Stuck at a GMAT score of 580 inspite of studying for 9 months

Question

Hello, I have been studying for GMAT since last August.Joined a classes.Completed the quants wizako course. Completed the OG and gave 1st attempt on 14th November.I scored 500 then.Started fresh post a week and completed a course of crackverbal. I completed the OG verbal and quant review books last week and gave a mock test on the official site.I scored a 580- Q47 V24.

Although there is an improvement in the quant score but verbal has been the same. Below are the mocks that I took-

Feb 1st - Mba . com - 570 Q44/V24
March 28th - Veritas - 590 Q44/V27
April 12th - Veritas - 580 Q43/V27
April 26th - Mba . com - 580 Q47/V24

I have 6 veritas tests and plan to buy 2 mba . com tests.

What should be my next step? Should I re do the verbal course?

My verbal score in the latest test is as below- 
RC - 3/13
CR - 5/9
SC-11/13

I need to take my exam in June and my target is a 650. I am clueless of what to do next. Any help with respect to the plan for next one and a half month would be helpful.

EducationAisle · Answer

Hi Sneha, has this been the pattern of your performance across all the tests you've given so far?

varmasneha91 · Answer

My pattern in the other 2 veritas tests is as follows:
Test 1 (590) - 
RC-3/12
CR-7/8
SC - 11/15

Test 2 (580)-
RC - 4/12
CR- 9/12
SC - 7/12

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi varmasneha91,

The good news is that you have a very solid quant score, so great work! Regarding next steps, since your verbal score is lingering around 24, rather than continuing to take practice exams, I think you need to dive back into your verbal prep. More specifically you should follow a verbal study plan that allows you to learn GMAT verbal from the ground up. In other words, follow a study plan that allows you to learn each GMAT verbal topic individually and then practice each topic until you’ve gained mastery. Certainly, if you want more specific advice on how to improve your GMAT verbal skills, feel free to reach out. Also, you may find it helpful to read the following article:

The Phases of Preparing for the GMAT

Good luck!

unraveled · Answer

I an understand what might be going through. For a 650, two ways are possible - improve either to Q50/51 with V31 at least OR Q47 with V33 at least. Check out https://gmatclub.com/forum/how-to-impro ... 41670.html From your last Verbal score, RC is an obstacle. Reading NYT, Economist or WSJ shall help you overall, specially RC. For CR look to solve OG2021 to get a fresh taste of official questions. SC is fine.

freedom128 · Answer

My first gmat got V25 and latest one V40 in 2018. For sentence correction, best resources are answer explanations found in OG2020 (and perhaps e gmat verbal). I haven't tried any other courses. Choose from expert post or mine haha (I mostly tweak from past real questions)

Posted from my mobile device

Posted from my mobile device

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi varmasneha91,

GMAC has publicly stated that the Official Score that you earn on Test Day is within +/- 30 points of actual ability. Assuming a similar 'swing' in how your CATs function, your 4 recent CAT score results show that you essentially performed the same each time (about 580 +/- a few points). You handle certain aspects of the GMAT consistently well, but you also make certain consistent mistakes. Considering how long you have been studying, it's likely that you have gotten 'stuck' at this particular Score level. You're actually closer to a 650+ than you probably realize, but you will have to make some fundamental changes to how you "see" (and respond to) BOTH the Quant and Verbal sections before you can get to the point that you can consistently score at that higher level.

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:

1) Over the last 3 months, how many hours did you typically study each week?
2) When is your planned Test Date? 
3) 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

varmasneha91 · Answer

1) Over the last 3 months, how many hours did you typically study each week?  Last one month I studied around 20 hours a week.Around 3 - 4 hours daily.Before that, I did around 8-10 hours a week. Completed OG review books in last 1 month. 
2) When is your planned Test Date?  I plan to give the exam in 1st week of June 
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to? I want to apply for IIM Bangalore and ISB in the first round which would be between June to August

EducationAisle · Answer

Needless to day, RC consistently emerges as an area of significant concern Sneha.

freedom128 · Answer

Hi you seemed to be weak in CR and RC. For CR and RC, you can always practice from many questions available in this forum. Some are high quality, most are not. Choose from expert post or mine haha (I mostly tweak from past real questions)

Posted from my mobile device

Posted from my mobile device

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi varmasneha91,

If you're certain that you want to take the Official GMAT during the first week of June, then there's a pretty good chance that you will have to take the At-home Exam. Thus, going forward, you should plan to take your practice CATs under the same parameters (use an online notepad - not handheld notes, take the sections Q/V/IR in that order with no 'break' until after the Verbal section, etc.). Based on your current timeframe, you have about 5 weeks of potential study time - but many people are finding the At-home testing conditions make taking the GMAT a bit more challenging - meaning that you might end up needing more study time to hit your Score Goal than you have currently allotted.

Based on your current practice CAT Scores, you can pick up the additional points that you are after in a variety of ways - so you don't necessarily need to score a lot higher in either section. You might find it more practical to focus more on the Verbal section though (since you have a much greater opportunity to pick up more points there).

1) Are you working with any specific study materials right now or are you just working through sets of practice questions? 
2) Going forward, are you planning to continue studying approximately 20 hours a week?

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

varmasneha91 · Answer

1) Are you working with any specific study materials right now or are you just working through sets of practice questions? I have the crackverbal course for verbal and quant.Also the OG. 
2) Going forward, are you planning to continue studying approximately 20 hours a week? Yes I can study 20 hours a week but not getting the approach I should follow next.

Should I be re doing the wrong OG questions?
Should I pick questions topicwise? 
Should I take mock tests/ When should I be taking mocks?
Should I re do the entire verbal course ?(which would be time consuming)

Also, I want to take the exam at the exam center.I was hoping to get done with gmt by June but I have time till July end to Submit my applications.I dont want to take any chance which would reduce my score.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi varmasneha91,

From your last post, you already appear to be using a course. Has that course answered any of your questions, helped you to plan out this next phase of your studies, etc.? In addition, were you using this course during the last couple of months (re: when you took your practice CATs/mocks)? If you were - and you are currently 'stuck' in the high-500s - then continuing to study in the same ways (and with the same materials) will probably keep you at this same level.

I agree that waiting to take your GMAT at a Test Facility would probably be a good idea - and should give you a better chance at earning a higher Score. Since you are working against some specific application deadlines, you might also want to reach out to the Schools that you plan to apply to and ask if they plan to push back their deadlines (to allow for the possibility that Test Centers might reopen during the next couple of months).

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

Stuck at a GMAT score of 580 inspite of studying for 9 months

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