stuck at 640

Question

Hi all,

I took my first GMATprep test exam 1 in December with out preparation and i scored a 640 (Q45,V33). 
I went through some prep material online and solved problems on gmatclub and took a veritas prep test today and scored a 640 again same split as well (Q45,V33).

does this mean that I am not improving? and what is the best way i should go about improving?
My target is score is 700+, but i am unsure which subjects to focus on for the best gain.
I have about 2-3 months left before my actual test and would like to see more improvement before then.

Any tips/advice would be appreciated, thanks!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi kqian01,

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:

Studies:
1) Have you been studying consistently since December 1st? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) Have you taken any additional practice CATs besides these two?

Goals:
4) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
5) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

rohan2345 · Answer

Hi kqian01,

Please note that in my experience, Veritas prep tests are a bit harder than the actual GMAT and their algorithm is a bit more strict than the GMATPREPs so you should not worry too much about it. Veritas prep Mock tests however are a phenomenal source of practice and they have some of the best Verbal questions in the market so definitely keep on practicing from them but do not get discouraged by the scores.

Hope this helps. All the best!!

kqian01 · Answer

Hi Rich,

1) i have been studying for about 1-2 hours on and off every weekday. probably about 10hrs a week.
2) i have been solving questions here and there on gmat club and also some in the OG but mainly quant, not as much verbal as I thought I could improve my quant faster. I just bought the MGMAT books and plan to go through those for verbal.
3) i have not taken any additional CATs as of now, just those 2.
4) I am planning to apply this fall if i can hit the target, if not I will aim for next yr.
5) I am targeting Duke and UNC

Thanks for the response, much appreciated!

kqian01 · Answer

Hi rohan, This is good to hear, thanks for the insight. I am hoping to improve as much as I can before this fall. just felt unsure if i am doing it wrong since the scores were the same

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi kqian01,

From what you've described, your studies have not had much 'structure'; doing lots of random practice questions - without focusing on learning and practicing the proper Tactics - would likely just reinforce "your way" of approaching the Test. As such, that second score isn't surprising at all; you continue to 'see' (and respond to) the GMAT in a certain way - and that way will almost certainly continue to earn you a score in the mid-600s. Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Exam, so you CAN train to score at a higher level. The 'key' word there is "train" though. Now that you have some new study materials, they might be enough to help you hone the necessary skills and raise your score, so I suggest that you work through those books and then take a new, FULL-LENGTH CAT (with the Essay and IR sections) in a few weeks. Once you have that Score, you should report back and we can discuss the results.

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

stuck at 640

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