MGMAT Mock 1- 470; Mock 2: 420. Disappointed. HELP!

[RajatS190]

Hi,

I gave two MGMAT mocks in the last two weeks. First: 470 (Q32, V24) and second one: 420 (Q27, V23). The second one I actually gave it in frequent pauses because I couldn't concentrate on the questions as I was stuck. Also, I couldn't attempt 8-9 questions in quant and 6-7 questions in verbal because the time got over. I scored 590 in my first GMAT prep which I gave last year in Nov-Dec, 2015. These 400s score are scaring me to death and given the time I'm left with (30-45 days) for preparation since I want to apply in the 1st round and focus on my application as well.

To give you a background about how I have prepared so far and my progress on my preparation:

1.) I have started my preparation solely based on MGMAT books and have covered almost the books with practice questions except RC, SC and CR which still have a few chapters remaining. I have been studying on and off from last 6-7 months due to my high pressure job.

2.) I have recently started practicing OG and have covered all the quant questions and covered 40-50% questions in the remaining sections.

3.) For verbals, I have recently started using e-GMAT and is very helpful so far.

I'm not sure where I'm lacking in preparation or stamina or basics or my practice ability. Also, I have a lot of study resources and I'm confused how to best utilize them all given I have very less time left. My target score is at least 700+ and by any means I have to get it and I'm ready to put in whatever it takes. Since I want to apply in 1st round for Bschools in September, I would really appreciate if someone can help or guide me in upping my game.

Thanks for your help

[StaceyKoprince]

Also, I couldn't attempt 8-9 questions in quant and 6-7 questions in verbal because the time got over

Here's problem #1. The GMAT calculates your score after each problem and is a "where you end is what you get" test. So if you can't answer the last 6 to 9 questions in the section, your score will tank...and where you end is what you get. I strongly recommend reading the Scoring section of our free e-book The GMAT Uncovered. There's already a copy in your student center - take a look.

Right now, you are trying to take the test as though it's a school test, where the goal is to get everything right. That's part of why you're running out of time with so many questions left. So, this entails a complete re-working of your mindset.

Here's the bad news: it would be very difficult for someone to get from 400s or 500s to 700+ in 30 to 45 days when they also need to shift their fundamental mindset. It's not just that you have content to learn. You have to change the way that you're approaching this test in the first place. I know this is not what you want to hear, but I would rather have you be able to make appropriate decisions: most people in your position would need to take more time.

This is especially true in your case for two reasons. First, you mention a high-pressure job. High-pressure jobs that consume many hours of your waking time and mental energy = you'll likely need more time to study. Second, I can tell from certain errors that you are making in your writing that you are not a native English speaker. Your English is quite good but certain types of mistakes that you are making are very commonly tested on the exam (modifiers, sentence structure, idioms). That doesn't mean you can't get a good verbal score, but it does mean that it may be harder for you to hit an overall level of 700+, a very high score.

You may still be able to hit first round deadlines, but this means that you may need to start working on applications while you are also studying for the GMAT. Or you may decide to postpone to the second round. Second round is still just fine; you don't have to apply first round. I can't say for sure until we dig more into the data (more on that below), but I'd say you are looking at a *minimum* of 2 months for your GMAT studies. Possibly longer.

Okay, bad news over. Let's talk about how to get better!

Let's start with some possible good news. You scored a 590 last fall on GMATPrep. Did you take that test under full official conditions? (All four sections, 2 8-minute breaks, no pausing, normal timing.) If so, then I think we can assume that the 4xx scores aren't actually indicative of your current level of content knowledge. Rather, your score is being brought down by the way in which you are approaching the test. That's good news because it means that you aren't also trying to lift your content knowledge from 4xx to 700 level. That makes our job easier (but not easy!).

First, read these two articles:
http://tinyurl.com/executivereasoning
http://tinyurl.com/2ndlevelofgmat
Think about how what you've been doing does and doesn't match up with that and how you may need to change your approach accordingly. Tell me what you think (and tell me why you think I said that you need to change your fundamental approach to this test).

Then, use the below to analyze your most recent MPrep CATs (this should take you a minimum of 1 hour):
http://tinyurl.com/analyzeyourcats

Based on all of the above, 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!)