can admit that I didn't fully understand the argument and began guessing blindly. Considering that I scored in the 40th percentile though now I'm questioning my abilities here too.
-when I did a few full length tests the books were saying that I was scoring within the 440 to 550 range. I had expected to write the test more than once but obviously I didn't think that my first score would be this low. I also understand that in order for it to be my ideal score, which is 600-650, I may have to ride it even more than twice. I'm prepared to do that, and to get there in stages, but I need some direction because I feel really lost. Should I pay for the gmatpill package? Magoosh? Which would be more helpful?
-I also will admit that I had no idea it in the IR section. In the practice tests I didn't score amazing but I also wasn't clueless, but today I was quite clueless.
-I planned to apply in January but I can see that that is not realistic now. The score is the last piece of the puzzle in terms of my package that I need to conquer. I'm more than confident in the rest of my package but I need this to be just decent. The truth is, and I'm not sure if I'm aiming low but I don't need a 700… I just need in the low to mid 600s. Honestly I would feel proud of myself if I could just get in that range regardless of whether my desired school thinks that's good enough or not… At this point it's just become very personal and I want nothing else but to know what it feels like to see my hard work result in a score I can talk about without wanting to cry of embarrassment.
Please be kind but please be as constructive as you can because I am all ears. I know I can do this and I really want to. I just don't want to make the same mistakes by doing the same things and expecting different results. I am willing to self study and to really allocate time even though I work full-time. I even got a really good tip from this forum about recording in an Excel spreadsheet all of the types of problems that I get stuck in. I'll track whatever… Can someone just help point me in the right direction? If I could aim to apply in the third round's IE April or March that would be fantastic. Of course, ideally, if you think it's possible with the resources out there and considering all of this that I may be able to make my 600 score by the end of January, then tell me what I have to do.
Sorry for the long post but I really need help… And I'm not trying to play a DS on you… I want you to have all the information so you can give me the best answer possible! Thank you.
Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum mobile app
12 Dec 2016, 14:10
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Bookmarks
Hi resolve166,
Many Test Takers end up feeling a bit overwhelmed by the process of studying for the GMAT, so you're not alone. Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Exam, so you CAN train to score at a higher level. I'd like to know a bit more about your first Official GMAT:
1) When did you take the GMAT?
2) What were the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores?
3) Did you have trouble finishing any of the sections? Did you leave any questions unanswered (or did you have to rush through a bunch of questions at the end of any of the sections)?
While your score goal is relatively modest, you will likely need another 3 months (or more) of consistent, guided study to get up to that level.
4) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can commit to studying each week?
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Many Test Takers end up feeling a bit overwhelmed by the process of studying for the GMAT, so you're not alone. Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Exam, so you CAN train to score at a higher level. I'd like to know a bit more about your first Official GMAT:
1) When did you take the GMAT?
2) What were the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores?
3) Did you have trouble finishing any of the sections? Did you leave any questions unanswered (or did you have to rush through a bunch of questions at the end of any of the sections)?
While your score goal is relatively modest, you will likely need another 3 months (or more) of consistent, guided study to get up to that level.
4) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can commit to studying each week?
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
13 Dec 2016, 08:17
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Bookmarks
Your scores shows a clear lack of fundamentals. In your preparation so far, how did you study? What material did you follow?
I would recommend you to refrain from taking tests until you have gone through all the fundamentals.
You need to build the concepts/fundamentals before you jump in solving the problems. You can do so by choosing one of the following ways:
1. In person classes/private tutoring
2. Online classes
3. Self paced online preparatory course
4. Book heavy approach
Whatever you choose, make sure that you choose one. Because GMAT tests you on some concepts and fundamentals that you can learn from a course. Most of the preparatory companies including ours offer a free trial of our course. You can take the trial and see if the course suits your needs. Our course also comes with a 50 point score guarantee or full money back. This shows our confidence in the course.
In addition to the preparatory material, buy the Official Guides(both the Official Guide and the Verbal Review), Question Pack 1 and the 4 official mock CATs. They should be an indispensable part of your preparation.
You need close to 3 months to prepare well for the GMAT, so getting a good score by the end of January is possible, but will require a lot of effort from your side.
1. Understand the concepts and fundamentals before jumping into problem solving
2. Solve full length CATs including AWA and IR. You can get two free GMAT Prep mock CATs and can purchase two more from mba.com
3. Make sure you solve the official questions from the Official Guide
I would recommend you to refrain from taking tests until you have gone through all the fundamentals.
You need to build the concepts/fundamentals before you jump in solving the problems. You can do so by choosing one of the following ways:
1. In person classes/private tutoring
2. Online classes
3. Self paced online preparatory course
4. Book heavy approach
Whatever you choose, make sure that you choose one. Because GMAT tests you on some concepts and fundamentals that you can learn from a course. Most of the preparatory companies including ours offer a free trial of our course. You can take the trial and see if the course suits your needs. Our course also comes with a 50 point score guarantee or full money back. This shows our confidence in the course.
In addition to the preparatory material, buy the Official Guides(both the Official Guide and the Verbal Review), Question Pack 1 and the 4 official mock CATs. They should be an indispensable part of your preparation.
You need close to 3 months to prepare well for the GMAT, so getting a good score by the end of January is possible, but will require a lot of effort from your side.
1. Understand the concepts and fundamentals before jumping into problem solving
2. Solve full length CATs including AWA and IR. You can get two free GMAT Prep mock CATs and can purchase two more from mba.com
3. Make sure you solve the official questions from the Official Guide
