GMAT Strategy

First of all, don't be disheartened, p3po. You certainly won't be the first person to get a low baseline score and then go on to later crush the GMAT. If you check BTG's "I Just Beat the GMAT" forum, you'll find several such stories.

Where do you go from here? I suggest a systematic (even methodical) approach, in which you take the time to master each topic/concept (e.g., percents, ratios, assumption questions in critical reasoning, comparison questions in sentence correction, etc).

So, for each topic/concept, 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.

You should also use an Error Log (aka Improvement Chart) while completing questions from the Official Guide (OG). 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.

I also suggest that you spend a lot of time reviewing the responses from the Experts on this site, since they often model the steps you should be taking when answering question.

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, 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

p3po wrote: Quantitative: 23
Problem solving: 12 answers wrong;
Data suff.: 5 answers wrong.

Verbal: 17
Reading comp.:4 wrong;
Critical reasoning: 6 wrong;
Sentence correction: 10 wrong

By the way, don't worry about the number of questions answered incorrectly. Your scores aren't based on how many questions you answer correctly; they're based on the level of difficulty of the questions you answer correctly.

For more on this, you can read https://www.beatthegmat.com/gmat-prep-te ... 72398.html

Aside: If you're interested, we have a free video explaining the GMAT scoring algorithm: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gener ... es?id=1251

Cheers,
Brent

Hi p3po,

You've given yourself plenty of time to succeed, which is good.

What is your goal score? And what schools do you want to apply to?

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

Hi p3po,

A 360 point increase is a significant task. Since the GMAT is a standardized exam, it is predictable, and something that you can train for. You'll likely need to spend a considerable amount of time, money and effort in the attempt. For those people who are starting from scratch, here is the advice that I offer: you should plan to spend 3 months on your studies and during that time, you should expect to spend 10-15 hours per week. You do NOT need to study every day, but you probably do need a plan/routine to follow. I've worked with Test Takers who have improved over 300 points in 3 months, so it is possible, but you have to be prepared to face the challenge.

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

Hi p3po,

Yes, it's possible, but it will be a challenging task. This will all come down to your ability to learn/practice/master the necessary material and tactics and the usefulness of the resources that you're using to properly prepare you for the GMAT.

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