Back from the center with a 560 score, I need over 600.

[darwin Rodriguez]

Hello Everybody,

Here we go. After 4 months of preparation, I finally took the test today and received a 560, 52% Overal (Q36/V29, % 43/52).
I felt bad of course but not beat. I need over 600 to apply on the Master program that I like and if I take the test in one month I could still be on the game. So, I REALLY, REALLY will appreciate any advice on the strategy for the next attent.

Here is my background:

I am from Venezuela so english is not necessary my streng.

When I first took a GMAT CAT (Kaplan), I realized I had a long path to go. I scored 210. I enrolled on the Kaplam Onsite program and took it twice. This probably wasn't the best Idea since Kaplan focus on test strategy more than fondations (what I needed). Anyway, my progress was:

10/03 CAT Kaplan 1: 210
10/10 2: 390
10/17 3: 570
12/14 4: 560
12/27 MGMAT1 5: 590 Q42/V31
01/08 2 6: 520 Q31/V31
01/13 3 7: 640 Q43/V35
01/22CAT Kaplan 8: 590

Oficial CAT 1 on December 530 (I took the TOEFL the day before, I think that didn't help).

I studied almost everyday, on average 4 hours on weekdays and 6 on the weekends. I am now trying to build my 30 days study plan to increase at least 50 point on my overal. Any advice? MGMAT doesn't have any course beging anytime soon Any tutor? any other good program or book to buy?

Materials I used:
Kaplan books
Number Properties MGMAT
Sentence Correction MGMAT
Word Translation MGMAT
Official Guide 12.
Kaplan Quiz Bank

I am having a big problem keeping my focus on the test, specially on the Verbal part.


Thanks you!

[eternal_optimist]

The good thing I see about your situation is that your goal is quite realistic and hence quite attainable if you work properly.
I think one of the critical factors which differentiates a good scorer on the GMAT versus a bad scorer is that a good scorer usually knows the right way to prepare for the exam. I don't think the difference lies much in how much more or less one a good scorer studies vis-a-vis a bad scorer and you can see it for yourself. As you said that you studied for approximately around 4 month and used to put around 4 hours everyday ,then also you didn't get the desired result . The reason I see for this is that your approach to the exam wasn't probably correct. You may wanna go through the ten points(or rather lessons) I have mentioned in my debrief which you must take care of and you will see that you'd be clearly faltering on some of those points.
Ask yourself whether you're concepts were really good? Did you know SC inside out and could you spot SC errors easily. Did you have definite strategies to tackle SC ?How well did you prepare for CR or for that matter RC or Quant .
You just have to increase your scaled score in each section by 4 points to be able to improve your score by 50 points and that is not a difficult task if you prepare properly.

[bblast]

there is a drastic improvement in the range of scores u have achieved over the course of 4 months, i understand how bad I feels to get a below par score after all the hard work,

I think another month of prep will probably get u where you want to be. Go through remaining mgmat math guides and hang around on BTG forums,

good luck,