Smarth wrote:Hi
I've been giving princeton review mock tests and have scored 640, 650 and 640 in the last 3 tests that I attempted, with a QA 47-48 and VA 32. I want to improve both my sections and overall score to get a 720-730+ score. What additional material and strategy can help me score better, considering I plan to take the GMAT in the next 25-30 days?
Material I've used till now: GMAT OG 2017, Princeton Review Portal Drills and Mock tests.
To achieve a solid GMAT score, you must:
- 1) Learn the concepts and techniques tested on the GMAT (e.g., circle properties, divisibility rules, past perfect tense, equation-solving, etc.)
2) Master GMAT-specific strategies (e.g., testing the answer choices, rephrasing the target question, identifying subjects and verbs in sentences, etc.)
3) Understand the many different ways the test-makers can test your knowledge of each concept
4) Hone your test-taking skills (e.g., endurance, time management, guessing strategies, etc.)
Many students make the mistake of limiting their preparation to item #1 (and perhaps item #2). So, once they fully grasp a concept and successfully answer 1 or 2 related questions, they move on to the next topic. The problem with this strategy is that the test-makers can take any concept, no matter how simple, and create
dozens of wildly different questions , each requiring a different approach. So, to achieve a great score, you must answer a lot of practice questions
specifically-related to each concept tested on the GMAT.
Given all of this, I recommend a systematic approach, in which you take the time to thoroughly address each topic/concept. So, for each topic/concept, you should:
- - Learn the underlying concepts (rules, attributes, notation, etc.)
- Learn GMAT-specific strategies related to that topic
- Practice dozens of questions all related to that one topic.
- Don't stop working on that topic until you have mastered it
Then,
and only then , move on to the next topic.
To help you fully explore the ins and outs of each topic, you can use Beat the GMAT's question-tagging tool (
https://www.beatthegmat.com/forums/tags/gmat-math). This will give you access to tons of topic-specific practice questions.
Finally, your study plan should include several full-length practice tests. Keep in mind that the GMAT is a test of your math and verbal skills
AND it's a test of your test-taking skills. So, 700-level math/verbal skills, combined with 600-level test-taking skills, will likely result in a score that's closer to 600 than to 700.
I hope that helps.
Cheers,
Brent
