I just Beat The GMAT!

I wrote gmat in Aug 2008 and got 580 (Quant 44, Verb 27). Later on enrolled in Kaplan private tutoring to improve on my verbal skills, worked really hard and even scored 720 in one of Kaplan's Test. Two days
before my GMAT exam on May 30th 2009, i wrote GMATprep1 and prep2 and scored 670 and 680) I was scoring around 35-40 Verbal in GMAT Prep's.

On the D-day started off pretty good with Quant but was running out of time for the last 4 questions so guessed all 4 of them. Later on started off well with verbal and continued well till the end unlike Quant.

I couldn't believe myself when i saw the score it was 580 (Quant 48, Verb 23). I still don't understand how did i score so low in verbal when i had prepared so well compared to last time?

I had studied MGMAT SC, CR bible, completed both OG 10th and 11th,
finished Kaplan Course and had improved a lot in verbal as well as math. I am still in shock as i don't understand what could have caused my verbal score to go so low.

I need help from forum to improve upon my overall GMAT score:

Where could i get challenging Quant problems, as i am able to solve the low and middle level with no issues. Also where can i get the elementary level books to brush up my basic skills in Math.

Verbal: How do i improve SC, CR and RC?
What's the best way for me to check if i am improving upon SC, RC and CR.

I really want to nail GMAT this time, please help me achieve my goal.

Thanks in advance.

Do not lose hope! GMAT Prep is quite accurate so the fact that you are getting in the high 600s shows that you are most certainly capable of reaching that if not the 700+ level.

My Study Tips:

I hope you are getting ample rest every night while you are studying. This is very important! It is also VERY IMPORTANT to get plenty of rest the night before the test and to not study at all the day before the test.

Assuming you did all this, I would say the best way to improve your quant score is to do the GMAT Prep until you literally understand every single question in the database. This may take considerable time, but trust me it works. When it really comes down to it, GMAT Prep and the OGs are the most accurate study materials. Just because you did all the OG problems does not mean that you can not do them again. Furthermore, I suggest that you get OG 12.

To improbe your verbal, definitely focus on the OGs. When you study, make sure to study every question you answer, both the ones you get right and wrong. Look through every option in every question and truly disect the question to understand the way the testmakers think.

As far as practice tests: I'm sure that your Kaplan Tutor was a great teacher, but as far as Kaplan Practice Tests, they are very inaccurate. You would be much better off if you focused on MGMAT and GMAT Prep. Many people make the mistake of assuming you can not take the same test twice. The tests are all adaptive and random so you will see mostly new questions on every test you take.

In conclusion, I would suggest to do ALL OG 10,11,12 (or just the last 50 or 100 of each section if you do not have the time). Remember to go over every answer, EVEN THE ONES YOU GET RIGHT. Furthermore, if you do not understand a question, ask people on this site. And take as many GMAT Prep tests as possible. I GUARANTEE this will vastly improve your Quant score and will also help with your verbal.

Good luck!

Thanks, Mike.
Will get back to my study regime once more. Only this time as you have suggested will take notes while i study which i didn't do earlier.

I've few questions...
1. are you a native english speaker?
2. from schooling, did you study everything in english?

I agree with Mike. Do not loose hope. I took my GMAT the first time and scored 640, Quants 46 and Verbal 33. I was very disappointed. I knew I could do better. I had prepared using Princeton, Kaplan, OG 11 and GMAT Prep exams. I decided to take the GMAT again. I analyzed what had gone wrong and came up with an approach. I went back to the basics of each topic and started preparing again. I took the GMAT again in less than 20 days and scored 730, Quant 48 and Verbal 42. I have captured all my experience and my analysis in my blog, https://gmatbeeline.blocked/. Please visit my blog and see if it helps. I wish you the very best and I am sure you will get the score you are looking for.

Hi Helios,

I am not a native speaker of English, but my schooling and college was in English language. Also i have been working in united states for the past 5 years and have good spoken skills as my job involves lot of day to day communication with the client.

Thanks,
Willkillgmat

Hi shivayogimath,

Thanks for sharing the Blog.

Will you be obtaining a refund from Kaplan due to no evidence of improvement?

If so, let me know how that goes as I begin my Kaplan Prep tomorrow.

Thanks