Out of study material (aim for 750)

Question

So I've taken the test twice and scored 710. Between them was a long period of no study, so I think I can improve my score further.
Ive gone through MBA.coms official practice questions and the GMAT OG 2020, Vrebal review 2018 and Quant review 2018. I've bought the advanced questions set, but not finished it. Ive also followed Veritas Preps guides done their problems.
I have trouble finding out what to do now. I know from the ESR hat I need to improve my geometry and counting/sets skills. But I suspect the older OG's are pretty much the same as the ones I have?

gugygugugygy · Answer

It was easy to make a study plan in the begining, but now it's pretty difficult to know what to do next

StaySafe · Answer

As you got 710 without any prep with long study gap, you should not try low difficulty level question-you should try hardest question. Advanced question set from GMAC is perfect materials for you. You can also try "Manhattan GMAT Challenge" question for math.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi gugygugugygy,

First off, a 710 is an outstanding Score, so unless it includes a rather low Quant Scaled Score, then you can comfortably apply to any Business Schools that interest you. As such, a retest might not be necessary. Depending on the Schools that you plan to apply to, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/

There's no harm in continuing to study, but 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:

Studies:
1) On what dates did you take your 2 Official GMATs and what were the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores on EACH?
2) How long did you study before each attempt?
3) Have you used any other study materials besides the ones that you listed?
4) On what 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)?

Goals:
5) When are you planning to retake the GMAT?
6) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

While the ESR doesn’t provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what went wrong on Test Day (and what you should work on to score higher). If you purchased the ESR for your most recent attempt, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.

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

gugygugugygy · Answer

No I did prep for both, but there was a long break of 9 months in between
 
I was rejected by LSE, which is why I'm thinking I should increase my GMAT. I will apply to msc finance programs at HEC Paris, Oxford, Imperial and Bocconi and MiM at Insead. I'm very interested in American MBA's, but not sure if my profile fits. My GPA is A from a european business school. I have no relevant work experience.

First GMAT : April 2019 (Q.49, V:39, a pretty good IR and an AW:4), second GMAT January 2020 (cancelled the score of Q:48, V:40). So I guess I have to improve my AW regardless.
I can't remember how long I studied for the first one, but maybe a couple months total, including 3 weeks of intense practice at the end. Maybe a month for the second.
No other study material than what I've listed. I think I will take the test one month from now.

Feb 2019: 600(Q:47, V:26) Test 2
Mar 2019 :700 (44, 42) Test 1

Dec 2019: 700(47, 40) Test 3
Jan 06 2020: 690 (43, 42) Test 4
Jan 11 2020: 770 (50, 45) This was the second attempt of test 2
Jan 12 2020: 710 (48, 40) Test 5

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi gugygugugygy,

First off, 710 is a great start, so nice job! Second, there are still plenty of materials available that you can use for your GMAT prep. To see what is available, check out 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.

Lastly, you may find it helpful to read the following article:

How to Score a 700+ on the GMAT — A Mini Guide for Success

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi gugygugugygy,

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 2 Official Scores - show that you essentially performed the same each time (about 700 +/- a few points). You handle certain aspects of the GMAT consistently well, but you also make certain consistent mistakes. From what you describe, those various scores go back over the course of almost a year, so it's possible that you have developed some 'bad habits' during your studies that are keeping you from scoring higher.

A 710/Q49 is an outstanding Score, so if you are rejected from a particular Program, it is probably NOT because of your GMAT Score. By extension, you may have made some type of inadvertent 'mistake' in your application (such as an ineffective essay, some type of mistake during an interview, etc.). Thus, consulting with an Admissions Expert might help to define what you should spend your time on going forward.

If you're certain that you want to retest, and that you want your best possible shot at a 750+, then the Enhanced Score Report for your 2nd attempt should help to define exactly what you should be working on (and you CAN still order an ESR for a cancelled result).

We can also use your most recent practice CAT test (the 710 on January 12th) as a basis for comparison. "Review" is an exceptionally important part of the GMAT training process; your ability to define WHY you're getting questions wrong is essential to defining the areas that you need to work on (and the specific things that you need to 'fix'). As such, I'd like to know a bit more about your last CAT. While a full Mistake Tracker would provide a lot more information, there are some basic questions that you should be able to answer (and the more EXACT you can be with your answers, the better):

After reviewing each section of this recent CAT, how many questions did you get wrong....
1) Because of a silly/little mistake?
2) Because there was some math/verbal that you just could not remember how to do?
3) Because the question was too hard?
4) Because you were low on time and had to guess?
5) How many Verbal questions did you 'narrow down to 2 choices' but still get wrong?

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

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