Finished all of OG and supplements! What Now?

Question

I have been studying for the gmat for about two years now off and on. I took the gmat last month and achieved a score of 670 (much lower than I wanted). I was able to score much better on the gmatprep practice tests and I have solved every OG15 and supplement book questions available. My goal is to score in the mid 700s but when re attempt the OG problems I can basically get them all correct. I am worried that I am out of reputable studying material. Could anyone please suggest what I should do next in order to improve my score? Thank you.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi mlevit89,

I noticed that you posted this in another Forum, but I imagine that other users here might also be interested in your situation, so I've copied my response here:

First off, a 670 is a strong score (it's right above the 80th percentile overall), so you might not need to retest. I would like to know a bit more about that score and your plans though:

1) When you scored 670, what were your Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores? Those numbers will provide some data on what you likely need to work on. 
2) When are you planning to apply to Business School? 
3) Have you thought about which Schools you want to apply to?

If you do end up retesting, beyond working on additional practice problems, it's likely that you need to learn and practice some new tactics.

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

mlevit89 · Answer

Dear Rich, 
Thank you very much for replying. Here are the answers to your questions:

1. Q45 V37 
2. I will apply for fall 2016, depending on when I finish my GMAT. 
3. Yes I have. I want to apply in the top 20.

I want to score as high as possible because I have a low gpa, 2.5, and I want the best chances of getting into these schools. Thank you.

zero722 · Answer

Seems like you might need a bit more effort on the math to boost your overall mark to over 700. From me browsing around the forum, try some of the questions in the Quant section of the form, the questions are all categorized to different levels as well (700+, 600+ etc).

Also you might want to consider buying extra questions from the Official GMAT store as well.

Hope this helps.

Also you might want to consider buying extra questions from the Official GMAT store as well.

Hope this helps.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi mlevit89,

If you know the specific Schools that you want to apply to, then you might want to review your Overall profile with an Admissions Expert. There's a Forum full of them here:

ask-admission-consultants-124/

With your lower GPA, a retest might be something to consider. Before jumping back into study mode though, you really should have that consultation and plan out your timeline for the rest of the year. When you've worked out those details, you should post back here.

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

mlevit89 · Answer

Hello Rich,
I spoke with a adviser from Stacey Blackman consulting on the phone. They recommended that I improve my GMAT score before I begin to apply.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi mlevit89,

To score in the mid-700s, you're going to need to improve BOTH your Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores.

Since you took a 'book-heavy' study approach before, you're likely going to need to shift to a more computer-based plan this time around. Since you've already put in some significant study time already, and given your needs and timeframe, I recommend that you use the EMPOWERgmat Total Score Booster Study Plan. Most of our clients can finish that Plan in under 2 months (although you might need more or less time than that), so it would fit nicely with your timeline.

We have a variety of free resources that you can use before you decide (at our website - www.empowergmat.com).

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

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

GMATPill · Answer

Well, additional practice, you are always welcome to check out practice questions on the Practice Pill Platform: gmatpill.com/gmat-practice-test/

Also, when you do review OG questions - try to do them in random order to mix it up a bit. You may also find our OG videos helpful: https://www.gmatpill.com/official-guide

IanStewart · Answer

You should make official questions your highest priority, since those will simulate most realistically what you will see on the actual test. I understand that you've worked through the OG and supplement books, but if you have not already done so, you should look at the GMATPrep add-on Question Pack as well, which contains about 400 official questions, verbal and quant. You should also get the two additional GMATPrep tests (the ones you can purchase, not the free ones) if you don't have them already. There are other official products, but they're of less value - the GMATFocus product is not good value for money, and the old paper tests are a bit out of date now.

I'd generally only use official questions for verbal practice, because there's a huge difference in quality between official verbal and company verbal questions. There is some decent Quant material available from third-party providers, though I'd suggest you be careful about what you get, since a lot of the material available is not very useful. Since you're already familiar with the GMAT, you'll likely be able to judge, seeing a small sample of material, whether it's realistic, and whether it's suitably challenging for a test taker at your level.

mlevit89 · Answer

Thank you Ian,
I have actually already purchased and gone through all of the material that you have mentioned. I am planning on retaking the test into two weeks. Even though I am fairly familiar with GMAT Prep CATS, do you recommend retaking them before my test anyway? Thank you.

IanStewart · Answer

With only a short time before your test, you should be identifying and working on any important weak areas that you might improve on quickly. Taking tests is really only useful for three reasons. It helps you to get comfortable with the test-taking experience (which I imagine you are already); it helps you to get an idea of your likely score (which might help you to decide if booking a test is a good idea, and whether to focus on Quant or Verbal in the time you have left); and it helps you to practice test-taking strategy, and in particular, pacing strategy.

So in your case, I'd only advise taking more than one test at this point if you know you need to improve your pacing strategy. If your pacing is good, you might take one more test, but otherwise you'll improve more by learning about and practicing any important topics that you've had difficulty with. Taking tests is not a good way to do that. I don't know if you've identified any weak areas, but I often find that test takers at your level can improve their understanding of Number Theory and of Inequalities - those are two areas that tend to be quite important at the higher level of the test.

joshnsit · Answer

Try these 2 posts and see if these suggestions are worth your time: 1) 1000-sc-notes-at-one-place-in-one-document-with-best-of-explanations-192961.html#p1482310 2) gave-gmat-three-times-now-and-jinxed-at-510-so-disappointed-192001.html#p1486293 3) from-690-to-660-to-630-what-do-i-do-194345.html#p1499728

dabral · Answer

If you have already taken the GMATPrep free practice tests, then use the following questions that are collected from the source database of the software. These are all excellent official questions: all-gmatprep-questions-quant-verbal-187679.html

other than that use Exam Pack 1 tests, and GMATFocus tests(not perfect but still a useful source).

Cheers,
Dabral

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