Tips on Approach

Question

Dear Members,

I have had a rollercoaster ride with my GMAT:

Official GMAT Scores:
- 2020 Nov: 690 (Q48, V37)
- 2020 Dec: 650 (Q41,  V38 )
- 2021 Mar: 640 (Q45, V32)
- 2021 Jun: 650 (Q49,  V30 )
 
I did not apply to colleges with a 690 in R2 last year because I was quite keen on scoring 720+. I haven’t managed to improve my score to my target score this year. Therefore, I am planning on applying to a few (max 3) colleges with a 690. After submitting my applications with the 690 score, I plan to give the GMAT once more before Dec-21 to try for a higher score (assuming my applications would be submitted by the last week of September and I have ~2.5 months to study)

Key questions:
- How should I manage my studies during my applications phase? Should I take a complete break until I complete my applications or target to study a few hours per week?
- Since I have seen the most variance in my official Verbal scores is there anything else I can focus on apart from reading articles?
- Any comments on the overall executability of the plan?

bb ,  AndrewN ,  GMATNinja ,  MartyTargetTestPrep

MathRevolution · Answer

Hello VIVA1060,

A score in the range of 650-690 in the GMAT tells the entire story about how well prepared you are and how to change the gear now to meet the target score.

You can schedule a Free counseling session for 20 mins with one of our experts:https://calendly.com/mathrevolution/1-on-1-session for detailed advice on your current study plans.

We appreciate your time and patience in reading this reply.

Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]

Success is within your reach.
Good luck!

Math Revolution Team

AndrewN · Answer

Apologies for the late response,  VIVA1060 . I am in the middle of a personal vacation right now, the first I have taken since last October, so I am not sitting at my computer as much. To get to the heart of the matter, I would prioritize applications for the time being and put everything I had into them. The GMAT is not going anywhere, and unless your applications drag out for more than a month, you will not lose your test-sharpness. Once you do get back to studying, to increase your Verbal score, you will definitely want to review official questions you missed in the past. But rather than focus on the correct answer, see if you can get to the bottom of the incorrect answers, what makes them wrong for the question being asked. Look up the questions in the forum. Take physical notes (typed or hand-written). If you need to practice more questions, search for those from older editions of the OG or from high-quality third-party sources such as Manhattan Prep or Veritas Prep. You can also watch dedicated YouTube videos on how to refine your approach. (I know GMAT Ninja has a series that many high-scoring members rave about.) And, of course, if you need feedback on a question or two, feel free to ask.

I hope that helps a little.

- Andrew

MBAaustralia · Answer

Stick with OG questions for Verbal. Master easy questions first before moving to medium questions. To fill in the knowledge gaps I recommend the MGMAT Books and/or TTP.

Posted from my mobile device

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi VIVA1060,

To start, a 690/Q48 is a fantastic overall Score - so it could be enough to get you into your first-choice School. The variations in your 4 Official results imply that you might have developed some 'bad habits' during your earlier studies that leave you open to making little mistakes (and the inconsistency in your Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores further implies that these inefficiencies exist in both the Quant and Verbal sections). If you have been studying for the better part of a year (or more), then you have to be careful about how you approach this next phase of your studies. Working through 100s of additional practice questions over the next 2.5 months - with the same approaches that you have used over the last year - will likely lead to a similar result (in the mid-600s to high-600s). This is meant to say that you will have to make some fundamental changes to how you 'see' (and respond to) BOTH the Quant and Verbal sections before you will be able to consistently score at that higher level.

Before I can offer you any additional advice for your studies, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

1) How long did you study before each of your Official GMATs? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used over the course of ALL of your studies? What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used?
3) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?
4) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

If you took either of your 2 recent Official GMATs at a Test Center, then you might also choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report. 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 purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.

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

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