Scored 595 on my first Official GMAT - Seeking advice to reach 685+

Question

I recently took the GMAT and scored 595, which is far from my target score of 685+. My mock test scores (only gave 2 official ones) were around these numbers, so the result wasn't entirely unexpected. The primary issue I faced during the practice tests was time management and had to randomly mark the last 4-5 answers in all the three sections  which was not the case in the real test . I told myself not to re-read and skip questions that I didn't know how to solve after the first reading which may explain the dip in accuracies.

Official PT 2: 575 - Q80 --> V79 --> DI77 (randomly marked last 4-5 all sections)
Official PT 1: 555 - V82 --> Q77 --> DI74 (randomly marked last 4-5 in all sections and one question in DI not answered)
 Was able to solve most of the Quant and DI questions untimed after.

Offical Test : 595 - V 80 --> Q 80 --> DI 78. Attached screenshots.

Below is a detailed breakdown of my performance and some inconsistencies between my practice and the official test:

Verbal:
1. RC:
 
 Practice vs. Actual Test: Used to spending more time on RC questions during practice, but managed to maintain accuracy on the actual test with less time. This raises the question: Were the RC questions on the actual test easier, or did I adapt better under pressure?  
2. CR:
 
 Practice Accuracy in OG questions (mostly untimed): Easy 90%, Medium 85%, Hard 80% 
 Actual Test: Tried to answer CR questions without re-reading due to time constraints, resulting in lower accuracy. Is this a sign of a lack of skill, or did I simply rush?  
Quant:
 
 Inconsistencies arose between my practice and the test. I felt confident in probability, sets, and stats, but the results did not reflect this. 
 Over-investment in some questions left me feeling pressured towards the end.  
Data Interpretation (DI):
 
 I've always had a time management issue. 
 Untimed I'm able to solve the Offical Practice Test (1&2) questions and was getting most of the ones I did manage to attempt right 
 In the offical test the MSR question threw a lot of data at me and I tried attacking the question without reading the passage which didn't seem to work.

Resources Used: 
 
  TTP:  Spent 400+ hours on learning concepts and practicing questions. 
  Official Guide (OG) and OG Review (2023-2024): 
 
 90% of CR and RC questions 
 50% of Quant questions 
 50% of DI questions   
  Official Practice Tests 1 and 2:  Scores around 575-595, with a similar sub-sectional breakdown and random marking of the last five questions in each section.

Questions: 
 
 Do the accuracies in the official test indicate a lack of skill, or did I simply go too fast in the real test? How can I identify where I am lacking? 
 Quant concepts: Should I revisit specific quant concepts? If so, which topics need more focus? 
 How can I improve my speed in DI? Where should I practice non-DS questions? Is it worth buying the online OG and question banks? 
 What would be a tentative timeline (hours) to achieve my target score of 685+? 
 Any other suggestions or resources to help me reach my target score?

BrightOutlookJenn ;  KarishmaB ;  ScottTargetTestPrep ;  MartyMurray

Thanks in advance!

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi neilacesthegmat,

I'm happy to help. To start, can you paste in a screenshot of your TTP analytics page so we can see what is going on with your TTP course?

neilacesthegmat · Answer

Thanks for getting back to me

I had shared screenshots of my TTP analytics page earlier via email and other forums. I also received an additional study plan from the TTP team, but it was too close to my official test date to follow through properly.

I’m hoping that sharing my official GMAT report can help us better pinpoint my areas for improvement.

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Manhattan-Prep's 6th Edition for CR may be worth checking out. For RC, becoming familiar with how inference questions work could be helpful as well. If you feel your fundamentals are solid, consider working on your solving approach. May help boost your score a bit. Perhaps include working with a study buddy who is really strong on Verbal, for example. You could offer to help with areas of the GMAT you're strong on in exchange. There's a study buddy thread on gmatclub.

How to score high on GMAT Verbal.

bb · Answer

neilacesthegmat  - thanks for sharing a very detailed post with lots of materials. I have a couple questions:

1. I see your practice test scores were in line with the final GMAT which is always helpful and makes reaching your goals clearer, Curious why you still took the test? if your practice test scores were not on target, did you just have to take it or were you hoping for a better score? Did something give you an expectation of a better score?

2. How long has it been since you started your prep? I see you spent 400 hours on TTP but did you start before that and how long did 400 hours take? I used to study about two hours a day so it would’ve taken me over six months 😞

3. What score did you start with?

Posted from my mobile device

neilacesthegmat · Answer

Hey  bb !

After completing ~85% of the TTP course, I decided to schedule my exam for three weeks later. I believed this would give me sufficient time to practice and work on my time management while also pushing me to work towards a deadline. I was fairly certain going in I wouldn't reach my target score and would have to retake the test. The cancellation / rescheduling fee increases significantly 14 days before the exam, so I thought it made sense to take it and see where I stood.

I started my GMAT journey in the first week of April with a cold mock, scoring around 475 (Q78, V77, and DI in the 60s, if I remember correctly). I decided to go with TTP based on online reviews and their 7-day trial. I spent about 400 hours on TTP and probably another 50 hours on OG questions and GMAT Club (thank you btw!) over about 3.5 to 4 months. I was between jobs fortunately, so I had time off and tried to make the most of it. I definitely wouldn't have chosen TTP if I had to complete the entire course while working or maybe I wouldn't go through it as thoroughly.

I would appreciate any advice or suggestions on how I should move forward to reach my target score.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

These stats look solid. Are you able to start working through the additional study plan?

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi neilacesthegmat,

Rereading the question is not necessarily a bad thing. I don't think there's a single answer here, but I wouldn't force myself to avoid rereading all my CR questions.

Scored 595 on my first Official GMAT - Seeking advice to reach 685+

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