INTERLEAVING vs BLOCKING

Dear EMPOWERgmatRichC

Thanks for replying to my post.

I am referring to the official GMAT test. Yes sir, it is around 78th percentile. My goal is to score significantly higher because I believe that Q42 is not reflective of my Quant reasoning ability and that I can do better on the Quant section.

1. I have studied for 6 months.

2. For Quant, I have used only Manhattan Guides and OG.

3. A. I took a GMAT prep test before starting my preparation. I scored 500 (Q29 V30).

B. I took MGMAT CAT before starting my preparation. I scored 540 (Q37 V27).

C. I took Princeton CAT one month into my preparation. I scored 700 (Q44, V43).

D. I took MGMAT CAT 2 20 days before my official exam. I scored 650 (Q41 V38).


4. Goal score is a 720.

5. I'm planning to re-take within the next 55 days i.e. by mid-June.

6. I'm planning to apply by October 2018 - starting with ISB.

7. I plan to apply to ISB (India) and HEC, Insead and LBS.

Thanks a lot for helping me.

Parth Jain

Hi Parth Jain,

Raising a 500 to a 660 is a significant achievement - and you're closer to a 720+ than you probably realize. That having been said, your recent Quant Scaled Scores (Q41 - Q44) are the types of Scores that a 'math thinker' would earn. It's important to note that the Quant section of the GMAT is NOT a 'math test' - it's a 'critical thinking test' that requires lots of little calculations as you work through it. To score at a much higher level in that section, you need to become more of a 'strategist' and less of a 'mathematician.' Many Test Takers who use a 'book heavy' study approach end up getting 'stuck' at a particular score level - and since your Quant studies have been book heavy, it's likely that this has happened to you. This is meant to say that you'll likely end up needing to invest in some new, non-book resources that emphasize Quant Tactics over just doing lots of math. Since your recent Verbal Scaled Scores are all really strong, you wouldn't necessarily have to spend too much time to keep those Verbal skills sharp, but you shouldn't avoid studying for the Verbal completely during the next phase of your studies.

1) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week?

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

Dear EMPOWERgmatRichC

Thank you for replying to my post. I've taken a break from work for the next 2 months. I can put in the long hours, if required.

I'll make a conservative guess and say that I will consistently be able to clock around 7 hours a day for the next 45 days.

Thanks a lot in advance.

Parth Jain

Hi Parth Jain,

It's great that you have all of that potential study time, but you likely won't need 45 days - and you won't need to study 7 hours a day - to hit your Score Goal. That having been said, your improvement will be based heavily on how 'flexible' of a thinker you are. You have studied a certain way for 6 months - and if you continue to study in that same way, then you will likely score at the same general level. To raise your Quant Scaled Score (and your Overall Score), then you have to train to 'see' (and respond to) the Quant section in different ways.

Based on everything that you've described, I think that you would find the EMPOWERgmat Quant Score Booster to be quite helpful. Most of our clients complete that Study Plan in under a month, so the time commitment wouldn't be too intense. We have a variety of free resources on our site (www.empowergmat.com), so you can 'test out' the Course before setting up an account.

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

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