GMAT Strategy

Hello everyone,

I have been studying for the GMAT since February 22nd and want to book my exam for May 19th but I am not sure if I have enough time to get my score to where it needs to be (aim: 700s). Rescheduling the exam once booked isn't really an option since the closest exam center to me is a 9 hour drive or short flight away so I really will have to stick to the date I book.

A bit of background: I started with a 510 (stronger in verbal than in quant: around 40verbal, 31 quant). My second CAT I scored a 580 (noted improvement in Quant) but then on my 3rd CAT a week later I scored a 540 (with a stronger quant score and a weaker verbal!). I decided that I needed to change my study tactic since clearly what I was doing wasn't working for me, so I started doing the EmpowerGmat course. So far I find it has really helped me (just doing practice problems I feel more comfortable approaching scary-looking things).

I went to write my 4th CAT (MGMAT) on Sunday and was looking forward to seeing how my week with Empower GMAT has helped boost my score when, right about in the middle of the quant section, the power went out - I lost internet connection and my flow for the exam. The outage lasted about 20 minutes sufficient time to ruin my mood and concentration. I came out of the test with a score of 590. I was bummed but I knew it was at least partly because when I went back to the questions I had run out of patience and I was rushing through (esp. on verbal). All this to say, I'm not sure where my score really lies.

My question is, will I have sufficient time to get my estimated 590 score up into the 700s by May 19th? Or is this really unattainable in 5 weeks.

I am really determined to get a good score so will do whatever it takes. I study about 3-5 hours a day (depending on energy level after/before work) on weekdays and about 6-7 hours a day on weekends. I will definitely be continuing to use EmpoweredGMAT but I also have all the OG guides to help me as well as Kaplan Premier, 800; MGMAT verbal collection; and Princeton.

Any thoughts/advice would be appreciated!
Thank you in advance!

Hi Laurenrmc,

Based on what you shared, it would be a stretch to jump from a 590 to a 700 over the next few weeks. However, I have some additional questions for you:

1) When are you planning on applying to business school?
2) Is this your first attempt?

I know it's not convenient for you to travel to the test location, but if this is your first attempt, don't fret. Most test takers attempt the GMAT at least twice, so even if you can't get your score up to 700+ on this attempt, don't let that stop you from diving back into your prep and continue working towards it.

Best,
Rich

Hi Rich,
Thank you for your response.

I did think it would be a stretch at this point to go for the 700s in May but I am hoping that my actual score is above 590 (I really did rush through the verbal) but, taking my previous scores into account, I'm ok with taking the score as is just in case.

This will be my first attempt at the GMAT.

Although the schools I am applying to have rolling admissions, I was hoping to apply by June (or at least in June). That is why I was hoping to write my GMAT in May. I also thought if I absolutely HAD to rewrite my GMAT then the schools would still receive my completed application by July.

Although writing it twice may be unavoidable, I would much rather write it only the one time (especially with travel expenses and vacation time from work needed to write it). This said, I think I would rather push back my date a couple or a few weeks and get my score up to where it needs to be rather than "plan" to rewrite. Unless you think it would be worthwhile going ahead with the exam earlier and taking it as a "learning experience" (a likely disheartening learning experience at that) in which case maybe I would go ahead and schedule it.

Thank you for your advice

It's tough to say, Lauren. On the one hand, I think most of the contributors here can vouch that we've seen these kinds of score jumps in a relatively short time span, but that we've also seen cases in which significantly more prep time was needed. Everyone is different. I'm not sure there's any "right" decision here. Rich makes a good point that if you have to take the test more than once, schools will only look at your top score, so a fear of having an off day shouldn't be a deciding factor. However, your commute makes this situation unique. If your attitude is that the commute is so long that you really want this to be one and done, my instinct would be to push the test back a bit. But you can see that situations like this are far more art than science...

Thank you David and Rich.
I plan to write another CAT on Sunday. I will let you know how I do and go from there!
Fingers crossed that there are no power outages or any other unexpected interruptions this time!

Lauren,

One key thing that helps with success in taking the GMAT, or in anything else, is the ability to keep a cool mindset. So get used to seeking to maintain even in the face of issues such as the power failure you recently experienced.

Recently I sat for the test and I can tell you the people who run the test center were talking so loudly I could hear them through the supposedly soundproof glass. Multiple times, I stopped doing quant, the more challenging section for me, and asked them to take the volume down. It could have let this wreck my performance. It would have been a great excuse, something I could have complained about to my wife or whomever.

Doesn't work to let that stuff mess you up though. Better to stay calm and carry on, answering questions as best you can and seeing just how well you can do. That approach worked for me and it can work for you.

There are many components of GMAT success and keeping calm and carrying on is just one of those that are not necessarily going to be discussed in detail in a strategy guide.

On another note, you may be able to significantly drive up your score in the five weeks you have. We have all seen it done. Already you are familiar with the test. Now you just need to figure out how to put more points on the board.

In verbal, you could probably be more accurate and get more answers right just by being more determined and paying more attention to details. I have seen a guy drive his RC and CR performance way higher within a week or two just by making some changes to the way he approaches the questions.

To get your quant score higher, figure out what types of questions are tougher for you and do dozens of questions of each type until you get that type down. Getting a type down can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. When a person does a mixture of quant questions, the person may have difficulty getting better at a particular type. By focusing on types one gets the opportunity to really learn about what it takes to get the answers to those types of questions. As I said getting a type down can take a day or two. You have weeks. So you can get dozens of types down. Find a question bank such as the one in a BellCurves practice account or a Grockit account, there are others too, one that can be broken down into quant question types, and go at each type, absolute value, algebra, circles, number properties, remainders, mixtures, overlapping sets,whatever you need to work on, until you get that type down. Then work on another one. By doing this kind of thing you can drive you quant score up point by point. If you want your quant score to be 14 points higher, maybe by getting better at 14 types of quant questions you will achieve that increase. Something like that anyway. It might take getting better at 20 types. It might take getting better at ten general types. Whatever it takes, in a way it is starting to at least sound possible to achieve this in four or five weeks.

There ain't nothing like doing hundreds or thousands of categorized quant questions for driving up your quant score; of course you need to be working intensely, going over the ones you miss to see how to get them and even seeing how you could have been more efficient in getting answers to the ones you get.

Another component of GMAT success is sheer determination. You can apply this when doing verbal, taking the attitude that no CR or RC question cannot be answered. Hey, they are just logic based right? There are no rules, no mysteries. It's just up to you to be careful enough, logical enough and determined enough to hack your way to the right answers. Determination can also make a biiiigg difference in sentence correction success.

Determination can also be a factor in quant success. When you are doing quant practice questions, don't be too quick to look at the explanations. Seek to really go at them and see about somehow hacking your way to answers. Sure, if you have no idea how to get an answer, sometimes it may make more sense to learn about the question type than to fight it out and reinvent a wheel that you don't need to reinvent, but on the other hand, if you know the concepts necessary for answering a quant question, than it can be worthwhile to spend 20 minutes going at that one question so that you get practice going going hacking hacking until you get the answer. On test day, there won't be any explanations, just you and the test, and often questions that look daunting at first can be answered via staying calm and having at them.

Overall, it sounds as if you are putting a fair amount of energy into preparing for this test. So with the right overall strategies and some understanding of the multiple components of GMAT success, likely you can score rather high.

Hi
5 weeks if well utilized with proper professional guidance, right study material and the correct time management can get you your desired score in GMAT.
You should keep giving 3 mock tests per week to evaluate yourself better.
You can get in touch with the faculty of the nearest Manya Abroad- The Princeton Review's center for any help or queries
wishing you all the best...!!

Marty Murray wrote:Lauren,

One key thing that helps with success in taking the GMAT, or in anything else, is the ability to keep a cool mindset. So get used to seeking to maintain even in the face of issues such as the power failure you recently experienced.

Recently I sat for the test and I can tell you the people who run the test center were talking so loudly I could hear them through the supposedly soundproof glass. Multiple times, I stopped doing quant, the more challenging section for me, and asked them to take the volume down. It could have let this wreck my performance. It would have been a great excuse, something I could have complained about to my wife or whomever.

Doesn't work to let that stuff mess you up though. Better to stay calm and carry on, answering questions as best you can and seeing just how well you can do. That approach worked for me and it can work for you.

There are many components of GMAT success and keeping calm and carrying on is just one of those that are not necessarily going to be discussed in detail in a strategy guide.

On another note, you may be able to significantly drive up your score in the five weeks you have. We have all seen it done. Already you are familiar with the test. Now you just need to figure out how to put more points on the board.

In verbal, you could probably be more accurate and get more answers right just by being more determined and paying more attention to details. I have seen a guy drive his RC and CR performance way higher within a week or two just by making some changes to the way he approaches the questions.

To get your quant score higher, figure out what types of questions are tougher for you and do dozens of questions of each type until you get that type down. Getting a type down can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. When a person does a mixture of quant questions, the person may have difficulty getting better at a particular type. By focusing on types one gets the opportunity to really learn about what it takes to get the answers to those types of questions. As I said getting a type down can take a day or two. You have weeks. So you can get dozens of types down. Find a question bank such as the one in a BellCurves practice account or a Grockit account, there are others too, one that can be broken down into quant question types, and go at each type, absolute value, algebra, circles, number properties, remainders, mixtures, overlapping sets,whatever you need to work on, until you get that type down. Then work on another one. By doing this kind of thing you can drive you quant score up point by point. If you want your quant score to be 14 points higher, maybe by getting better at 14 types of quant questions you will achieve that increase. Something like that anyway. It might take getting better at 20 types. It might take getting better at ten general types. Whatever it takes, in a way it is starting to at least sound possible to achieve this in four or five weeks.

There ain't nothing like doing hundreds or thousands of categorized quant questions for driving up your quant score; of course you need to be working intensely, going over the ones you miss to see how to get them and even seeing how you could have been more efficient in getting answers to the ones you get.

Another component of GMAT success is sheer determination. You can apply this when doing verbal, taking the attitude that no CR or RC question cannot be answered. Hey, they are just logic based right? There are no rules, no mysteries. It's just up to you to be careful enough, logical enough and determined enough to hack your way to the right answers. Determination can also make a biiiigg difference in sentence correction success.

Determination can also be a factor in quant success. When you are doing quant practice questions, don't be too quick to look at the explanations. Seek to really go at them and see about somehow hacking your way to answers. Sure, if you have no idea how to get an answer, sometimes it may make more sense to learn about the question type than to fight it out and reinvent a wheel that you don't need to reinvent, but on the other hand, if you know the concepts necessary for answering a quant question, than it can be worthwhile to spend 20 minutes going at that one question so that you get practice going going hacking hacking until you get the answer. On test day, there won't be any explanations, just you and the test, and often questions that look daunting at first can be answered via staying calm and having at them.

Overall, it sounds as if you are putting a fair amount of energy into preparing for this test. So with the right overall strategies and some understanding of the multiple components of GMAT success, likely you can score rather high.

Hi Marty - Thank you for your reply
I agree about the mental aspect being a huge game changer in the GMAT and I my focus and patience (or lack thereof) is definetely something I need to work on in order to do well. I thought about doing questions 40-50 at a time in order to practice maintaining consistent focus. I appreciate your advice, I have been keeping track of my weakest areas along the way and do feel it will help to focus on improving these areas. You've given me hope that with increased focus and strengthening weaker areas I will be able to attain my goal in a matter of weeks rather than months!
Thanks for your help and words of encouragement!

manyaabroadtpr wrote:Hi
5 weeks if well utilized with proper professional guidance, right study material and the correct time management can get you your desired score in GMAT.
You should keep giving 3 mock tests per week to evaluate yourself better.
You can get in touch with the faculty of the nearest Manya Abroad- The Princeton Review's center for any help or queries
wishing you all the best...!!

Unfortunately I simply do not have the time to do 3 mocks per week. I work full-time and as it is I am stretching myself thin to stay on track with my study plan. Thankfully, my husband works 12-13 hours per day 6 days a week so I try to stick to his schedule.

I wake up at 5AM, review my cue cards (with key concepts, errors, tips/tricks) until 6AM then study using the empower course from 630ish until about 8 when I then have to get to work. I get home after the gym at about 530-545PM. I make dinner and try to study (or at least review) at the same time. Around 630 my husband gets home from work , I spend apx 1 hour with him to eat dinner and feel like a human being, then I study again from 7/730 until 9/930 at wich point my brain is mush and I start making silly mistakes (that's when I know it's time to call it a day). Thank goodness I don't have any kids!

I do plan to increase the number of CATs I take per week (to 2 or 3) during the last 1-2 weeks before the actual test but I only feel like I will be able to do that because I (hopefully) won't be going through any "new" material at that point, just reviewing my weakest areas. For this reason I think I will be able to sleep in a bit and have enough energy/brain power to complete a full-length CAT at the end of my work day.

All this to say, 3 CATs/week every week at this point is just not possible.

With all due respect, doing three complete CATs a week sounds ridiculous. So in five weeks one would do fifteen practice CATs? To what end? How about one a week, maybe two some weeks, and not doing any right before the test, or something like that.

Having said that, one thing I did find useful is doing quant only CATs, to get better at rocking 37 quant questions in 75 minutes.

By the way, I see you talking about studying, but I don't see you saying that much about doing practice questions.

I find, and others have found, that playing this test like a video game by doing question after question can be a key part of succeeding in rocking the test.

I agree with you about 3 CATs/week being too much - when would I find time to learn how to answer the questions well and fast if I am just doing CATs.

Sorry "studying" is ambiguous. I am using "studying" as a general term that covers concept review/practice questions. I am definitely doing lots of practice questions and taking time to review these questions so that I can do them better/faster. I find it funny that you compared the test to a video game because that is exactly how I approach each question set.. it's my way of trying to make the process fun... as geeky as that sounds!

Hi Lauren,

I just wanted to jump in to say that I think you're using way too many strategy materials. I've noticed many students plateau, while trying to spread their focus among multiple strategies, rather than focusing on one particular method. Additionally, certain methodologies that you have at hand (Kaplan and Princeton, for example), I don't think are very beneficial to scoring a 700.

As for the timeframe to score 700, I think it's actually reasonable but tight. Frankly, though, it doesn't seem like the materials you're using are being utilized efficiently and/or your strategy materials are not really working best for you. In my experience, a test taker's issues usually arise from a combination of the two.

Questions I would ask of myself in your place, among others:

Is my time splitting between strategy and practice efficient? Are my practice question choices useful? How much more/less time should I be spending on general verbal and quantitative topics? How much more/less time should I be spending on specific sub-subject areas? How do I improve my timing on the exam through practice? Am I practicing too much during the week (I've found that students burning out from over-practice is a rare occurrence, but vital factor in a score)?

I also want to add my voice to Marty's: taking more than two practice examinations per week is almost rarely beneficial. But each should be utilized to reorient your study beneficially.

Laurenrmc wrote:I am definitely doing lots of practice questions and taking time to review these questions so that I can do them better/faster. I find it funny that you compared the test to a video game because that is exactly how I approach each question set.. it's my way of trying to make the process fun... as geeky as that sounds!

Awesome!