Last visit was: 27 Apr 2026, 02:58 It is currently 27 Apr 2026, 02:58
Home
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
avatar
mrgmat5
avatar
Joined: 05 Oct 2015
Last visit: 22 Mar 2016
Posts: 2
Posts: 2
Kudos: 0
Stuck at 560! Please help! 05 Oct 2015, 21:50
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
First time posting on the forum. I've been studying for the GMAT for roughly four months now and have never broken 560 in either a practice or official test. My goal is a 700, but I would be happy with a 650. I took an official test after about three weeks of studying and got a 540. I wasn't thrilled but I knew that the GMAT often takes much more time to master. Since then, I have taken a class, had two private tutoring sessions and studied roughly 3 hours a day for the last 3 months. I've also taken 3 practice tests (scoring a 550, a 540 and a 560!) and one official (scoring 550) Not only have my total scores stayed the same (Q 36-37)(V 28-31), but my individual scores and individual sections have been almost identical. I make error logs after every test and try to do 3 take-aways/study problem areas, yet every time I take a new test it somehow finds information I either haven't mastered or haven't studied for two months. I'm really getting frustrated and not sure what I need to do to raise my score. If anyone has any advice about specific study methods or ways they improved their actual test taking, they would be greatly appreciated!
avatar
DavidSt
avatar
Joined: 28 May 2015
Last visit: 14 Jul 2017
Posts: 8
Own Kudos:
1
Concentration: Finance, Economics
GPA: 4
Posts: 8
Kudos: 1
Stuck at 560! Please help! 05 Oct 2015, 22:21
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
mrgmat5
First time posting on the forum. I've been studying for the GMAT for roughly four months now and have never broken 560 in either a practice or official test. My goal is a 700, but I would be happy with a 650. I took an official test after about three weeks of studying and got a 540. I wasn't thrilled but I knew that the GMAT often takes much more time to master. Since then, I have taken a class, had two private tutoring sessions and studied roughly 3 hours a day for the last 3 months. I've also taken 3 practice tests (scoring a 550, a 540 and a 560!) and one official (scoring 550) Not only have my total scores stayed the same (Q 36-37)(V 28-31), but my individual scores and individual sections have been almost identical. I make error logs after every test and try to do 3 take-aways/study problem areas, yet every time I take a new test it somehow finds information I either haven't mastered or haven't studied for two months. I'm really getting frustrated and not sure what I need to do to raise my score. If anyone has any advice about specific study methods or ways they improved their actual test taking, they would be greatly appreciated!
Show more

Have you tried following a full time study plan?
What resources have you been using?

I personally followed the beat the gmat free 60 day plan using the manhattan books and my score jumped from averaging 550-570 to averaging around 680-700. For me it was going through the advice, tips and mentality from the manhattan guides and then immediate use them on the official guide questions suggested in the plan.
They also have this really useful excel spreadsheet that defines all of the quant questions in the official guides into their relative sections and it really helps highlight your flaws!

Also I would highly recommend doing CATs progressively and reviewing any official questions you don't fully grasp on this forum! As this is what I slipped up on in my actual GMAT!
User avatar
EMPOWERgmatRichC
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 19 Dec 2014
Last visit: 31 Dec 2023
Posts: 21,777
Own Kudos:
13,055
Given Kudos: 450
Status:GMAT Assassin/Co-Founder
Affiliations: EMPOWERgmat
Location: United States (CA)
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Posts: 21,777
Kudos: 13,055
Stuck at 560! Please help! 06 Oct 2015, 21:38
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi mrgmat5,

Your scores are remarkably consistent, which means that you get into a certain 'mindset' when taking a CAT - you consistently do certain things correctly, but you also consistently make the same mistakes.

1) Can you list the exact resources that you've used?
2) When taking a CAT, do you ever have to rush to finish a section (and guess on a bunch of questions)? If so, then how many questions do you typically have to guess on?

3) When are you planning to take the Official GMAT?
4) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
avatar
mrgmat5
avatar
Joined: 05 Oct 2015
Last visit: 22 Mar 2016
Posts: 2
Posts: 2
Kudos: 0
Stuck at 560! Please help! 07 Oct 2015, 10:54
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I've been using the Manhattan Gmat guides to learn materials/concepts and the Official Gmat 2015 for practice problems. The majority of the practice tests I've taken have been Veritas Prep tests. I could try others to see if they would be different, but they have been consistent with my official scores as well. As far as mistakes go, the two areas that are consistently lower than the others have been problem solving and sentence correction. For whatever reason I do significantly better in Data Sufficiency and Critical Reasoning. Reading Comp usually depends on my energy/focus levels by the time I get to it.

Typically with the problem solving there tend to be 2 or 3 types of problems I don't have mastery over (forgot combinatrics/circles in squares etc). Ill study those after the practice test and get more comfortable, then the next test won't ask any of those types of questions and ask 2 or 3 more types that I haven't studied in over a month. As for the sentence correction, the pattern of my errors seems less clear, although there tend to be more verb errors.

I often don't rush to finish sections (for a time crunch) although there are times where I mis-estimate how much time I have or think I've spent too long on a problem and may rush the next couple problems. I think part of the problem is that I'm not spending the correct amount time on certain problems and that I have trouble doing some questions (like sentence correction) quickly. When I go slower and do several sentence question corrections, my hit rate tends to be much higher.

I'm applying to business school this fall (round 2) mostly in December and January. My next GMAT is actually this weekend, which I don't feel too confident about.

Thank you again for the advice. I signed up for a 60 day study plan.
User avatar
EMPOWERgmatRichC
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 19 Dec 2014
Last visit: 31 Dec 2023
Posts: 21,777
Own Kudos:
13,055
Given Kudos: 450
Status:GMAT Assassin/Co-Founder
Affiliations: EMPOWERgmat
Location: United States (CA)
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V49
GRE 1: Q170 V170
Posts: 21,777
Kudos: 13,055
Stuck at 560! Please help! 07 Oct 2015, 20:59
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi mrgmat5,

Since your GMAT is this weekend, there's not enough 'lead time' to reschedule it, so you might as well take it as planned. Based on your practice CAT scores, you likely will not hit your score goal, but you can still use this as an overall 'learning experience' (and it should help you to be better prepared for when you retest).

Many Test Takers who use a 'book-heavy' study approach tend to get 'stuck' at a particular scoring level; that's likely a part of what's happened to you. In addition, since you've been studying a certain way for so long, you've likely developed some 'bad habits' that will take some time to 'fix' (and replace with new 'good habits'). Considering your score goal and application plans, you would likely benefit a great deal from investing in a GMAT Course of some type. Right now, you should be focused on learning/practicing the proper Tactics.

1) How many hours do you think you can study during a typical week for the next 1.5 to 2 months?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Moderator:
bb
Founder
43163 posts