Shortened review period - less than one month?

Question

Based on the posts I've seen here, the suggested timeline is 3+ months. Has anyone done it in less than a month? I've already been studying at this point for ~3 weeks and just took an official practice test (650/35Q/46V) and have taken two official tests 4 years ago (650/38/41 and 680/43/40), but my test is in 3 weeks. Is that too short of a time to get my quant up to 45? Thanks!

AjiteshArun · Answer

Of course there are test takers who have managed to get the scores that they wanted with less than a month of prep.

Continue taking practice tests (preferably the official practice tests) to check how close you are to your target score. That will help you take a decision on whether you need to postpone your exam. And in case you can't (postpone), it will tell you how much harder you need to work in the time that you have.

saukrit · Answer

I would suggest that for improving on quant section review all your errors. Do not worry about Hard questions a lot. Make sure you get the easy and medium questions correct. Give ample time to reviewing the errors you got on your quant section in official tests. Use the following links to practice Sub 600 and 600-700(using the filters on top) questions for both DS and PS. I believe that should help a lot in improving your quant score PS: https://gmatclub.com/forum/problem-solving-ps-140/ DS: https://gmatclub.com/forum/data-sufficiency-ds-141/

gmat1393 · Answer

Q35 suggests you are lacking basics in Quant.(Btw you have a very nice verbal score)
For Quant I would suggest you go thru Manhattan Quant guides and couple them with GMAT club tests, which will help you to reach atleast Q48.

Hope this helps

JesusWalks · Answer

Is taking the official practice exam repeatedly helpful, or is it from the same question bank? I know there's two with an additional four available for purchase, but I'd rather not spend if there are easier/cheaper tests available.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Tactic101,

The exams you took 4 YEARS ago aren't really relevant to who you are NOW as a Test Taker (and the GMAT is now a shorter Exam - in both the number of questions that are asked in the Quant and Verbal sections and in the total time you have to answer those questions). Assuming that you took this recent CAT in a realistic fashion, then a 650 shows that you're a really strong critical thinker overall - which is good. 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:

1) What study materials have you used so far?
2) What is your goal score?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
4) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

JesusWalks · Answer

Hi Rich, thanks for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it.

* The 650/35Q/46V was yesterday. The answers below do NOT include anything used prior to 2019.
1) What study materials have you used so far? The OG main book. I have the supplementary material books but haven't used them. I got Kaplan's Math Workbook in the mail today and plan to work through it first.
2) What is your goal score? 700+
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School? Either this fall or next. This depends on my score and also my job (I'm currently looking to switch roles)
4) What Schools are you planning to apply to? Northeast focused: NYU (goal), Columbia (for the hell of it), Georgetown, Cornell, and Tuck.

I realize I probably need higher than a 700 for most of these schools, but a 700 is the baseline IMO.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Tactic101,

You've named some highly-competitive Schools, so it's worth noting that many Business Schools view an Applicant's Quant Scaled Score as an indicator of how that Applicant might handle the 'academic side' of the Program - and a Q45 wouldn't impress anyone. Thus, beyond scoring at a high level overall, you'll want to pick up as many points in the Quant section as you can. Since you're not facing any immediate application deadlines, you might want to give yourself a bit more study time (especially if your Verbal skills are consistently that strong, then you could potentially score into the mid-700s or higher with the proper Study Plan).

1) Is there a particular reason why you're thinking about this shorter timeframe?
2) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week?

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

JesusWalks · Answer

Hi Rich,

My work will be picking up in June and July. Realistically, I'd be able to study only 8-12 hours per week during those months. I didn't think it was worth it to stretch out my study time to 4 months or more, especially if I'm not able to study that much during these months. From what I've heard and read, schools don't see multiple attempts as negative: if my score for this upcoming test in May is somehow 700+, I would apply this fall. If not, I would plan to retake the GMAT this winter and apply in fall of 2020.

AjiteshArun · Answer

You're right: there are 6 official practice tests in all. Tests 1 and 2 share the same pool. Tests 3 and 4 also share the same pool, as do tests 5 and 6. The pool for tests 1 and 2 is larger than the pools for the paid tests, so taking the free tests again is a better option than taking the paid tests again.

However, I wasn't actually recommending that you repeat any of the official practice tests. Getting all 6 is a really good idea, as  no  non-official practice test is as representative of the actual GMAT as the official practice tests are. So while you can make do without the official practice tests, that's not where I'd look to save money if I were you.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Tactic101,

Many Test Takers spend 3 months (or more) of consistent study time before they hit their 'peak' scores. Based on your current timeline, you will have studied for just 1.5 months if you take the GMAT as you currently have it scheduled. With just the one CAT Score, we have no way of knowing if that Score is an accurate reflection of your current 'ability level' - or if maybe you got a little lucky or unlucky on that practice CAT. No one here knows what you are capable of (as far as a GMAT Score is concerned) or how much study time you might need to hit your Score Goal, but you don't appear to be giving yourself the prescribed amount of time, so that's the first aspect of your studies that we need to consider.

There are study resources that might help you to get to a 700+ in 1 month, but it's not clear how long it will take you to learn and master the content and Quant Tactics needed to hit a Q45+ (or significantly higher) in that timeframe. To be clear, I am NOT suggesting that you study for another 4 months, but there's a reasonable chance that you'll need more time than you have allotted.

1) What is the latest that you think you could take the GMAT before June?
2) For the next 4-5 weeks, how much study time do you think you'll have per week?

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

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Tactic101,

Although you are correct in thinking that there are some GMAT test-takers who have been able to achieve their score goals in just one month, improving by 10 quant points in that amount of time is a pretty tall order. Furthermore, since you have been studying for 3 months already and seem to be stuck at a Q35, you really need to look at HOW you have been preparing and make some changes, right?

With all that said, are you able to keep studying and take your GMAT at a later date? Also, would you like some advice on how to improve your GMAT quant skills?

Lastly, you may find it helpful to read this article about  How to Increase Your GMAT Quant Score .

Good luck!

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