How do I increase my Gmat score in 25 days?

Hi amitmulay,

Although anything is possible, I suppose, it’s quite unlikely that you are going to be able to increase your GMAT score 140+ points in just 25 days. Do you need a 700 score for the program to which you plan to apply, or would you be able to apply with a lower score?

When trying to improve your GMAT score, you must remember that the GMAT is such a challenging exam because there are relatively few questions asked in a given exam, yet those questions come from a huge topic pool. Thus, the best way to get a great GMAT score is to have a thorough understanding of all the topics that may be tested on the exam. To develop such mastery, you want to strive for linear and targeted learning and follow that with focused practice. In other words, you want to master one topic before you move to the next. However, to gain this level of mastery, you will most likely have to prep for longer than 25 days.

For example, when studying verbal focus on learning one section at a time: reading comprehension, sentence correction, or critical reasoning. When learning about critical reasoning, you want to be able to learn about all aspects of critical reasoning: strengthen and weaken the conclusion, resolve the paradox, find the conclusion, must be true, etc. Follow up your learning with focused critical reasoning practice, so you can determine your specific weaknesses within that topic. You should follow a similar routine for sentence correction and reading comprehension.

Also, to help improve your reading comprehension ability, I recommend reading publications such as the Economist, the New Yorker, Scientific American, or the Smithsonian so you can get used to reading and analyzing long, sophisticated passages that are well written.

To truly master sentence correction, you must develop mastery of grammar rules ( parallelism, subject/verb agreement, comparisons, pronouns, etc.) and accepted English usage. In addition to your dedicated study, notice grammar and usage in your everyday life. Be aware of the things you habitually read, in terms of sentence structure, how phrases are worded, whether pronouns are easy to understand, to name just a few topics. Make sure to use proper grammar in your everyday writing as well. Have you put parallel ideas into parallel constructions? Do all of your pronouns refer appropriately to their antecedents? The more you reinforce your study with related activity outside of your study, the greater the likelihood you will master the topics, and have fun doing so!

For quant, since you already have a pretty high score, you might consider following a similar but slightly altered approach that consists of more focused practice. For example, if you are reviewing number properties, be sure that you can practice 50 or more questions just from Number Properties: LCM, GCF, units digit patterns, divisibility, remainders, etc. The results of that practice will help you determine your weak areas within that topic. Once you find and fix your weak areas, then move on to the next quant topic.

To help diagnose your GMAT quant strengths and weaknesses, I welcome you to take my free 37-question quant diagnostic. After completing the diagnostic, you will be provided with a detailed analysis of your proficiency level of all GMAT quant topics, as well as an opportunity to discuss your diagnostic results with me or another TTP instructor/coach.

Also, you may consider other, more robust, prep materials besides just using the OG. The Official Guide is a great book because it has official questions from past GMATs; however, there are not enough questions given about each topic to provide full exposure to all GMAT topics. Additionally, the questions are presented in a random order, so it’s challenging to use the OG for focused practice and learning.

A good option for you could be an online self-study course. In comparison to GMAT prep books, self-study courses typically provide detailed study plans and have granular analytics, so you can easily track your progress as you move through the course. By being able to track your progress, you will remain more engaged, and you’ll be able to more accurately forecast when you are ready to take your real GMAT.

If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out.