Took GMATprep test, not sure how to continue.

Question

Hi everybody,

Yesterday i took the GMAT preptest going in blind. I scored 580 (Reasoning: 5 Quant: 32 Verbal: 38).
My aim is to score 670, 3 weeks from now. I have a few questions about this.

Is it realistic to improve by 90 points in a 3 week period?

Would it be best to focus on quant training since my score is so low there or should I focus more on improving verbal to compensate for lack in quant?

How can i best make a study plan? I have 2 weeks that i can dedicate entirely to studying for the gmat.

Im looking forward to hear your advice!

prerakgoel03 · Answer

Congrats on you verbal score first.This is the main area of concern for many but you seem to be scoring good here.
All you need is to work on quant.

There are a lot of people who can advice here. Go ahead and prepare quant and give a shot in 3 weeks.

All the best

Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi cemmy,

To start, a 580 is a solid initial CAT Score (the average score on the Official GMAT hovers around 540-550 most years). If this really was the first work you've done to prepare for the Official GMAT, I have a few questions about how you took this CAT:

1) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT (including the Essay and IR sections)?
2) Did you take it at home?
3) Did you take it at the same time of day as when you plan to take your Official GMAT?
4) Did you do ANYTHING during this CAT that you can't do on Test Day (pause the CAT, skip sections, take longer breaks, etc.)? 
5) Did you take this CAT before? Had you seen any of the questions BEFORE (re: in an online forum or in a practice set)?

Nobody here knows you well enough to know what you are truly capable of, but the goal to raise this score 90+ points in just 3 weeks might be too difficult to be considered realistic. You would have a much better chance to hit your Score Goal if you spent another 2 months of consistent, guided study on this process.

1) Is there a reason why you're thinking about limiting your studies to just 3 week?
2) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
3) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

cemmy · Answer

Hi EMPOWERgmatRichC,

Thank you for your answer!

1) Yes I also wrote the essay and did the IR section (scored 5) to make it as realistic as possible.
2) I took it at home.
3) I took it in the afternoon but my plan to is to do it in the morning.
4) No, i tried to keep it as realistic as possible.
5) No, I just bought the OG and in there it said it would be a good way to start preparation by doing the GMATprep test so that is what i did. I had not looked at any gmat questions before this.

The reason why i am giving myself only three weeks for studying is that I want to apply as soon as possible since the longer I wait the smaller the chance of a successful application will become. I could potentially wait a bit longer but the upper limit would for doing the test would be mid March.

I am planning to apply for a few European Business schools. By speaking to their admission departments i learned that they are looking for scores around 650 or more. That is why I am aiming for 670.

saswata4s · Answer

580 is a good score to start with. you have a strong verbal score, though it can be improved further. But, as the time you have in your hand is less( only 3 weeks), I think its better to focus solely on quant and there are significant room of improvement in quant. If you can achieve Q44/45 with V38, you can hit 670-690.

I think EMPOWERgmat has good strategic approach for quant, and their Score Booster Quant study plan will be helpful for you.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi cemmy,

When it comes to applications, you really have just one shot at a good 'first impression' - so there's likely no good reason to 'rush in' an application if it's 'weak' in any way. In simple terms: without the proper, competitive GMAT Score, you would likely be better served by pushing your application submission back a bit so that you have more time to put towards your studies (and potentially score higher on the GMAT).

1) Based on your current timeline, what is the minimum GMAT Score that you would apply with? If the answer is "670", then you will likely need more study time than you've currently allotted.

At this moment, you don't have to make any decisions either way. That having been said, you might want to review your overall profile and application plans with an Admissions Expert. There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admission ... tants-124/

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

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hi

If you have only 2 weeks left, you concentrate on your Mock Exams, take and trace your mistake revise your concepts which looks weak revise your flash cards if you have any. Make your stemina for sitting 4 Hours

Good Luck

rohan2345 · Answer

Hi cemmy,

If you are particularly looking to discover and improve on your weak areas in Quant; a subscription to GMATCLUB tests is the best way to do that. They are indeed phenomenal and will not only pinpoint your weak areas but also help you improve on them. They have enough questions that will solidify your concepts in all the above mentioned topics.

Further taking multiple mocks might help. Apart from the GMATPREP, Manhattan GMAT tests and Veritas Prep Tests in my experience have a good verbal and Quant section and will certainly help you point out and improve your weak areas.

Further another advantage of taking many mocks is to build up your stamina and help you with your anxiety issues. Apart from the GMATPREP tests, taking practise tests of any major GMATPREP company ought to do that.

Hope this helps. All the best!

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