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Apr 2912:30 AM EDT
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Learn how Kamakshi achieved a GMAT 675 with an impressive 96th %ile in Data Insights. Discover the unique methods and exam strategies that helped her excel in DI along with other sections for a balanced and high score.
Apr 2808:00 AM PDT
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Whether you are just beginning your MBA journey or fine-tuning your path to a 700+ score, GMAT Day is designed to give you a competitive edge.
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At one point, she believed GMAT wasn’t for her. After scoring 595, self-doubt crept in and she questioned her potential. But instead of quitting, she made the right strategic changes. The result? A remarkable comeback to 695. Check out how Saakshi did it.
May 0111:00 AM PDT
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May 0306:30 AM PDT
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20 Sep 2021, 09:46
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How to Score a 700+ on the GMAT® — A Mini Guide for Success
So you want to score 700+ on the GMAT? There’s no question that such a score will help you maximize the effectiveness of your application to top business schools. To break the 700 barrier, you’ll need to study hard, and you’ll need to study smart. In addition, you’ll have to make some sacrifices along the way.Although I could write an entire book on just this subject, I think the following discussion will be of major help to test-takers with ambitious GMAT goals.
Let’s begin by discussing some reasons why a 700+ GMAT score is desirable.
Business School Admissions Are Competitive, and a 700+ GMAT Score Provides a Great Boost
MBA programs are seeing a dramatic increase in the mean GMAT scores of their matriculants. For example, Stanford GSB’s Class of 2022 has a mean GMAT score of 733 — a 96th percentile score. In other words, only 4 percent of all GMAT-takers worldwide score 733 or above.In addition, business school applications are at record highs. Because of this increased number of applicants, admissions committees can be more selective with potential students. This increase in selectivity helps account for the higher GMAT scores at top programs.
Although it’s not the only factor in your application, your GMAT score can be a wind in your sails during the application process. Conversely, a poor score can be a mark against you. Why let it be the latter? Why not put your best foot forward?
Understand That Earning a 700+ Won’t Be Easy But It Will Be Worthwhile
It is improbable that you will earn a 700 after only a week of quick studying, so be prepared for some hard work in the coming months. Let your friends and family know that you’re pursuing a top score — their support will help you stay positive after long nights of studying. If you start to get discouraged by all the practice problems ahead, remember what you’re working toward. An awesome score will help open doors to top business schools, and that success will be a great reward for your time spent studying now. Dedicate yourself to earning a high score, and get excited about the results you will be able to achieve.Begin With the End Goal in Mind
Don’t make the mistake of going into your GMAT without a plan. I sometimes see test-takers who say the following: “I just want the highest GMAT score possible.” Earning the “highest GMAT score possible” is not a plan. In fact, this mindset will make it difficult for you to follow a strategic plan for improvement. After all, if you don’t know where you’re going, how do you navigate there? Research the schools you’d like to attend. See what the class profiles consistently look like. Does almost no one secure admittance without a 700+ GMAT score? Or, do many matriculated students have 680s? Once you have a reasonable idea of what your GMAT score will need to be, work backward from that score and set up a study plan. For example, if your goal is to earn a 730, you’ll have to master trickier and more complicated concepts and problems than if your goal is a 680. To earn that 730, you’ll also have to study more
Once you know what your GMAT goal is, it’s time to figure out what your current abilities on the GMAT are.
Determine Your Baseline GMAT Score, But Don’t Over-Infer From the Results
In order to develop a strategic study plan, you must determine your current abilities. Some of you will already have taken an official GMAT, but many of you will not. If you’ve taken an official GMAT, then you already have an accurate baseline indicator of your abilities. You can also order an Enhanced Score Report from the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the company that administers the GMAT. The enhanced score report will give you insight into how you performed on each section — in particular, you’ll have feedback about your weakest areas. If you don’t have an official GMAT score, it’s important to take a free official practice test from www.mba.com. Make sure to take the test in a quiet place where you can concentrate and simulate test-like conditions, and, above all, try your best! Although your practice test score provides a baseline indication of your abilities, you should interpret those results carefully. For example, if you incorrectly answered one rate-time-distance question, does that mean that you struggle with rate-time-distance questions in general? Probably not. Similarly, if you correctly answered one probability question, does that automatically mean you’re well-equipped to answer every probability question you’ll encounter? Probably not. In other words, use the practice test score as a rough estimate of your abilities, and then spend time analyzing your skills and abilities more closely.
Be Realistic About How Long the GMAT Process Takes
First, remember that the GMAT is most amenable to test-takers who are properly prepared, that is, those who have actually developed the necessary skills. The first key to being properly prepared is to set a realistic and strategic study plan over several months. Using data derived from over 4,200 people who took the GMAT in 2014, the GMAC reported that test-takers who scored a 700 or higher studied for an average of 121 hours. In my opinion, 121 hours is on the low side for most test-takers. I’d say that, in general, 300-400 hours of hard study is necessary for most test-takers to attain an a 700+ score. Hard work and devoted study are the norm, not the exception!Find and Prepare With Material That is Accurate, Applicable, Efficient, and Effective
More than ever, students preparing for the GMAT have a variety of test prep resources available. However, not all of these resources are created equal. The materials you use while you study can be either assets or liabilities. Content matters! Do your due diligence on the GMAT courses and prep material you’re considering. See what other students have had to say. Look at prep course reviews on sites such as Beat the GMAT. Most GMAT courses offer a free or low-cost trial — pick several resources and give them a test drive. Your goal is to find a prep course that presents clear, practical, and actionable content, in a way that makes sense to you, along with skills, strategies, and techniques for acing the exam. If you need outstanding GMAT math help, sign up for a free trial of Target Test Prep’s GMAT Quant Course. The entire course is designed to help test-takers break through longstanding barriers to success on the quant section. In addition to helping students master content tested on the GMAT, the TTP Quant Course introduces novel approaches toward developing sophisticated critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and decision making skills. Mastery in these areas pays off on the GMAT. Whether you’re completely new to the exam or whether you’ve been studying with limited success for some time is immaterial — either way, Target Test Prep will provide you with the tools necessary to achieve an impressive GMAT score.
Once you’ve found excellent test prep material to fit your needs, the next step is to create a strategic plan of attack.
Create an Actionable Plan
To cross the 700 barrier on the GMAT, you’ll need to understand the content tested (have conceptual knowledge), be able to apply your knowledge and skills to practice problems (have procedural knowledge), and be comfortable performing under test day conditions (have operational knowledge). This means you have three goals: (1) know and understand all of the material tested; (2) apply your knowledge to realistic practice GMAT questions; and (3) be cool, calm, and confident come test day, because you know your stuff, can apply your stuff, and have taken enough practice tests to make test day a day just like any other. Thus, a good strategic plan is to divide your studying into three major phases with some overlap between each phase. For a more granular look at the phases of learning that you can expect to go through when preparing for the GMAT, check out this article.To set up a strategic GMAT study plan that allows for the systematic construction of conceptual, procedural, and operational knowledge, divide the number of months you plan to study for the GMAT by three. During the first third of your study months, spend 75% of your time building conceptual knowledge and 25% building procedural knowledge. During the second third, spend 75% of your time building more procedural knowledge and 25% building operational knowledge. During the final third, spend 50% of your time building operational knowledge and 50% building conceptual and procedural knowledge.
For more information on the types of knowledge necessary for a great GMAT score and on putting together a strategic plan, check out 3 Critical Types of Knowledge for a High GMAT Score.
Once you’ve planned a strategic course of study, the next step is to make time in your busy schedule.
Be Proactive in Making Time for Yourself
How many times have you heard someone say, “I don’t have time for X,” or “I don’t have time for Y?” We hear such statements constantly. Here’s the reality — there is only time for the things we make time for. With a demanding job, it’s important to make time for yourself and for your personal growth and development. Otherwise, you may find that your days become occupied only with the demands of your job. This lack of growth can lead to self-stagnation. Don’t let self-stagnation happen! Your first step on the path toward career development is to create time for studying.Many busy students who go on to earn competitive GMAT scores study early in the morning before work, during lunch breaks, while running on the treadmill, and late into the evening. In addition, these students maximize weekend study time. If you carefully organize your schedule and make your GMAT study a top priority, you can find the time to rack up an impressive number of study hours.
If you’d like to read more about how to prepare for the GMAT while working full-time at a demanding job, here’s a helpful article.
Your Goal is a Balanced Composite GMAT Score
Because many test-takers are more worried about the quant section than the verbal section, they spend most of their time studying math. Although having a competitive math score is absolutely necessary for top mba applicants (recall that most of the top schools are unapologetically quant-driven), achieving a balanced GMAT score is key. In other words, it’s important that the percentile rankings of your math and verbal percentile scores are reasonably close to each other. Scoring 80% in quant and only 65% in verbal would not look strong on an application. Thus, don’t neglect your verbal preparation. One way to fit in math and verbal studying each day is to do an hour of math work and then an hour of verbal work. In fact, you may find that you learn better by breaking up your studying into alternating chunks of math and verbal.
Some might find that a 50/50 time and topic split helps, but others may see that after spending equal time on quant and verbal, they’re still struggling with math and acing verbal questions. If that’s the case, try a 60/40 split in favor of math, or, if necessary, an even higher split. Furthermore, if your verbal (or quant) score is already high, you can adjust the study ratio to better suit your needs.
In general, a good rule of thumb is to strive to be above the 80th percentile in quant and above the 90th percentile in verbal — this strategy is sometimes called the “80/90 rule.” In general, having scores above the 80th percentile in math and above the 90th percentile in verbal will make you a competitive applicant as far as your GMAT score is concerned.
To read the complete article, view my full article on Target Test Prep’s blog.
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