I took my first diagnostic test today and.....

Expert replies

tali-p: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 9; Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:06 pm

by tali-p » Sat May 05, 2007 4:53 pm

Hi All,

I took my first diagnostic test today and scored 410

Backround:I graduated 4 years ago and didn't touch math since then.
I am planning to study for 3 months - is 700 a realistic target?
Thanks and good luck,
Tali

Like this post

Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy | Sat May 05, 2007 4:53 pm

GMAT/MBA Expert

beatthegmat: Site Admin; Posts: 6778; Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2006 8:30 amFollowed by: 994 members; Location: Los Angeles, CA; Thanked: 1249 times

Re: I took my first diagnostic test today and.....

by beatthegmat » Sat May 05, 2007 7:21 pm

tali-p wrote:Hi All,

I took my first diagnostic test today and scored 410
Backround:I graduated 4 years ago and didn't touch math since then.
I am planning to study for 3 months - is 700 a realistic target?
Thanks and good luck,
Tali

Hi Tali:

Did you take a GMATPrep test? GMATPrep is the most accurate indicator of your current GMAT performance. A Kaplan/PR/etc. diagnostic would not be as telling...

With regards to your target score of 700--it's going to be really difficult. I've never heard of anyone jump from a 400 to a 700. With a really solid study strategy, it might be possible (please see https://beatthegmat.blocked for an example). If you have some money, you might want to think about investing in some professional GMAT courses or tutoring.

Don't give up! Remember, the GMAT is just one factor that MBA admissions folks consider along with many other things. A low GMAT score does not kick you out of consideration.

Best of luck!

Beat The GMAT | The MBA Social Network
Community Management Team

Research Top GMAT Prep Courses:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/gmat-prep-courses

Research The World's Top MBA Programs:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/school

Like this post

maolivie: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 80; Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2007 7:02 am; Location: Long Island

by maolivie » Sat May 05, 2007 9:27 pm

400 - 700 is possible. don't listen to what anyone else would say. and don't follow anyone elses strategies because all I read on every post for anyone asking for advice is to read an irrelevant documentary (blog) on someones life throughout gmat preparation. my advice to you is to do what you feel is best, and getting you the most out of your studying.
I only scored a 530 on my first gmat prep test with minimal studying and not even going over verbal notes before hand.
Here I am, 2 weeks later, my math score went from 39 to 41, verbal from 21 to 29. I'm not going to stop till i get my verbal up in the 40s this way i can achieve my goal of a 700. I'm less than a hundred points away. when I know I can answer each question in the OG without getting them wrong, then i am ready to take the test.
Nothing is impossible dude. If you practiced for the gmat for 10 years, i'm sure you would ace it. All this means is that there is no such thing as a barrier where only smart people can reach 800s. they might get their faster, but with a little more study and time, you will get their too.
My study plan is just crunch in problem after problem. Eventually, you learn the processes to all correct answers. When it comes to test time, you simply mimic.

https://www.AccuInvestor.com - my site!

Like this post

tali-p: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 9; Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:06 pm

Really liked your attitude!

by tali-p » Sat May 05, 2007 11:34 pm

Hi Maolivie,

Thank you very much for your encouragement.
You are a fighter - just like me

Of course we can do it, it will be with a lot of hard work, but we will reach 700 !!!!
Good luck,

-T

Like this post

GCHall840: Community Manager; Posts: 111; Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2007 5:57 pmFollowed by: 2 members; Location: San Jose CA

The GMAT prep process

by GCHall840 » Sun May 06, 2007 9:15 am

Hi Tali,
I think that it is true that I have rambled on about my "road" to getting ready to take the GMAT on this forum. I also know that what is good for one person is not necessarily good for someone else for that matter. The only reason that I would give my advice about this kind of thing, is because I think that it is a very good thing to share the things that have worked well for me in this process. I would only offer advice to someone else when they have asked for some help or some suggestion about how other people did their preparation process for the GMAT.

I think that if you have a goal that you want to get to in regards to the test, you should do anything that you know will work to get yourself to that point. If you want to score a 700 on the GMAT, I am sure that you will figure it out how to get yourself to that point. You should just use the things that you know would work the best for you. And, I think that having a structured study plan with all of the right learning tools, seems to have worked out very well for me, too. So, maybe that kind of plan will work for you, too?

Greg

Like this post

GMAT/MBA Expert

Stacey Koprince: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 2228; Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:28 pmFollowed by: 694 members; Location: Montreal, Canada; Thanked: 639 times; GMAT Score:780

by Stacey Koprince » Tue May 08, 2007 12:45 pm

You don't know till you try. It is challenging to hit a 300-point improvement, but it is not completely impossible. You ask if it is a "realistic target." At this point, I'd call it a stretch target, and I'd set an initial realistic target at maybe 600. Start studying and see where you are in a month, then adjust accordingly.

I do agree with Eric that, if you're looking for such a huge score improvement, you should seriously think about taking a course or hiring a tutor. I know it's expensive, but it's very challenging to achieve such a large score improvement on your own. (And go do the research, too - you may find you don't really need a 700 after all.)

Please note: I do not use the Private Messaging system! I will not see any PMs that you send to me!!

Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT

Contributor to Beat The GMAT!

Learn more about me

Like this post

tali-p: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 9; Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:06 pm

Thanks for all the great advices

by tali-p » Tue May 08, 2007 1:26 pm

Hi,

I registered to the GMAX online course, and I am going to study hard.
I took the first lesson yesterday and it was very good.
I am going to take my time and to study slowly and effectivly.
Thanks for all the great advices.
-T

Like this post

Post new topic Post Reply

• Page 1 of 1

GMAT Course Reviews

559 reviews

1168 reviews

431 reviews

359 reviews

147 reviews

5/5

5 Star (560 Reviews)

"Target Test Prep is the closest to the official version of the GMAT exam, about 99% accuracy in terms of the quality and quantity of information. The course has excellently created singular sets of focused lessons and tests for every possible topic that one could come across in the official GMAT exam."

"The TTP course maximizes the efficiency of the time you spend studying. It will take time and effort but I could almost guarantee that if you complete the course exactly as it is laid out you will get an amazing score. They also have a very responsive team willing to help with any questions you might have."

"TTP has two things that I think no other test prep company offers: A teaching approach that reinforces understanding and an attitude that will give you the mental preparedness needed to succeed on the test. TTP gives you a deep understanding of the concept you need to know while teaching you how to think."

Write a Review