620 to 690... A bittersweet end to an exhausting journey...

Question

I had my third shot at GMAT recently. Although the results weren't encouraging, I still felt the need to write a debrief to detail my experience. The results may not inspire anyone, but the experience might guide someone.
I am not an active contributor but an avid beneficiary of this forum. The inherited introversion is to blame for the lack of not-so-appreciable participation from my side. Furthermore, I always felt apprehensive about posting on this forum because of the inferiority complex I always felt while reading posts of other members who were too good. I used to overthink whether the content I wanted to post would make sense or whether I would contribute anything meaningful, especially when many others had already posted such great content.
For all the guidance I received on this forum, I feel obliged to share my GMAT experience. As I mentioned above, the results may not inspire anyone, but the experience might guide someone.
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 Background:  I had my schooling at a Government School. I completed my bachelorette in Computer Science and Engineering from a not-so-well-known College. My scores kept moving back and forth between 65 and 75 percent throughout schooling and graduation.
12th Class - 69.80%
Graduation (Engineering) - 68.50%
The Quantitative and Verbal sections had never been my forte. Especially English, being a non-native language, has always been a thorn throughout my career.
I worked as a Data Analyst in a startup for a year before the startup was closed by its founders because of the lack of funds. I moved to a Government Bank where I was, fortunately (or unfortunately), allotted Credit Department. Thus, I started my career in finance.
Four years in credit portfolio had been quite satisfactory until October 2020, when I felt I needed a catalyst to climb up the ladder. After weighing several options, including CFA, FRM, MiF, and MBA, I closed in on MBA as my next destination. As I googled more about MBA, I got to know that the first step on the ladder is GMAT. A simple search on google about GMAT landed me on gmatclub. I also searched on https://gmatclub.com/chat for further assistance and found a group named 'GMAT Busters,' which is being run by Mr. Praveen and his team of moderators.
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 Prep Material and the Meat of the Story:  Upon registering on gmatclub, my mailbox was bombarded by various Test Prep companies, everyone claiming to be the best in the market. I registered on the website of every company and went through their offerings. Besides, I asked various questions on the 'GMAT Busters' group to gain clarity on the relevant materials. 
Based on the inputs, I preferred the following prep materials :
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Verbal :
Sentence Correction - Manhattan SC Guide.
Critical Reasoning - Powerscore CR Bible.
Reading Comprehension - Official Guide 2021.
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Quants :
Data Sufficiency - Veritas Prep Data Sufficiency.
Problem Solving - Official Guide 2021.
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I used the above-mentioned books for initial concept building and stuck to OG 2021 for practicing questions. I made minimal use of gmatclub for preparations and answer explanations (i.e., First mistake of mine) and relied on answer explanations given in OG 2021 (OG solutions are nothing but crap and will ruin your concepts in verbal). Most of the solutions provided in OG for Verbal SC questions consist of simple "wordy and unidiomatic" assumptions rather than the explanation of fundamental errors in grammar and ambiguities in meaning. Even the quantitative questions provided in OG are no more than crap and won't prepare you for the tricks you will face in the real test.
I applied for an unpaid leave of two months (Nov & Dec 2020), thus sacrificing my salary for and seniority of two months to prepare extensively for the GMAT. Most of the reviews here on gmatclub mentioned that two months are enough for preparation, and people literally aced the exam with two months of preparation, so I assumed the same for me (i.e., Second mistake of mine) and booked the D-day for the 21st December 2020. I booked for the GMAT Online version, considering that I will be more comfortable from home, and ignored other aspects of GMAT Online (i.e., Third mistake of mine).
I prepared largely from the above-mentioned prep material during November 2020, revising the concepts multiple times from Veritas Prep DS, Manhattan SC Guide, and Powerscore CR Bible. I solved all OG questions and practiced the missed questions twice. I also kept solving the questions posted by the members on https://gmatclub.com/chat Group "GMAT Busters." The moderators and members were helpful, and the discussions in the group were not random and directionless. The moderators ensured that the discussions in the group must not divert from the intended and encouraged the quality in discussions. I recommend the group to anyone who feels comfortable in group study. As OG 2021 got finished by the end of November 2020, I bought OG Verbal Review 2020 and OG Quantitative Review 2020 and began taking mock tests to gauge my preparations. From 1st December to 20th December, my preparations involved Mock Tests and practicing questions from OG Verbal Review 2020 and OG Quantitative Review 2020. The scores of the attempted mock tests were as under :
 1st December (Veritas 1st Free Mock) - 680 (Q48, V35)
5th December (Veritas 2nd Free Mock) - 650 (Q48, V30)
9th December (Kaplan 1st Free Mock) - 640 (Q46, V31)
12th December (Manhattan 1st Free Mock) - 630 (Q45, V31)
15th December (GMAT Prep 1) - 710 (Q49, V38, IR5)
18th December (GMAT Prep 2) - 690 (Q47, V38, IR5) 
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I used to analyze my Mock Tests exhaustively after each attempt. Although I got my lowest and most demoralizing scores on Kaplan and Manhattan Mock tests, I was encouraged a bit by GMAT Prep Tests. I deduced that Kaplan and Manhattan had tougher quants, which affected my scores. But my verbal scores kept fluctuating and caused a bit of worry. Still, I gathered my courage and sat for GMAT Online on the scheduled date, i.e., 21st December 2020. I revised all my missed questions on the previous day and didn't study anything throughout the day on D-Day. But the anxiety didn't let me sleep properly on the night before the exam. Although I kept lying in bed for 10 hours, I slept only for 5-6 hours. 
Anyways, I started my exam at the scheduled time in the evening. After half an hour's wait, the proctor responded, ensured all the formalities, and gave a go-ahead signal. I started with Quants, and the exam continued smoothly for the first half. I faced a few difficult questions in the second half, slowing me down a bit. I felt rushed at the end because I had to attempt 5 questions in the last 4 minutes. I somehow solved the 4 questions and blindly guessed the last question before the time finished. But the first section drained my brain by the end, and I was pretty exhausted. Before I gathered my senses, the clock started ticking in the Verbal section. I realized my folly in booking GMAT Online despite knowing that no breaks are available between two sections in the online version of the exam. I somehow struggled to understand the meaning of the questions with my zombie brain and was too slow in marking the answers. I was trying so hard that, at one point, I started speaking loudly while reading the questions to understand clearly. The proctor warned me for speaking loudly, and I had to contain my frustration. I crawled through the verbal section and had to guess the last 5 questions blindly. I knew I screwed my Verbal and was reluctant to attempt the IR section. The 5-minute break before IR felt like a boon at that time. I relaxed a bit and crawled through IR reluctantly. 
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I waited for 2 days to see the disheartening score of  620 (Q48, V27, IR5) .
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I knew just after the exam that I was doomed. The risk I took by parting from my job for two months didn't fetch anything. I was ashamed to share my score. I spent the next 10 days lying in my bed.
I tried to forget about it, assuming that GMAT is not my cup of tea. I gathered all my strength and joined my office on 3rd January 2021.
The End.
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I started my mundane life. Wake up in the morning, get rid of morning ablutions, commute to the office, wrestle through the hectic day, commute back home, lollygag online, and at last, hug your pillow.
But it's hard to back down. Man is a competitive being. What struck my mind repeatedly was "Why I started in the first place." So I started because I wanted a jump in my career, I wanted a catalyst to fire up my career, I wanted to do an MBA. One bad attempt doesn't mean I have to give up on my dream. One bad day doesn't mean I have to continue with the same job with no further growth.
So it's time for self-realization. And here is the summary of self-realization :
1. I relied only on OG without referring to any other source. The explanations provided in the verbal section aren't enough to build on concepts. The questions in Quants aren't sufficient to train your brain for tricks. I didn't focus on whether my concepts were clear enough to solve the most demanding questions under time constraints. I relied on the brute force technique without devoting enough time to each concept.
2. Many people on gmatclub have posted that they prepared for only two months and still scored 750+. I presumed the same for myself without considering other aspects of their background. They may be already-intelligent in quants or too proficient in English. They may have English as their native language or may have been avid readers of English literature. Or what if they have exaggerated their claims. Everyone has a different aptitude, different capability, and different background. Each one is unique. What may work for a few may not work for a few others. 
3. GMAT is an exhaustive exam. Everyone is not accustomed to sit for 3 hours straight without a break. No break between Quants and Verbal is a vital aspect of GMAT online that no one must ignore. The order of sections also matters. Some may feel comfortable attempting Quants first, while some may prefer Verbal.
4. I took unnecessary stress and ignored the fact that to conquer is more important than to conquer in the first attempt. GMAT allows eight shots for a reason.
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So, January 2021 passed, and I decided to give it one more shot. I gathered my thoughts and started afresh with bits and pieces from my last attempt. Given my disastrous performance in Verbal, I focused on Verbal first.
I began with revising the Manhattan SC guide and Powerscore CR Bible. Then I moved on to solve all OG problems again, not from the book, but gmatclub. The explanations provided by the experts and quality discussions by the members on gmatclub are exceptional. One can build on concepts from scratch from descriptions provided on gmatclub.
Moreover, I focused on CR and SC questions. 
I focussed on the meaning-based approach along with Grammar rules in SC. I also tried practicing the pre-thinking technique for CR questions. The correct interpretation of the meaning within time constraints is the key to ace these approaches. I also read a few articles from the "Scientific American" journal for a week to make myself comfortable with scientific reading, especially these genomes, evolution, hormones, DNA, and RNA kind of stuff. As I completed OG problems, I noticed that my accuracy in SC and CR improved to 75% in 700-level questions, 90% in 600-700 level questions, and 100% in sub-600 level questions. I was pretty satisfied with the improvement in my performance. I didn't focus much on Quants and RC in the meantime because I was too focused on SC and CR. By the end of February 2021, I was optimistic about improving my score. On 1st March, I booked my GMAT exam for 3rd April 2021. Although I wanted a slot in the morning somewhere around 11, the only slots available for the entire month of April 2021 were either evening or late-night slots. I didn't go for GMAT online because of the no-break rule mentioned above and preferred taking the exam at GMAT Centre.
I continued practicing OG questions, revising the missed questions, and attempting Mock Tests. I spent the entire March focused on Verbal. I didn't do anything specific for Quants and solved Quants only during Mock Tests. The Verbal took over my mind and became such a dreaded section that I decided to change the sequence to attempt Verbal first with a fresh mind. The scores of the attempted mock tests were as under :
  7th March (Manhattan 2nd Mock) - V29  (I didn't attempt Quants)
 16th March (gmatclub Verbal 1) - V35
19th March (gmatclub Quants 1) - Q31  (This score was a splash of cold water on my face, I realized my folly for not being in touch with Quants. I revised all concepts from the gmatclub free quant book)
 20th March (gmatclub Verbal 2) - V36
21st March (gmatclub Quants 2) - Q43
22nd March (Manhattan 3rd Mock) - 670 (V37, Q44)
23rd March (gmatclub Verbal 3) - V31
24th March (gmatclub Quants 3) - Q41
25th March (gmatclub Quants 4) - Q41
27th March (Manhattan 4th Mock) - 600 (V35, Q37)  (I felt Manhattan is a demoralizing demon, so I decided to stay away from Manhattan till the exam)
 30th March (gmatclub full test) - 620 (V24, Q50)
31st March (gmatclub full test) - 680 (V32, Q49)
1st April (gmatclub full test) - 630 (V29, Q47) 
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Honestly, I was still confused about whether I had made any real improvement. My scores kept fluctuating too much. But before analyzing too much into my scores, certain factors needed to be weighed upon. I attempted most of my Mock Tests during the night after a hectic 9-hour day at the office and 2 hours to-fro commute. So I may have an improvement of 30-40 points in the actual GMAT if I will attempt it with a fresh mind.
Also, I was aware that the scoring algorithm of these mock tests is nowhere close to the actual thing. So I focussed more on accuracy.
I noticed I was getting approximately 9 to 15 questions wrong in Verbal and about 7 to 15 in Quants.
Furthermore, I was also struggling with time management while attempting mock tests. Spending too much time on a single question was enough to ruin the rest of the questions, resulting in panic at the end.
I was so into these above-mentioned issues that I almost forgot that I hadn't practiced anything for IR and AWA. I spent the last day revising the error log for SC only (I maintained the error log only for SC)
I left IR and only glanced at the format by 'chineseburned' for AWA in the morning on the test day.
I dropped my wife at Railway Station in the noon for a pre-planned trip to her village and reached the test center comfortably before time in the afternoon. My test was scheduled for 4 p.m. 
The test center at Barakhamba Road in Central Delhi is quite a place. Observing serene peace and a hygienic environment at the center, I blamed myself for choosing the GMAT online in my previous attempt. The staff was amiable and welcomed me with a glass of water. The team provided me with an instructions manual and guided me thoroughly about the process and conduct during the exam. After the team completed my identity verification by passport and was done with capturing my palm biometrics, I was allowed inside the exam cabin. The candidate can choose either of the headphones and earplugs as per his/her comfortability to avoid noise disturbance. I didn't pick any because who needs noise cancellation when no noise prevails at all. I noticed that no other candidate was using either headphones or earplugs.
I sat calmly, chose 5 colleges, went through the instructions, picked the order of sections, and started the exam. I wasn't aware of this option to hide the timer. I decided to hide the timer and to look at it only thrice throughout the whole exam.
I started cautiously, focussing on each word and interpreting the meaning of each sentence. The exam continued smoothly. After the 10th question, I felt the questions were a bit lengthy and difficult to decipher. Those questions consumed more time than expected. Meanwhile, I continued without overthinking about the toughness level but started panicking when I realized that my pace had ruined the time management again, and the ghosts were back to haunt me. I was on the 28th question when the timer popped up by itself with 5 minutes remaining. I tried to rush but still was left with 5 questions in the last 2 minutes. I blindly marked option A in those 5 questions and submitted the Verbal section. I opted for the break, raised my hand, and the staff escorted me out of the cabin.
I sat calmly, took a few sips of Red Bull, took a deep breath, and returned for Quants. The quants started on the same note. I moved on cautiously, avoiding DS traps. Halfway through the test, the questions started consuming more time than expected. I don't know whether it was because of an increased difficulty level or a tired brain. Although I tried my best to improve my pace towards the end, I became hopeless with 4 questions left at the last minute. I blindly marked option A in those 4 questions and submitted the Quant section. Again, I opted for the break, raised my hand, and the staff escorted me out of the cabin.
I came back within a few minutes and started the IR section. I didn't practice anything for the IR section but had a slight clue from my last attempt. Reluctantly, I crawled through the IR section and came to AWA. Without reading the question, I just typed the template from 'chineseburned' on the screen. I read the question and made a few points in my mind. The argument in the question was flawed, and one can quickly point out the flaw in the reasoning. I adjusted the facts in the template, wrote the conclusion, and submitted it.
I closed my eyes for a second while the screen processed itself and displayed my score.
That was 680 (Q47, V37, IR4).
To be honest, I was a bit relieved as this score is an improvement over my last score. I requested for a printout of the score and came back.
I rested for a week until I received my official score, including the AWA score.
The official score is  680 (Q47, V37, IR4, AWA5) .
I immediately ordered ESR (as attached in this post).
Upon analyzing, I concluded that :
1. Although I improved considerably in my Verbal score (V27 to V38), I focussed too much on CR and SC, sacrificing RC practice. The same is reflected in my ESR, as I had made more mistakes in RC. 
2. My scores in Verbal break-up are CR44, RC31, and SC35. I still need a bit more practice in SC and a lot more practice in RC to improve upon that.
3. The blind guessing in the last 5 questions affected my score as expected, and the same is reflected in ESR as well.
4. I need to improve my reading skills to increase my pace in Verbal to avoid such mishaps.
5. The Quant score, disappointingly, dipped a bit (Q48 to Q47). Maybe lack of practice in quants was one reason, but my pacing at the end also played a considerable role. 
6. I was so involved in Verbal that I didn't focus on Quants and paid the price. Now, I felt I needed to practice quants topic by topic and focus on my grey areas. Even a slight improvement in Quants would have gone a long way in improving the overall score.
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To summarise, I was very distressed after my first attempt. Gathering myself and attempting the GMAT again didn't prove to be fruitless for me. I was neither distressed nor relieved but motivated for my next shot. I felt hopeless after my first attempt, but I thought I came close to achieving a respectable score on GMAT in my second attempt. If not for a few lapses during the last minutes of the exam, I would have entered into the 720+ club.
Without wasting much of my time, I started preparing for my next (and maybe final) attempt with the renewed hope and learnings from my past attempts. First, I booked my GMAT exam for 12th May 2021. Within a week, the Delta variant of Covid19 caused mayhem across the country, and the Central Government imposed a lockdown for the entire month of May 2021. I had to reschedule my exam and chose 30th June 2021 for my next (and final) shot at GMAT. The next phase of my preparations involved revising my error log for SC and practicing missed questions on GMAT. After a few days of revision and trying many more questions from gmatclub, I started attempting Mock Tests. I also included intense revising of concepts and the reasons why I missed some particular questions on Mock Tests. I ensured to cover each section equally and not to ignore any of the sections for my next attempt. Here are my mock test scores over the next few days:
 30th May (gmatclub Quants test) - Q44
31st May (gmatclub Quants test) - Q43
2nd June (gmatclub Quants test) - Q50
4th June (Veritas 3rd Mock) - 680 (V35, Q48)
6th June (Veritas 4th Mock) - 690 (V35, Q49)
9th June (Veritas 5th Mock) - 710 (V37, Q49)
12th June (gmatclub Quants test) - Q48
14th June (gmatclub Quants test) - Q49
19th June (Veritas 6th Mock) - 690 (V36, Q48)
23rd June (Manhattan 5th Mock) - 660 (V36, Q44)
27th June (Manhattan 6th Mock) - 660 (V34, Q46)
28th June (gmatclub Quants test) - Q50 
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I realized I hadn't made considerable improvement over my last attempt, but at least my scores in Mock Tests were a lot more consistent than my Mock Tests scores in the previous cycle. Although I was confident about my consistent Quant scores, the pleasing surprise was the consistency I achieved in the more dreadful Verbal section.
So, the final D-Day was here, and I reached my Test center just on time. After going through the same formalities and appreciating the calm environment that the staff has unfailingly maintained at the Test center, I started my test. The questions were on the similar pattern, but I was more conscious about keeping a constant pace throughout the exam. The pleasant surprise was that I didn't have to rush during the last few minutes, and I finished my questions in both sections on time. As I finished Verbal and Quants, exam fatigue took over my mind, and I felt even more tired during the IR and AWA sections. Somehow I crawled through those sections and finished them on time.
The result screen popped up with a score of 690 (V35, Q49, IR5).
The final score I received was  690 (V35, Q49, IR5, AWA4) .
Certainly, it wasn't a great score, but a relieving end to my nine-month-long ordeal. The score was a considerable improvement over where I started. I wasn't too happy because I was expecting much better from myself, but I knew I had to move on with no more time left for further attempts. The application cycles for the 2022 intake were approaching fast, and I also had to invest considerable time in my applications.
The game was far from over for me. GMAT was just the first step. The grind of the application process was yet to come, but I knew about myself and my determination to stick till the end. I never got anything in my first attempt, but it doesn't mean I never prevailed in my endeavors. Persistence definitely pays in the end, and I have personally experienced it umpteen number of times in my life.
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I have also attached ESR for reference.
It's indeed a long (and maybe boring) post, but this one is also my first one. Although it doesn't contain anything special (as mentioned in the first para, I never knew how to write unique and engaging content), I hope it may guide someone.
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Don't forget to hit kudos if you find it helpful.
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 Edit 1 (31st December 2021) - I got an IIM-A admit.

BankerBro · Answer

Earlier, I was unable to attach my ESR with this post as gmatclub required me to write at least 5 posts before attaching anything. But now I am able to attach the same. So I have edited the post and uploaded the ESR. Kindly go through the ESR as well to provide valuable inputs for further improvement.

HoneyLemon · Answer

Inspiring !!And salute to you . 
Probably I am at the similar boat . I suggest that you practice 10/15 LSAT RC per week . 
All the best !!
Let's catch up over a weekend on SKYPE / ZOOM for mutual learning .

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi BankerBro,

I appreciate you sharing such detailed information. You certainly have come a long way to get to your 680. Regarding how to improve your GMAT score to a higher level, you need to go through GMAT quant and verbal carefully to find your exact weaknesses, fill gaps in your knowledge, and strengthen your skills. The overall process will be to learn all about how to answer question types with which you currently aren't very comfortable, and do dozens of practice questions category by category, basically driving up your score point by point. For example, if you find that you are not strong in answering Number Properties questions, then carefully review the conceptual underpinnings of how to answer Number Properties questions and practice by answering 50 or more questions just from Number Properties: LCM, GCF, units digit patterns, divisibility, remainders, etc. When you are working on learning to answer questions of a particular type, start off taking your time, and then seek to speed up as you get more comfortable answering questions of that type. As you do such practice, do a thorough analysis of each question that you don't get right. If you got a remainder question wrong, ask yourself why. Did you make a careless mistake? Did you not properly apply the remainder formula? Was there a concept you did not understand in the question? By carefully analyzing your mistakes, you will be able to efficiently fix your weaknesses and in turn improve your GMAT quant skills. Number Properties is just one example; follow this process for all quant topics.

Each time you strengthen your understanding of a topic and your skill in answering questions of a particular type, you increase your odds of hitting your score goal. You know that there are types of questions that you are happy to see, types that you would rather not see, and types that you take a long time to answer correctly. Learn to more effectively answer the types of questions that you would rather not see, and make them into your favorite types. Learn to correctly answer in two minutes or less questions that you currently take five minutes to answer. By finding, say, a dozen weaker quant areas and turning them into strong areas, you will make great progress toward hitting your quant score goal. If a dozen areas turn out not to be enough, strengthen some more areas.

You can work on verbal in a similar manner. Let’s say you are reviewing Critical Reasoning. Be sure that you practice a large number of Critical Reasoning questions: Strengthen and Weaken the Argument, Resolve the Paradox, find the Conclusion, Must be True, etc. As you go through the questions, do a thorough analysis of each question that you don't get correct. If you missed a Weaken question, ask yourself why. Did you make a careless mistake? Did you not recognize what the question was asking? Did you skip over a key detail in an answer choice? Getting GMAT verbal questions right is a matter of what you know, what you see, and what you do. So, any time that you don't get one right, you can seek to identify what you had to know to get the right answer, what you had to see that you didn't see, and what you could have done differently to arrive at the correct answer.

So, work on accuracy and generally finding correct answers, work on specific weaker areas one by one to make them strong areas, and when you take a practice GMAT or the real thing, take all the time per question available to do your absolute best to get right answers consistently. The GMAT is essentially a game of seeing how many right answers you can get in the time allotted. Approach the test with that conception in mind, and focus intently on the question in front of you with one goal in mind: getting a CORRECT answer.

In order to follow the path described above, you may need some new quant and verbal materials, so take a look at the GMAT Club reviews for the  best quant  and  verbal courses . You also may find it helpful to read the following articles about 
 How to Score a 700+ on the GMAT  and  The Phases of Preparing for the GMAT .

Feel free to reach out with any further questions. Good luck!

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Solid Verbal improvement. All the best going forward. I'd suggest you buy Official Mocks 3-6 for your prep.

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi BankerBro,

Congratulations on the improvement. You can definitely improve your score if you work on your weak areas in the right away.Before you starting working, it's important to identify your weak areas. Let me help you with the process.

The way to go about it: 
If you have your weak areas noted, it's important to categorize them into two. 
  One is the struggle with the concepts 
 The second is the struggle with the application of concepts

If you are struggling with the concepts of a certain topic (if the accuracy in a topic is below 50%), then revisit the concepts of that topic, make sure to learn the right methodology to solve questions of that topic and then practice questions.

If you are struggling with the application of concepts of a certain topic (if the accuracy is between 50 - 80%), then go through the detailed solutions of the questions of that topic.

Analyze the solution in depth, 
  identify the exact step you are making the mistake,  
 introspect what exactly made you to take the wrong decision at that time and then  
 learn the right approach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pDUUpga4sY

How to approach SC questions?  
Sentence Correction questions on GMAT test your ability to convey the right meaning without any ambiguity. So, it's important to approach them from a meaning stand-point. You might have often come across answer choices which are both grammatically correct and convey a logical meaning but are indeed incorrect because they do not convey the intended meaning. So, the process to approach SC questions is to:
  Comprehend the original meaning of the sentence 
 Identify errors if any (both grammatical and meaning wise) 
 Eliminate answer choices which either are grammatically incorrect or do not convey the intended meaning

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

And as you talked about pacing yourself on the test, make sure to follow a few test taking strategies during the test. You can go through the recording below to understand a few test taking strategies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9dZN-MHK0I

Hope you got an idea on how to proceed further. I can help you in a much better way if you can tell me more about your study strategy and your approach of solving questions. And an ESR will help us get better insights. As you are unable to upload it here, you can send it to me over mail and we can analyze it together over a zoom conference call. I'll PM you the details. You can use the below link to get in touch with me.

Click here to schedule a call

BankerBro · Answer

Yeah, now I have made it a routine to practice at least 3 LSAT RCs daily without fail. I also focus on accuracy under time constraints while practicing RC. I seriously need to improve my reading skills. I also started reading a non-fiction book, "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order" by Samuel P Huntington, a few pages daily. I chose the book because I need more practice in reading History stuff. You can gauze my reading efficiency in that it takes more than 15 minutes to read a single page of the book. I seriously need to improve upon that.

BankerBro · Answer

Thanks mate. I relied on Manhattan and gmatclub Mock Tests for my 2nd attempt. Now I will definitely buy Official Mocks for my 3rd attempt. Looking forward to further improvement in score.

BankerBro · Answer

Thanks  ScottTargetTestPrep ,
I appreciate you providing valuable inputs. Certainly, I have to change a few things in my preparation strategy.
For quants, I was short of practice as I focussed too much on Verbal. Being my weaker area, Verbal is over my mind. But I have decided now to give ample time to quants without sacrificing my Verbal. I was thinking of the Brute Force technique to improve Quant, i.e. practicing a lot of questions. But your strategy to practice topic-wise questions seems to be a better option. I will definitely implement the same. I need to focus more on Geometry, Number Properties, and Probability questions, as these topics have always been my grey areas and the questions from these topics consume a lot of time. For other topics also, I will go sequentially one by one to assess myself and will try to solve a variety of questions to reduce the element of surprise during the actual exam. In recent times, I have reduced the percentage of careless mistakes I make. But I get certain questions wrong if the concept is entirely new and I go through the long procedure, first deriving the correct method to solve it and then solving it. I remember I got two questions, one from Geometry and another from Probability, which consumed my time and thus affected my pace, thereby leaving no time for the last 4 questions.
 
In verbal, I feel that reading with pace has been my grey area on which I need to improve. In the actual exam, I passed smoothly through the first 10 questions, but 2 long and dense CR questions, one was an assumption question and another was an evaluate question, consumed my time. I got their answers correct, as observed from my ESR. But I paid the price at the end when no time was left for the last 6 questions. I somehow increased the pace halfway through the test, but then a long passage consumed my time. The passage consisted of 4 questions from 28-31. It explained three experiments in psychology, consisting of a lot of data and deduced results. Every question in the passage required me to go to the passage again to look at the numbers. I need to improve upon such passages as well. Mostly I suffered because of lack of pace in reading English. I remember all the rules by heart in SC from Manhattan, but lack of application of those rules under time constraint has been my weakness. I am working on the same and I guess, your advice to work on the questions where mostly I get the wrong answers is indeed helpful. 
Again thanks for your valuable advice. Will keep these points in mind while preparing for my next attempt.

BankerBro · Answer

Thanks  GMATWhizTeam ,
I appreciate you providing valuable inputs. Your advice will certainly help me in my next attempt. I really need to be at my best during the next attempt. Although I have learned a lot in my journey till now and from my last attempt, but advice from mentors like you will certainly go a long way in ensuring further improvement. 
First, I feel I have made considerable improvement on my concepts, but the application of concepts under time constraints is something that I need to improve. I remember SC concepts from Manhattan SC Guide by heart, but struggles with the application of those in a limited time. Similarly, I struggle with CR questions when I attempt them under time constraints. The basic problem is with reading and understanding the sentence with pace. I feel I need to improve upon my reading skills. Maybe reading non-fiction daily will help. 
In the actual exam, I passed smoothly through the first 10 questions, but 2 long and dense CR questions, one was an assumption question and another was an evaluate question, consumed my time. I got their answers correct, as observed from my ESR. But I paid the price at the end when no time was left for the last 6 questions. I somehow increased the pace halfway through the test, but then a long passage consumed my time. The passage consisted of 4 questions from 28-31. It explained three experiments in psychology, consisting of a lot of data and deduced results. Every question in the passage required me to go to the passage again to look at the numbers. I need to improve upon such passages as well. Mostly I suffered because of lack of pace in reading English. Your video about pacing in the exam will certainly help in that area. Finally, the onus lies on me to improve upon these aspects.

For quants, I was short of practice as I focussed too much on Verbal. Being my weaker area, Verbal is over my mind. But I have decided now to give ample time to quants without sacrificing my Verbal. I was thinking of the Brute Force technique to improve Quant, i.e. practicing a lot of questions. I need to focus more on Geometry, Number Properties, and Probability questions, as these topics have always been my grey areas and the questions from these topics consume a lot of time. For other topics also, I will go sequentially one by one to assess myself and will try to solve a variety of questions to reduce the element of surprise during the actual exam. In recent times, I have reduced the percentage of careless mistakes I make. But I get certain questions wrong if the concept is entirely new and I go through the long procedure, first deriving the correct method to solve it and then solving it. I remember I got two questions, one from Geometry and another from Probability, which consumed my time and thus affected my pace, thereby leaving no time for the last 4 questions.
Thes two steps mentioned by your goodself will definitely help me :
 identify the exact step you are making the mistake, 
introspect what exactly made you to take the wrong decision at that time 
,
At last, I am now able to attach my ESR, so I have edited my post and uploaded my ESR for your reference. Thanks again for your valuable inputs. Will keep these points in mind while preparing for my next attempt.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

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