How to breach 700 in GMAT FE?

Question

I have been consistently scoring around 675 on the official FE mock exams. Rough ranges of scores are given below

Quant: 84-86
DI: 83 - 85
Verbal: 80-82

Requesting opinion on questions below:

Assuming all factors are constant, Is the mock score (+/- 10) a good representation of the actual score?
I feel like I have hit a ceiling, any suggestions on breaching the 705 mark?
Can I book the test two days in advance? I see slots available, wanted to check if there are any other compliance pieces to be mindful of.
I end up making silly mistakes in the quant section and haven't gotten a perfect sectional score. Any suggestions? Fundamentally I feel quite strong. Similarly for data insights. Is this something to leave on Luck for D-day?
I have repeatedly switched my strategy across verbal to finally land on something I feel confident about. As of now, I end up missing one RC due to time constraints, with 3/4 errors over and above across the remaining.

I have personally benefitted alot from the stories and questions posted by others. Gratitude. _/\_

I have repeatedly switched my strategy across verbal to finally land on something I feel confident about. As of now, I end up missing one RC due to time constraints, with 3/4 errors over and above across the remaining. I have personally benefitted alot from the stories and questions posted by others. Gratitude. _/\_

MartyMurray · Answer

Yes, it is.

It appears that your biggest area of opportunity is Verbal. For tips on how to increase your Verbal score, see this post.

How to Prepare for GMAT Verbal

Yes, you can

That's not something to leave to luck.

Generally, people have a handful of patterns that underlie most of their careless errors. So, by finding and addressing around three to five patterns, you may eliminate the vast majority of your careless errors.

To find and address the patterns, you could use the streaks method to practice and identify what causes you to break your streak and address it each time.

How to Ace the GMAT Using the Streaks Method

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

For RC, becoming familiar with how inference questions work could be helpful. For CR, Manhattan-Prep's 6th Edition for Critical Reasoning may be worth checking out as well. If you feel your fundamentals are solid, consider working with a study buddy. May help boost your score a bit. If you can find someone who is strong on Verbal and needs help with parts of the GMAT you're strong on, it could be a good fit. There's a study buddy thread on gmatclub you could look through/sign up to.

5 Verbal tips

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi ayushchawla,

1.  Official practice test scores are generally quite reliable ("fresh" questions, not giving yourself extra time/pausing the test). That said, there is some variation due to factors like measurement error, exam pressure, mental state, luck etc.

2.  675 is a very good score. If I were you, I'd take the exam soon. Aim for a good score, and then maybe think about retaking if you're looking to improve your score.

3.  You can, but those slots (day/time) may or may not not be available very close to your test date.

4.  Unfortunately, there's no quick fix for silly mistakes. You could try spending a little more time on each question, but that could mess your timing strategy up.

5.  Leaving an entire passage is generally not a good idea, but you should probably not make any major changes at this stage (if you're planning to take the GMAT soon).

All the best.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi ayushchawla,

I want to address your question about how to improve your score to 705.

So, the good news is that you are in a pretty nice spot!

That said, you must continue to find your holes and fix them to improve your score. Topical practice is a great way to do that.

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, verbal, and DI topics.

For some more advice, here is a great article you can check out:

How to Improve Your GMAT Score

	Target Test Prep - Save up to $599 $400 Discount + $99 Bonus GMAT Club Tests
	e-GMAT: 60% Off on GMAT Focus Get to 735+ from any starting point
	Magoosh increases your score, guaranteed - 15% off ALL Magoosh GMAT plans with code GMATCLUB15 + Free GMAT Club Tests.
	Manhattan Prep: $99 Bonus Score Higher on Your GMAT Exam. Guaranteed.
	Experts' Global - ~~$1720~~ $960 End-to-End GMAT Prep + App Support: 150+ Videos, 2000+ Questions, 15 FLTs +
	GMATWhiz - $299 ~~$499~~ Experience the course through a free trial.
	GMAT Club Tests - Free Included with every course purchase of $149+ View all deals

How to breach 700 in GMAT FE?

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards