Verbal score is not improving

Question

Hi Experts,

I had been planning to take GMAT since forever, but last month, I finally booked a date for my GMAT examination (it's next week). This is, in a way, just a way for me to taste the waters, but I am planning to take the final exam after satisfactory preparation in Jan/Feb next year.

Coming to the main agenda - I have been preparing for the examination for 1 month now. I scored 560 in the first diagnostic test that I took. After 2 weeks of study, I took my first mock test and ended up with a score of 640. I have taken several mock tests after that (Manhattan Prep and Official GMAT mocks) and I have scored in the range of 640-660. But there's an interesting observation - Of all the tests that I have taken, the minimum sectional score for Quant if 49, but for verbal, I could not cross the mark of 30! And now I am really scared that that will have a huge impact on my overall score. 
In the last test that I took, my score was Q50 V27. I had answered 26/36 answers correct in verbal and yet this score. Out of the first 10 questions, 7 were correct.

I need to understand what I am doing wrong and what I need to focus mostly on!

PS : Most of my SC answers are correct and most of my RC answers are incorrect :/

BrentGMATPrepNow · Answer

It sounds like RC questions are holding back your Verbal score. You're not alone; tons of students have difficulties with RC.
Sometimes the fix is simple, like taking more time reading (and fully understanding) the passage. Other times, you need to totally revamp your RC strategy.
I suggest you experiment with some various RC strategies, to see if there's one that better suits you.
All of the RC video lessons in our course are free, so you might start here: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat ... prehension

avigutman · Answer

Changing your RC strategy will require some time, so this isn't for your upcoming test, but you'd likely benefit from these videos for your attempt early next year:
https://youtu.be/Qyd5onrqTgc
https://youtu.be/hejdaJrbXvE

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi bambinobirbante,

Many GMATers spend 3 months (or more) of consistent study time before they hit their 'peak' scores, so if you have been studying for just one month, then you should not expect to have mastered every aspect of the Verbal section just yet. By extension, you might naturally improve as you continue to study - but you will likely need more than just 1 additional week of study to earn a significantly higher score in the Verbal section.

Before I can offer you any additional advice for your studies, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score?
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

Contact Rich at: [email protected]

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

In the last test that I took, my score was Q50 V27.

Great Q50 Quant score! Consider working with a study buddy with strong Verbal skills whom you can tutor Quant in return. Had a Q50 student who went from a V31 to V40 (retake) in about 30 days. Although we did 6 hours of tutoring, he used a variety of resources in his total prep journey, including working with a study buddy from the same country.

Consider checking out Manhattan-Prep's 6th Edition (SC and CR). You may also find the idiom list (downloadable Excel file on the Gmat Knight blog) helpful as well for Sentence Correction.

KarishmaB · Answer

Improving RC is going to take months. If your SC is already good, great! Work on your CR too (you can see a lot of improvement in a short time) and ensure it is upto the mark for the upcoming test. Meanwhile start reading newspapers/journals etc for an hour everyday and learn about the various question types of RC. Practice official RC questions and evaluate them very thoroughly. RC is a marathon, not a sprint.

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Posted from my mobile device

bambinobirbante · Answer

Thank you for sharing the links. I am going to bookmark these and refer to the videos for my next attempt.

bambinobirbante · Answer

Thank you for sharing the very helpful study material!

bambinobirbante · Answer

Hi,

Below are my comments -

Studies:
1) How many hours do you typically study each week? --For the past 30 days, I have been studying at least 3 hours a day; sometimes 6 hours a day
2) What study materials have you used so far? --OG guides 2022 + Verbal Review + Manhattan Prep Strategy Guides
3) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)? --First (diagnostic) was on 4th July (560 score), second (mock) was on 10 July (630 score - v28 q48), third was on 22nd July (660 score - v34 q48), fourth was on 2nd Aug (620 v32, q43) and finally the fifth was on 4th Aug (650 score v28 q50)

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score? --My aim is to get 740 (Min v40 q50)
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to? --I am planning to start applying next year for 2024 intake

Additional information that might be helpful : As of Aug 2022, I have 5 years of work experience in the domain of Data & Analytics with reputable firms. Also, I have worked in 5 different countries (including undergraduate internships)

bambinobirbante · Answer

Hi Karishma,

Thank you for your response. 
I actually am an avid reader and have been reading English newspapers, magazines and novels (with exemplary level of English, like what is demonstrated in Pulitzer or Booker prize awardees) for over 8 years now. The challenge that I face with RC is in the time management and understanding the relationship between the question and the passage. Also, I have noticed that I kind of panic when I see RC passages. I am guessing that the main problem is that I do not know the correct strategy to attempt and further a passage :/
I could definitely benefit from your 2 cents on adopting a relevant strategy for attempting RC questions on GMAT.

Thanks!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi bambinobirbante, I've sent you a PM with some additional notes. GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made, Rich Contact Rich at: Rich.C@empowergmat.com

bambinobirbante · Answer

Hi,

Just an addition : I was going through some old interviews and webinars conducted by GMAT Club and I came across some really helpful strategy. Since the number of questions I was answering correct in verbal section was high, I wanted to (and I still want to) channelise my focus into picking up a strategy that would help me maximize my score.
I came across a video where a guy who scored 760 on GMAT suggested to focus on first 15 questions of the section. I did the same and the result was astonishing! 
In the 5 mock tests that I had written until yesterday, the highest verbal score was 28, but in the 2 tests that I took today, my scores were 34 and 37 respectively.

Thank you for your suggestions!

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

That's pretty interesting.

Also, how you practice verbal can make or break the results you get from your prep. So, this post, which discusses how to practice for GMAT verbal for best results could be helpful to you.

Three Key Practice Tips for Mastering GMAT Verbal

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