How can I improve my score by 200 ?

Thank you for reply!
Here are my answers to your questions

1-I studied for 4 months for August exam. Then one month for September. And about 6 weeks for November
2-I used Veritasprep online course + private tutor
3-My scores:
August: V 16, Q25
September: V13, Q29
November: V21, Q22
4-I finished all questions

Goals:
- Goal score 580
-Planning to retake the GMAT on December 27th
-Already applied for school but they are waiting for my GMAT result. Deadline is December 31

I would really appreciate your advice on how to improve. What is it that I am doing wrong?!



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Hi Sal82,

It is evident from your scores that you need to learn fundamentals before you start solving problems.
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 increase or full money back guarantee. 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.
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

Dear Sal82,

I'm no expert here, but I have had my share of 300ish scores in the beginning of my GMAT journey.

I started off with 350 in my first ever mock and I scored 700 in the real GMAT. So, I will tell you how to break the 300- 400 range.

For your target score you really need to push your quant and verbal both.
Follow only one course for basics, I followed eGMAT for Verbal and Gmatclub math book for quant.

After basics you need to practise really hard. Practice the free questions from gmatclub. Practise as much as you can.
Finish OG atleast 2 times.

Unless you practise and take full length tests, you cant improve or apply what you learnt.

You can also use gmatprepnow.com . This website has free videos on everything relevant for GMAT. You can watch the video, then practise the questions that are mentioned beloe the video.

All the best for your preparation.
Cheers!

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Hi Sal82,

With this next Test Date, you have about 1 month to study. Unfortunately, raising your Official GMAT score 200 points in a month is not a realistic goal. So while you can (and should) continue to study, you should look to see if there are any alternatives to your current timeline. For Example, the December 31st deadline might be for this application Round, but is there another application Round later on (in January or February) that you could still apply for? Given everything that you've described, you're likely going to need at least another 3 months of consistent, guided study to hit your score goal.

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

Thank you so much for your advice and for giving me hope that I can do it! I'm an A student and this test shook my confidence. Now that you're telling me it's possible to break the 300-400 range I feel hopeful again!


Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

Dear Student,

I am sorry to hear that you are struggling with the test despite having put in a lot of hard work. Remember that GMAT is just a test. If you put in your efforts in the right direction, you will succeed. GMAT is similar to one of the many challenges that you will face in your post MBA life. If you are dedicated and have the right strategy then you will succeed.

Why couldn't you get to your Target score?
Your scores clearly indicate that you are not thorough with the basic/core concepts in both Quant/Verbal.
You need a standard and unified strategy to approach the questions. "Your way" of approaching the questions has you stuck at this current scoring level. To make a big improvement, you'll have to change your tactics.

Strategy for the test
Consider the following points while preparing for the test.

· Have a strategy that is based on core understanding of the concepts and application of the same to solve question.
· A strategy that is based on shortcuts, smart work, back solving, guess work etc doesn’t work in the actual test.
· Focus on one subject / section at a time and ensure that you improve in that section as per your desired score and then move on to the next section.
· Don’t study from multiple resources. Focus on improving your core skills first. Once you have done that then you may attempt questions from different resources.
· Study from the resource which gives you real-time feedback.

Way forward
Go through the Strategy webinar to understand the right and the most efficient to prepare/ ace the test. This session will equip you with the following:
· How to prepare for the exam.
· What’s the right strategy for you depending upon your Strengths and weaknesses.
· Make your study plan.
· What are the core skills that are needed to ace the GMAT.
· Implications of the recent announcements by GMAC on students from Asia as well as the USA.

Hope this helps. GMAT is not rocket science. Anyone can ace the test. What is important is how do you prepare yourself to ace the test – how you build up your skills and plan your move to tackle a question.