Increasing GMAT Score in 7 Weeks from 640 - 700?

Question

Hi,

I took the GMAT 3 Weeks back. I messed up the quant section really bad and ended up scoring Q40 V38 for a 640. I have not yet scored really high in Quant (never gone above Q45)but Q40 was one of the lower scores I have gotten. I have done quite a lot of practice in Quant way more than than in Verbal but never manage to break through even the 70% percentile. I am not sure where I am missing it or what I should do to build up my score. With verbal I am pretty sure I can raise score as I have done minimal practice, but with Quant I have put in solid hours and dont lots of questions and tests with little return. How can I increase my Quant score?

Tinashe

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi tmukogo,

Before we can talk about how to increase your scores, it's important to define what you've done so far:

1) How long have you been studying?
2) What resources have you used during your studies?
3) When you took your CATs, did you take the ENTIRE CAT (including the Essay and IR sections)?

There are plenty of things that you can do to improve your Quant Score, but they'll all require that you adjust how you "see" (and respond to) this Test.

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

tmukogo · Answer

1) I think 2 months at least 130 hours. Alot of time was spent on doing questions probably more than theory.
2)For Quant I used a bit of Manhattan GMAT but focusing on topics I thought I wasn't sure on along with Magoosh premium videos as the main resource . I then did all the quant question on Magoosh Premium and the repeated a number of the questions that I got wrong or had flagged. I was also doing questions from the OG 13th edition and did most of them as well. 
3) Most of the time I would do a test without IR and AWA. After bombing the Quant repeatedly,I decided to focus on Quant and so started doing some CATs with just the Quant section but still wasn't doing well. I work in finance albeit as an auditor so didn't think Quant would prove so as difficult as it has particularly in relation to verbal but ALAS!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi tmukogo,

There are so many different ways to prepare for the GMAT that it can sometimes be tough to find the right combination of resources that are perfect for you. If you've tried using a particular set of tactics/approaches for a certain amount of time and/or you've used a study resource that hasn't helped you to improve, then you have to look for other options.

The GMAT is a predictable, standardized Test - as such, you CAN train for everything that you'll face in the Quant section (and thankfully the "math" usually isn't too difficult). With Quant scores in the Q40s, you're likely missing out on a bunch of DS points and you're likely making some mistakes on "gettable" mid-level questions. You're also likely doing too much math and not using enough strategy, tactics and pattern-matching.

7 weeks is plenty of time to improve (and score 700+), but "your way" of approaching this process is probably not going to be enough to get you to that level. Some adjustments will have to be made - and you'll need to learn (and properly practice) some new tactics to raise your Quant score.

When it comes to taking CATs, you MUST make that experience as realistic as possible. If you do ANYTHING unrealistic (skipping sections, etc.), then the score results from those CATs will not be realistic and you won't be properly trained to face the stresses of Test Day.

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

dabral · Answer

tmukogo

The overall strategy to do well on the GMAT quant is to first ensure you have a solid foundation. Once you have that down, you need to get a firm grip on how the GMAT structures their questions and what are the clues they provide to solve GMAT problems. The best way to internalize these methods is to stick with official GMAT questions, because with enough practice you will be able to recognize the pattern. I would recommend you to review the practice and CAT problems you missed and identify the reasons you missed those problems, and then try to address those issues. There is no silver bullet to this process, and you will just have to be thorough and surgical about it.

Cheers,
Dabral

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