Improving GMAT Verbal

Question

Hi all,

I have been preparing for GMAT for quite some time now. In my latest GMAT Prep Mock, I scored a 680, (Q49, V35). My quant scores have always been between Q45-Q50. I have been trying to improve my verbal score, I have read through Manhattan Prep SC, Powerscore CR Bible, practiced RC Passages. I have had timed practice sessions as well. After multiple mocks with scores between 650-700, I have decided that I need help with my prep, especially verbal. I believe Verbal is holding me back. I plan on taking my GMAT in June. I have gone through bunch of reviews. I have two options, either I subscribe for a full GMAT Package which includes Quant, Verbal, IR,AWA or I only take up GMAT Verbal. I have read through the reviews on the forum and gathered that the E-GMAT Verbal course is great and that the Magoosh Premium package is good overall. Please suggest which path to take and what to choose.

Thank you very much.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi vyakarnam,

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) Have you used any other study materials besides the books that you mentioned?
3) On what dates did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score?
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

Gmatsaiyan · Answer

E-GMAT is the best way to improve your verbal score.
For Quant, I would suggest giving Gmatclub mocks. They are great for Quant.

EducationAisle · Answer

Best way would be to do free trial classes at a couple of places, before finalizing. Might be worthwhile to remember that ultimately, it is the  instructor  and  his/her competence  that matter the most.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi vyakarnam,

First off, 680 with Q49 is a great start! Regarding your path forward, would you like some general advice on how to improve your GMAT verbal skills?

egmat · Answer

Hi  vyakarnam

Thanks for reaching out on the forum, it feels good to see you coming out and asking for advice.

In the beginning of your preparation before delving into Quant and Verbal Strategies, you must

• Set a Target Score
• Make a study plan to reach that target score

Doing this will make your preparation focused on the target which is the most efficient way to study. A study plan would also help you estimate the amount of time you would need to study and thereby when to plan the test.

We have helped more than 25,000 people in last 1 year in achieving their target of a good GMAT score. Maximum people attributed their success to the structured process which we suggested them. I suggest you break your preparation into 3 stages and follow the below plan:

Stage – 1 --> Learn the concepts
Stage – 2 --> Cement the concepts by practicing a sub-section in Isolation
Stage – 3 --> Become test ready (practicing all the sub-sections together)

Prawee (550 to 740)  used all the books and local coaching classes but was unable to improve her GMAT score beyond a certain point. She changed her approach and finally scored 740 in her 5th attempt and got a $180,000 fellowship cumulatively from 3 top business schools. She is currently pursuing MBA from Kellogg. Kellogg was once not even on her radar.

7 Steps – How to score 700+ on the GMAT

You can start your preparation by giving a mock to test your current ability.

Hope the above strategy get you to your target score

Deepak
e-GMAT strategy Expert

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