Study Advice

Question

I did the GMAT in August and got a Q82, V88 and DI82, total score of 685, I am targeting a 715, what should my strategy be? I initially thought I'd do my best to get quant up as its the lowest percentile score but should do both quant and DI and what's the best way to study for it?

For example; do I just keep drilling quant and DI questions every day? Is an hour or two a day good enough? How do I measure progress without the agony of going through full mock exams? and how do I know I'm ready to take the exam?

I'm looking for guidance on how best to structure my studying as I have been practicing questions but don't know if I am seeing real progress.

Thanks in advance.

AllisonBell · Answer

Hi!

You may have already wrapped up your studies, but this is a really great question that others might learn from, too.

First, since your Quant and DI scaled scores are exactly the same, they should both be an equal target for your studies. It’s a common error for studiers to use percentiles to decide what sections to focus on. Percentiles just compare your performance to other test-takers, but they have no relationship to your score out of 805.  The scaled scores are a much better guide.

You’re already performing at a high level in both Quant and DI, so you’ll want to do a thorough analysis of your strengths and weaknesses. I know you’re tired of the agony of going through full mock exams — I feel you! — but  you’ll need a recent practice test to diagnose what you need to do next.  ManhattanPrep’s Practice Test Analysis Tracker can walk you through a pretty painless process of determining what’s holding you back — which could be anything from timing to a few content gaps. You can access it in our  Free GMAT Starter Kit .

Your analysis should help you build a study plan that may include reviewing some advanced topics that you don’t yet feel comfortable with or learning (or refining) a time management strategy. In addition, I found it helpful to  work through Official Guide problems in the order they’re presented, simulating sections on the GMAT.  For example, I’d do 21 Quant problems in order, timed, and then review them. Since you’ve already got a strong score, you could start in the Medium difficulty section of the OG and work your way up. This will likely help you identify gaps, while also building strong time management habits.  Just make sure you’re doing a thorough review of each practice set!

We generally recommend that students  spend 10 - 15 hours / week studying , and  space out mock exams every 2-3 weeks . There’s no great way to measure progress without doing mock exams, but spacing them out and having an intentional study plan between them will help prevent fatigue and hopefully make the results more rewarding.

I hope this helps!

Happy studying,
Ally Bell
ManhattanPrep GMAT Instructor

SuchHeart · Answer

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ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

V88 is elite and DI82 is already strong. Quant is your relative weak spot and where the most room is, so your instinct is half right. Quant is the clear primary lever, but I wouldn't treat Quant and DI as equal priorities. DI82 is high enough that gains there are small and hard-won, while Quant has real headroom. The jump from 685 to 715 is achievable, and it comes mostly out of Quant.

Your real question hides an assumption worth fixing first: should you just keep drilling questions every day? No. Drilling volume reinforces the level you're already at. If Quant is stuck at 82, hundreds more mixed questions usually produce another 82, because the ones you miss are wrong for reasons you haven't diagnosed.

What moves the score is topic-by-topic work. Take one weak Quant topic at a time, relearn the concept properly, practice it untimed until accuracy is high, and analyze every miss by cause: concept gap, misread, careless error, trap, or process error. Redo missed questions from scratch a few days later to confirm the fix held, then add timing, then mix it back into broader sets. Speed comes out of the untimed mastery step, not from drilling for speed separately.

DI is already strong, so it doesn't need a full second front. Target your two or three weakest DI question types and keep the rest in maintenance. Since DI leans on Quant reasoning, sharper Quant fundamentals will lift several DI types on their own. And keep a little timed Verbal in your week so V88 doesn't slip. An hour or two a day is plenty given your strong base.

You're ready when your topic accuracy is consistently high untimed, holds up timed, and a couple of official mba.com practice tests late in your prep land at or above 715 reliably, not once.

This article walks through the approach in detail:  How to Make a GMAT Study Plan .

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