Didn't Beat the GMAT....THIS time

[markz66]

Hi,

I'm wondering if someone out there can give me some advice. I recently took the GMAT and basically bombed it. Finished with a score of only 500. On the bright side, I managed a 6 on the AWA sections. When going through my prep, I took five practice exams, ranging from 520 on kaplan, then from about 560 to 660 with the other exams. for the other tests I used an online free one through Manhattan, as well as the tests in the free software from mba.com. I also used the Official Guide for the majority of the practice questions.

I strongly believe the score on my test was not an accurate representation of what I can really do, so my question to you is, if I take the test again, how much time should I give myself to study again? And also, what are some better study strategies that I may have missed. for this previous test, it was basically just doing practice questions and reviewing that way. I'm just not sure of what othe way would be the most beneficial.

Also, I did finish most of the practice questions from the OG. What can anyone recommend as far as finding new questions to use?

Thanks for your help!

[eternal_optimist]

I like your spirit ,man! Unlike most people here who end up writing a very frustrated post after bombing the GMAT, you seem to be ready to take the bull by horns.

I strongly believe the score on my test was not an accurate representation of what I can really do,
so my question to you is, if I take the test again, how much time should I give myself to study again?

Well ,it is quite a subjective topic and depends on two factors
a) How good you already are
b) What is your target GMAT score
If you go through my post ,you'll see that since I was targeting a 700+ but didn't have the requisite competency to get there, I took a long time to become strong. However, your case maybe different as you may not have that much time to spare .
Ideally, 3-4 months of focused study is considered good for getting a good GMAT score. However, that is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition. What matters more is that how you actually study and that brings me to your second question

And also, what are some better study strategies that I may have missed. for this previous test, it was basically just doing practice questions and reviewing that way. I'm just not sure of what othe way would be the most beneficial.

I feel a kinda deja vu on reading your story. I was in similar shoes 2 years back. If you go through my post ,I have said that I was a victim of "80% accuracy on OG ,move on" syndrome from which unfortunately a lot of us suffer. This time I'd suggest that you handle one topic at a time ,gain mastery in it and then only move to the next topic. There's no point in doing OG questions as long as your concepts are not clear. Getting the right books is another important step if you're looking at a good score.If you follow a disciplined approach to the GMAT,I don't see a reason you shouldn't do well.

[markz66]

Thanks for the insight, I'll check out your post. I like your suggestion of handling one at a time, I feel that I may have been one of the victims like you mentioned. I was originally targeting between 600-640 range. I also don't think I have time to take 3-4 months of more studying. I began with about two, and hopefully the additional time the second time around will get me over the hump. I'm hoping for maybe an early march test time. Are there any books you would recommend more highly than some others?

Thanks again for your help.