How to know when you are ready?

Question

Hello everyone,

I have been preping for almost 2 months now. On my last official mock, I got a 650 (Target 700). It still feels like I will never be ready, and I just keep practising randomly from OG, prep course and gmatclub. I am following Magoosh's plan but 3 months is a long time from now, and I feel like Im not actually progressing.
My question is how do I know when I am ready for the actual test?

catinabox · Answer

That depends on what your target score is. If your target score is 650 and you are consistently scoring 650+/- 20 points, then you are ready. If your target score is 700, you need to practice a lot more.

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi soumyadeeppaul1, The only way to know whether you are ready or not is by taking the mocks. If you consistently get your desired score in at least a couple of mocks ( with similar break down in Quant and Verbal ), then you are good to book a slot. So, make sure you take the mocks - preferably official ones - under the ideal test conditions. And I recommend you to follow a proper study plan and stick to a standard resource. Do not practice questions from random resources. OG comes into picture only after you finish learning the concepts and methodology. OG is an excellent resource for the GMAT like questions but to understand the concepts and the methodology, it is always recommended to use a standard resource. You can focus on learning the concepts and methodology first and once you finish with all the topics, you can start taking mocks at regular intervals. Make sure you work on your mistakes in the mock before you take another one. Hope it helped! All the best

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi soumyadeeppaul1,

Since your score goal is 700, I think you'll know you are ready once you hit 700 or higher on consecutive official practice exams. However, if you feel as though you are not progressing and need some advice regarding how to improve your GMAT quant and verbal skills, feel free to reach out. Lastly, you may find it helpful to read the following article:

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

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi soumyadeeppaul1,

Approximately 2 weeks ago, you posted (here: https://gmatclub.com/forum/are-online-p ... 33391.html) that you had not taken any practice CATs yet. In this recent post-thread, you referred to your 'last official mock' - so how many CATs/mocks have you taken over the last 2 weeks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

If this is the only CAT that you've taken, then a 650 is a great initial performance - especially since there are a number of aspects to performing at a high level on a FULL-LENGTH CAT that you probably have not learned yet. Depending on the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores - and the overall work that you have done so far - you could potentially hit 700 in a month. That having been said, if you have just this one CAT result, then that's not a lot of data to work with - and you may need closer to 2 months of consistent, guided study time before you can consistently hit your Score Goal.

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

EducationAisle · Answer

Hi Soumyadeep, if your target is 700 and you are getting 650, it definitely means that you're not ready yet.

However, giving more mock tests or doing more practice, is not how will get ready.

A thorough  analysis  of your performance across few mock tests will hopefully let you recognize a  pattern , so that you can dedicatedly work on strengthening your weaker areas,  both  by building concepts in those areas and by  focused  practice.

hopefulmba2021 · Answer

Hello Rich, I have actually taken 2 CATs, at a gap of 5 days in between. The first one was 520, the second was 650. As you guessed on the other thread, I am actually decent at Quant (Q46), but I'm having trouble with RCs in verbal (V33). Any tips on how to get better? I have not started with any serious reading materials like the Economist or WSJ, but I am a voracious reader of fiction since childhood.

I would really like your inputs on how to consistently hit 700 within a month. This shortened timeline would really help me to apply for schools by this year's Round 2 deadlines. I really don't want to go for Round 3, since the intake is very low at that point. Please correct me if I am wrong.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi soumyadeeppaul1,

That additional CAT Score makes your situation a bit more complicated. The idea that you actually improved 130 points in just 5 days is dubious, so maybe you were just 'unlucky' when you took that 1st CAT (maybe you made a bunch of little mistakes) OR maybe you got a bit lucky on the 2nd CAT (for example, if every time you 'narrowed a Verbal question down to 2 choices", you chose the correct one; maybe you had seen some of the questions before) OR it might be a combination of the two - and your actual 'ability level' is in the mid-500s to high-500s.

To try to clarify this issue a bit, I suggest that you study however you choose for the rest of this week, then take a NEW CAT this weekend. Make sure to take it in a realistic fashion (take the FULL CAT, at the same time of day as when you'll take the Official GMAT, if you're taking your GMAT at a Test Center, then wear a face mask while you take your CAT, etc.). Once you have that score, you should report back here and we can discuss the results and how you might adjust your studies going forward.

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

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