Nancy David wrote:Hi I have bee studying for the Gmat exam for months now and has the exam gets closer I feel I am unprepared. I used Kaplan 800, OG and Algebra for dummies to study and now i took the Gmat prep and scored 300. I took the Manhattan CAT and scored 300. Please how do I improve my scores?
Hi Nancy,
I'm sorry to hear that you're not scoring at the level you need to be scoring. Unfortunately, there's really no advice I can offer that will significantly increase your score in a 5-day period.
Since it's too late to reschedule your test (without paying the full $250 anyway), I'll offer a few things.
Given the limited time, you need to work on concepts that have the greatest return on investment (ROI). These are concepts that are tested frequently and require the least amount of time to learn. In my opinion, these concepts are:
- Sentence Correction
- Data Sufficiency strategies
- Percent
- Integer Properties
- Powers/roots
- Algebra
- Geometry
Be sure to take at least 2 more official practice tests in order to build your endurance and to help identify areas of weakness that you can work on.
That's about the best advice I can think of.
Now, if it turns out that you don't achieve your target score on test day, I think it's important to say a few things about your current study materials.
To begin, a score of 300 tells me that you are probably having difficulty with some of the concepts that serve as the foundation for more complex concepts. The Kaplan 800 is a good book, but it contains very difficult questions, and it tests advanced concepts. So you should leave that book until you've mastered the basics first.
Algebra for Dummies might not be the best resource to prepare for the GMAT. Granted, I love all of the "For Dummies" books, but this book is not designed to help you prepare for the GMAT. You need a resource that teaches you GMAT-specific strategies. Also, the Algebra for Dummies book will invariably have material that is not tested on the GMAT, and it will be lacking material that is tested.
The OG by itself is not enough to learn GMAT-specific content and strategies. For example, what resource are you using to learn strategies for Sentence Correction, Data Sufficiency, Geometry, Integer Properties, etc.?
One last piece of advice: it's a good idea to schedule
after you've achieved your target score at least once. That said, if you do schedule your test in advance, be sure to take one or two practices tests before the 7-day cutoff for rescheduling your test. That way, if your practice test scores are still quite far from your target score you can reschedule your test (for a $50 fee).
I hope that helps.
Cheers,
Brent
