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04 Nov 2021, 12:54
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Hello GMAT community,
I am writing because I am concerned that my practice test scores (well, ALL of my scores really) are plateaued, and I was wondering if anyone would be willing to offer some advice on how to get past this obstacle. Below is a bit about my path thus far, and what I am currently doing to prepare for the test.
I first sat for the test in 2015 (without much preparation), and scored V:37 / Q:37 / IR: 5 / Total: 620. In October 2020 I started preparing diligently (1-2 hours per day of study 6 days a week, private tutor twice a week, etc. - *all quant focused). I took the test for the second time this past February and scored V:35 / Q:39 / IR: 7 / Total: 620.
Scoring the exact same total result after 4 months of consistent preparation was frustrating, but I went back to the drawing board and started studying again pretty much right away.
Below is my current routine / what I have been doing since February:
- 2 hours of studying per day, 6 days per week - without fail (although I do take a week off about every 6-7 weeks)
- I do the bulk of my studying in the evening - but recently I have started doing an extra hour of review and general GMAT ‘admin’ (tidying up my notes, setting my goals for my evening study session, etc.) in the morning which has seemed helpful so far
- I switched from the private tutor to Magoosh, and I have been following their ‘3-month Math Focus’ plan - *but I’m really taking my time on it, and adding in a lot of other things which I believe to be tailored to my own needs, so it’s taking a lot longer than 3 months
- I plan to take the test again in 6 months time
- I don’t drink alcohol, I meditate every morning without fail, I usually get 7-8 hours of sleep per night, and I get plenty of exercise
- I wasn’t a talented math student in school (Sociology undergrad major), but I do work in a math/finance related field (commodities trading), so numbers are not completely foreign to me
My practice scores (Manhattan Prep) so far have been the following:
Cat 1 - 21 Feb 2021 - V:37 / Q:38 / IR: 5.2 / Total: 630
Cat 2 - 08 Mar 2021 - V:35 / Q:38 / IR: 5.2 / Total: 610
Cat 3 - 22 Mar 2021 - V:37 / Q:38 / IR: 4.5 / Total: 630
Cat 4 - 05 Apr 2021 - V:34 / Q: 37 / IR: 5.2 / Total: 590
Cat 5 - 08 Aug 2021 - V:35 / Q:36 / IR: 5.2 / Total: 600
Cat 6 - 26 Oct 2021 - V:37 / Q:47 / IR: 7 / Total: 690 - *I took this one untimed, because I thought it might be psychologically beneficial to simply see a higher score pop up on the screen at the end of the test.
As you can see, my scores are irritatingly consistent...and not at all where I am hoping for them to eventually be - my target score is 720, but if I break 700 I doubt I will take the test again.
I am frustrated because I have been studying tirelessly for the past 13 months, with what I believe to be a very solid routine, and I have essentially seen no improvement from where I was when I took the test cold for the first time in 2015.
Possible areas of deficiency:
- I haven’t been using an error log in earnest
- I haven’t been dialoguing about the material on the forums (this is my first post), or in person with anyone else
- I don’t really think about the material other then when I am studying it - *suggestions on how to incorporate this into my life more regularly would be very much appreciated (for quant...and SC too I guess)
- I don’t do much (if any) non-work related reading
- I’m not good at analyzing my practice test results / identifying my strengths and weaknesses
- *I worry that I am ‘bad at studying’
- *I feel like I’m moving through the material painfully slow - ***I only get through about 20 (or sometimes even less) practice problems per week
Do any of you see any additional deficiencies in my preparation, or otherwise have any suggestions for how to break through to the next level in my scores? Any advice would be very very much appreciated.
Lastly, a couple of side-note questions:
1) I took my first test in a test center, and my second one online. Does anyone have any thoughts on which format is preferable? (I used to think the online version was better for me, but recently I have been thinking that taking it in a test center might actually be the way to go.)
2) Now that I have taken the 6 Manhattan Prep practice tests, the questions are going to start to repeat. Should I be worried about this? And along these same lines, does anyone know if the Magoosh practice tests are any good?
3) ***All of the MBA programs that I am planning to apply to are Executive MBAs, and they all accept the Executive Assessment. IF (and I currently refuse to believe that this will be the case) I am unable to break 700 on the GMAT, my plan is to pivot and take the EA. Am I correct in assuming that my preparation for the GMAT will be the same/usable for the EA? Also does anyone know what the equivalent of the benchmark 700 on the GMAT is for the EA? (I can obviously do the mathematical conversion, but I do not know if it is that black and white in terms of how adcoms view the scores on this test.)
Thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read all of this, and I would be very grateful for any insight.
Kind regards.
I am writing because I am concerned that my practice test scores (well, ALL of my scores really) are plateaued, and I was wondering if anyone would be willing to offer some advice on how to get past this obstacle. Below is a bit about my path thus far, and what I am currently doing to prepare for the test.
I first sat for the test in 2015 (without much preparation), and scored V:37 / Q:37 / IR: 5 / Total: 620. In October 2020 I started preparing diligently (1-2 hours per day of study 6 days a week, private tutor twice a week, etc. - *all quant focused). I took the test for the second time this past February and scored V:35 / Q:39 / IR: 7 / Total: 620.
Scoring the exact same total result after 4 months of consistent preparation was frustrating, but I went back to the drawing board and started studying again pretty much right away.
Below is my current routine / what I have been doing since February:
- 2 hours of studying per day, 6 days per week - without fail (although I do take a week off about every 6-7 weeks)
- I do the bulk of my studying in the evening - but recently I have started doing an extra hour of review and general GMAT ‘admin’ (tidying up my notes, setting my goals for my evening study session, etc.) in the morning which has seemed helpful so far
- I switched from the private tutor to Magoosh, and I have been following their ‘3-month Math Focus’ plan - *but I’m really taking my time on it, and adding in a lot of other things which I believe to be tailored to my own needs, so it’s taking a lot longer than 3 months
- I plan to take the test again in 6 months time
- I don’t drink alcohol, I meditate every morning without fail, I usually get 7-8 hours of sleep per night, and I get plenty of exercise
- I wasn’t a talented math student in school (Sociology undergrad major), but I do work in a math/finance related field (commodities trading), so numbers are not completely foreign to me
My practice scores (Manhattan Prep) so far have been the following:
Cat 1 - 21 Feb 2021 - V:37 / Q:38 / IR: 5.2 / Total: 630
Cat 2 - 08 Mar 2021 - V:35 / Q:38 / IR: 5.2 / Total: 610
Cat 3 - 22 Mar 2021 - V:37 / Q:38 / IR: 4.5 / Total: 630
Cat 4 - 05 Apr 2021 - V:34 / Q: 37 / IR: 5.2 / Total: 590
Cat 5 - 08 Aug 2021 - V:35 / Q:36 / IR: 5.2 / Total: 600
Cat 6 - 26 Oct 2021 - V:37 / Q:47 / IR: 7 / Total: 690 - *I took this one untimed, because I thought it might be psychologically beneficial to simply see a higher score pop up on the screen at the end of the test.
As you can see, my scores are irritatingly consistent...and not at all where I am hoping for them to eventually be - my target score is 720, but if I break 700 I doubt I will take the test again.
I am frustrated because I have been studying tirelessly for the past 13 months, with what I believe to be a very solid routine, and I have essentially seen no improvement from where I was when I took the test cold for the first time in 2015.
Possible areas of deficiency:
- I haven’t been using an error log in earnest
- I haven’t been dialoguing about the material on the forums (this is my first post), or in person with anyone else
- I don’t really think about the material other then when I am studying it - *suggestions on how to incorporate this into my life more regularly would be very much appreciated (for quant...and SC too I guess)
- I don’t do much (if any) non-work related reading
- I’m not good at analyzing my practice test results / identifying my strengths and weaknesses
- *I worry that I am ‘bad at studying’
- *I feel like I’m moving through the material painfully slow - ***I only get through about 20 (or sometimes even less) practice problems per week
Do any of you see any additional deficiencies in my preparation, or otherwise have any suggestions for how to break through to the next level in my scores? Any advice would be very very much appreciated.
Lastly, a couple of side-note questions:
1) I took my first test in a test center, and my second one online. Does anyone have any thoughts on which format is preferable? (I used to think the online version was better for me, but recently I have been thinking that taking it in a test center might actually be the way to go.)
2) Now that I have taken the 6 Manhattan Prep practice tests, the questions are going to start to repeat. Should I be worried about this? And along these same lines, does anyone know if the Magoosh practice tests are any good?
3) ***All of the MBA programs that I am planning to apply to are Executive MBAs, and they all accept the Executive Assessment. IF (and I currently refuse to believe that this will be the case) I am unable to break 700 on the GMAT, my plan is to pivot and take the EA. Am I correct in assuming that my preparation for the GMAT will be the same/usable for the EA? Also does anyone know what the equivalent of the benchmark 700 on the GMAT is for the EA? (I can obviously do the mathematical conversion, but I do not know if it is that black and white in terms of how adcoms view the scores on this test.)
Thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read all of this, and I would be very grateful for any insight.
Kind regards.
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04 Nov 2021, 20:41
Kudos
Bookmarks
If you know you are weaker in specific area in math focus on those topics. I believe you may be weak in data sufficiency + area's like (Geometry, probability, permutations, word problems, set theory) and may be taking more time for even easier problem( based on your background). You may have to identify your weak area in Math and it is easy to get around 45 in one month. DO NOT keep taking test and it is useless unless you solidify the concepts. Use only official tests to access your performance. Study during a time when your mind is fresh, and not when you're exhausted.
05 Nov 2021, 07:13
Kudos
Bookmarks
kntombat
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