How to get from 530 to 700

[DaraM774]

I took my first gmat test about 2 weeks ago and scored 530 (Q 35 32nd percentile, V 28 50th percentile). I was very disappointed because I had seen consistent improvements in my last 3 practice tests, I moved from a 530 to 570 to 580. My quant had improved from about the 19th percentile in my first ever practice test to the 40th percentile in my last few practice tests and my verbal had fluctuated between the 51st percentile and 60th percentile through out my practice tests. My goal is to retake the gmat towards the ending of February and get my 700 goal. I took a prep course before I took the exam so I'm going to be doing a self study this time around. I don't have very strong math skills so that's why the quant has been a challenge for me and for the verbal, the time is definitely a huge struggle for me, I find myself racing and guessing through the last 10-12 questions. Also the CR questions are my weakness. I really want to get my verbal to the 90th percentile and quant to about the 60th percentile, what study strategy can I craft to achieve this goal?


Dara

[StaceyKoprince]

I'm sorry that you had a disappointing test experience.

Your real score was still within normal deviation of your practice scores - just FYI. It was at the lower end of your range, unfortunately - so one thing to think about is what to do to "peak" on real test day - have a great day.

Did you take your practice tests under 100% official conditions (including essay, IR, breaks, etc)? How nervous did you feel? Do you think that affected your performance?

The end of Feb is 6 weeks from now. It would be unusual to lift from 530 (or 570/580) to 700 in 6 weeks. I'm not saying that you shouldn't try; I'm just saying that most people would need more time. Something to keep in mind.

Did you take our course? If so, then you're eligible for a free Post-Exam Assessment (if you haven't done it already). This is a phone call with an instructor to figure out what happened on test day and come up with a plan to re-take the test. If this applies to you, please send an email to gmat@manhattanprep.com and request the Post-Exam Assessment (PEA).

Let's start here:

for the verbal, the time is definitely a huge struggle for me, I find myself racing and guessing through the last 10-12 questions

This indicates that the primary problem has to do with mindset: how you're approaching the test in the first place. Read these two articles:
http://tinyurl.com/executivereasoning
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... -the-gmat/

Then tell me why I asked you to read these. Tell me what needs to change (compared to how you approach the test now).

Next, did you order the Enhanced Score Report? This is a special report (for $25) that gives you more data on your performance on the real test. See here for a more in-depth description:
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... re-report/

If you decide to get that, share it with your PEA instructor (if you're eligible for that service) or share the data with us here.

This next part will take you at least an hour - it partially replaces the service you would get if you do a PEA. (So if you can do a PEA, you may decide not to do this.)

Think about the material in the articles I linked earlier. Use the below to analyze your most recent MPrep CATs:
http://tinyurl.com/analyzeyourcats

Based on all of that, figure out your strengths and weaknesses as well as any ideas you have for what you think you should do. Then come back here and tell us; we'll tell you whether we agree and advise you further. (Note: do share an analysis with us, not just the raw data. Your analysis should include a discussion of your buckets - you'll understand what that means when you read the last article. Part of getting better is developing your ability to analyze your results - figure out what they mean and what you think you should do about them!)

For quant, in particular, it's going to be important to find the holes in your foundation. Until you can build a pretty good foundation across all of the major topics / content areas tested, it's not going to help to study harder material. Holes in your foundation will continue to pull your score down.

For CR, get started with these two articles:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2015/12/ ... stion-type
http://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/ ... reasoning/