How to increase to 700+ in 2 weeks? (Current Mock 680)

Question

Hi,

This is my first post here, and i need someone to evaluate my progress right now.
I took GMAT 2 months ago and got score 630 (Q44, V32, IR8) and i want to retake to increase my score to 700+.
My upcoming GMAT is in the next 2 weeks.

I know i'm weak in verbal since i'm not a native speaker. Thus, i focusedly studied in verbal, and occasionally study quant, using Manhattan GMAT guides.

Here are my progress so far:
23 Aug 2016: Official Test GMAT -> 630(Q44, V32, IR8)
25 Sep 2016: Manhattan GMAT 2 -> 670 (Q44, V37, IR5) 
1 Oct 2016 : GMAT Prep 3 -> 640 (Q49, V27, IR6)
9 Oct 2016 : GMAT Prep 4 -> 670 (Q47, V35, IR6)
16 Oct 2016 : GMAT Prep 5 -> 680 (Q44, V39, IR6)

I was happy to receive Q49 at my GMATPrep 3 but so turned down to see my V27. And then i'm focused my study more deeply on verbal. I started to read PowerScore CR Bible and religiously learning using eGMAT. Both of them have increasing my Verbal to V39, but at the same time my quant score is decreasing from Q49 back to Q44.

- How to balance my study portion in the next 2 weeks?
- What to do in the next 2 weeks to increase my score to 700+?
- If i already have score Q49 in my GMATPrep, is it possible to receive that score again in my actual score?
- I still have 1 GMATPrep left (GMAT Prep 6 from Exam Pack 2), when is the best time before my actual test to sit for this GMATPrep?

I also have subscription for GMAT Club Test which still not used yet until now. How is the best way to use the GMAT Club Test to increase my quant score for the next 2 weeks?

My study material until now is as follows:
1. Manhattan GMAT 8 Guides - finished
2. Official Guide 2015 edition - finished, doing all the quant problems twice
3. Official Guide Quant and Verbal Review - finished
4. PowerScore CR Bible - finished
5. eGMAT Verbal Live Prep subscription - finished all the modules
6. GMAT Prep Question Packs --> still not used yet
7. GMAT Club Test --> still not used yet

Many thanks in advance

GMATPill · Answer

The most important is reviewing the mistakes you've made before. Try to categorize them and identify common patterns in your weaknesses. If you are interested in more tests, you may be interested in our online test: www.gmatpill.com/gmat-practice-test/practice-test/

But remember it's more important to actually review thoroughly so you know you actually learned from your mistakes. We do provide video solutions to each question on our practice test.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi mesti,

Given some of the inconsistencies in your recent CAT scores, I have a few questions about how you took these CATS:

1) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT each time (including the Essay and IR sections)?
2) Did you take them at home?
3) Did you take them at the same time of day as your Official GMAT?
4) Did you ever do ANYTHING during your CATs that you couldn't do on Test Day (pause the CAT, skip sections, take longer breaks, etc.)? 
5) Did you ever take a CAT more than once? Had you seen any of the questions BEFORE?

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

mesti · Answer

Hi Rich,

Yes i have taken the entire CAT each time and doing it at the same exact situation with my GMAT test schedule.
(9AM, sit down on my working desk at weekend)

I'm confused how to balance my verbal and quant study in the next 2 weeks. Because i see as my verbal score improved, my quant score is dropped.
And i have one more GMATprep, when is the best time to take it before my actual exam? A week before or a day before or 2-3 days before my actual exam?

Thanks

Sent from my SM-N900 using  GMAT Club Forum mobile app

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi mesti,

If you've truly taken your CATs in a realistic fashion that 'matches up' with what you'll face on Test Day, then we have to take a much greater look at WHY you're getting questions wrong. While the type of review that I'm talking about can (and should be) really detail-oriented, you can think in these simple terms:

After reviewing each of the Quant and Verbal sections in each of your CATs, how many questions did you get wrong....
1) Because of a silly/little mistake?
2) Because there was some math/verbal that you just couldn't remember how to do?
3) Because the question was too hard?

The answers to those questions will help to define what you should be focused on in these last 2 weeks.

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

GMATinsight · Answer

This post my come to you as an unpleasant view of an expert however I wish to be honest and mention that GMAT PREP these days are usually showing an escalated score because almost all students have been getting about 20 points less than their score in GMAT PREP. Where GMAT Prep scores don't give me a positive notion about your readiness to get 700+ in GMAT 670 in Manhattan on contrary is a better performance than your performance in GMAT PREP Looking at all your scores, I see that you have potential to improve your score in quant and GOOD NEWS is that scores in quant can be improved even in two weeks. Your scores in Quant ranging around 45 can easily be improved to a level of 47-48 by just working on some basic principles where you are lacking and have not been able to give it a thrust to reach a score where every students irrespective of Maths background or not can reach only based on willingness and hardwork to get such score. In last these days all you should focus on the good resources that you have not finished yet. 6. GMAT Prep Question Packs --> still not used yet --- MOST PREFERRED SOURCE TO BE USED AT THIS HOUR 7. GMAT Club Test --> still not used yet--- USE THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE GOOD PRACTICE. It's also important that you find out what is leading to this big fluctuation in your quant score because once you also have reached a score of 49 . Consistency in scores comes when you have identified what is hindering growth in your score. You need to find a pattern in your mistakes. The mistakes could primarily be in 1) Either DS 2) OR Specific and Important topic like Number Properties, Ineuality, Geometry etc. Find that out and a little work will bring the consistency in your score to reach to the level of 49 every time. I hope this helps!!!

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Mesti,

Since you have not been able to hit a 700+ score on your practice exams,
there are probably some fundamental issues in your studying that are not allowing you to improve your GMAT knowledge. You may consider adjusting your study routine to include some more focused practice, so you can find and fix whatever weaknesses are weighing down your GMAT score.
 
Remember, what makes the GMAT such a challenging exam is that there are relatively few questions asked in a given exam, yet those questions come from a huge topic pool. Thus, the best way to get a great GMAT score is to have a thorough understanding of all the topics that may be tested on the exam. To develop such mastery, you want to strive for linear and targeted learning, and follow that with focused practice. In other words, you want to master one topic before you move to the next. Have you been able to study in this way?
 
For example, if you are reviewing Critical Reasoning, be sure to practice a large number of questions just from Critical Reasoning: strengthen and weaken the conclusion, resolve the paradox, find the conclusion, must be true, etc. The results of that practice will help you determine your weak areas within that topic. Once you find and fix your weak areas, move on to the next verbal topic.
 
You should follow the same routine for quant. If you are reviewing Number Properties, be sure that you can practice 50 or more questions just from Number Properties: LCM, GCF, units digit patterns, divisibility, remainders, etc. Based on the results, you can find and fix your weak areas. Only then should you move on to the next quant topic.
 
If your current resources do not allow for the focused practice I suggest, you may consider a more robust resource such as an online self-study course. As opposed to GMAT prep books, self-study courses typically provide detailed study plans and have granular analytics, so you can easily track your progress as you move through a course. By being able to track your progress, you will remain more engaged, and you’ll be able to more accurately forecast when you are ready to take your real GMAT.

If,you need quant help, I welcome you to try the  Target Test Prep Quant course . It will be a game-changer for you.

Lastly, if you are unable to improve your GMAT skills in the next few weeks, do you have the option push your GMAT to a later date? If so, you may consider rescheduling your exam, so you can spend the necessary time to build up your quant and verbal GMAT skills.

If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to me directly.

mesti · Answer

Hi Rich,

Thanks a lot for your reply. Some quant questions i got wrong in the first 15 questions are because of mistake in application, e.g., not read the question carefully that the rate / work problem is give information of half of work not the full of work. And also after reviewing again my error log and taking additional tests for the last 1 week, i mostly wrong in answering Coordinate Plane and Combinatorics problem.

The test is in the next 2 days. I hope i can put my best effort in this test. If not maybe i need to retake and defer the application to next year.

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