From 580 to 700 in 8 weeks!!

[big0space]

Hi guys,
I have just taken GMAT for the 4th time and scored 580 (Q49/V21).
I am very disappointed because I never scored less than 640/660 in the GMATPrep.
I would appreciate any help so I can change the method to approach the verbal part.
I have two months to improve it and my score will boost until 680-710 (with a little bit of improving in Quant)
I am using the Official Guide 12 Ed and the MGMAT course.
My background is Spanish engineer.
Thanks in advance.

[thephoenix]

Hi guys,
I have just taken GMAT for the 4th time and scored 580 (Q49/V21).
I am very disappointed because I never scored less than 640/660 in the GMATPrep.
I would appreciate any help so I can change the method to approach the verbal part.
I have two months to improve it and my score will boost until 680-710 (with a little bit of improving in Quant)
I am using the Official Guide 12 Ed and the MGMAT course.
My background is Spanish engineer.
Thanks in advance.

i think if u can share your prev actual and practice scores and how u were preparing , then i guess there are lot good members who can help u!!!!!!!!

[big0space]

Sure, sorry for not being more specific.
I studied from the MGMAT books and did all exercises from the Official Guides , in which I tracked all the errors.
I would like to know how I can improve my speed in reading and understanding long text. I am an avid reader but with the nerves and under time pressure I cannot focus in what I read.
I hope this is enough.
Thanks

[money9111]

big0space... do you only have the MGMAT books and the OG? If you insist on taking the exam a 5th time - which is a lot (not going to lie) then your score must increase. While schools only REPORT the highest score, they do take into account your previous scores.

I don't believe you can get Veritas verbal material separately from their class, but they would be the best company to go with for help in Verbal. If you can't take the class then at the very least I would pick up PowerScore Sentence Correction Bible and PowerScore Critical Reasoning Bible.

For reading long passages, I've only gone through the MGMAT Guide and it seems to help me.

[David@VeritasPrep]

One specific technique that might help with reading comprehension is to turn each passage into a paragraph. If you will pause at the end of each paragraph and gather yourself and write down just the main idea (no more than 10-12 words) this will help you to understand the overall passage and to know which paragraphs to return to for specific questions. Do not try to write down details because you should return to the passage for those questions anyway. And remember, do not get bogged down in terminology. Even for a tough science passage, you can return to unfamiliar words as necessary in order to answer specific questions. There is an art to knowing what the main idea of each paragraph is, but you can get it with practice.

In order to expect a different result on the test you will need to prepare differently. I do not think that simply doing additional problems and revisiting problems you have already seen will be enough. You need to understand how to approach different types of problems, and to have a systematic approach that is based on the intentions of the test-writers. You might be able to benefit from tutoring or from a preparation course given that you are looking for a significant increase in a limited period of time.

As to taking the test a fifth time, it is not a problem, but this does need to be your highest score and you should do everything you can to make sure that this time is the time - if you succeed this will be the only one that counts and you will have proven that you really want to go to business school!

David