BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

My recent GMAT experience

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2013 5:56 pm

My recent GMAT experience

by vachek » Fri Dec 20, 2013 1:33 pm
After studying very hard for three months I finally sat the GMAT yesterday and walked out devastated - 530 (Q29,V34).

I attended a Vertias prep course and did stacks of practice exams scoring between 610 and 680. I walked into the examination centre feeling confident and very relaxed but left broken and confused.

My aim was to apply to US B. Schools in round 2 (or equivalent) and now I've had to put that on hold. I'm aiming to retake the GMAT in early March and apply in Round 3 (based on my strong profile and advice from former grads).

My main area of focus in bringing up my Quant score in a short space of time. I would appreciate any tips/pointers to get there in the shortest amount of time.

I'm planning on taking a few days break and enjoy the Christmas season before I get back into it.
Top
Source: — GMAT Strategy |
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 2193
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 6:30 pm
Location: Vermont and Boston, MA
Thanked: 1186 times
Followed by:512 members
GMAT Score:770

by David@VeritasPrep » Fri Dec 20, 2013 1:39 pm
What were you Quant scores during the practice exams? How did it feel during the exam? Could you tell that it was not going well?

In raising your Quant score perhaps the most important thing to know is if you missed questions because you did not know the concepts, formulas, equations, etc - or if you missed questions that you could have gotten right.
Veritas Prep | GMAT Instructor

Veritas Prep Reviews
Save $100 off any live Veritas Prep GMAT Course
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 16207
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pm
Location: Vancouver, BC
Thanked: 5254 times
Followed by:1268 members
GMAT Score:770

by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Sat Dec 21, 2013 6:32 am
To improve your quantitative score, I believe that you should compartmentalize your learning and take the time to master each topic (e.g., percents, ratios, exponents, statistics, etc.). This means that, for each topic, you should:
1) Learn the underlying concepts (rules, attributes, notation, etc.)
2) Learn GMAT-specific strategies related to that topic
3) Practice dozens of questions all related to that one topic.
4) 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 focus on one topic at a time, you can use BTG's tagging feature. For example, here are all of the questions tagged as statistics questions: https://www.beatthegmat.com/forums/tags/ ... statistics
See the left side of that linked page for more tag options.

While completing questions from the Official Guide (OG), you should you use an error log (aka Improvement Chart). You can find a free downloadable Improvement Chart here: https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-error-log. This will help you identify and strengthen your weak areas.

You should also spend a lot of time reviewing the responses from the Experts on this site. They model the steps one should take when tackling math problems.

In addition to learning the core concepts and GMAT-specific strategies, be sure to work on your endurance and test-taking skills (e.g., time management) by taking several practice tests. If you're interested, we have a free GMAT time management video at https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gener ... es?id=1244

Finally, since you have about 3 months to prepare, you might consider signing up for Beat The GMAT's free 60-Day Study Guide (https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide).
Each day, you'll receive an email with a series of learning activities that guide you, step-by-step, from Day 1 to test day. This will ensure that you will cover everything that the GMAT tests.

Here's an outline of all 60 emails: https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide-outline

Cheers,
Brent
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
Image
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1