615 - First Attempt Debrief - Need advice to improve in 2 weeks

Question

Hi GMAT Experts,
I am looking for an  ESR evaluation  and  Study Plan advice  for a quick retake.
 Current Situation: 
 
  First Attempt (Dec 18):   615 (76th%)  - Q84 / V78 / DI79. 
  Goal:  655+ (aiming for HEC Paris). 
  Next Attempt:  Jan 4th (approx. 2 weeks left). 
  Deadline:  R2 Deadline is Jan 7th.  
 My Background: 
 
  Prep Time:  ~1 month (Nov 15 – Dec 18). Had a 1-week gap in early Dec for travel/interviews, which ruined my Verbal intuition. 
  Mock History: 
 
 Official Mock 1: 545 (4 days out) 
 Official Mock 2: 635 (2 days out) 
 Official Mock 1 (Retake): 615 (Day before exam)  
  
 ESR Analysis (Screenshots Attached):  I have attached my ESR. Here are my self-observations:
 
  Quant (Q84, 85th%): 
 
  Strength:  Algebra is 100th percentile. 
  Weakness:   Arithmetic (Counting/Sets/Prob)  is only 21st percentile. 
  Timing:  I spent 4-6 minutes on single questions (e.g., Q1, Q15) and still got them wrong.  
 
  Verbal (V78, 38th%): 
 
  Weakness:   Critical Reasoning is at 18th percentile . I struggle significantly with Plan/Construct questions. 
  Strength:  RC is decent (71st percentile).  
 
  Data Insights (DI79, 76th%): 
 
 Strong in Math-related DI, but weak in Data Sufficiency and non-math logic (correlated with my CR weakness).  
  
 My Questions for Experts: 
 
  CR Crisis:  With CR at 18th percentile, is it possible to boost this to a decent level (60th%+) in just 14 days? What is the most efficient way to "fix" my logic chain? 
  Quant Strategy:  How do I fix the "stubbornness" on Arithmetic questions? I wasted 4 mins on Q1 (Counting problem). 
  Study Plan:  Given the short timeframe, should I abandon practice tests and focus solely on CR concepts + Arithmetic drills?  
Any advice is appreciated!

Mayanknitt1 · Answer

Hey, Your Quant section issue could be mainly that you got your first question wrong ,which is more damaging to the score. That happens. Regarding CR, I observe that your algebra skills are good, why dont you approach CR questions like algebra. I would suggest for this short period to use Google gemini ,chatgpt or any level AI tool, that trains you how to approach each question. Gemini specifically has a guided learning path, which you can choose to learn a concept stepwise. Moreover, CR is just like algebra, you have to think in a similar way, premises are LHS of the equation, Conculsion is RHS. For strengthen ,you have to add that on the LHS to improve the possibility of RHS, in weaken you have to subtract from LHS to weaken the conclusion. These were some ways i applied to improve my CR score to greater than 95 percentile in mocks

placeatdistinctio · Answer

Thanks a lot for the advice!!
You're spot on about the first question. I was super nervous and definitely over-thought it... turned a doable question into a nightmare and got it wrong 😭. Same thing happened with my first DI question too.
I am actually using Gemini now to help with the logic concepts. But looking back, I think my main issue during the exam was just rushing. I kept speed-reading the prompt without actually mapping out the Premise vs. Conclusion. I’d jump straight to the options and then get stuck in that endless loop of re-reading the passage because I had no idea what I was looking for.
Really need to break this bad habit. Thanks again!!

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

From here, iincreasing your score is a matter of identifying and strengthening all remaining areas of weakness. So, be sure to thoroughly analyze your practice tests and practice sessions to identify those weaknesses. Then, for each area of weakness: 
- Carefully review all of the properties, formulas, techniques and strategies related to that topic
- Locate and answer dozens of questions that test that topic.

For each question you answer incorrectly, ask yourself: 
- Did I make a careless mistake? 
- Did I incorrectly apply a related formula/property/technique? 
- Did I fall for a trap answer? If so, what was the trap exactly? 
- Was there a concept I 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 skills. This process has been proven to be effective for all topics.

For more tips, check out these articles: 
-  Developing the Proper Mindset For GMAT Success 
-  How to Increase Your GMAT Quant Score: Top 20 Tips 
-  How to Score High on GMAT Verbal on the Focus Edition 
-  How to Prepare for GMAT Data Insights

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