Need to retake: 600(V28, G44) desirable 720 - pls advice

Question

Hi guys,

I’ve passed my first GMAT on Dec.,13., landing with 600 (G44, V28).
And now seeking for advice how to boost my score to desirable 720 in 1-1.5 months.

A bit about my previous preparation:
- GMAT offline group course (1 month)
- 30+ private tutoring classes during 1.5-2 months
- PowerScore CR bible
- Gmatclub tests (mostly - verbal)

CATs (MBA.com):
690 (Q49, V35) - Dec.,2
690 (Q48, V35) - Dec,8

My obvious weakness is RC (I haven’t not acquired any particular strategy to work with passages); SR and CR are pretty good, maybe can be practiced more. As about quant: I struggled with several topics (such as geometry, distance-rate 700+ problems, etc) but in general feel more comfortable with quant.
IR & AWA - Do not worked on this, so IR is 1 and AWA, I suppose, would be a bit better.

I am not disappointed, because I was going to exam to understand the full experience and set up some baseline. The deadline helped me to boost my preparation significantly during a month prior the exam.
Also, I was considering to pass GMAT ~690 and then to take online class with 50-70 points guarantee. Now I need two such classes in sequence D

Now I’m reading about retake strategy actively and trying to find a best course for me. I tried EconomistGMAT trial before the exam; explanations are very nice, but practice questions look very different from OG ones. Also I heard that EconomistsGMAT is good to improve V, and seems I need to improve both, verbal and quant.

Also I noticed that fellow gmatclub members often mention that some courses are better for verbal and some - for quant. As I need both, which option is the best in term of balance? Or it is better to subscribe to 2 courses in parallel?

Appreciate any advice!

Abhi077 · Answer

IMO it's better to subscribe for two parallel courses and maintain a balance. don't do the mistake of just doing 1 section at a time. you have to maintain a balance between both the sections. TTP for quant and E-gmat for verbal combo has worked best for me. you might want to give it a try. Goodluck

ankaua · Answer

Thank you, dear Abhi077! It is very valuable you reach me with your reply. Could you please share in a few words score improvement after taking these courses? Was it your first attempt or retake? Thank a tone!!

Posted from my mobile device

Posted from my mobile device

u1983 · Answer

Hello ankaua ........welcome to the community.

Though 600 is not an elite score , it is not very bad either. So the good news is that you donot need to start from scratch. Take 2-3 days off and then commit yourself again. In the mean time go through the link below (it will help you to plan): https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-study-p ... ml#p605856

RC: This might take time, but it can be done. The key is mindful regular practice. If you are regular you will see marked improvement in 2 months(again its a long process). You can follow the link below or start doing 2 RCs each from the list there .
{Daily Practice: https://gmatclub.com/forum/project-rc-b ... l#p2110839}
After the RC(s) are done - spend considerable time to :
1. Why the wrong answers are wrong.
2. Did you know why the correct answer is correct or there are any gaps in your thinking ?
3. Go through the discussion - its always nice to have other perspectives.
4. If there are any open Q's or debatable Q's - try to answer those - there is no better way of learning than successfully explaining others.

For Quant ,(according to your score) you still need to solidify your concepts -please go through the concepts at GMATClub math book ( its free pdf ). And by going through I mean take on each topic ,understand the principles and solve problems mindfully at GMATClub ( first 500 level - when you reach 90% accuracy move to 600 level- when you reach 80% accuracy - you can move on to 700 level - when you reach 70% accuracy - you are ready with the topic)

Hope this helps !!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ankaua,

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) You listed just 2 practice CAT Scores. Have you taken any others? How have you scored on EACH of your CATs during your studies (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?
2) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
3) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

ankaua · Answer

Hi Rich,

Thank you for reaching me.

As about your questions:

1) I took just two cuts from mba.com
Before this I took many paper tests from my tutor with mix of questions (tests of medium level, I believe. Designed for old format (75 min) per section)
2) I’m going to apply in round 3 to start studing in upcoming fall
3) My priority is US Berkeley. Once I get my score, I probably consider few more “safer” options

Appreciate any advice!!

Posted from my mobile device

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ankaua,

When these types of score drops occur, the two likely "causes" involve either something that was unrealistic during practice or something that was surprising (or not accounted for) on Test Day. If you can answer a few questions, then we should be able to figure this out:

When you took your CATs:
1) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT each time (including the Essay and IR sections)?
2) Did you take them at home?
3) Did you take them at the same time of day as when you took your Official GMAT?
4) Did you ever do ANYTHING during your CATs that you couldn't do on Test Day (pause the CAT, skip sections, take longer breaks, etc.)? 
5) Did you ever take a CAT more than once? Had you seen any of the questions BEFORE (re: on a prior CAT, in an online forum or in a practice set)?

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

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi ankaua,

Regarding prep courses, in addition to seeking advice in this thread, take a look at the GMAT Club reviews for  the best quant  and  verbal courses , and also read through some  GMAT success stories  to see what materials have worked well for other test-takers.

Regarding one course versus two courses, we’ve seen numerous test-takers find success using TTP for quant and another course for verbal.

Lastly, you may find it helpful to read this article about 
  how to score a 700+ on the GMAT.

Feel free to reach out with further questions.

Good luck!

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Need to retake: 600(V28, G44) > desirable 720 - pls advice

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