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New to GMAT - 550 on first practice test

by lkmba » Sun May 17, 2015 11:17 am
I just wrote my first practice test from the GMAT prep software to try to get an idea of what areas I need to focus on. I scored a 550 broken down between 5IR, 30Q and 35V. Most of the questions I got wrong were in data sufficiency and sentence correction. I was wondering how these results compare to others who have written the practice test with little or no prep? I am writing the GMAT in 7 weeks, and am planning on putting in over 100 hours of studying time. Has anyone else been in a similar situation? I am hoping to get my mark up to the low 700's by the time I write the final test. I think some with refresh on the verbal and quantitative topics I should be okay, but does anyone have some input about specific resources and/or studying strategies that I should be using?
Any input would be great!! Thanks!
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by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Sun May 17, 2015 4:18 pm
Going from 550 to 700 in a little under two months isn't unreasonable, though it will likely require a good amount of work. (And you seem to be prepared to devote a fair amount of time.) What resources do you have thus far?
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by [email protected] » Sun May 17, 2015 10:30 pm
Hi Ikmba,

A 550 is a decent 'baseline' score (the average on the Official GMAT hovers around 540-550 most years). Most Test Takers spend 3 months (or more) to hit their "peak" scores though, so I'm concerned that you're only giving yourself 7 weeks to prepare for the GMAT. While it is possible to raise your scores and hit your goals in that period of time, it will be a challenge.

I have a few questions about your goals and plans:

1) Why are you trying to get all of this done in 7 weeks? If necessary, can you push your Test Date back?
2) What resources have you used so far during your studies?
3) When you took this CAT, did you take the ENTIRE CAT (including the Essay and IR sections)?

4) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
5) Do you know which Schools you'll be applying to?

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by Rich@EconomistGMAT » Mon May 18, 2015 8:49 am
Hi lkmba,

I'd strong advise you not to focus exclusively on practice sets of questions you struggle with most. Mastering all the concepts is one element of getting to your target score, but you'll also need to understand some of the test taking strategies that can take your performance to the next level (this is one of many reasons why most test takers devote at least 3 months to studying). While you might understand how to answer the questions, there are often faster ways of arriving at the answer that you won't learn by simply diving into a stack of books.

That being said, here's a link to try Economist GMAT Tutor for 7 days: https://bit.ly/1bPAHuW. You'll find that in addition to showing you some helpful test taking strategies, GMAT Tutor also comes equipped with the same adaptive technology you'll see on the GMAT and will adjust your study plan automatically to best suit your needs.

Best,
Rich
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by lkmba » Mon May 18, 2015 8:49 am
Hi David - So far I only have the Official Guide for the GMAT review 2015. I have started working through the diagnostic test in this book, and some of the practice questions. I figured when I finish all of the questions in this book, I would buy another, maybe the Manhatten series? I am going to be working full time while I study so I don't plan on taking any prep courses. Do you have any more specific suggestions about resources I Should use?
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by lkmba » Mon May 18, 2015 8:58 am
Hi Rich - to answer your questions

1) If necessary, I could push it back however I would prefer not too. I won't have as much time during July August, or in the fall to study for the exam.
2) So far I only have the Official Guide for GMAT review 2015. I have been reading this book, and doing the practice questions from it. I am working full time while I prepare for this exam, so I am not taking a course to prepare. Do you have any other suggestions for resources I should be using?
3) I took the entire CAT. The essay wasn't scored, and I got 5 (scaled score) on the integrated reasoning section
4) Depending on how I do on the GMAT, I would apply in the fall, for September 2016
5) I don't know exactly which schools I would be applying to yet, but my hope is that I can get my GMAT score up high enough to be competitive at some of the top US schools.

Let me know what you think. Thanks.
Lindsay
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by [email protected] » Mon May 18, 2015 10:02 am
Hi Lindsay,

While the OG books are great sources for practice questions, they're not designed to teach you tactics, pattern-matching skills or any of the built-in 'secrets' of the GMAT. Working 'piecemeal' on practice questions is probably not going to be enough to get you to the 700+ score that you're after. Considering your shorter planned study schedule, you really need to consider looking into a structured plan of some kind (the kind that comes with a GMAT Course).

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by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Mon May 18, 2015 10:51 am
lkmba wrote:Most of the questions I got wrong were in data sufficiency and sentence correction.
EVERYONE struggles with Data Sufficiency (DS) questions at first. Keep in mind that this question type is unique to the GMAT, so it's totally foreign territory.

If you're interested, we have a free set of videos that cover everything you need to know to tackle DS questions: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat-data-sufficiency
lkmba wrote: I think some with refresh on the verbal and quantitative topics I should be okay, but does anyone have some input about specific resources and/or studying strategies that I should be using?
Any input would be great!! Thanks!
You might consider signing up for Beat The GMAT's free 60-Day Study Guide (https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide). Over 40,000 Beat The GMAT students have already done so.
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
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by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Tue May 19, 2015 7:01 am
Do you have any more specific suggestions about resources I Should use?
The Official Guide will keep you good and busy. Quality trumps quantity when it comes to GMAT prep, so it's far better to go over questions in the OG multiple times until you have a deep understanding of how to approach them than it is to cram in additional questions. I would, however, suggest that in addition to doing the mba.com free practice tests that you pick these up as well: https://www.mba.com/us/store/store-catal ... ack-1.aspx

Additionally, here's our sentence correction lesson: https://www.veritasprep.com/gmat/free-gmat-lesson/

Most importantly, make sure that if there's anything you don't understand, post it here to get a thorough analysis for how to attack the question.
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