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What Should I Focus On? Verbal or Quant?

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What Should I Focus On? Verbal or Quant?

by itudor13 » Sat Jan 18, 2014 6:18 am
During my most recent CAT, I scored a 600(31V-59%, 43Q-61%). During my first exam, I scored a 530(26V-41%, 36Q-40%). As you can see, my verbal and quant are relatively equal.

What would be more beneficial to focus on? Verbal or Quant? My goal is to score above a 730, and I'm not applying for a couple years so I have plenty time to study.

Does getting a higher percentage in one area lead to a higher score overall?

Thanks,

Ian
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by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Sat Jan 18, 2014 9:45 am
To achieve a 730+ score, you'll need to improve in both Quant AND Verbal.

That said, if you're looking for the greatest return on investment (time-wise), I think you'll benefit from a quant focus.

On the Verbal side, many students experience a score boost after spending some time on the "rule-friendly" Sentence Correction section. Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning probably have the lowest return on investment. In particular, it can take a long time for non-native English speakers to increase their reading speed to the point where they have a decent chance to just get through all of the passages.

You should also spend sufficient time working on your test-taking skills (endurance, time management, anxiety control, etc). I can't emphasize this enough. 700-level quant/verbal skills combined with 500-level test-taking skills will likely result in a score that's closer to 500 than to 700.

If you're interested, we have a free time management video at https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gener ... es?id=1244

Cheers,
Brent
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
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