Scored 605 on my GMAT Focus - 1st attempt, Need help

Question

Hello Everyone,

I took my first attempt at the GMAT FE last Saturday (June 28, 2025) and scored a total of 605 (72 Percentile) (Q83|V78|DI79), which is very disappointing to me, as I'm aiming for a score of 685+ on my first two attempts. I prepped for 2 weeks using the OG and Manhattan Prep for Verbal, and 5 attempts of Free official practice tests 1&2 (all the questions started repeating during the 6th attempt). I prepared for the Verbal section using the GMAT Ninja Verbal Playlists and solving questions from the OG, but my accuracy was consistently low. I was very confident about my Quant as I'm from an Engineering Background, and when I took my Free Official Practice tests 1&2, I was able to get 18-19 questions correct consistently. I identified my weaker sections in quant (Probability based on dependencies, Venn Diagram, Permutations and Combinations, 10th Power Divisions) and worked upon them, but I got 3 questions wrong on my Actual GMAT attempt (Number of 4 digit numbers formed using given digits, Value of f(0) question, and 1 more question), and for DI, I solely relied upon the free official practice tests 1&2, except for the Data sufficiency part which I practiced using OG, I got 3 questions wrong in my Two-part analysis and 2 wrong in MSR, and 1 in Data sufficiency and 1 in Graphs. I'm going to give my second attempt in the first week of August, which will give me ample amount of time for my MBA admissions, and it gives me over a month of Prep time. I need help in analysing the score and improving my prep strategy. I'm also going to purchase the Official Practice tests 3-6, because I feel that the difficulty of the Free practice tests is incomparable to the Actual GMAT exam, coz some of the types of Questions felt new to me on the Actual exam. Any help with the analysis and test strategy would be immensely valuable to me, as I'm planning for a 685+ score in my second attempt, which is only a month away. I'm attaching the screenshots of my score analysis below.

Thank you.

Archit3110 · Answer

For first attempt its good score.. was there any particular topic you think you need to improve.. quant you can target 85+

MyGMATbuddy · Answer

Hi, you've already done a great job identifying gaps. Your overall score of 605 suggests you're close, and with structured work over the next 4 weeks, 685+ is within reach.

A few focused suggestions:

1. Mocks: Good call on purchasing Official Practice Tests 3–6. Take 2–3 mocks per week in a proper test-like setting—same time of day, no distractions, full length. After each, do a detailed error log by question type and time spent. Try using non-official mocks as well.

2. DI Fix: Two-part and MSR errors suggest logic and attention span issues. Practice DI blocks (4–5 questions) under a timer. Focus on structured elimination and interpreting data precisely.

3. Verbal: If GMAT Ninja isn’t delivering consistent accuracy, add LSAT CR drills. For RC, do fewer passages but with deeper analysis—map structure and intent over speed.

4. Quant Cleanup: You’ve identified weak areas—focus on those under time pressure. Use GMAT Club filters or OG Advanced to create mini drills.

You're close. With 4 solid weeks and a mock-driven strategy, 685+ is realistic.

Happy to connect!

—
Pankaj Jindal | GMAT Classic 730 | IIM Bangalore
Success story: https://gmatclub.com/forum/how-i-scored ... l#p3588949

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

For RC, becoming familiar with how inference questions work on the GMAT could be helpful. For CR, if you feel assumption questions are challenging, the negaton technique could be useful to leverage for some answer choices. If you feel your fundamentals are solid, consider working on your solving approach. May help boost your score a bit. Perhaps include working with a study buddy who is strong in areas you're not (and vice versa).

How to score high on GMAT Verbal.

How to score high on GMAT Verbal.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi gokuls101001,

So, the good news is that you are in a pretty nice spot!

That said, you do need to continue to find your holes and fix those to help improve your score. Thus, engaging in topical practice is a great way to do so. Let's use quant as an example.

For example, let’s say you want to practice Number Properties. You can do so by answering 50 or more questions just from Number Properties: LCM, GCF, units digit patterns, divisibility, remainders, etc.

After each problem set, it's crucial to delve into the questions you answered incorrectly.

For instance, if you stumbled on a remainder question, take a moment to reflect. Was it a careless error? Did you fail to apply the remainder formula correctly? Was there a concept in the question that eluded you? This analysis is key to your learning process.

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, verbal, and DI topics.

Feel free to reach out with any questions.

Good luck!

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Scored 605 on my GMAT Focus - 1st attempt, Need help

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