Stagnated...

Question

My practice test scores are stagnated at 660. I am not improving on them even though I put lot of efforts.

Scores have been:

GMATPREP OLD 2 660 Q46 V35
MGMAT 1 660 Q47 V33
MGMAT 2 660 Q44 V36 (today)

These exams I took in past 2 weeks. Previously, in December I had following scores:

GMATPREP OLD 1 680 Q48 V34
Veritas Full Test 630 Q44 V35

Please give some advice. My target score is 710+ Q50 V40. How can I improve to this score in 40 days? Please help.

regards,
V.

FuzzyBuzzard · Answer

Notice that your scores sum up to 660 with different combinations each time - Q46/44/47 + V35/33/36.
To me it looks like you should not put your focus on the final grade (660) but rather on analyzing and understanding the different chapters' score.
Use MGMAT great score breakdown to identify your weaknesses - could it be that you need to work on your SC or maybe you constantly miss "Abs value" questions on Quant'.

After you analyze this, put your efforts on getting better on your waek sections and raising that individual score, and you final score will shortly follow up.

Don't give up!

vix · Answer

Thanks a lot guys...yes my Quant is reaching max score, and I am planning to increase it further by using GMAT Club Tests and Advanced Quant from MGMAT. For Verbal, today itself I got only 3 wrongs (in all 3 i chose the wrong out of last 2) in SC. CR increased by 3 points from previous but RC decreased more. RC was more difficult in MGMAT 2 than in 1, so I need to work on that.

many thanks....any more advice?

many thanks....any more advice?

BM · Answer

With the GMATClub tests, you will probably reach your maximum math performance. The strategy here, then, is to simply stay the course.

Verbal is the weaker of the two and provides a larger opportunity to increase your overall score. This will require a shift in your preparation to allocate more time and energy for verbal. Are you using any guidebooks or the OG for verbal?

vix · Answer

I hope GMAT Club Tests help me reach 49-50.
For Verbal, I am goin' to reread the Aristotle Prep and also take up new question set for SC to try and further increase in SC.
For RC, I have RC99, I will take it with more rigor, so that my answers are close to max level and they do not dwindle, as I have noticed them to.
For CR, I am attempting only OG12 and OG 13. I don't wanna think beyond OG, as it is slowly helping me increase my score there in CR.
Hopefully next attempt (next Saturday) sees a better score.
But anyways, I am NOT disappointed with my scores, coz scores are not going down at least

.

BM · Answer

For verbal, it's important to have a guidebook - especially for those whose first language is not English. Question practice is good, but probably not enough to get a high score in verbal for most people. The OG 12 is good for verbal, but the OG Verbal is too easy and inadequate for a high score.

You already have a book for SC, so that's good. But also consider one for CR. And as you have discovered, rereading guidebooks for verbal is key for improvement.

You already have a book for SC, so that's good. But also consider one for CR. And as you have discovered, rereading guidebooks for verbal is key for improvement.

vix · Answer

Thanks bmillan01, methinks I will include CR Bible re-reading in my schedule too. I hope it helps me. Any other suggestion for CR?

Many thanks...V.

mohater · Answer

Are you keeping an error log?

That might be the key to figuring out why you're "stuck".

vix · Answer

I have never used an official Error Log, but I do revisit the questions which I got wrong earlier, and try to solve them again.

thanks...V.

mohater · Answer

Remember, the GMAT is designed to stratify people. If you can't figure out why you're stuck in a certain strata, this is when an error log becomes key. It helps you unlock the WHY aspect of answering problems incorrectly and helps you better approach problems to solve them correctly.

wallstreetbarbie · Answer

Seems like you have an unofficial error log... maybe go back to the questions you got wrong and see if there is a pattern. What areas are you consistently getting wrong?

vix · Answer

At least in Q I closed down some stuff...It is mixture/ratios problems, probability. Also, I get involved in Algebra all the time instead of trying numbers and back-solving. I need to correct myself here!!

vix · Answer

I reappeared in GMATPrep y'day and got another 660 (Q48 V34). I thought that I was on a way to make a world record of score repeats but the latest GMATprep shattered my dream

. Today I got 640 (Q48 V30). Verbal indeed was difficult, but Q I got 4 extra wrongs (15 as compared to y'day). I was in a bad mood since morning. I did appear in GMATClub tests last week because of which I think I re-reached 48, but V is still a mess. I need to get to V38-40. Should I join any course like e-gmat to improve my score. I have only 1 month in hand. Please advise.

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