Need help in retake strategy | Exhausted all materials

Question

Hello experts,

GMATNinja 
 Bunuel 
 EMPOWERgmatRichC

I have been studying for GMAT since April 2020. I graduated last month (May 2021) with a business degree focused on finance. I have been decent in academics since childhood. 
My first attempt was in October 2020 but unfortunately, there were a lot of technical glitches and my exam stopped in the middle, thus I couldn't concentrate. I scored a 580 (Q39 V31).

I started preparing again and gave another reattempt in April 2021 but again, due to technical issues, my exam stopped right after the verbal started. I never completed the exam and have received a free reschedule from GMAC.

I have exhausted the following resources :

1. OG 2020
2. Quant and Verbal Reviews 2020
3. OG 2017(2nd attempt)
4. Manhattan Prep all guides
5. GMAT club quant and verbal guides
6. A lot of official questions on the GMAT Club.

I have used the following mocks along with the score:

1. GMAT Official Mocks 1-4  
2. GMAC PAPER BASED MOCKS   - Score - 550 - 700
3. Manhattan prep free mock - 580
4. Veritas Prep free mock - 570
5. E GMAT free mock - 600

I joined a local test prep company (IMS) but not so good. I studied for 50 hours a week on average as I am a student and have loads of free time. I used to give in 8+ hours on my free days.

No deadline is approaching but if possible, I would like to be done with GMAT by September because then I could apply for MiM programs(LBS and HEC). But I would like to get a good score first and then decide on the business schools.

My target score is 720.

1. I need help on retaking strategies as I have exhausted all the resources that are considered to be good. A few questions:
2. How do I go about my prep? Where do I start from?
3. What material should I use, as I have used significant resources?
4. Where should I practice from? Should I consider buying OG Advance and MGMAT Advance
5. I am having difficulty as to where am I going wrong and would like some way to identify that.
Lastly, any tips or advice would be appreciated.

PLEASE HELP!

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi cataakash,

I think TTP would be perfect for you! Have you had a chance to sign up for our 5-day trial? The trial is full-access, so you can get a really good feel for what we offer. Feel free to reach out to us on live chat with any questions.

ReedArnoldMPREP · Answer

Harsh truth time:

The problem is not that you need more resources.

The problem is that you have not learned from the resources you have.

By this point you've likely seen more GMAT material than I have. For instance, I have hardly worked in the Official Guide "Quant" and "Verbal" reviews.

1). Do you write down specific concrete takeaways for every problem you do? For every chapter you read? For every video you watch?

2). Are you treating this test as a *conceptual* test, and not a test of you *cognitive and psychological habits?*
(See: how to improve on the GMAT: https://gmatclub.com/forum/how-you-impr ... 61074.html)

3). Do you keep a redo log to revisit questions you've done before from which there important lessons you need to remember in order to improve?

It seems you've taken a 'quantity' of study approach, rather than a 'quality' of study. If reading a manual, doing practice questions, and reading answer explanations was all this took, everyone would have a 700. Scoring well on the GMAT often requires a fundamentally reorientation in *how you think.* I know it did for me.

If you are looking for some more good resources, our Free GMAT Prep Hour series (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDPcZ ... CTg/videos) has a lot of great tips. But remember--simply watching isn't enough. You have to wrestle with the ideas, put them into practice, again and again and again and again, to see the changes that lead to improvement!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi cataakash,

From what you've described, your studies so far have been "book heavy"; unfortunately, many GMATers who study in that way end up getting 'stuck' at a particular score level. Even the best books are limited in what they can teach you; they also can't force you to approach questions in a certain way and their explanations are often one-sided. As such, you would likely find it beneficial to invest in some new, non-book study materials for this next phase of your studies.

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, most of your CAT score results - along with your Official Score from October/2020 - show that you essentially performed the same each time (about 590 +/- a few points). You handle certain aspects of the GMAT consistently well, but you also make certain consistent mistakes. Based on the similarity of these Scores, it's likely that you developed some 'bad habits' during your prior studies that are keeping you from scoring higher. To hit your Score Goal, you will have to make some significant improvements to how you handle BOTH the Quant and Verbal sections (and replace those bad habits with new "good habits").

In addition, you have to be careful about confusing "quantity" of study with "quality" of study. I've never asked anyone to study 30+ hours a week - and while it's great that you might have the available time to study that much, with that number of study hours, you would run the risk of 'burning out' before Test Day (and that is something that may have happened already - and that we want to avoid in the future). If you are going to try to study that much, then I suggest that you take one hour "off" for every two hours of study. For example, you could study for 2 hours, then stop for an hour, then study for another 2 hours, then take an hour off, etc.

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) Over the last 3 months, what type of study routine have you followed?
2) 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)?
3) For your next attempt, are you planning to take the At-home GMAT or are you planning to take your GMAT at a Test Facility?

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

RetaketheGMAT · Answer

Hi cataakash

I'm willing to bet that your biggest problem isn't knowledge but in-test strategies.

We offer FREE 90 minute GMAT Readiness Assessment that will give you tremendous focus in your future retake efforts. It will assess both your core knowledge and critical in-test processes.

Contact me if you're interested. It's really powerful for creating focus and saving you time and effort in getting to your target.

MathRevolution · Answer

Hello cataakash,

Your current mock scores are not bad, but a bit shaky, and a target score of 720 seems realistic. You need to practice demanding and most challenging level questions and take as many mock tests as possible. Create the error log and try access to the specific areas and topics that require improvement.

With my GMAT tutoring, guidance, and counseling experience, we have to accept the fact with a pinch of salt that diagnostic/ mock test scores are above then what one should expect in a real test. There is often dropping in the score. Some students have even experienced a drop of 100+ pointers. It is one of the realities, and your preparation should not sideline this fact.

You can schedule a Free counseling session for 20 mins(https://calendly.com/mathrevolution/1-on-1-session) with one of our experts if you want detailed advice on your current study plans.

Also, make a note of various possible combinations to achieve a score of 700+. The possible scores will help you track your performance after taking the mock or practice test. It will also help you maintain balance in both the sections, and you will always be in a great position to allot the study hours to a specific area accordingly.

Possible score combinations: Q45/V41, Q46/V40, Q48/V38, Q50/V36

You can try our diagnostic test: https://www.mathrevolution.com/diagnost ... Memberfree] and receive a comprehensive study guide by topic. This test will help you understand your weak areas.

We recommend learning unique, alternative time-saving approaches [VARIABLE APPROACH to hit DS questions accurately in less time and IVY Approach for PS questions]. You can check the applications of the mentioned approaches on our various posts in the GMAT club. Also, make sure that you revise your basic concepts every week on any one day.

Below are two useful links.
Ultimate Q51 guide: https://gmatclub.com/forum/the-ultimate ... l#p1613600
Breakdown of GMAT math questions and types: https://gmatclub.com/forum/overview-of- ... l#p1641411

You can visit Math Revolution and get access to our 7-days on-demand course for free trial lessons and free videos. 700+ level questions https://www.mathrevolution.com/gmat/questionbank) are separately available, too.

Regular tests will reflect the positive change in the score, and hence, your confidence will boost up.
Gradually, with the help of mock tests, you will be able to compete with time and hence will be able to learn time management.

We appreciate your time and patience in reading this reply.
If we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

You can reach us at info@mathrevolution.com.

Success is within your reach.
Good luck!

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

If your Quant is hovering around Q40 and your Verbal around V30, there may some fundamentals you can work on. An error log may help isolate them (i.e. DS inequality). Another thing worth considering working upon is solving approach, the way you tackle a question.

All the best.

All the best.

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