Scored 595 on GMAT, Targeting 715+ Need Advice on next steps

Question

Hey everyone,

I scored 595 on my first GMAT attempt (Aug 14), and I’m looking for advice on how to push my score above 715. My target schools are IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta and ISB

I started self-prep around May–June (with a few breaks) and was scoring around 605 consistently on the official mocks, with section scores roughly QA 81–84 and DI 74-78 V 81–82.

On test day though, my Quant score was way lower than expected, which really threw me off. During the exam I was confident about ~19 questions, so I’m not even sure what went wrong there.

I’m fairly comfortable with the fundamentals in both Quant and Verbal, but DI remains a clear weakness.

At this point, I’m wondering:

What would be the best way to bridge the gap from 595 → 715+?
Is it worth subscribing to a course or tutoring program (which platform is the better option?), or can I still push through with self-prep?

Any guidance or recommendations would be super helpful
Thanks!

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GmatKnightTutor · Answer

In addition to Quant and DI, try to improve Verbal as well if the V84 is a type of score you have been getting naturally with little to no prep. For a 715+ score, any extra points there could help take the burden off what you need on the other sections; you need an average of 85 on all three sections, so a V87, for example, could help a bit. For Quant and Verbal, if you feel your fundamentals are solid, consider working on your solving approach. Learning ways to do questions in shorter amounts of time (e.g. including those you consider easy) could help give you more breathing room to figure out those questions you find challenging during a section.

5 DI tips

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi sagar123450909,

Regarding improving your GMAT skills, my biggest piece of advice is to ensure you are studying topically. In other words, be sure to focus on just ONE quant or verbal topic at a time and practice just that topic until you achieve mastery. If you can study that way, you will start seeing incremental improvement.
 
For example, let's say you are studying Number Properties. First, you'll need to learn all you can about that topic, and then practice only Number Property questions. After each problem set, thoroughly analyze your incorrect questions. For example, ask yourself why if you got a remainder question wrong. Did you make a careless mistake? Did you not properly apply the remainder formula? Was there a concept you did not understand in the question?
 
By carefully analyzing your mistakes, you will be able to fix your weaknesses efficiently and, in turn, improve your GMAT quant skills. Number Properties is just one example; follow this process for all quant and verbal topics.
 
For some more tips on the best way to structure your studying, here is a great article:

The Best Way to Study for the GMAT

Good luck!

Scored 595 on GMAT, Targeting 715+ Need Advice on next steps

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