I just scored a 650 (Q42 V37) without preparation, how long to 700+?

Question

I took the Sigma-X test so probably not as accurate at the OG ones but wanted to save those for later. I also finished with 18 minutes left in the quantitative and 8+ minutes in the verbal so that's a clear area for improvement.

I can't post in the study plan section (is this due to being on a free account?) so I'm not sure if I can ask for study plan advice.

Breakdown of score:
Verbal 37:
 Sentence Correction: 33/60
 Critical Reasoning: 39/60
 Reading Comprehension: 39/60

Quantitative 42:
 Arithmetic: 36/60
 Algebra-Geometry: 48/60

Yesterday I purchased the GMAT Official Guide and the Official Quant and Verbal books and today I ordered "All the GMAT" By Manhattan.

I am applying to a top AUS B-School so 690 is probably enough, but I'd like to aim for 740+ to try and get a scholarship if possible.

As long as this doesn't break any forum rules, can someone help with how long this would take, a good study plan, and/or links to people with similar "fresh" score / goal, and the study plan they used? I know 650 is a decent fresh score, but I don't know how attainable a 740+ is from here, the hours necessary, and study plan.

Really appreciate your help.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi BSchoolinAUS,

I actually think it would be worth taking the first free GMAC practice exam to get a baseline score. Would you be able to do so, and report back with your score breakdown? Regarding your study plan, here is a great article for you to check out:

The Best Way to Study for the GMAT

Feel free to reach out with any questions.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi BSchoolinAUS,

A 650 is a fantastic initial CAT score (the average score on the Official GMAT hovers around 550 most years) - and if you finished the Quant and Verbal sections so early, it's likely that you could have scored higher IF you had slowed down, taken more notes, double-checked your work, etc. By extension, you might already have the skills needed to score 690. That having been said, there's a big difference between a 690 and a 740+ (as that higher Score requires that you have a much higher level of 'precision' in your work).

Many GMATers spend 3 months (or more) of consistent study time before they hit their 'peak' scores, although the amount of time that you might need will depend on a number of factors - including how adept you are at learning and practicing the proper Tactics.

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

1) Are you planning to take the At-home GMAT or are you planning to take your GMAT at a Test Facility?
2) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

BSchoolinAUS · Answer

Thanks for your input and link. As an aside I've looked at TTP and it has great feedback for Quant. I plan to use it if, once I've exhausted OG and Manhattan Prep, my Q still isn't up to scratch.

I actually took the GMAC online diagnostic after making this post and scored 90% on the verbal reasoning (I was an English teacher for a year, 7 years ago so I was surprised at my low initial V score) and then scored only a 63% on the Q (with some stupid mistakes). Due to that, I was planning on taking a Veritas practice test this weekend to have two scores as a baseline. I will report back.

Thanks Rich - as mentioned above I will take another practice test (Veritas) this weekend and report back so I have a bit more accuracy to my initial score.

For your questions:
1. I will take the GMAT at a test facility as there is one within 5 miles of me.
2. I will likely do 10 to 15 hours a week - 2 hours weekday evenings and 2-5 hours on the weekend (I have a little one so these things can't be planned with 100% accuracy!)
3. I will apply for intake Jan 2023 at UNSW AGSM. Likely no others if my GMAT is good enough, as the only other MBA I'd like in Australia isn't in Sydney (Melbourne). I have a lot of time but with lock down still here, it's a good time to study and will likely try for the exam October if I am ready.

Thanks for your help and advice.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi BSchoolinAUS,

The process of taking (and reviewing) a CAT requires a significant amount of energy and effort - and takes time to 'recover' from. This is one of the reasons why you typically shouldn't take more than 1 CAT per week - and your last CAT should be taken about 1 week before Test Day. If you've already taken 2 CATs in the last few days, then you should NOT take another CAT this weekend. Since you have some practice materials already, I suggest that you study as you see fit for the next 1-2 weeks, then take a NEW CAT (perhaps one of the two free CATs that you can access at www.mba.com). Make sure to take it in a realistic fashion that matches-up with what you will face when you take the Official GMAT (take the FULL CAT - with the Essay and IR sections, at the same time of day as when you'll take the Official GMAT, if you will be at a Test Facility, then wear a face mask, etc.). Once you have that Score, you should post back here (or you can feel free to PM me directly) and we can discuss the results and how you might best proceed with your studies.

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

BSchoolinAUS · Answer

Thanks - actually just took my second baseline test to make sure it was accurate. I took the Veritas and scored the same 650 but Q41 and V39 and I had 10 minutes left on Q and 5 minutes on V.

I could tell I did better on V and worse on Q as I paid more attention to V this time around. For Q I just had a lot of questions where, because it's been ten years, I've forgotten how to do something (such as with "a^2 * b^3 * c^5 = 96y and what is a possible value of y" and how to manipulate exponents) but if I knew that thing, I could answer it.

For that reason I think with preparation I want to aim for 730 to 760. I just cancelled the Manhattan All the GMAT so that I can sign up for an online guided course and now need to find a 3 or 4 month program to get me from a 650 to 750. I am leaning towards TTP and EmpowerGMAT as they are similarly priced (but with 1 month more in TTP) and seem to be super well reviewed. Not sure which yet though.

I had a few questions I was hoping you could help with:

1. Every score chart I look at shows Q41 and V39 as 660 - what is the reason for Veritas giving 650?

2. I am 88%ile on V and only 41%ile on Q but my actual score is lower on V. Does this mean I should spend more time on Quant as I have a lot of room for improvement, or should I spend an equal amount of time on both?

3. I REALLY want a scholarship, so the higher I score the better. I also enjoy this type of study and feel like I match well to this test type (I can think quickly, I can do math quickly, good at critical thinking and have a background in language / native English speaker). With that said, what should I have as my goal? Is 750 almost guaranteed to be out of my reach unless I prove to be particularly effective at improving? Is 730?

I just found out the program has pushed their intake back by 3/4 months so now I have even more time (1 year until application).

Thanks for your help once again.

Gmatisking · Answer

Give a official mock to get a accurate estimate of where you currently stand.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi BSchoolinAUS,

GMAC has publicly stated that the Official Score that you earn on Test Day is within +/- 30 points of actual ability. Assuming a similar 'swing' in how your CATs function, these 2 CAT score results show that you essentially performed the same each time (660 +/- a few points). You handle certain aspects of the GMAT consistently well, but you also make certain consistent mistakes. The differences in your Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores are likely due to a mix of lucky/unlucky guesses and little mistakes (that you either made or did not make) during these 2 CATs.

The actual Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores that you score on a CAT are typically NOT integers (but those numbers are 'rounded off' for the sake of appearance). For example, with a Q42, you may have actually scored any value between a Q41.5 and Q42.499 - and those types of variations in the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores can vary your Overall Score by up to 10 points or so (relative to the Table Data that you might be referring to).

Based on the data that you have provided, your overall Quant and Verbal knowledge is solid, so your focus going forward should be on Tactics, patterns and the little 'secrets' of the Exam. Statistically-speaking, raising a 660 to the point that you can consistently score 750+ will likely require that you commit to at least another 2 months of consistent, guided study - and you'll have to make significant improvements to how you handle BOTH the Quant and Verbal sections. Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Exam so you CAN train to score at a higher level.

You have plenty of time before January, 2022, so you can proceed with your studies however you like. If you'd prefer to be done with the GMAT sooner rather than later though, then we'll need to discuss these CAT results in more detail.

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

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

TTP teaches GMAT quant from the ground up. So, honestly, there is no reason not to get started with it right away. Also, if you want to see what we offer check out the 5-day trial and then reach out to me with any questions.

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

A 650 cold is pretty good. A 740 is possible but it's probably fair to say at that range it's not simply knowing the fundamentals that will get you a high score. Try to work on your solving approach and work on that Verbal. I can understand people may think a V37 (82 percentile) is a great section score (in absolute terms it is), but for a 740 you'd rather want something V40+ to take the edge off your Quant.

Looking at a gmat scoring grid could be helpful in giving you an idea what type of combo score to look for. All the best.

Looking at a gmat scoring grid could be helpful in giving you an idea what type of combo score to look for. All the best.

BSchoolinAUS · Answer

I actually signed up for TTP for 4 months, and am about 2/3 through the Quant fundamentals. Already I would bet I'd score a bit better on Quant because I've been reminded of simple foundational knowledge (such as manipulating fractions) that I forgot about.

Also thanks to Rich for the advice and information.

I'm going to stick with TTP - doing 2-3 hrs/weekdays and 2-4 hours/weekends for the next 3 months and do OG problems when I've finished TTP.

One questions - most threads I've read say to take a CAT test every two weeks during your studies, but it seems like for TTP you only start taking CAT tests after you finish the lengthy learning phase. In this a correct understanding, and so I should not take any more CATs until I finish the learning phase of TTP?

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi BSchoolinAUS,

650 is a solid start and V37 is too good to begin with. You can definitely improve your Quant score if you work in the right way. Having said that, I do not suggest you to focus on practicing questions. GMAT is a test of application of concepts. So, your focus while preparing has to be on learning the right methodology than on practicing questions.

The immediate next step: 
I suggest you to carefully analyze your mock and identify the topics in which you made the mistakes. This will give you an idea of which topics to focus on. Once you are clear with that, work on those topics accordingly. Let me help you with the same.

The good thing about GMAT Quant is that it tests only specific type of questions from each topic. So, if you are comfortable with those question types and are clear about the right methods to solve those question types, then you will most likely score well in the Quant section.

What to look for?  
You might be aware that Quant section has 2 types of questions - PS and DS. Students mostly falter in DS questions as the test makers will set a lot of traps and if not approached in the right way, you will most likely fall for the traps. So, it's important to follow a structured approach while solving DS questions. Let me help you with the right approach.

The right way to solve DS questions:  
Students generally falter in DS questions because they directly jump into solving statements after reading the question stem. It's important to do a certain pre-analysis on the question stem before you start solving the individual statements. Once you are clear about what to look for, the process of solving individual statements becomes a lot simpler. Additionally, you have to keep in mind a few things while solving DS questions. They are:

Do not assume unstated information. For example, do not assume x to be an integer, if it's not explicitly mentioned in the question stem. 
 Consider all the cases. For example, while solving questions, students generally tend to ignore 0 and 1, which might prove costly at the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AbY8nV3hZ8

The right way to prepare: 
As GMAT is a test of application of concepts, your focus while preparing has to be mostly on learning the right methodology to solve questions. Once you are comfortable with the methodology, you don't have to worry about the difficulty level of the question. The right way to go about it is to:

Deal with one topic at a time 
 Learn the concepts of the topic 
 Learn the right methodology to solve questions of that topic 
 Practice a few questions without any time limit. Make sure to solve them using the methodology learnt in the previous step 
 Move to the next topic only if you get a decent accuracy in those practice questions 
 If not, introspect the reason behind the low score, go back to the concepts and make sure to understand perfectly this time 
 Move to the next topic and repeat the same process

Following the above plan should ideally help you prepare well for the Quant section. Having said that, I would like to know more about your

your detailed performance in the mock 
 your weak areas 
 the number of hours you can dedicate for studies in a day

This information will help me understand your concerns in a better way, which will ultimately help me guide you in a better way. You can write back to me here or a better way is to get in touch over a call and discuss the same. You can use the link below to schedule a call with me.

Click here to schedule a call

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I just scored a 650 (Q42 V37) without preparation, how long to 700+?

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