GMAT - Why No Sucess!

[bobbyGm8]

Hi All,

Yesterday I appeared for GMAT after a couple of months preparation and scored only 430. I am not understanding where I am going wrong. I am a working person and I studied by myself by going through OG12 and Kalpan verbal books.
Can someone really comeup with a sincere advice for working persons like me who can spend 2 hours a day and more at weekends and want to score 700+? I will really appreciate.

Thanks a lot,

[cans]

Did you take practice tests regularly??

[vineeshp]

Tough one to answer.

A few questions for your self analysis.

Have you used the right books?
For verbal: MGMAT SC, Powerscore CR Bible?

For Quant:
Are you weak or strong in Quant? If you are weak, use the full Manhattan set.

How did you fare in the OG practice? Were you getting everything right?

Have you taken practice tests and that too with AWA?

These questions will help you analyze. GMAT is more about practice and strategy and less about content.

[mbagmatclubonline]

My recommendation is to focus on questions/topics where you need improvement. With a score of 430, you may want to investigate getting a private tutor or attend a class to hone in your weaknesses. I would be lying to you if I said these classes/tutors get you a 750 on the GMAT. Much is attributed to the instructor, and a lot will be dependent on your capabilities. But remember, the GMAT is only one component of the application process. You can balance the low GMAT score a strong interview, essays and letters of recommendation. Here are some suggested next steps:

1. Take a free official GMAT practice test on MBA.com. This will give you a good idea of your current level.
2. Get some help to come alongside you to help you improve on the weak areas AND advise you on the admissions process.

Hope that helps.

[aftableo2006]

i think foirst of all try to gauge what are your weaknesses.tryy working on those areas .give a few practice tests and see where u stand

[manish_narula]

bobbyGm8
Same as me, I appeared in GMAT in 2007, scored 500, after which I was not sure whether to continue with my studies. Anyways, I am back again preparing for the exam. Started with Manhattan GMAT verbal. started devoting 2hr everyday, since I am a working professional.

[Brian@VeritasPrep]

Great discussion, all - and I think a lot of this comes back to a great quote from basketball coach John Wooden:

"Never mistake activity for achievement."

As you browse this forum in particular, you'll read a lot of posts from people about what they're doing (or should do) but not nearly as many about what they're learning. Simply knowing rules isn't enough - the GMAT will not ask you to "define the Pythagorean Theorem"; they'll require you to apply it to a unique situation. Simply doing problems can help, but isn't sufficient, either - the GMAT is crafty and can test you on the same ideas in ways that look completely different at first glance.

What you really need to do in order to expect success is to learn not just individual rules or problems but the test itself, and how you take it. Which mistakes do you make most often? What incorrect assumptions do you tend to make when you read a problem quickly? How is your pacing affecting your overall performance? Why are you falling for certain trap answers?

I see a lot of people list the names of books they used, the amount of time they spent, and the number of problems they completed, but it's going to be a lot more useful if you start keeping track of what you learned at the end of each study session. If you can come away with summaries like "the GMAT loves to test 'special case' numbers like negatives and 0" or "when I miss CR problems it's usually because I misread the conclusion ever-so-slightly" then you're in great shape.

This blog post from over the weekend should help if you're looking to retake the GMAT: https://www.veritasprep.com/blog/2011/06 ... at-retake/