Reattempting GMAT.

Question

Hi Experts.

I gave my first GMAT attempt on 15th November and score 640(q47,v32). I was aiming for 700+ score. Since I had taken up a full course from e-GMAT and I have been scoring in the range of 680-710 in the sigma x mocks and official mocks 2 weeks before my exam, I believed that I will be able to bridge the gap with some more focused preparation. I went back to e-GMAT and they were more than welcoming and helpful to assign a SME with me who was helping me with the next steps to take.
During my second round of preparation which went on for one month, along with a full time office, I was more focuses on the Quant aspects. I was consistently scoring Q49 and even score Q50 in the official mock. I am sure that Q47 is not the true reflection of my Quantitative abilities. I appeared for second attempt on December 29 and score 650(Q46,v34).

My preparation Journey.
I started my preparation in June, but I almost wasted 1.5 months from mid July to August. I completed the course of e-GMAT for both verbal and quant. For the practice part of the preparation, I was using Scholoranium and utilized it more than 90% for medium and hard questions. My scores for Medium were in range of (68%-73%) in verbal section and (55%-60%) for Hard Questions. In quant I score 70%-80% in medium and more than 60% in hard questions.

My Mock Scores.
Diagnostic Mock - 30th May 2021 - 520.(v19,q43)
Test2(After completing Verbal practice)- 10th Oct 2021 - 620(V37,Q38)
Test3(After completing Quant Practice)- 7th Nov 2021 - 680(V34,Q48)
Test 4(GMAT Prep 1) - 9th Nov 2021 - 700.(V35,Q49)
Test 5- 11th Nov 2021 - 710.(V38,Q49)
Test 6- 13th Nov 2021 - 680.(V33,Q49)
 GMAT 1- 15th Nov 2021 - 640(V32,Q47). 
Test 7(GMAT PREP 5)- 26th December 2021 - 740(V41,49)
Test 8(GMAT PREP 4)- 27th December 2021 - 700(V35,Q50)
Test 9(GMAT Prep 3) - 28th December 2021 - 700(v35,Q49)
 GMAT 2- 29th December 2021 - 650(V34,Q46)

I want to understand from the experts that what else could I add to my preparation to increase my actual GMAT score. I also have an ESR available for my first GMAT. I really believe that Quant score can definitely go up by 3 points at least. Similarly, for verbal there is a scope of improvement. I need help to devise strategy and plan to target 730.

I am reaching out to experts to help me with this because I am sure that you guys must see 100's of aspirants like me.

Thanks
Arpit Garg

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi GARGARPIT,

Sorry to hear that your GMAT exam did not go as planned. I know how it feels to not being able to hit your target score repeatedly despite consistent and dedicated efforts over a considerable period of time. However, it’s good to see that you are eager to work on your weak areas to achieve your goal. Let me help you.

For scoring 700 and above, you need to get the easy medium questions right as GMAT test is adaptive in nature. You can afford making mistakes only in the latter half of the Section, not in the beginning. You have to make the GMAT algorithm serve you difficult questions and get them right. For that, being conceptually clear on all topics is really vital. Not only this, you have to be good with application of concepts because  GMAT is a test of application of concepts .

For Quant, identifying your weaker areas and working your weaker areas should ideally get you a score of 49/50. For this, you need to have a strong understanding of the concepts and also use the right methodology to solve the questions. The good thing about GMAT quant is it tests only specific types of questions from each topic. Knowing how to solve those types of questions will help you solidify your learning and score well on GMAT quant. Spend more time on analyzing the solutions of the questions from the topics in which you are weak. By analyzing we mean, go through each step of the solution, identify the exact step at which you made the mistake, compare your approach with the right one and then learn the right approach.

Coming to Verbal, there are wild swings in your scores which implies that you haven’t followed a very structured approach. To deal with Verbal you need to iron the conceptual gaps in some topics by revisiting them, and then move to the next topic only when you are 100% confident. Verbal questions on GMAT are very tricky. For example, 
• In SC, you have to read the sentence from the meaning standpoint and then start looking at the grammatical errors.
• In CR, you have to understand the argument, identify the premise and the conclusion and then pre-think the answer before looking at the solutions.
• In RC, you need to have the right reading strategies to understand the inferences which are not directly stated in the passage.

It’s always better to spare some more time on your preparation until you are ready instead of missing out on your dream colleges/ b-schools in hurry.

Having said that, it would be too early to conclude anything without knowing the actual reason. To understand what could have led to the drop in the score and to suggest you the plan of action, I need a little more information about your GMAT preparation. And I personally suggest to go for the retake only after you prepared well and are 100% confident.

Having said that, I would like to have a one-on-one conversation with you. The discussion would be mostly around the approximate time you have for the next attempt and the plan of action. If you have an ESR with you, that will be even more helpful to get the insights about your performance. You use use the link below to schedule a call with me.

Click here to schedule a call

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Arpit Garg,

First off, a 650/Q46 is a solid Score, so it could be enough to get you into your first-choice School. As such, another retest might not be necessary. If you are planning to apply to any highly-competitive Schools, then retesting does make a certain amount of sense though. In that same way, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. Those Experts should be able to answer your Admissions questions and help define the specific areas of your profile that could use some improvement. There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

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

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 1st attempt, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you. Before you can include attachments with your posts/PMs, you need to have at least 5 posts in the forums (right now, you have just 2 posts). If you would rather not go through those extra steps at this point, then you can feel free to email me directly (at [email protected]).

In addition to the data in your ESR, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) Over the last 3 months, how many hours did you typically study each week?
2) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

Contact Rich at: [email protected]

Bitss · Answer

Hi Arpit,

I am an Indian and recently scored a whooping 750(Q51 and V40) on my GMAT(see verified score on GMAT Club Profile) last month. I understand that scoring a high GMAT score can be a daunting task for many, it was certainly for me, and at times all you need is a clear direction to navigate your path. Also, for most Indian students it may be difficult to afford costly teaching services and spend hundreds of dollars.

I am offering a 30 min session at a meagre cost, literally peanuts, to happily clarify each and every doubt of yours, and will be sharing how I improved my score from 660 to 750. I took my Quant from Q48 to Q51 and Verbal from V31 to V40. I did not spend insane amount of money nor took in person coaching. I created my own plan, used the available resources wisely, and meticulously carved my path to 750. I am not a tutor, and hence I think from a student’s perspective and I know what works in real life and what not. I also know that all those generic study plans and widely spoken about books are highly ineffective.

Rather than writing a long generic post to share my experience, I believe a one-to-one discussion is always more fruitful. If you have doubts regarding your preparation and need a strategy specific session, if you want to know how to use all the free GMAT resources available, if you want to know which resources to spend your money on and which to avoid, if you want to discuss how to fix any specific area in Verbal to score V40, or if you have exam specific doubts and need a detailed overview from a recent test taker, just DM me and I will be more than happy to help. I will also share few very useful and unique insights from my ESRs, how I modified my test taking strategy, and things to avoid on actual GMAT.

You can either go through infinite number of but extremely helpful(each post of GMAT club is just marvelous) posts on various forums and spend insane number of hours researching GMAT specific tips/videos, or just talk to me to personally clarify your specific concerns

PS. I am not a teacher. I am just an extremely hard working individual who explored every possible resource in the last one year to crack GMAT and my efforts finally paid. I believe everyone can crack GMAT and all you need is the correct plan

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Arpit Garg, I've sent you an email with an analysis of your ESR and some additional questions. GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made, Rich Contact Rich at: Rich.C@empowergmat.com

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