pgburel wrote:Hello! My goal GMAT score is 650 and I don't expect to get a score higher than that. My question is should I be studying questions that are in a certain difficulty range? Should I avoid studying questions that are in the 700-800 range and only focus on those in the 600-700 range? Also, are there topics that I should not be studying at all such as combinatorics? Please let me know! Thanks.

I would focus on developing a strong conceptual base in every category, then hitting regular practice tests. Allow the results of your practice tests to determine how you tweak your study plan. It's often difficult to assess what score range a question should fall under - what's easy for you, might not be for other test-takers.

(And, for what it's worth, there's absolutely no reason to set an upper bound on what you're capable of scoring. The GMAT is testing skills that can be cultivated over time. Deciding beforehand that you won't be able to score higher than 'x' would be like learning to play the piano, and before your first lesson, deciding what your ultimate proficiency level will be. The more you practice, the better you become.)

Thanks for all of the responses. Here's a little bit more about my situation...I started studying in October 2016 and took a Manhattan Prep 1-month online course and got pretty into it. Christmas rolled around and I took about a 2 month break and just picked back up an aggressive study routine at the end of February. From the 5 CATs that I have taken, I haven't been able to break the 600 barrier. In fact, my first CAT was the best and it was a 590. My first official test date is April 24 so I have about 1.5 weeks to figure it out. My original goal was to get a 700 but seeing as how I have made such little progress, I figured that 650 is a more attainable goal given my test date. My thought process is that since I haven't improved the way that I have anticipated, I will go for 650 and not even bother studying the 700-800 level questions that Manhattan Prep labels as "harder." I understand that I can take the test again but this test will be the only test I take before my first B-school application is due so it's essentially all-in for the next 1.5 weeks.

On another note, I don't have any problems solving most problems that are given to me if I had 3 minutes for every problem. My biggest problem, like many, is timing. The clock is stuck in my head; I can't go through a problem without asking myself how much time is left 4-5 times every question. I also have a tendency to let my self work on a quant problem for more than 2.5 minutes. I would say it's more of a discipline problem and not being able to say enough is enough and jump to the next question. Thoughts?

Also, thanks for the awesome responses!

On another note, I don't have any problems solving most problems that are given to me if I had 3 minutes for every problem. My biggest problem, like many, is timing. The clock is stuck in my head; I can't go through a problem without asking myself how much time is left 4-5 times every question. I also have a tendency to let my self work on a quant problem for more than 2.5 minutes. I would say it's more of a discipline problem and not being able to say enough is enough and jump to the next question. Thoughts?

Hm. Well, with a week and a half to go, there isn't time to do a major overhaul. Here's what I'd suggest:

1) Try implementing a new timing strategy on your next practice test. Don't obsess about the clock. Rather, work at a comfortable pace and accept that you're likely to fall behind. When you do, don't rush. Just make a commitment to guess on a handful of difficult questions that you know you'd struggle on. When you miss multiple questions that the algorithm deems difficult, you can still do very well. Everyone misses tough questions. When you miss questions that the algorithm deems "moderate" or "easy" you end up in a much bigger hole. So the goal is to improve your accuracy on easier questions.

2) Try mindfulness meditation for a week. The research about how quickly a practice can improve standardized testing scores is very promising: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/arch ... on/275564/

(And I'll echo Rich's sentiment. When you consider the expense and time commitment of an MBA, the quality of the program is much more important than when you enroll. Generally speaking, I'll always encourage applicants to wait a year rather than enroll in a program they're not thrilled with.)