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Can't get above a 550, Next Step Tutor?

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Can't get above a 550, Next Step Tutor?

by AlexManriquez » Thu Aug 25, 2016 7:17 am
I have been struggling with this test for over a year and have taken multiple practice tests, but cannot seem to break through to the 600's. After sitting down with Anderson and Kellogg, they expressed that the only missing component in my application is the GMAT score as I have 12 years of work experience, am an entrepreneur, work and am heavily involved in non-profits, and am the first in my family to go to college.

I need to figure out my next steps in this process and the GMAT is the only thing holding me back. Can anyone provide some insight as to when it is a good time to seek out a personal tutor? To prepare I have tried:

* Self study
* Test prep course
* Algebra courses at the local community college
My scores have been:

550 (V37) (Q29)
490 (V28) (Q29)
490 (V33) (Q25)

My actual test is scheduled for October 24th.
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by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Thu Aug 25, 2016 7:35 am
For starters, don't bother taking Algebra courses at the local community college. Those courses will likely cover a lot of non-GMAT-related topics. Also, they won't address GMAT-specific concepts and strategies (e.g.m data sufficiency strategies and solving questions without a calcualor).

Has your prep to date consisted of anything other than taking practice tests?

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Brent
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by MartyMurray » Thu Aug 25, 2016 7:49 am
Hi Alex.

With that relatively high, and increasing, verbal score, you have a platform for scoring rather high on the GMAT overall. Also, if you can see what you have to see in order to score that high on verbal, you have the perceptive skills necessary for totally destroying quant.

So ideally you would get your verbal score to 40+, and you would get your quant score to increase significantly.

Getting a quant score to increase basically takes developing better understanding of the workings of questions in areas in which you are less strong and generally becoming more agile in the way you see and answer the questions. So you could probably increase your quant score by working category by category, becoming expert at getting answers in each category before moving onto the next.

One great source of categorized quant questions is the question bank here, https://bellcurves.com, which you can access by setting up a Free Practice Account.

Another way to work on quant category by category is to use Target Test Prep.

At the same time, I think that another set of eyes, expert eyes, could help you to assess what you have going on and what you need to do in order to increase your score. That's what tutors and coaches do. So maybe hiring someone to help you to get the work done would make sense.

Just to be clear though, given your fairly extensive preparation to date, I doubt that hiring a math focused GMAT tutor is the way to go. You have gone over the math. Some GMAT quant tutors have never taken the GMAT, as a matter of fact, and while someone like them could help you learn how to handle the math, I think you probably would be better off working with someone who understands all the aspects of the GMAT and how to make one's score increase.

By the way, working with a tutor or coach does not, necessarily, have to be a major undertaking. Even a few sessions can bring to light things that you can do to turbocharge your score. I am not saying things would necessarily go that way. I am more saying that you can use a tutor or GMAT performance coach in increments, and see what comes of working that way. While many people do use many hours of coaching, in my experience, even just two to six hours of working with a pro will generally significantly change what a person has going on. So there's another angle to consider.
Marty Murray
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Contact me at [email protected] for a free consultation.
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by [email protected] » Thu Aug 25, 2016 9:26 am
Hi AlexManriquez,

It's not clear whether you actually need a tutor or not. Before you spend a lot of money on that type of service, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

1) What specific materials have you used during your studies?
2) Did you take the FULL CAT each time (including the Essay and IR sections)?

3) What is your goal score?
4) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

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Rich
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by Jeff@TargetTestPrep » Fri Aug 26, 2016 8:52 am
Hi AlexManriquez,

I'm sorry to hear about your recent struggles with GMAT. However, before determining whether you need a tutor, I have some questions for you:

1) Describe your study routine. What resources have you been using to study? How many hours a day did you study over the course of the year? Has your studying been constant or have you taken breaks?

2) Can you provide us with the dates and score breakdowns from your Official GMAT prep practice exams? When you took the practice tests, did you take them under realistic conditions (e.g. in a quiet environment, no extended breaks)? Did you complete the entire CAT, including the IR and Essay sections?

3) What are the MBA programs to which you plan to apply? What deadlines are you targeting?

Once we have some further information about your GMAT experience and goals, we can provide some more specific advice.

Jeffrey Miller
Head of GMAT Instruction
[email protected]

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by Bara » Fri Sep 09, 2016 4:40 pm
The way we do some things are the way we do all things.

As a business leader how do you want to tame this dragon? Is that the business leader you want to be? Keeping in mind: the way we do some things are the way we do all things.

Tutoring, as my colleagues have pointed out may or may not have ALL the answers, but a professional who HAS taken the GMAT, who understands the test, and is able to translate his or her own success into that of his or her students is typically the most efficient, and yes, costly way to go.

Depending on the business leader, you might want to do it yourself, and bootstrap. What we do for our students is do an initial evaluation which we look over question and answer choices by hand, even after a computer generates a score. It's not only WHAT you get wrong but HOW you get something wrong.

This provides a blueprint or map for the next steps including self study, work in a small groups or private tutoring.

The great news is: you have TIME to increase your score! And it might just be fine-tuning your efforts, not a complete overhaul. Do you have a sense as to why your not performing to your potential - - or do you think you haven't even identified what your potential is yet?

Very Best,
Bara Sapir, MA, CHt, CNLP
Founder/CEO City Test Prep
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