410 in GMAT diagnostic test

Question

Hi Guys,

I gave a mock test on the official site for the first time without any preparation and got a score of 410, V18/Q30.

I want to increase my score to between 680-720 and aim to apply for colleges in September, so I have around 4 months.

At this point in time, I am a bit confused as to how to proceed. Can anybody tell me if this aim is achievable in 4 months if I give 3 hours a day and more during weekends because I have a job as well? And if anybody can help me understand how should I proceed?

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

May want to check the Share GMAT Experience subforum to get a sense how likely/long different score jumps are. Fair to say two consecutive fresh Official Mocks that hit your target score is a positive sign you will do something similar on an actual exam. Person below went from a 420 base to a balanced 730 exam. Maybe some quick tips you can take. https://gmatclub.com/forum/goodbye-gmat-396610.html

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Tarun456.

Going from the 400s to the 700s usually takes people more than four months. However, since you took that first test completely cold, your actual starting point - how you would score if you were just more familiar with the test - may be somewhat higher than 410. So, you may not have to achieve a 300-point increase to get to your score goal. Still, your move is to do your best to get to your goal in around four months while being ready for the process to take longer.

The best way to prepare for the GMAT to master one topic at a time in the following way.

- First, review the concepts and strategies a topic involves.
 
- Then, do practice questions involving that topic UNTIMED until you're achieving high accuracy.
 
- Finally, work on reducing the time per question until you're correctly answering questions involving that topic at test pace.

Then, move on to the next topic and do the same thing.

For more detail on how to prepare for GMAT Quant and Verbal, see these posts.

How to Score High on GMAT Verbal

How to Increase Your GMAT Quant Score: Top 25 Tips

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Tarun456,

The type of score improvement that you're looking for would likely require that you commit to at least 3 months of consistent, guided study - and you will have to make big improvements to how you handle both the Quant and Verbal sections. It's also worth noting that there's enough of a difference between a 680 and a 720 that you might want to be a bit more specific about your Score Goal. For example, if you scored 680, would you be happy with that result and stop studying - or would you ultimately continue on until you scored 720+ (because that would absolutely impact your overall study timeline)?

Before I can offer you any additional advice for your studies, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on your timeline and your goals:

1) What study materials - if any - do you currently have access to?
2) On this first CAT/mock, did you have trouble finishing any of the sections (and have to 'rush' through some questions just to finish?)? Did you leave any questions unanswered?
3) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week?
4) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

Contact Rich at: [email protected]

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Tarun456,

I think four months might be slightly tight, but if you work your butt off, you have a shot! Regarding how to move forward here is a helpful article you can check out:

The Best Way to Study for the GMAT

Tarun456 · Answer

Hi  EMPOWERgmatRichC ,

Thank you for the reply.

My initial goal would be to reach 680 scores. I would be pretty happy if I get that, but like any other candidate, I would try to score more.

Now coming to your questions.

1. Right now I don't have any study material. I am still looking. 
2. Yes, I was slow in answering questions in every section, so I rushed to guess answers to around 5-6 questions in both the quant and verbal sections. 
3. I can give 3 hours on weekdays. On weekends, I have no problem extending my studies to 5-8 hours.
4. I am thinking of applying to Mannheim Business School, HEC Paris, University of Cambridge: Judge, IMD.

Tarun456 · Answer

Hi  ScottTargetTestPrep ,

I did read that article. It was quite helpful. I am even trying TTP's 5-day trial and to be honest, I liked that mission and calendar study plan. I wanted to take 4 months plan, but it was quite expensive for me.

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi  Tarun456

Do not take this score too seriously as it's just to assess your current level and you've not prepared anything yet. It's good that you started seeking out suggestions during your initial stages of prep. This will save you a lot of time. There are certain things you need to follow during your prep. Having a right study plan will save you half the effort. Before that, you need to understand what is actually tested on GMAT. Because without knowing the destination, there's no point starting your journey. Let me elaborate it to you.

What is tested on GMAT? 
GMAT is a test of application of concepts. So, once you learn the concepts, it's important to learn the application of those concepts as well. Because most questions on GMAT are framed along the application point of view. And to reach a level of 700, it's important that you learn the right methodology to solve the questions.

The right way to prepare: 
When you do your prep, make sure you follow the below sequence.
  Learn the concepts ( Deal with one topic at a time ) 
 Learn the methodology of that topic ( Most important ) 
 Practice a few questions to solidify your learning 
 Move to the next topic only if you get at least 80% accuracy 
 If not, revisit the concepts and make sure to understand them better 
 Once you are done with all the topics, start taking timed quizzes

As you see, I have highlighted the second step that is learning the right methodology. So, you need to make sure that you select a standard resource which helps you learn the concepts, learn the methodology and then lets you practice questions and take timed quizzes. And the  best way to learn the right methodology is to analyze the solutions . Spend considerable time on analyzing solutions even if you get the question right. Compare your approach with the right one and narrow down the gaps if any. So, all in all, look for a resource which provides you all the content on a single platform, thereby reducing your effort to shuffle among various resources.

How to make a proper study plan? 
The right way to make a proper study plan is to organize the concepts based on their difficulty level, dedicate a few hours to study every day and then make clear deadlines for every week. Having clear deadlines will help you stay motivated right till the end. Having said that, as you are a beginner (and a  working professional ), you might find it difficult to make a proper study plan. And following a  generic study plan is not advisable because you need to create a study plan based on the number of hours you can dedicate for studies .

You can get your  personalized study plan for free  by signing up for   free trial   of the course. The dashboard asks you for the number of hours you can dedicate in a week and then creates a study plan for you. You will be provided weekly deadlines as well. So, all you have to do is to follow that study plan.

I would suggest you to check out  GMATWhiz Live Classes  – where you get   40+ hrs of facetime with the leading industry experts ( Weekly 2 sessions for 10 weeks)  , prepare with a group of other motivated individuals, and experience the most structured prep with   full access to our online course for 4 months  . Here's a recording of the demo session to help you decide fast!

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ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Feel free to reach out to use on live chat if you have any other questions! We are happy to help:).

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Tarun456,

To start, since you are interested in some highly-competitive Schools, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. Those Experts should be able to answer your Admissions questions (including the type of GMAT Score that you might "need" to be considered a competitive Applicant) and help define the specific areas of your profile that could use some improvement (and the more time that you have to act on that advice, the better). There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/

I've sent you a PM with some additional notes.

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

Contact Rich at: [email protected]

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

The gmatclub study plan post could be helpful to check out. It provides a bit of an intro to GMAT prep/mentions a variety of resources you can check out. May want to research/learn about the Focus Edition of the GMAT as well.

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