Appropriate Score Expectation

[mcnamara_christopher]

Hello,

I took my first MGMAT practice test this morning and I scored 520 (Quant:26, Verbal: 36). I knew going into the test that the math was going to be my weaker area. I would like to get my score to 650+. I just started the class this past Tuesday.

I was curious what you've seen in an appropriate score increase with consistent studying (2 hours a night -3 nights a week, and 4 hours on Sat and Sunday). I'm sure that my verbal will go up as well with the homework and lectures but my biggest concern is the quant score.

I know that there is a lot of improvement that can be made because when I took the test I was very nervous and had to guess at more than a few questions.

I want to set an appropriate target for myself.

Thank you,
chris

[StaceyKoprince]

For people who do the work, and do it in an appropriate way (that is, really learning from it and not just plowing through the material in order to "finish" the assignments), I have seen people go from 520-ish scores to scores in the mid to high 600s and sometimes the low 700s. Obviously, there's no "magic" number that everyone can / will reach, but I don't think you're asking for that. :)

A couple of caveats:
(1) When you take practice tests, they must be under full official conditions, including the essays and the length of the breaks. DO NOT use the pause button, ever (unless your house if on fire!). If you deviate from official conditions, there is the possibility that your test score is inflated, so that your level is not actually as high as you think it is. (For example, skipping the essays often leads to an inflated score because you are more "fresh" for the mulltiple choice portion of the test.)

(2) How you study - the quality of your study, not necessarily the quantity - matters greatly in terms of how much you might improve. Here are a couple of articles that can help you learn how to improve the quality of your study. (And, of course, pay attention to what your teacher tells you in class!)

http://www.beatthegmat.com/a/2009/10/09 ... ce-problem
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/04/ ... our-errors

Good luck!