GMAT score topped out at 720 after 4 attempts. Looking for advice

Question

Hi,
As the title suggests, I took my GMAT 4 times till date with the last one on 10th August 2023. I am hoping to re-take it once more before September 2nd week and aiming for a 760 + score.

History : 
July 2022 - Started Prep with OG Guide, Purchased full course from E-GMAT.
Did through Prep for 3 months. Kept very detailed notes of all topics.

Oct 2022 - 690 ( Q 47, V38 )

More prep with E GMAT and verbal & Quant review guides

Nov 2022 - 710 ( Q47, V 40 )

Advanced and hard questions practise. Some work with E-GMAT LMP Program, but couldn't complete the same.

Dec 2023 - 720 ( Q 49, V 39 )

Had to take a break due to work and R3 applications.

Restarted preparations again mid-June. Purchased just notes and question banks from MGMAT. Did all SC guide and quant strategy guide and practised questions, and revised with EGMAT notes.

Aug 2023 - 710 ( Q 47, V 41 ) .

I seemed to have stalled in my marks. I am looking to get something 740 / 740 + since I am from the Indian demographic and hope to get into T15. I also realise I need the advantage of R1 for the same. Hence trying to improve my marks in next 15 days.

Some patterns I noticed across ESR's : 
Verbal : 1. RC is typically strong for me and in verbal, I always seem to score better in the one section where I spend 20 sec more than the others. Ie, 20 sec more on SC, Sc goes to 96% correct. Spend it on CR, CR goes to 84 % correct, so on.

Maths : Every section I focus on gets better in the next exam, while the others fall.

Attached are all ESRs below. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. How can I approach my Prep for getting a 760 in next 15 days? I feel like my concepts might be solid, but timing is hard. I also have some anxiety around the quant section and horribly mismanaged ( guessed 3 ) my time in the last exam leading to a 710.

Thanks again. Hoping to hear from someone.

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

For Verbal, if you feel your fundamentals are solid, consider working on your solving approach. May boost your score a bit. Had a student who went from a V41 to a V45 in about 10 days on a retake. Perhaps work with a study buddy who is really strong on Verbal.

Working on time management could be helpful. In your prep, if you can find shorter ways to solve questions (even for EASY questions you already got correct), that could help with time as well.

-contact:  www.gmatknight.com  | gmatclub dm

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

To improve your quant skills, you may find it helpful to engage in topical quant practice.

For example, let’s say that you want to practice Number Properties. You can do so by answering 50 or more questions just from Number Properties: LCM, GCF, units digit patterns, divisibility, remainders, etc.

After each problem set, thoroughly analyze your incorrect questions. For example, 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 fix your weaknesses efficiently and, in turn, improve your GMAT quant skills. Number Properties is just one example; follow this process for all quant topics.

HrithuOlickel · Answer

Thank you  GmatTutorKnight  and  ScottTargetTestPrep .

Do you think setting a smaller limit to solving questions, like 1 min for even hard quant and 1 min for SC and doing questions will help?

ScottTargetTestPrep  : Thank you for the reply. I did topic wise improvements in between each exam. Eg : after 690, I specifically did for Counting/Sets/Series since it was the weekest. But in the next exam, Counting/Sets/Series went up and FDP came down. Then I practise more on FDP ( along with some of the others ), then FDP went up but Algebra came down, so on.

how can improve all together without losing the proficiency in the other?

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

I would not use your ESR as the absolute guide to how you prepare moving forward. Remember, the ESR is a small sample size of data, so it does not tell the entire story. Keep doing topical practice, so you hit all areas of GMAT quant.

mrtripathyy · Answer

Hii I’m struggling with my verbal score, mainly in Sentence Correction, I’ve gone through all the rules and idioms but whenever the question comes I’m unable to put those rules. Please help me, I’ve book my test date for 13th of September

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KarishmaB · Answer

A little late but my advice here is still relevant because you wouldn't have taken the test yet - "Know when to let a question go!!"

Your ESR tells me that the questions you answered incorrectly in your last attempt where mostly much higher level than average (except the last quarter) while you spent extra time on them. You didn't have much time left for the last quarter and hence messed up some easy questions too. 
An incorrect answer on a hard question will not get you a high penalty whereas simple questions answered incorrectly on the test will reduce your score. When you give disproportionate amount of time to some hard questions, you could be setting yourself up for a score lower than what you deserve. Until and unless you have excess time on your hands because of some simple questions that you breezed through, don't spend extra time on hard questions (except if you know that another step and your answer will be there). Basically, don't loan time from the future, but feel free to use what you have accumulated from the past.

HrithuOlickel · Answer

karishma  : Thank you I will keep that in mind.

GMAT score topped out at 720 after 4 attempts. Looking for advice

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