How to boost quant

Question

Hi all,

Just trying to get some advice on what to do.

The situation is that I've sat for the GMAT exam thrice with scores of 640, 680 and, as of yesterday, 700. My respective quant scores were 41, 46 and 45. I was shocked at the 45 because I'd been getting between 47 and 49 in the GMAT Prep exams (across the free and exam pack), so was thinking 47 as a baseline, and I felt I had improved from my second exam. Alas, not to be. I think what contributed to my sub-par score was - and probably always has been - the exam environment, especially timing under pressure when brain feels as though it is about to explode, and all the exam entails. Of course, doing mock exams at home is rather different - mocks were done at roughly the same time as my exam was, and included IR and AWA was added for one mock exam. My target overall score is at least 720.

My preparation has been using the MGMAT and Total GMAT (Jeff Sackmann) books as well as the Question Pack 1 and GMAT Club - admittedly I didn't practice questions that were classified hard or Level 700, thinking I needed to take care of the "basics" and reduce careless mistakes, particularly because I tended to trip up in data sufficiency (e.g. overlooking non-negative integers as an initial condition). Perhaps not moving up the difficulty scale was a major oversight - but I'm not going to repeatedly beat myself up about it now.

So two things come to mind: firstly, I know that number properties is one of my weaknesses so that's an area of focus, and secondly, the change so that you're able to retake the exam after 16 days is great if you've got the momentum (and are able to maintain it without feeling deflate; also, with 2 toddlers, my significant other can be patient for only so long). The question is how easy or hard is it to improve my quant score to at least 47 within a couple of weeks? Am I delusional/insane/reasonable? I know I need to keep the momentum up if I were to retake.

I’d really appreciate any advice and am happy to clarify anything I’ve said.

dabral · Answer

alman888

I think your best bet would be to find a local tutor who can figure out what is missing in your preparation. Students cannot really see their own roadblocks and that means you can't really address these issues on your own. It could be a host of things: conceptual holes, not approaching DS appropriately, not having clarity in the process of problem solving, lacking speed in doing arithmetic and algebraic operations, etc.

The time frame doesn't really matter, for all we know it could be simple tweaks but you should expect to put in several weeks to strengthen whatever weaknesses you have.

Cheers,
Dabral

alman888 · Answer

Hi Dabral,

Thanks for the reply.

There aren't any GMAT-specific tutors in Sydney (Australia) so it's not exactly a viable path. I did use a maths tutor (who does mostly high school maths) for a bit, and that was an incremental help; but to me, it feels more about understanding the logic behind the GMAT questions that is lacking than it is about using a formulaic way to solve a question.

I don't exactly want to start fresh again, and I know number properties is a weak point for me - in hindsight, I didn't realise how big an emphasis is put on this topic in the exam. I'll have to brush up on more than just the basics.

If anyone else wants to put in their 2 cents, feel free...

IanStewart · Answer

It sounds like you're already in the Q47+ range, from your diagnostic scores. Luck plays a small role in determining your score on test day (because sometimes you need to guess, and on some tests, those guesses don't work out very well), and it's likely that you were a bit unlucky on your recent attempt. If your GMATPrep results were not inflated (e.g. from seeing repeat questions), I'd expect your Quant to go up between 1-3 points on your next attempt even if you don't do much prep at all.

But if you know you have a specific area of weakness, you should be able to make genuine improvement in two weeks, and that will not only make it more likely you score in the 47+ range, but also could put a Q50 score within reach. I think knowledge of Number Theory is often the differentiator between ~Q40-Q45 level test takers and ~Q50 level test takers. It's an important topic on the test, but that's not the only reason it matters; questions on number theory are often conceptual, not computational, and if you really understand the subject, you'll often be able to answer questions within 30 seconds. And when you can do that on a few questions, time pressure is often no longer an issue.

Since you've identified a specific area you want to focus on, you might benefit from an online tutoring session or two. If you do seek out a tutor, be sure to find someone who can help a test taker at your level. So be sure to find someone who will teach you concepts, rather than someone who will emphasize gimmicky test-taking tricks - you'll very quickly discover the limitations of strategies like backsolving when you try using them to solve number theory questions. And since you don't have time to waste, be sure to work with someone who is expert specifically about the GMAT, so you can be sure what you're learning will be relevant on test day. Good luck!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi alman888,

I have to assume that your big-picture goal is getting into your first-choice Business School. With a 700/Q45, you're right around the 90th percentile overall, so you can comfortably apply to any Business School that interests you. As such, I have to ask a few things about your overall plans:

1) Do you know which Schools you're planning to apply to?
2) When are you planning to apply?
3) Have you discussed any of your application plans with an Admissions Expert?

The reality of your situation is that you probably do NOT need to retest. While I understand that this might be more about 'pride' than anything else, I tend to be a pragmatist in these types of situations. If you have a score that makes you a competitive applicant, then a slightly higher score won't really matter.

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

alman888 · Answer

Thanks for the feedback and words of encouragement. Both are much appreciated.

My GMAT Prep scores probably aren't that inflated (maybe the 49 is because I've done that exam a few times, albeit spaced over months rather than, say, weeks). A 47 and 48 are definitely not inflated because they came from the Exam Pack. You're definitely right about luck - I've been battling a cold over the past week, leading up to and including the exam, so it's not been an ideal situation. Still, the disappointment lingers.

I suppose it's a case of keeping the Verbal up (41V) and rejigging Quant but no need to restart from the basic. Correct me if that's a poor strategy.

Again, thanks - you've motivated me!

alman888 · Answer

Your assumption is correct. Also, I'm trying to offset a somewhat low GPA, which is equivalent to 3.1 or thereabouts according to WES.

To answer your questions:

1) Columbia, Booth and LBS

2) This year, preferably ED for CBS, and as early as possible for the others

3) I have discussed plans with a couple of admissions consultants. Both said to increase my GMAT score, because of my GPA, to improve the odds. It's not exactly what I want to hear but they obviously have a fair idea of the candidate pool and understand the competitive environment.

	Manhattan Prep: $99 Bonus Score Higher on Your GMAT Exam. Guaranteed.
	Target Test Prep - Save up to $599 $400 Discount + $99 Bonus GMAT Club Tests
	e-GMAT: 60% Off on GMAT Focus Get to 735+ from any starting point
	Magoosh increases your score, guaranteed - 15% off ALL Magoosh GMAT plans with code GMATCLUB15 + Free GMAT Club Tests.
	Experts' Global - ~~$1720~~ $960 End-to-End GMAT Prep + App Support: 150+ Videos, 2000+ Questions, 15 FLTs +
	GMATWhiz - $299 ~~$499~~ Experience the course through a free trial.
	GMAT Club Tests - Free Included with every course purchase of $149+ View all deals

How to boost quant

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards