Need help on improvement

Question

Hi, I passed the gmat twice and my score didn't improve. My weakest section is Quant, which I spent at least 80% of my overall prep time on. I must retake the gmat around April 15th at the latest. I genuinely don't know how to improve. Has anyone a sort of "plan" or advices on how to genuinely improve, not only solve hundreds of questions and look at the correct answer ? Have a good day

Edskore · Answer

You've identified exactly the right problem yourself: "not only solve hundreds of questions and look at the correct answer." Most people who plateau on Quant are doing high volume with low reflection, and that's why the score stays flat no matter how many hours they log.

Here's what actually moves the needle:

The issue isn't practice quantity — it's error quality. After every wrong question, you need to answer three things: (1) Did I not know the concept? (2) Did I know the concept but misread/misapplied it? (3) Was it a careless arithmetic mistake under time pressure? These are three completely different problems that need three different fixes. If you just look at the solution and move on, you're not fixing anything.

Specifically for Quant on GMAT Focus: the section tests a fairly finite set of concepts — Number Properties, Ratios/Percentages, Algebra, Word Problems, Statistics, Data Sufficiency logic. If you've taken the GMAT twice, you almost certainly have an ESR showing your performance by subcategory. Pull that up first. If your errors are concentrated in 2-3 topic areas (say, 705+ difficulty Number Properties and DS sufficiency logic), drill only those — not all of Quant.

Given your April 15th deadline, I'd structure the next 5 weeks like this: Week 1 — error analysis of your last two tests to find the exact clusters. Weeks 2-3 — targeted content review and 20-30 focused questions per weak topic. Weeks 4-5 — two full official mocks with detailed post-test review, focusing on whether your error clusters actually shifted.

One more thing: if you're spending 80% on Quant, make sure your Verbal and Data Insights aren't slipping. On GMAT Focus, all three sections count equally toward your 205-805 score, so a Verbal or DI drop can cancel out Quant gains.

You're asking the right question — that instinct is going to get you there.

antooo · Answer

Thank you so much for the advice, I definitely fell into that 'high volume, low reflection' trap. 
 If you had a blank slate in terms of daily hours between now and April 15th, how would you structure a plan to actually boost the score? I’m ready to put in the time, but I want to make sure every hour is useful. 
 Thanks again for the help!

bb · Answer

Hi  antooo . What did you do for your prep? What materials did you use to learn about fractions, word problems, etc?

My suggestion is to take quant and split into 10-20 topics. Then take a topic and learn it in 1 day (and finish with a performance quiz). if you the quiz is not above 80% for example, which would be around 85/90th percentile, then revisit and stay on the chapter.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

When it comes to improving your Quant skills, the single most important piece of advice I can give is to study in a topical, focused way.

In other words, pick one Quant topic and stay there long enough to build mastery (rather than jumping around between unrelated topics based on whatever seems interesting). The students who make the most reliable progress tend to do two things extremely well: they narrow their focus, and they stay disciplined about the process long enough for that focus to pay off. When you study this way, your improvement is not only faster, but also more durable. You’re building actual skill—not just collecting isolated “wins.”

For example, suppose you’re working on Number Properties.

Start by thoroughly learning the relevant rules, formulas, and strategies. That means going beyond simply recognizing a concept when you see it. You want to understand what the rules are, why they work, and when they apply. Take notes if that helps you. Make sure you’re comfortable with all the fundamentals (divisibility rules, primes, factors/multiples, odds/evens, remainders, etc.), but also understand how those ideas show up in the kinds of questions the GMAT tends to ask.

Then practice only Number Properties questions.

This part is important. Many students try to “keep things mixed” because they think it’s more realistic. But if your goal is improvement, not performance, topical practice is far more effective. When you stay within one topic, you start to notice patterns, common traps, and recurring question structures. You also get faster.

After each problem set, carefully review every question you missed (even those you guessed correctly). This step is non-negotiable. Doing more questions is not what raises your score. Learning from the right questions is what raises your score. And often, the questions you guessed correctly are the most dangerous ones to ignore, because they can hide real weaknesses.

For each missed question, ask yourself:

Was it a careless mistake? If so, identify the specific cause (misread the stem, rushed algebra, dropped a negative, overlooked a restriction, etc.). Then put a concrete fix in place.

Did I incorrectly apply a property, formula, or technique? If yes, pinpoint exactly what went wrong. Was it the wrong method entirely, or the right method applied incorrectly?

Was there a rule or definition I didn’t fully understand? This is more common than students realize. If you weren’t fully clear on a definition or rule, go back and tighten that gap immediately. Don’t assume it will “click later.”

Did I fall for a trap answer? If so, what made it tempting, and how can I avoid it next time? Trap answers aren't random. They’re built around predictable mistakes. If you can identify the trap mechanism, you can prevent the same mistake from showing up again.

This kind of detailed error analysis is where real improvement happens.

Remember, you’re not just learning that something is wrong. You’re learning why it was wrong, and how to prevent it going forward. Over time, you’ll notice that many of your mistakes fall into a small number of repeatable categories. That’s good news, because it means your score increase becomes less about “working harder” and more about systematically removing the few things that keep dragging you down.

By consistently diagnosing WHY mistakes occur and fixing those gaps, you’ll strengthen your skills efficiently and steadily raise your Quant performance.

Number Properties is just one example. But this same process works for every GMAT Quant topic.

For more guidance on how to effectively structure your Quant prep, you may find the following articles helpful:

-  How to Increase Your GMAT Quant Score: Top 20 Tips  
-  How GMAT Students With a Growth Mindset See Their Mistakes  
-  Improving Your Accuracy on the GMAT  
-  GMAT Error Log: Do I Need One?

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