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Question

I started studying for the GMAT around January, although not consistently. I was talking a Kaplan Course (which did not really help at all, IMO) and did the materials required for that, took about a Month break and finished the OG 12 (except for reading comp). I went through Manhatten SC, Powerscore CR, and Verbal OG 2nd Edition. Here's a breakdown of my practice tests: Kaplan Diag (paper): 520 Kaplan Test 1: 600 Kaplan Test 2: 600 Kaplan Test 3: 640 Kaplan Test 4: 640 Please note the breakdowns below are approximations: GMAT Prep 1: 640 47Q 28V GMAT Prep 1(2): 680 47Q 34V GMAT Prep 1(3): 690 49Q 34V GMAT Prep 2: 650 46Q 34V Actual GMAT: 620 42Q 33V :cry:

I can attest the improvement in my verbal mainly due to Manhatten SC, and Powerscore CR. I honestly do not understand my Quant score. In the OG, I was getting around 70-80% of practice problems right, and with the GMAT prep I never scored below a 46 (and that was with pacing problems) I should note that I was working on the last problem in Quant, and I got a pop up saying my time had expired... could this have decreased my score significantly? And by how much? My biggest weakness is SC, I would say. Next, CR, and I usually do well in RC (I missed maybe 2 in my GMAT Prep Practice exams). With Math, my main problem is Geometry, but I barely got any Geometry practice problems on my test, so is it necessary to really improve? I need to improve my score to a 720+... hopefully by the end of august. Does anyone have any tips for me? I feel like I've been through all the main guides, and run out of study materials. I need to know where to go from here... ANY help will be GREATLY appreciated!! Thank you!

whiplash2411 · Answer

Hey Sneha,

First off, good job! A 620 is a good score. So don't be sad about it. But yes, there is definitely more room for improvement. Not attempting a question can sabotage your score a lot worse than getting a question wrong. So for the next time, I suggest you just select some answer instead of leaving it blank before you start working on a problem and then change it to match your answer accordingly. This way, GMAC will recognize whatever answer you chose as the final answer even if your time were to expire. I think pacing is also very important. Maybe you can download Walker's GMAT Timer and use it with your studies.

At this point, you're aiming for a 700+ from a 600+ range. So I suggest going through the  GMAT Strategies for the Advanced  thread.

You already have the MGMAT SC, so make better use of that and concentrate well on the topics analyzed and make sure you go through it thoroughly. Powerscore CR is a good book for CR too. As for RC, try deconstructing the passage into four main parts:

1. Main Idea 
2. Structure - (First para: Second Para: Etc)
3. Purpose - Why are they talking about this here? Like, an explanation of a new test for cancer would help thousands of people in early detection. This is usually in the last paragraph. 
4. Perspective - Is the author agreeing with the statement presented in the intro? Is he contradicting it? What is the flow of the passage like?

This will help you narrow down answer choices.

With Quant, I suggest that you go through the MGMAT books again to get a good grasp of the concepts and then try the GMAT Club tests for greater accuracy. I also recommend not trying to solve each problem. If you can plug numbers, do it. I know a lot of people who get bogged down with time constraints because they want to get a physical solution to the problem. The GMAT isn't testing you on your math prowess and the computer doesn't know if you manually solved it for 5 minutes or plugged a number in, in 5 seconds. So if you can save time doing that, do it. Check out the  Math Book  on GMAT Club for more ideas. Solve a problem or two from the forums daily. Just keep in touch regularly.

Take a day or two off. Maybe a week. Relax, clear your mind and start afresh. Here are some other links to help you out.

1.  Critical Reading Methods 
2.  Critical Reading Notes and Shortcuts  
3.  Critical Reasoning for Beginners 
4.  Reading Comprehension Guide 
5.  Math Books for GMAT

There's a whole load of information on these threads that you can use to your benefit. Consider using an error log so you can estimate what your weak areas are and work on it.

Hope this helps!

SnehaC · Answer

Thank you so much for all the resources! It's greatly appreciated. I will definitely check them out!

Do you have a recommendation on a study plan or how much longer I should spend studying?

whiplash2411 · Answer

Ideally a 100 hours or more is required if you want to cross the 700 mark, but that varies by person. So unless you have a deadline, I recommend taking about 2-3 months in preparation. Check out the study thread I mentioned. It should help you out a bit better.

2 hours per day during the week and 4-5 during the weekend for the first month or month and a half till you cover the concepts and then practice tests/error log/retake/analysis of weakness would be ideal, IMHO.

rho · Answer

As per my understanding, GMATPrep score indicate the range +/-20 to 30. So, if you were getting 650 in your final GMATPrep test, then 620 seems in that range.
Also, if you are targetting a score of around 48+ then I, personally, would target a score of 50+ in the GMATPrep. O'course, there are lot of great people here who have scored much more and can give you great advice so do look out in the forum.

OG math is no way close to the real GMAT questions. I did OG11 and it was no way close to real GMAT. My engineering background may be a factor but I think most people would agree with that.

As you are aiming for end of August, I think you have ample time to work on your weaknesses.

Also, if you are missing questions then does it mean you need to work on your timing and make a strategy ? Taking mock tests will help you decide what works for you.

RC and CR need practice - on a regular basis. I never practiced RC that much and my verbal score is because of the same. So, don't repeat my mistake.

In the end, don't panic. You have built a base. You just need a little more work to reach your target.

Also, don't delay your second take by too many days. I would suggest max of 1-1.5 months to maintain a decent tempo.

Planning depends on you. What really works you ? In my case, I don't study for many days and then suddenly I study like a maniac. Why ? Coz that's how I did during my college and it works for me. But, I can vouch for regular practice in RC and CR. It's easy to build tempo in Quant and SC but RC and CR, I think they need more time.

Good luck

BM · Answer

A 620 is a solid score and your GMATPrep performance is in line with that.

The last quant question definitely affected your score. Whiplash2411, though, has provided a good remedy to ensure that doesn't happen again. Still, your quant performance is very good. To increase it, you need to complete all the GMATClub Tests and fully understand the questions. If you want more practice, go for Jeff Sackmann's math sets. Both of these resources helped me big time.

The main obstacle, however, is your verbal. You need to get super hardcore about this. In your case, I recommend rereading the Powerscore CR and Manhattan SC guides, as well as picking up the LSAT Superprep. In fact, I suggest that you just keep on reading the SC book until you retake the GMAT. It's that important. Also, since you already have the SC book, you can access six Manhattan tests online for free.

I also noticed that you don't have many posts. Spend some time answering and explaining some questions on the verbal forum.

verbal-gmat-questions-11/

If you have already answered and reviewed all of the OG questions for math, then I suggest that you skip them this time. For verbal OG, it's always a good idea to completely read the questions (why one is correct and the others are incorrect). Again, if you have already done so, then skip the OG.

I know all of our advice is asking quite a bit from you, so right now the best thing to do is rest. Don't even look at a GMAT problem or book for a week or two. After that, you'll feel refreshed and ready to get your 700-plus score!

YourDreamTheater · Answer

Completely agree with the first part of this post. GMAC has stated that a 30-point for some people is completely expected. You got unlucky and you had a bad day.

Try taking GMATPrep again in test-like conditions -- in an unfamiliar room on an unfamiliar computer. Perhaps a public library?

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