Need Urgent Help for Score Improvement-550-700+

Question

Dear All,

I am very new to this forum, but have been following all the posts for a very long time. GMAT has been a long and old nightmare for me ..
To give a background of mine.. I am non-native English speaker from India.. I have done my Undergrad in Eng and also my Masters in Eng from US.
I can say.. I have been dreaming to write GMAT from past few yrs.. but was never able to get in to that serious mode.
But now, I have been really serious to conquer the big devil-GMAT with a score of 700+. I started few months back in a classroom training and also started doing all practice and all kind of study plans as recommended in various forum, but in vain .

Maths has always been a strong topic, and I always get above 44 in most of the test, but need to reach 49-50 mark for 700+.

Verbal has been a serious trouble, I am only in 20's and way long away from 40's. I have followed various different study plans.. but only my RC improved.. SC and CR and still the same..

I need help from you guys in the forum for me to come up with a customized study plan for 2-3 months to really boost my score.

I am really upset and frustrated, since there is no much score improvement even after so many hours of study and efforts.

Please guys help me out .

Regards

SS

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi SS,

I have a few questions about the work you've done so far:

1) What specific resources have you used during your studies?
2) When was the last time you took a CAT and what were your scores (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?

3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

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

KarishmaB · Answer

We all study differently - some benefit from classroom coaching, some like private tutoring and some are able to manage on their own with just the right study material. If you have tried a few different methods, you know what does and what does not work for you. I gather that self study and classroom coaching have not been very successful for you. You might want to try some different resources; else, private tutoring is always an option. In Quant, your basic concepts seem to be in place. To jump from Q44 to Q50, check out my blog: https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/categor ... er-wisdom/ Predominantly, I write for people looking for that kind of improvement. In Verbal, the good news is that you have improved in RC. People find it hardest to do that. CR and SC are more "mathematical" so to say. Let me give you a link to one of our SC videos which will tell you what I mean: https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/free-gmat-lesson/ It's a 4 part video - check out all 4 parts using the playlist. CR, again, is quite logical and usually people with a strong Quant base find it easy. If you are not comfortable with it, the only reason could be that you don't know exactly what to do in each question type. I would suggest you to check out our CR posts: https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/categor ... rbal-gmat/ There are posts that discuss individual question types. That will give you a good idea.

ss142012 · Answer

Hello Rich,

Thank you so much for your reply , For my basic fundamental prep.. I started with Princeton Review and covered almost all the material and classes.
Next I have covered the MGMAT guides, both for verbal and quant .. but all these efforts only improved the scores from basic 450's to 600, but not beyond that.

Last CAT I took was on last Saturday , in which I scored 550 ( 42 Q,24 V).

I feel, I am giving hours,..... but may be they are not on right places or right resources.

I am not planning on applying to B-schools now.. but might be few yrs down the lane... but want to complete my GMAT.. asap.. since it will help me to focus on other major things in my life.

I have been trying all kind of study plans..but something still seems to be lacking.. I would be really glad.. if u can give me some idea.. on how to frame an effective study plan..

Regards

SS

ss142012 · Answer

Hello Karishma,

Thank you so much for your reply.. I will do look in to the links provided by you.

Can you please help me, frame a study plan(2-3 months long), which would be helpful in breaking that 700 barrier.

I would be really glad, if you can help me out .

Regards

SS

RichEconomistGMAT · Answer

Hi ss142012,

I'm curious to know if you have a clearer idea of when you plan on applying to business school. While it's perfectly fine to get a jumpstart on your prep, especially considering your current standing in Verbal, you should also keep in mind that your scores are only valid for 5 years. Even if your plan is to knock the GMAT out early, you should still have at least an idea of when you'd ideally like to apply for business school.

Best,
Rich

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi SS,

From what you've described, you've made some really nice progress so far. It might be that your current way of "seeing' (and responding to) the GMAT has gotten you 'stuck' at this particular scoring level. To improve to 700+ territory, you might need to invest in some new resources and practice some specific tactics. You certainly need to make some big improvements to your Verbal skills and that's not going to magically happen by doing lots of practice problems.

Since you've put in some serious study time already, I think that you would find the EMPOWERgmat Total Score Booster Study Plan to be quite helpful. Most of our clients can complete that Study Plan in under 2 months, so it would fit nicely with your timeline. We also have a variety of free resources that you can 'test out' at our website (www.empowergmat.com).

If you have any additional questions, then feel free to contact me directly.

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

KarishmaB · Answer

Here are some tips for making the ideal study plan for yourself:

- Make it as detailed as possible - time to be put, area to work on, how many questions, from where etc
- Decide on the time that you can put in during weekdays and during weekends. Don't plan anything for the last day of the week since you would need it to cover up in case you fall behind during the week.
- Jot down your strengths and weaknesses. Allot majority of the time to weaknesses and some to strengths. Decide the resources you will use in each case.
- Allot your most productive hours to actual "learning of the concept" phase i.e. theory of weak areas.
- Allot a day for a practice test every 15 days and then 2 days for complete analysis - including revision of concepts in which you faced problems.
- Thereafter, revise your strengths/weaknesses list if required and repeat.

GMATPill · Answer

Here is a customized 2-3 month study plan that can help boost your score: https://www.gmatpill.com/gmat-practice-t ... study-plan As you study, we recommend that you focus on one particular subsection for multiple consecutive days before moving onto the next. You can see this in our study plan where we recommend 5 days on nothing but SC -- before moving onto CR and then RC. Here is a sample SC video to help you start your journey: https://www.gmatpill.com/sentencecorrect ... ythons.mp4 For some inspiration, read about some of our other students here: https://www.gmatpill.com/testimonials/#tabs-2

OptimusPrepJanielle · Answer

Hello ss142012,

Congratulations on the RC improvement. The first step would be to identify your weaknesses in SC and CR. For SC you should allow yourself time to do a thorough review of the GMAT grammar topic areas, especially the ones which you consistently miss. For CR you should develop a sound approach to the question, for instance identifying the scope and argument of each question, and learn to eliminate answers that are out of scope. Look over past exams to get an idea for the types of questions you missed. This is really the only way to know how to make the most of your future studies. You might consider using more targeted materials like the Official Guide Verbal Review, or even working with a tutor to help you identify and work on your weaknesses.

I hope that helps!

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