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GMAT 1: 720 Q50 V37
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GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
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Prepare to retake GMAT with MBA studies and full time job [#permalink]
Than you for your response EMPOWERgmatRichC and zs2
1) How long ago did you take the Official GMAT and what were your Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores? -> 2nd of November, 2019. Quant: 46, Verbal: 38.

2) How long did you study? -> 3 months.

3) What study materials have you used so far?
Quant: Every problem from Magoosh Quant (6 months); Every problem from Official GMAT "General" and "Quant" Guide 2016; 4 Official practice tests; used the Manhattan app for quick conceptual problems; also purchased official GMAT "Advanced Questions" problem set (didn't finish it). Used Manhattan prep guide books for some topics.
Verbal: Complete Official GMAT "General" and "Verbal" Guide 2016. I put in a lot of efforts in CR, but plateaued quite early. Same for RC. I think I put in decent efforts in SC, but got complacent in the end. Also used the SC Manhattan Prep guide book.

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)? I will get back to you on this (the website is under maintenance as I write). But from what I remember:
Test 1: 650 (July 31st)
Test 2: 650 (August 31st)
Test 3: 680 (September 30th)
Test 4: 710 (October last week)
A clear improvement was in Quant. Verbal was quite constant.

5) What is your overall goal score? At least 720.

When I started, I struggled with inequalities, integer properties and Probability. I got quite good with inequalities eventually. However, I don't think I ever got comfortable with divisibility/reminders/factors concepts, and Counting/Probability.
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Re: Prepare to retake GMAT with MBA studies and full time job [#permalink]
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Hi shalinmankodi,

The specific Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores from your practice CATs can help to define if there were any 'outliers' in your performances, so once you have access to that information, then it would help if you would post it. 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, your various CAT score results - along with your Official Score - show that you essentially performed the same each time (about 680 +/- a few points). You handle certain aspects of the GMAT consistently well, but your approach to the Exam leaves you open to making certain types of mistakes. The variations in your scores could just have come down to the number of little mistakes that you made (or did not make) and a handful of lucky/unlucky guesses (which can play a role in DS and certain types of Verbal questions). Training in the proper Quant and Verbal Tactics can help to limit the frequency of that type of 'guessing' - which will help to pick up those additional points that you're after.

With a Q46/V38, you don't have any huge "weak spots" in your content knowledge in either section, so we'll have to nitpick your prior performances a bit - and the Enhanced Score Report would help to provide some additional data about how you dealt with the specifics of Test Day. You're actually closer to a 720+ than you probably realize, but you'll have to make some fundamental changes to how you 'see' (and respond to) the Exam before you can get to the point that you're consistently scoring at that higher level.

Since the various Testing Facilities have been closed (due to the Coronavirus/Covid-19), it's unclear when those Facilities will reopen. In response, GMAC has put together a tentative plan to administer the GMAT directly on Test-takers' home computers. You can read more about that opportunity here:

https://www.gmac.com/why-gmac/gmac-news ... oronavirus

GMAT skills can 'fade' over time, so depending on how well you've retained your skills from the end of last year, you could potentially retest in the next 1-2 months and hit your Score Goal. The logical next step would be to better define your current skills, strengths and weaknesses, so you might opt to take a new practice CAT/mock sometime soon (perhaps this weekend). Once you have that score result, you should post back here and we can discuss how you might best proceed with your studies.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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Prepare to retake GMAT with MBA studies and full time job [#permalink]
EMPOWERgmatRichC
All right. Here are the scores. Just had to change the browser.
Exam 1: 640 (Q 44, V 35)
Exam 2: 640 (Q 44, V 33)
Exam 3: 660 (Q 50, V 30)
Exam 4: 710 (Q 50, V 37)

It's possible that 680 was on the higher side of my capacity. But I still believe that if I stretch enough I can reach 720 or higher.
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Re: Prepare to retake GMAT with MBA studies and full time job [#permalink]
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Hi shalinmankodi,

I've sent you a PM with some additional questions.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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Re: Prepare to retake GMAT with MBA studies and full time job [#permalink]
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Hi shalinmakodi,

680 is a great start! Regarding how to improve your GMAT score, Regarding HOW to improve your GMAT score, you need to go through GMAT quant and verbal carefully to find your exact weaknesses, fill gaps in your knowledge, and strengthen your skills. The overall process will be to learn all about how to answer question types with which you currently aren't very comfortable, and do dozens of practice questions category by category, basically driving up your score point by point. For example, if you find that you are not strong in answering Number Properties questions, then carefully review the conceptual underpinnings of how to answer Number Properties questions and practice by answering 50 or more questions just from Number Properties: LCM, GCF, units digit patterns, divisibility, remainders, etc. When you are working on learning to answer questions of a particular type, start off taking your time, and then seek to speed up as you get more comfortable answering questions of that type. As you do such practice, do a thorough analysis of each question that you don't get right. If you got a remainder question wrong, ask yourself why. Did you make a careless mistake? Did you not properly apply the remainder formula? Was there a concept you did not understand in the question? By carefully analyzing your mistakes, you will be able to efficiently fix your weaknesses and in turn improve your GMAT quant skills. Number Properties is just one example; follow this process for all quant topics.

Each time you strengthen your understanding of a topic and your skill in answering questions of a particular type, you increase your odds of hitting your score goal. You know that there are types of questions that you are happy to see, types that you would rather not see, and types that you take a long time to answer correctly. Learn to more effectively answer the types of questions that you would rather not see, and make them into your favorite types. Learn to correctly answer in two minutes or less questions that you currently take five minutes to answer. By finding, say, a dozen weaker quant areas and turning them into strong areas, you will make great progress toward hitting your quant score goal. If a dozen areas turn out not to be enough, strengthen some more areas.

You can work on verbal in a similar manner. Let’s say you are reviewing Critical Reasoning. Be sure that you practice a large number of Critical Reasoning questions: Strengthen and Weaken the Argument, Resolve the Paradox, find the Conclusion, Must be True, etc. As you go through the questions, do a thorough analysis of each question that you don't get correct. If you missed a Weaken question, ask yourself why. Did you make a careless mistake? Did you not recognize what the question was asking? Did you skip over a key detail in an answer choice? Getting GMAT verbal questions right is a matter of what you know, what you see, and what you do. So, any time that you don't get one right, you can seek to identify what you had to know to get the right answer, what you had to see that you didn't see, and what you could have done differently to arrive at the correct answer.

So, work on accuracy and generally finding correct answers, work on specific weaker areas one by one to make them strong areas, and when you take a practice GMAT or the real thing, take all the time per question available to do your absolute best to get right answers consistently. The GMAT is essentially a game of seeing how many right answers you can get in the time allotted. Approach the test with that conception in mind, and focus intently on the question in front of you with one goal in mind: getting a CORRECT answer.

In order to follow the path described above, you may need some new quant and verbal materials, so take a look at the GMAT Club reviews for the best quant and verbal courses. You also may find it helpful to read the following articles about
How to Score a 700+ on the GMAT and The Phases of Preparing for the GMAT.

Feel free to reach out with any further questions. Good luck!
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Re: Prepare to retake GMAT with MBA studies and full time job [#permalink]
ScottTargetTestPrep brilliant strategies! Thank you!

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Re: Prepare to retake GMAT with MBA studies and full time job [#permalink]
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shalinmankodi wrote:
ScottTargetTestPrep brilliant strategies! Thank you!

Posted from my mobile device


My pleasure!!
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Re: Prepare to retake GMAT with MBA studies and full time job [#permalink]

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