Need advice for score improvement

Question

I took my first GMAT July last year and scored 575 (Q78, V78, DI79). It was significantly below my mock tests range (615–655 on Official Mocks 1 & 2 and Experts Global). Looking back, I think test-day performance and strategy played a role.
On my actual exam, my section order was:
Quant → DI → Verbal
* Quant was my strongest section.
* Verbal was my weakest at that time.

I’ve recently restarted my preparation, focusing on strengthening my fundamentals.
10 days ago i took Official Mock 1
* Total: 645
* Q84, V79, DI82

Today: Official Mock 2
* Total: 615
* Q81, V85, DI75

A few observations:
* I got 2–3 repeat Verbal questions from a previous mock, so I’m not sure how much to trust the V85.

* I changed my section order to Verbal → Quant → DI, putting my weakest section first and my strongest second.
* In DI, I ran out of time and had to always guess the last 2–3 questions, which probably hurt my score.

One thing I’m struggling with is Verbal review. In Quant, it’s usually straightforward to identify why I made a mistake and what concept I need to improve. In Verbal, it’s much less clear.

For example:
* In one mock, my weakness seemed to be CR inference questions.
* In another, I missed RC specific detail questions.
* It feels like every incorrect answer stems from a different type of reasoning error, making it hard to identify patterns and build a targeted study plan.

I have the following resources:
* Official Guide.
* Official Mocks 3, 4, 5, and 6.
* Mprep books for fundamentals and Qbank

I want to use these resources as effectively as possible and am planning to take my next mock in about 6–7 days.

My questions are:

1. How should I analyze Verbal mistakes to identify meaningful patterns instead of focusing on question types alone?
2. What would be the best way to spend the next 6–7 days before taking another official mock?

My final target is 700+

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

First, the data. With two official mocks at 645 and 615, your real range is roughly 615 to 645. To reach 700+, you need to lift your Verbal and DI scores, since your Quant is already pulling its weight.

Second, your mock cadence. Two official mocks in ten days with a third planned in a week, and only Mocks 3 through 6 left, is too fast. Official mocks measure where you are; they don't build anything, and they're finite. I'd hold that next mock until you've actually changed something.

Now the Verbal question. The patterns keep slipping away because you're sorting your misses by question type, when the patterns actually live in the reasoning that broke down. A missed CR inference in one mock and a missed RC detail in another are often the same habit in two costumes. Reading too fast and filling gaps with assumptions, for example, looks like both. So stop logging the question type as the cause and log why you actually missed it: Did I skim the passage or miss a detail? Did I answer a slightly different question than the one asked? Did I lose the conclusion? Did I get pulled by a trap that echoed the passage's wording? Was it a real content gap in how that question type works? Categorize this way and one or two recurring habits surface fast. Those habits are your study plan.

Also, be sure to redo each missed question from scratch, untimed, before reading the explanation, forcing yourself to say why each wrong answer is wrong and the right one is right. Then check the explanation against your reasoning.

For the next week, pull every Verbal question you've missed across your mocks, run that process, find your one or two habits, and do focused untimed practice from the Official Guide on the question types where they show up. Untimed is not optional; speed is a byproduct of doing the question correctly, not something you train separately.

On DI, running out of time has more than one cause. It can be that the Quant and Verbal skills DI draws on aren't automatic yet, it can be over-investing early, or it can be the lack of a pacing structure. For the structural piece, use checkpoints: 20 questions in 45 minutes, five blocks of four questions and nine minutes each, checking the clock only at those points. And never leave a question blank.

Quant is your strongest section and in good shape, so keep it warm with a couple of mixed sets a week while the bulk of your effort goes to Verbal and DI.

So, for the next week: build the error log from the Verbal questions you've already missed, redo them untimed, find your recurring habits, and drill the Official Guide on those. Install the DI checkpoints and stop leaving blanks. Keep Quant sharp. Then take the official mock to measure whether the habits have actually changed.

This article covers the structured way to study and review Verbal in more depth:  How to Score High on GMAT Verbal

Reon · Answer

Thanks, this makes a lot of sense. I’ll focus on finding the actual reasons behind my Verbal mistakes and work on those before taking another mock.

SarfrazAP · Answer

Let me just add one thing - you don't want to be using the official tests to identify your strong and weak conceptual areas. The question pool of each test is simply not large enough for you to be able to do so, as you are already realising. You want to be using the OGs to identify your strong and weak areas. And before that, you want to make sure that you have done some conceptual work for each question type.

So do the concepts first (using some third party resources like the Manhattan books you have), then practice from the OGs, then do some timed section tests to fix any timing issues, then move to the mocks. Use the mocks to fine tune your test taking strategy (assuming you have one) and not to identify conceptual flaws.

Feel free to DM me if you have any specific questions.

Akhil00 · Answer

Friend, it's possible to make different mistakes in different mocks. What you need to fundamentally look at is the reasoning behind why you make certain mistakes - is it time pressure, not reading the question correctly, general carelessness?

Reon · Answer

Thanks. That really helps. I’ll change my approach and save the remaining mocks for strategy

PrepSignals · Answer

Your Verbal review will be much more useful if you stop logging only question type and start logging reasoning failure.

For each missed/slow Verbal question, write:
- What was the task? strengthen, weaken, inference, detail, etc.
- What did I think the conclusion/main idea was?
- Why did I choose my answer?
- Why is the correct answer better?
- What trap did I fall for?

Then tag the actual error:
- misunderstood conclusion/main point
- missed a key qualifier
- picked an answer that was too strong
- picked something true but irrelevant
- confused evidence with conclusion
- brought in outside assumptions
- lost track of scope
- fatigue/timing

That will reveal patterns faster than “CR inference” vs “RC detail.” Often the real issue is scope, extreme wording, or not anchoring the answer to the passage/argument.

For the next 6-7 days, I’d avoid burning another mock too quickly. Do this instead:

Days 1-2: Deep review Mock 2, especially DI and Verbal. Review slow correct answers too.

Days 3-4: Target DI timing. Do mixed DI sets and practice quitting earlier on dense questions. If DI is last and you’re tired, you need stricter pacing.

Days 5-6: Verbal timed sets: 8-12 mixed CR/RC questions, then deep review using the reasoning-error tags above.

Day 7: Light review/error log, then take Mock 3 under exact test conditions.

For section order, Verbal → Quant → DI may be hurting DI if you arrive mentally drained. Try to choose the order that protects your weakest timing section, not just your weakest content section.

I built a free GMAT planning tool from real debrief patterns that may help map 615/645-to-700 paths and resource use: prepsignals.vercel.app

Main point: your jump to 700+ likely comes from DI pacing + cleaner Verbal reasoning review, not just more questions.

	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

Need advice for score improvement

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