How do I go from a 630 score to 700+

Question

How do I revise my GMAT strategy?

Hello GMAT community,

I took my 1st gmat on 26th August 2023 and scored 620 (v31 and q44)
After analysis I realized I had only 10% accuracy in SC and DS while around 80% or above accuracy in PS, CR and RC. So, I took one month to focus and improve my SC and DS. I retook the GMAT on 13th Oct. I scored 630 (Q45 V31). I looked at the ESR and realized my accuracy in DS and SC has improved to around 80% while the accuracy in the rest has gone down. Now, I am clueless about my next steps. Also in the week before the gmat, I took two official gmat mocks and score 690 (q48 v36) and 710 (q49 v38) in those.

Please help me with my strategy. I wish to take the gmat again in a month. But I don't know how to proceed with the practice.

Posted from my mobile device

Archit3110 · Answer

you have not mentioned about the preparation material you used to prepare ... use GC forum along with OG to practise questions , mocks , tests..

Spruha · Answer

Hey,
I used the standard, OG, Manhattan mocks and videos of gmat ninja to prepare.

Posted from my mobile device

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

For RC, becoming familiar with how inference questions work could be helpful. For CR, if you find assumption questions slippery, the negation technique could be useful as well. If you feel your fundamentals are solid, consider working on your solving approach. May boost your score a bit. Had a student for example who went from a V31 to a V40 in about 30 days. Perhaps include working with a study buddy who is strong in areas you aren't. There's a study buddy thread on gmatclub you could check out.

5 Verbal tips

-contact: gmatknight site | gmatclub dm

5 Verbal tips

-contact: gmatknight site | gmatclub dm

Score-Quest · Answer

It seems you've pinpointed a common challenge faced by many GMAT aspirants. When focusing intently on specific weak areas, it's easy to inadvertently let other sections slide, even if just a little. The drop in your accuracy in PS, CR, and RC, while you improved in DS and SC, might be an indication that you slightly went out of practice with those sections. The good news is, you've already demonstrated a high level of proficiency in those sections in the past.

Aim for a comprehensive review rather than isolating sections. You've shown growth in a short span, and with a balanced approach, you can certainly achieve your target score.

All the best for your next attempt.

Spruha · Answer

Thanks for your reply. I have a follow up question. How do I go about the practice? Do I practice hard questions from each sections daily or do I take more mocks? Or do I do anything else. Honestly, I don't know where to start. Also, I have exhausted all my official gmat mocks. So what do I do?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Spruha,

I'm sorry to hear that your 2nd attempt didn't go as well as planned. When these types of score drops occur, the two likely "causes" involve either something that was unrealistic during practice or something that was surprising (or not accounted for) on Test Day. Before we discuss any of those potential issues though, 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 in total? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What specific study materials have you used so far?
3) On what dates (or approximate 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?

While the ESR doesn’t provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what went wrong on Test Day (and what you should work on to score higher). Since you purchased the ESRs for your 2 attempts, then I'll be happy to analyze them for you.

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

Contact Rich at: [email protected]
www.empowergmat.com

Spruha · Answer

Hey Rich,

Here are the answers to your questions:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied in total? 2 months

How many hours do you typically study each week? Around 15-20 hours

2) What specific study materials have you used so far? GMAT OG, gmat ninja videos
3) On what dates (or approximate 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)?
11th Oct (2days before gmat) 710 v38 q49

9th Oct (4days before gmat) 690 v36 q48

5th Oct 670 v37 q47 (quants dropped here because I kept getting work calls and had to pause the quants section 2 times)

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score? 740
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to? This year in R3. I am targeting Indian bschools for full-time executive mba

Posted from my mobile device

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Spruha,

Here is an article that you may find helpful:

How to Improve Your GMAT Score

Feel free to reach out with any questions.

Score-Quest · Answer

Practicing for the GMAT is akin to building muscle strength. Begin with easier questions, and once you achieve a consistent accuracy of over 90%, progress to medium and then challenging questions. It's unproductive to linger on simple problems once you've mastered them, just as it's premature to tackle tough questions without a solid grasp of the fundamentals. While easy questions help establish foundational knowledge, difficult ones challenge your ability to apply that knowledge under time constraints.

For mock tests, if you've utilized all official ones, consider attempting MGMAT tests or even revisiting the official ones to reinforce your learning. Furthermore, reviewing your errors in official mocks is crucial for improvement.

Hope this helps!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Spruha, I've sent you a PM with some notes and additional questions. GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made, Rich Contact Rich at: Rich.C@empowergmat.com www.empowergmat.com

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