Best Test Prep Service

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Best Test Prep Service

by gmat1212 » Mon Jun 27, 2016 9:28 am
Hello! I have taken the GMAT twice now scoring lower on my second attempt than I did on my first. Between my first and second attempts I completed the Veritas Prep GMAT course and was not very impressed. The instructor was nice, but I don't think the Veritas Prep method was suited for me.

Does anyone have any recommendations on another test prep service? If so, what was your experience like with that service?

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by [email protected] » Mon Jun 27, 2016 9:51 am
Hi gmat1212,

Before I can provide the specific suggestions that you're looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

1) How long did you study before each attempt at the GMAT?
2) What materials have you used besides the Course that you mentioned?
3) How have you scored on each of your Official GMATs (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?

4) What is your goal score?
5) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
6) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Exam, so you CAN train to score at a higher level.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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by gmat1212 » Mon Jun 27, 2016 5:45 pm
Rich,

Thank you for your response!

1.Throughout my studying I averaged 3 hrs a day during the week and close to 6 hrs a day on the weekend. I think this may be part of my problem, I was studying way too much for the exam. I would get many questions right in a row while practicing, but always fell apart during practice exams and the official GMAT.

2. I used the offical GMAT Study Guide as well as the Quantitative and Verbal Study Guides.

3. On my first attempted I scored a 610, 40th percentile Quant and 75 percentile Verbal. I feel like I am very close to breaking through in Quant, but something seems to be missing. I obviously want to improve both my Verbal and Quant scores, but if I can get my Quant to a respectable level my score will really jump. My second attempt...I don't really want to discuss that information.

4. My goal is to score above a 730 on the GMAT, and I am convinced that this is a realistic goal!

5. As of right now I am not sure when I will attempt the GMAT again, honestly I am giving myself a chance to recharge after burning myself out for the first 6 months of this year.

6. I really want to apply this fall, so I need to obtain my desired score by then. But if I do not then the application will have to wait.

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by MartyMurray » Mon Jun 27, 2016 11:14 pm
Hi gmat1212.

Given what you said about taking the class, how you prepared and the results you got, it sounds as if probably you could benefit from making your work more based on your test performance. It's almost as if there has been a divide between your preparation and what you have to do in order to score higher, as if maybe you have focused on learning and applying a bunch of strategies and "covered all the material" without somehow actually connecting what you have been doing directly to making your score increase.

Overall, I think that what you have to do is make more of a point of going over your practice tests and seeing what you have to get better at in order to score 730+. Then seek to directly address what you find.

For instance, to break through in quant, find a type of question you are not that good at and work on only that type until you totally rock at it, whether doing that takes three hours or forty. Then find another type and do the same thing. Each type you do that with is probably good for a point or so higher in the quant section.

I realize that you said that things go well in practice, but something is missing, and going over your tests is the way to figure out what is missing. If actually you are super good at getting answers to all types of quant questions in practice, which does not seem possible given your score level so far, then figure out what else about quant is coming between you and your goal. Is it accuracy? Is it efficiency? Are the questions on the test somehow different from the ones you are using in practice? There is something you can figure out, and, obviously, once you figure out what's going on and address it directly, rather than doing general preparation, your score will go up.

Also, for what it's worth, the quant questions in the Official Guides are mostly easier than the ones you will see if you are scoring at the 700 level. So that difference could be an aspect of what you are experiencing. For some tougher, categorized quant questions, you could set up a free practice account in the GMAT section here, https://bellcurves.com.

The verbal section requires a somewhat different approach as verbal questions are not quite as categorizable as quant questions are, but still the thing to do to get your verbal score to increase is to figure out from your practice tests what has to change. Don't neglect verbal, by the way. You can get some more points there too.

You'll hit that goal. Just you have to adjust your overall approach so that what you do actually makes your score go up.
Marty Murray
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MartyMurrayCoaching.com
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by [email protected] » Tue Jun 28, 2016 9:01 am
Hi gmat1212,

While you're clearly unhappy about your second GMAT score, that score information is important. As such, if you want the most practical advice then you're going to have to provide all of the necessary information.

1) How did you score on each of your Official GMATs (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores; NOT the percentiles)?
2) On what dates did you take those 2 Tests?
3) Did you take them under similar conditions (same Test Center, same day-of-the-week/time, etc.)?
4) How were you scoring on your practice CATs before each of your Official GMAT?

5) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

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