Month out and got a 590 on my first practice exam. What next?

Question

Just finished my first practice exam and got a 590. Tried to attatch a screenshot of the analysis but I am a new member. Basically I need to work on my algebra and data sufficiency in general. On the verbal side I need to look into sentence correction. Should I go over the exam itself and make notes on what I got wrong or should I jump right back into to trying to learn some more theoretical stuff? I want to get close to a 650 and I know I have quite a lot of work ahead of me. What would you folks do, based on where I am now?

ZucchiniGMAT · Answer

Hi there,

First of all it is great that you have taken a test for a benchmark before you start studying, and you have a target score that you would like to reach. That being said you will not just magically increase your score, you need to put in some work.

You need to understand which questions you got wrong on your practice test, and which ones you got right. From the information you provided it seems that you need to work on your quantitative section of the GMAT. Keep in mind not to base your score on the percentile, base it off the number of questions you answered right vs wrong. (this is because many people score better on the Quantitative section, and the value of the leftover points in the verbal section are sometimes overlooked.)

Either way, here are some tips that may help you with an increased Quant Score.

1. Read @Bunuel's ALL YOU NEED FOR QUANT guide, in the Quantitative section of the GMAT Club Forum
2. Practice, practice, practice. 
3. Practice some more.

Hope this helps!

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Although a practice exam can provide some data, you need to remember that the sample size is quite small (31 quant and 36 verbal questions), so I would not base your plan moving forward just on the data from your practice exam. The simple fact is that you are still 60 points off your score goal and likely have a variety of quant and verbal weaknesses. To best improve your skills, follow a linear and structured study plan that allows you to learn each GMAT quant and verbal topic individually and then practice each topic until you’ve gained mastery. If you'd like more specific advice on how to improve your skills, feel free to reach out. Lastly, you may find it helpful to read the following articles:

The Phases of Preparing for the GMAT

How To Increase Your GMAT Quant Score

The Phases of Preparing for the GMAT

How To Increase Your GMAT Quant Score

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi oleary709,

Based on your prior post, it appears that you've been studying for about 2.5 months. Is that correct (or have you taken any time off from your studies)?

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:

1) How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) Is your overall goal score 650 or something else?
4) From your prior post, you didn't seem to be in any 'rush' in regards to when you wanted to take the GMAT or apply to School. Have any of those details changed? Are you planning to apply sometime in the next application cycle?

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

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi Oleary709,

First of all, assuming that you took the test without any preparation, 590 is an above-par score. And it is good that you started seeking out advices during your initial stages. Let me help you here.

Answering your question, if Algebra, DS and SC are the only weaker areas you could identify based on the mock you gave, then I think you should start focusing on learning the concepts and the methodology to solve the questions. Ultimately, the motive of taking the practice test is to identify the weaker areas and work on them. To improve your Quant score, it is really important t understand what it is that is actually tested on GMAT. Because there is no point in starting your journey without knowing the destination.

Quant (Algebra and DS): 
GMAT Quant tests only  specific types of questions from each topic . So, knowing the question types and understanding the right methodology to solve those questions should ideally get you a good score on quant. You must be wondering what do I mean by the right methodology. Let me explain it you from the Data-sufficiency perspective. Below is the comparison of how a student who follows general strategy solves a DS question and how a student who uses the methodical approach solves the same.

General strategy    Methodical approach   
  Reads the question stem  Reads the question stem  
  Jumps into the statements and starts solving them  Does a certain pre-analysis on the question stem and identifies what the question is really asking  
  Takes lot of time to solve the individual statements  Takes minimal time because he is clear of what he needs from the statement

Below is the video explaining the methodology to approach DS questions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1e2MjqLL8U

Sentence Correction and meaning based approach: 
And coming to SC, if you are in a misconception that knowing grammar rules will help you solve SC questions, then let me tell you the harsh truth. GMAT SC focuses on the meaning and it is really important to  approach the questions from a meaning stand-point . You might come across a few answer choices which are grammatically correct and also convey a logical meaning but are ultimately incorrect. So, it is really important to understand the intended meaning the original sentence is trying to convey and eliminate choices which are grammatically incorrect and which do not convey the intended meaning.

You can understand the gist of the meaning-based approach by watching the following video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SGA8bwFNJM

Hope it helped. I would suggest you to  focus on the methodology  because GMAT is a test of application of concepts. Make sure to select the right resource to study,  a resource which focuses on teaching the concepts and the methodologies . If you wish have any more concerns or wish to  discuss more about the study strategy, you can schedule a free consultation call  using the below link.

Click here to schedule a call

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Month out and got a 590 on my first practice exam. What next?

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General strategy	Methodical approach
Reads the question stem	Reads the question stem
Jumps into the statements and starts solving them	Does a certain pre-analysis on the question stem and identifies what the question is really asking
Takes lot of time to solve the individual statements	Takes minimal time because he is clear of what he needs from the statement