My story about GMAT (need an advice)

Question

Hello to everyone!
I need an advice on how to improve my GMAT score, because i feel devastating and exhausted after 5 tries to pass the exam for 700+ score.
My first try was in 2017 and i managed to score 650 (47Q, 33V). Later in the same year i made two more attempts but scored only 640 on both. I used only GMAT official study materials to prepare for exam.
My 4th attempt was in 2018 and i scored only 550 (score was canceled, so i don`t remember exact Q and V scores). My preparation was the same as for previous attempts.
After that, at the start of 2020 year, i decided to try Economist GMAT preparation course to improve my score to 700+. I devoted several hours per day to study every topic in this course. I really felt improvement in my skills for quant and verbal sections.
I tried 4 CATs from Economist GMAT before the exam, and i managed to score 690, 710, 720 and 740 (!!!) on them, respectively (all 4 tests were different, no retakes). So, i felt confident before my 5th try to pass real exam for 700+. Unfortunately, that didn`t help. My score on 5th attempt was only terrible 640 (47Q, 31V).
Now i try to prepare for the 6th attempt. I prepare via official study prep and already passed 3 CATs (660 on 1st, 690 on 2nd and 680 on 3rd). Also i read all books from Manhattan GMAT to prepape for next attempt.
I think my real problem is that i`m not a native speaker, so i don`t undersand much of the verbal part of the exam. I just don`t catch the meaning of the words in the texts (RC) and CR`s. Also i make many mistakes in SC.
I have only 3 attempts left due to 8 livetime-limit, so the value of each attempt is high. Based on my past experience, i see that my real GMAT exam score is well below my CATs score. I see that questions on real exam are harder than questions that i solve during preparation.
I need an advice on how to get that desired 50+ improvement to my score for 700+.

GMATinsight · Answer

Drop bad study material and mock test and stick to Manhattan, Official tests and Veritas tests.

Share your Break up of Quant and verbal in each test in a table so that I can make a comment on what section requires your attention and in what way.

WadeStan · Answer

Hello, thanks for your reply! I don`t have Break up for real exams. They are payable as i know.
P.S.: i`ll buy it today and post soon.

WadeStan · Answer

Unfortunately, i dont have 5 posts to make attachments. So, i`ll type by hand my performance break up from 2020 test with 640 score. 
Quantitative: 
 Time management (minutes):
  Problem solving - 1:58;
 Data sufficiency - 2:02;
 Arithmetic - 1:45;
 Algebra/Geometry - 2:15. 
 Performance by Fundamental skills (Percentage correct):
  Geometry - 66%;
 Rates/Ratio/Percent - 83%;
 Value/Order/Factors - 70%;
 Equal/Inequal/Factors - 100%; 
 Counting/Sets/Series - 66%. 
 Verbal: 
 Time management (minutes):
  Critical reasoning - 1:47;
 Reading comprehension - 2:07;
 Sentence correction - 1:19. 
 Performance by Fundamental skills (Percentage correct):
 Critical reasoning:
   Analysis/Critique - 25%;
 Construction/Plan - 75%. 
 Reading comprehension:
   Identify inferred idea - 75%;
 Identify stated idea - 50%. 
 Sentence correction:
  Grammar - 60%;
 Communication - 71%.

Thank in advance for Your time!

WadeStan · Answer

Could you please clarify whether, from your point of view, it would be enough just to try CATs from Manhattan and Veritas, and then focus on mistakes in these tests, or full course with all video explanations and question bank is needed (i already have all books from Manhattan)

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi WadeStan,

GMAC has publicly stated that the Official Score that you earn on Test Day is within +/- 30 points of actual ability. Your 4 of your 5 Official results show that you essentially performed the same each time (about 640+/- a few Scaled Score points). You handle certain aspects of the GMAT consistently well, but you also make certain consistent mistakes. Since you've been scoring at this level over the last several YEARS, it is likely that you developed some 'bad habits' during your earlier studies that are keeping you from scoring higher. Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Exam, so you CAN train to score at a higher level.

The scoring algorithm on the Official GMAT is far more complicated than most people realize. Since that algorithm is proprietary, no GMAT company has an exact match for it, thus CAT scores can vary a bit based on the 'biases' involved in their respective designs. While the most realistic CATs available are the 6 from GMAC, retaking a CAT that you've already taken is NOT a realistic way to assess your skills - since you will likely see some 'repeat' questions that you have already faced. Unfortunately, seeing even a couple of repeats can 'throw off' the Scoring Algorithm and impact your pacing, energy levels, fatigue, etc. (meaning that they would likely all appear to be better than they actually are). Thankfully, the CATs from Kaplan, MGMAT and Veritas are all 'close enough' to the real thing that they will provide you with a relatively realistic score assessment (assuming that you correctly take the CAT in a realistic fashion that matches the parameters that you will face when you take the Official GMAT) - so you can use any NEW CATs from any of those sources next.

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:

Studies:
1) Over the last 3 months, what type of study routine did you follow? How many hours did you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used over the last year besides the course and books that you mentioned?
3) Before this recent attempt, on what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

Goals:
4) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

While the ESR doesn’t provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what went wrong on Test Day (and what you should work on to score higher). Since you purchased the ESR, I will be happy to analyze it for you. Before you can include attachments with your posts/PMs, you need to have at least 5 posts in the forums (right now, you have just 4 posts). If you post just once more, then you should be able to include your ESR (and you can feel free to PM it to me directly if you would rather not post it publicly).

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

WadeStan · Answer

Hello! Thanks for Your post.
1) During the last 3 month i have prepared mostly with GMAT official practice tool, Manhattan GMAT guides (8 books for quantitative and verbal parts) and Maggosh quantitative qbank. Usually i spent 1-2 hours per day for preparation.
2) I don`t use any other materials. I have already solved all questions from OG (quantitative and verbal parts) for at least 3 times each, so i don`t think it is neccesary to solve them one more time. I make only 2-3 mistakes for 50 questions from OG.
The only additional material i currently use is "CR TOPIC-WISE EXERCISES (700-800 level)" from GMAT club forum. I made only 2 mistakes for 36 questions on Conclusion topic questions from this material.
3) Before my next attempt i recently took 3 CATs from official GMAT prep:
 1. Aug 2020. Score 660. Q47 V34.
 2. Dec 2020. Score 690. Q47 V38.
 3. Jan 2021. Score 680. Q48 V35.
 
4) I would like to apply to a top-tier B-School, e.g. INSEAD, as soon as i pass exam for at least 700+.

WadeStan · Answer

Data from my ESR attached.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi WadeStan,

The good news is that you scored really well on quant, right? That said, I understand that you are not satisfied with your verbal score, so the question we need to ask is why you scored so high on your practice exams but lower on the real GMAT.

Assuming that you took your official practice exams under realistic testing conditions, the results show that, on a good day, you are capable of scoring higher than V31. Thus, it’s quite possible that nerves, stress, tiredness, or a combination of all three negatively affected your test-day performance. However, it’s also possible that you have some lingering weaknesses that were exposed on test day. Although I’m unsure of how you prepared, it’s possible that, in your preparation, particularly in verbal, you did not really learn to do what you have to do in order to score high on the actual GMAT. Rather, you picked up on some patterns that were effective in getting you relatively high scores on practice tests. So, for you to hit your score goal, your preparation, particularly for verbal, probably needs to be more complete, meaning that you have to go through the various types of GMAT questions carefully to find your exact weaknesses, fill gaps in your knowledge, and strengthen your skills.

For verbal specifically, you have to become more skilled at clearly defining the differences between trap choices and correct answers. Otherwise, you will get stuck guessing between two choices or be surprised to find that you incorrectly answered questions that you thought you answered correctly. Becoming more skilled in this way takes carefully analyzing all of the answer choices to lots of verbal questions to develop an eye for the logical differences between the choices. In other words, you have to go beyond answering practice questions and reading explanations to doing deep analysis of questions to learn to see everything that is going on in them.

In order to follow the path described above, you may need some new quant and verbal materials, so take a look at the GMAT Club reviews for the  best quant  and  verbal courses .

You also may find it helpful to read the following articles:

how to score a 700+ on the GMAT

Why Was My GMAT Score Lower Than My Practice Test Scores?

If you’d like more specific advice on how to improve your quant and verbal skills, feel free to reach back out. Good luck!

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi WadeStan,

First of all, I appreciate you for being patient all along. I can understand how frustrating it can be after putting in so much effort and yet not getting the results. But do not worry. You will get there. It's just that there a re few things you have to work and that you have chnage tweak your approach a little. Let me help you here.

Why is the score not improving? 
The main reason I see here is that your preparation is not on point. You might have learnt the concepts and practiced 'N' number of questions but you might have not focused on learning the right methodology. GMAT is a test of application of concepts. So, your preparation has to be mostly around the application part.

For example, you don't have to worry about unfamiliar words in the RC passage. GMAT provides you ample information in the passage for you to answer the questions. It's just that you have to use the right methods to read the passage and use the right strategies to eliminate incorrect answer choices. Similarly, there is a certain framework for solving CR questions and there is a meaning-based approach to solve SC questions. These are the things which help you solve verbal questions in a more structured way.

The path ahead: 
From the information you provided, it's not really clear about the way you prepared till now, the approach you are following to solve questions and your weak areas. A little more background can help me understand your concerns and guide you in a better way. It would be better if we can get in touch over a call and have a detailed discussion regarding the same. This way we can even analyze your ESR together, a process which will help us dive deep into your weak areas. You can use the below link to get in touch with me.

Click here to schedule a call

WadeStan · Answer

Guys thank your all for your advices! As for now i decided to focus, firstly, on my weak Verbal score. As i see, my weakest section is Critical Reasoning, so i`m gonna try to improve it by solving 20 questions for each topic in GMAT club forum directory (first easy and medium questions, then hard ones) https://gmatclub.com/forum/critical-rea ... 28861.html I`ll try to focus on logic behind questions.
For Reading Compehension section i will use the same method as for CR section.
For Sentence correcion section i`ll use Manhattan GMAT guide and also solve questions in GMAT Club forum.
I hope this will help to add 5-7 points to my Verbal score.

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