GMAT preperation - can I hit 700? - The Beat The GMAT Forum - Expert GMAT Help & MBA Admissions Advice

GMAT preperation - can I hit 700?

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national01: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 14; Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2015 2:57 amFollowed by: 1 member

by national01 » Sat Sep 05, 2015 10:00 am

Hi,

I just took my first practice test using the GMATPrep software and got a score of 590 (36 in quant and 35 in qual). This was a pretty 'cold' take.

I'm taking the real test in late November and am aiming for around 700. I'm planning to do around 15-20 hours a week prep before then (c. 200 hours total). I will be mainly focused on quant (which, as you can see from my score, is my real weak area).

Is a score of around 700 achievable?

Thanks.

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Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy | Sat Sep 05, 2015 10:00 am

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Bara: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 383; Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 5:20 pmFollowed by: 21 members; Location: Online Conferencing - in person in select cities.; Thanked: 55 times

by Bara » Sat Sep 05, 2015 11:18 am

If it's a cold take, and even if it weren't, by studying SMARTER not HARDER, yes, it's totally achievable.

And you need a plan. Seriously.

What do you plan to do with that time? What materials? What's your schedule? What is the breakdown not only of your scores, but HOW you're getting questions wrong? Are there patterns?

We see the 110 score improvement from 590 all the time. But you need to be strategic and SMART about it.

Let us know what you plan to do so us experts here can help guide you.

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[email protected]: Elite Legendary Member; Posts: 10392; Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pmFollowed by: 511 members; Location: Palo Alto, CA; Thanked: 2867 times; GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Sat Sep 05, 2015 1:35 pm

Hi national01,

A 590 is a strong 'baseline' CAT score (the average score on the Official GMAT hovers around 540-550 most years), so you could absolutely hit your score goal in the time that you've allotted. While you arguably have a greater opportunity to pick up points in the Quant section, you could very easily pick up a bunch of points in the Verbal section as well, so you should make sure to include some proper Verbal work in your upcoming studies.

Since you've defined your goal and your tentative Test Date, I'd like to know a bit more about your plans:

1) What resources are you planning to use?
2) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
3) Do you know which Schools you're planning to apply to?

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

Contact Rich at [email protected]

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national01: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 14; Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2015 2:57 amFollowed by: 1 member

by national01 » Sun Sep 20, 2015 4:30 am

I've just taken the second full length CAT exam (on mba.com) and got a score of 680 (up from 590 two weeks ago). My breakdown was as follows:

- Quant: 38 (46th percentile. Up from 36 two weeks ago)
- Verbal: 44 (97th percentile. Up from 35 two weeks ago)

I am confident with my verbal abilities, but want to increase my quant score significantly to get to around 44. My test date is in c. 9 weeks. I have been using the Magoosh online study resources to date, as well as the official GMAT guide.

Do you think I should invest in a tutor to help improve my quant score?

Thanks.

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GMAT/MBA Expert

[email protected]: Elite Legendary Member; Posts: 10392; Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pmFollowed by: 511 members; Location: Palo Alto, CA; Thanked: 2867 times; GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Sun Sep 20, 2015 8:59 am

Hi national01

Assuming that you took this second CAT in a realistic and test-like fashion, then that score result shows that you have the potential to improve on your own. As such, I'm not sure if a tutor is necessary or not - that's more of a personal choice though - I don't know you well enough to know if a tutor is going to provide the type of 'breakthrough' that you're looking for or if you can find that solution on your own. You do have 9 weeks remaining though, which is a lot of study time to experiment a bit and still have time to make adjustments as needed.

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

Contact Rich at [email protected]

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Bara: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 383; Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 5:20 pmFollowed by: 21 members; Location: Online Conferencing - in person in select cities.; Thanked: 55 times

by Bara » Mon Sep 21, 2015 3:16 pm

You'll want a bigger sample before you rest your laurels on this score. Both could be outliers. You want to take a few tests...and see if there are patterns in scoring AND in how you answer questions, which questions you're getting right or wrong, etc.

Typically, working with a tutor will streamline your process, help you study smarter (not harder) and provide best methods.You will likely improve more on your own but it will become more difficult to answer harder questions correctly than the ones you're working on, and answering correctly now.

You have this forum and experts to help you. That said: if you value your time not studying or working, and have a budget, working with a tutor, may likely have the best ROI. Like Rich said: You do have time to make adjustments.

Keep us posted!

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Matt@VeritasPrep: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 2630; Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:32 pmFollowed by: 119 members; Location: East Bay all the way; Thanked: 625 times; GMAT Score:780

by Matt@VeritasPrep » Fri Sep 25, 2015 2:07 am

IMO you have the right profile. A math deficiency is much easier to make up than a verbal deficiency, and the colder you took the test the first time, the better your chances of making immediate and significant gains.

I'd start by self-studying and see how it goes before considering a tutor: you'll want to do a lot of the fundamental work on your own, I think, as you don't _really_ need someone to explain it, you just need to do it. Tutors are best as you get close to the test -- they can add a lot of testday strategy and are great to have at your elbow when you take a CAT. They can also help with the tricky questions you accumulate during the course of your studies, but you don't necessarily need to see one until you've had time to accumulate lots of material.

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