took 2 gmat prep test - abysmal verbal and time management

Hey rich thank you for the reply,
yeah the reason I took 2 full CATs was to make sure that my verbal score was that bad, at first I thought I bombed because of the pressure
BTW it's exactly as you said I do not take any notes, I should change that. the reason i "rush" thru GMAT is because, in all other tests, I always read and answer all the questions once and then I go back and answer the ones I'm not sure about, you know review them all. obviously, this won't work on GMAT but old habits die hard.

and to answer your questions

1. around 10 hours? I haven't even really started yet. took this test to see what my base level was.

2. I just solved 200 Quant questions from the OG to get a feel for it. I've done exactly nothing for the verbal.

3. 730+ and I need at least 50 in quant, not for my masters but the Ph.D. programs I'm eyeing all said whether I take the GMAT or GRE, I need to be at the top 10% of Quant section.

4. honestly I have all the time I need, I'm applying for the 2019 class, so I have more than 15 months to take the test. but I want to take the test in around 100-110 days.

Hi kamyar94,

Since you've done very little studying, these two CAT scores are fairly strong 'baseline' scores (the average score on the Official GMAT hovers around 540-550 most years). You also appear to have plenty of time to study before you take the Official GMAT, which is good. Assuming that you score Q50-Q51 on Test Day, you'll still need to score considerably higher in the Verbal section to hit your overall score goal though. Of course, you admit to not studying for the Verbal section at all, so we don't have any basis for comparing study routines. It's possible that you could study as you like and hit your score goal, but it's also possible that you would get 'stuck' at a score level and need to change your approach. Thus, at this point, you have to decide how you would like to proceed - with a more formal Study Plan/Course, you'd almost certainly be studying in a more efficient manner (and you'd have a better opportunity to learn all of the patterns, Tactics and little 'secrets' to the Exam without having to discover them on your own). Alternatively, you might be able to teach yourself how to handle the material - and since you're not in a 'time crunch', you have the opportunity to try that first if you like.

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

thanks for the reply
I would rather start strong with a formal plan/course
I don't want to have an online or offline tutor but I'm open to paying for any books and cources that i need.

give yourself more time

Hi kamyar94,

You'll essentially be starting your Verbal studies "from scratch", so there's no way to know exactly how long it will take you to learn the necessary content and Tactics - and properly practice everything that you'll learn. I suspect that it will take about 1-2 months of consistent, guided study, but there will be no way to know for sure until you get started and we see how well you learn/perform.

Given the 'open' nature of your timeline, I think that you would find the EMPOWERgmat Course to be quite beneficial. Since you're just beginning your Verbal studies, I would not suggest the Verbal Score Booster (as that Study Plan is for Clients who've already put in some significant Verbal practice already), so creating an Account - with an emphasis on working through the Verbal and Tactical Modules - would make the most sense. If you're a 'quick learner', then you might need just a month of study. You'll also have the opportunity to take longer if that's required (without having to spend a lot more money). During that time, you'll also be able to access any of the Quant materials that interest you. We have a variety of free resources on our site (www.empowergmat.com), so you can 'test out' the Course before setting up an account.

If you have any additional questions, then you can feel free to contact me directly.

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