Advice on Mock Exam Strategy for GMAT Retake

Question

Hello GMAT Club

I recently completed my first GMAT exam but scored slightly below the required score for my application. I’m planning to retake the exam in about a month and a half and wanted your advice on how to approach my mock exams moving forward.
During my initial preparation, I completed all six official GMAT mock exams, so I no longer have fresh mocks to evaluate my progress. Would you recommend repeating the mocks, or is there another strategy you’d suggest to effectively track my development?
I would greatly appreciate your guidance as I plan my study schedule.
Thank you for your time and assistance.

Best regards!

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Consider sharing your section scores and score report if you can. Including issues you may be facing (e.g. time management) and certain topics or types of questions you find challenging/time-consuming could also be helpful. If you've only taken the Official-Mocks once, consider re-using them.

RishS94 · Answer

Best option is to reuse mocks if you have used them only Once you may get many new questions. Else try out GC Tests

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi pedroobello,

You should retake the official tests. This isn't ideal, but most test takers report being able to retake each test at least once.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi pedroobello,

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

That said, you do need to continue to find your holes and fix those to help improve your score. Thus, engaging in topical practice is a great way to do so. Let's use quant as an example.

For example, let’s say 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, it's crucial to delve into the questions you answered incorrectly. For instance, if you stumbled on a remainder question, take a moment to reflect. Was it a careless error? Did you fail to apply the remainder formula correctly? Was there a concept in the question that eluded you? This analysis is key to your learning process.

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.

Feel free to reach out with any questions.

Good luck!

pedroobello · Answer

Thanks! I’ll try to re-use them! What are GC Tests?

pedroobello · Answer

Thanks! I’ll try and see how it goes!

pedroobello · Answer

Thank you so much for the helpful advice! I’ll definitely work on applying it.

Regarding your suggestion, should I follow this process for every problem in my TTP error log, as well as for any questions I got incorrect in the TTP practice tests?

Additionally, do you have any other tips for preparing for my second attempt?

I’m currently scoring in the low 500s, and I’m aiming to reach around 550-600. Do you think achieving a 50-point improvement in one month is realistic?

Also, in terms of study time, would you recommend longer daily sessions (e.g., 4-6 hours per day) or shorter ones (e.g., 2-3 hours per day)?

I have until the end of January to submit my score, so I want to make the most of the time I have left.

Thank you again for your guidance! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Kind regards, 
Pedro Bello

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