Not able to cross the 700 barrier

Question

Hi,

I had given my GMAT in 2012 and had scored 650(q49 v34 i guess) and was devastated. Since I was simultaneously pursuing the CFA program so I decided to defer my retake after I had done with my CFA. Last year I again gave my GMAT but by the time I ended my exam I was not sure how I had done and thus cancelled my scores. Immediately 1 month hence I again gave my gmat and got 690(q51, v32/33 again not sure).

I had given up and decided to apply with this score only however some of my "well wishers" have asked me to again to give my GMAT again to cross the benchmark. I'm not sure how to take the preparation forward.

I had used all the materials available on the next from the GMAT OG, GMAT verbal, GMAT Quant, Manhatten etc. I had also joined Jamboree in New Delhi India for my preparation both times.

Pleas suggest how do I cross this 700 barrier, more importantly improve my verbal score.

GMATPill · Answer

I would recommend focusing intensely on verbal. Your quant is clearly solid --- but the verbal weaknesses is weighing your overall candidacy down. So you need to prove that your verbal can at least be in the upper 30s.

Pick your weakest section and focus intensely on nothing except that section for 5 straight days. Do this again with the two other sections -- and that should take up 15 days. Then mix it up until day 20 -- and text yourself to see if you can maintain that mental alertness in the context of a full exam.

We recommend doing the Practice Pill Platform - www.gmatpill.com/gmat-practice-test/

Upgrading will let you see how we approach these questions so you can compare your thought process with our approach and see what adjustments you can make.

When studying OG, follow along our video explanations. Just because you've seen a question before -- doesn't make that question useless for your study purposes.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi abhiwad,

There is some unclear information in your post, so I'm hoping that you can answer a few questions:

1) What Schools did you apply to?
2) When did you apply?
3) What were the results (were you accepted, wait-listed, rejected)?
4) When you mention the "well-wishers", who are these people? Business School Admissions Officers? Co-workers?

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

abhiwad · Answer

Hi,

I haven't applied for my applications till yet and I'm planing to do so in the coming September.

My well wishers are my elders(brothers and their friends) who made to the top 5 B-Schools in the US who would be helping me in my applications. Ironically one of them has become a admission consultant who also suggested the same thing of giving my GMAT again to break the 700 barrier and then apply for the schools which I'm targeting such as NYU stern and Columbia.

I have 3.5 years of experience in negotiating and evaluating multi million dollar IT business contracts.

JTuquero · Answer

Hi abhiwad, I agree with GMAT Pill, you should spend some time improving your performance on verbal. Have you seen this chat thread? how-to-improve-verbal-from-v30-to-v40-142361.html. If not, take a look. It has some good tips. Also, have you identified which questions you struggle on? (SC, RC, etc.) This will help me provide some more specific tips. I look forward to hearing from you. Jessica

OptimusPrepJanielle · Answer

Hello abhiwad,

To cross the 700 barrier you'll need to sharpen your test taking skills and strategy. When you're doing the questions you'll need to move beyond the perspective of the concepts that are being tested and into the area of looking at the test more strategically. That is, start to identify all of the traps in the answer choices. View the test as categories of question types and develop methods for each question type. Test taking skills also include time management, so start to see if you can devote more time to questions that you know you can answer accurately and less on the ones that will leave you swimming around for a while before you give up and move on after having lost time. Finally, keep taking regular mock tests and each time work on your weaknesses.

I hope that helps!

Not able to cross the 700 barrier

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