What should my next steps be?

Which schools are you targeting ?
It really depends on that whether 700 is enough or not

Clearly, you need to improve the verbal portion as your quant has remained "same throughout". Rather than wasting yet another attempt, it may be helpful to consider taking breaks and focusing on verbal subsections.

The signs are clear that an improvement in verbal will help you get 700+ more than repeatedly taking the test. Although your verbal score has improved, note that a substantial improvement in verbal is more difficult. Improvement will require time and strategic preparation.

I would also suggest that you use only or mainly official test questions to prepare for verbal. You can use third-party materials, e.g., grammar and reasoning books, to help with the conceptual preparations. Third party verbal questions are generally of low quality and have potential to mislead you. If you run out of official questions, certainly try these other sources, but you need to be mindful of their limitations.

Hi cogsngears,

First off, a 700/Q49 is an outstanding Score, so you can comfortably apply to any Business Schools that interest you. As such, a retest might not be necessary. Depending on the Schools that you plan to apply to, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile. There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/

There's no harm in continuing to study though, but before you decide either way, it would help to know a bit more about your prior studies and current goals:

Studies:
1) How long did you study before each of your 3 Official GMATs? How many hours did you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used besides the Course that you mentioned?
3) What "brands" of practice CATs did you use during each phase of your studies?

Goals:
4) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
5) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

You might also choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report. While the ESR doesn’t provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what you should work on to score higher. If you purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Hi cogsngears,

First off, great job with the 700! I realize that you were scoring higher on practice exams, so while I would not rule out a retake (to improve your verbal score), you first may find it helpful to reach out to one of the many admissions consultants here on GMAT Club to get an opinion. If it turns out that you do need to retake the GMAT, feel free to reach back out, and I’d be happy to provide some further advice. Good luck!