Please, give me an advice

[marilusm]

Hi! My name is Marilu im a mexican student. I have done 5 test and my average is 409 =(. My scores were 430, 400, 490, 300 and 410. I took a GMAT course the last Nov Dec 2009 in my city. I dont have time to study because my work, I only have 1 hour during the week and 10 hours on weekens. My test is on June 6th, what do you recommend me if I want target a 600 score?

Thanks in advance

[dapplegate]

If you post your verbal score & your quantitative score for each test it would be a better starting point for evaluation. I'm not an expert, but I would like to see those if I were.

[StaceyKoprince]

As dapplegate says, we need a lot more information in order to advise you.

Are your scores real test scores or practice test scores? If practice tests, which practice tests did you take? What were your quant and verbal breakdowns on each test? Did you take the tests under official test conditions, including essays? Did you have any timing problems?

If you took a ManhattanGMAT test, use this article to help you analyze your results. Then come back here and post your analysis and we can help you to figure out what to do.

http://www.beatthegmat.com/a/2009/09/23/evaluating-your-practice-tests

I will also mention that it will be challenging to improve your score by 200 points in a month. I'm not saying it can't be done, but most people would need more than 1 month to go from 400 to 600.

[marilusm]

As you ask, here are my results:

1. Dec 26th, 2009. 1er Prep Test (http://www.mba)
430 - 18% percentil
Quant. 30 (28%) , Verbal 20 (19%)

2. Feb,2010. 2nd Prep Test (http://www.mba)
400 - 13% percentil
Quant. 25 (15%) , Verbal 20 (19%)

3. March. Kaplan On Line
490 - 35% percentil
Quant. 29 (43%) , Verbal 29 (54%)

4. May 3rd. Manhattan GMAT On Line
410 - 15%
Quant. 30 (29%) , Verbal 17 (12%)

5. May 10th. Second time 2do Prep Test (http://www.mba)
400 - 13%
Quant. 27 (20%) , Verbal 18 (14%)

Usually in the Verbal Section I dont have time for finish, I lost 3 or 4 questions.

Most of the test I did in "real conditions", just the 1st and 2nd I didnt do in that way, I did them in parts (one day Math section and next day Verbal sections).

In all the test I didn`t do the essays (they dont count for the score)

My target is 550.


Thanks in advance.

[StaceyKoprince]

It's important to do the essays on your practice tests. The essays represent a disadvantage for most people: it's hard to write for an hour first before you can answer the multiple choice questions, and you're a lot more tired by the time you get to the end of the test. If you're not doing the essays on practice tests, then your multiple choice scores may be inflated.

Did you do the analysis described in the article I linked in my last response? What were your five "buckets" or "categories" of strengths and weaknesses?

If you did not do this analysis, please do it now and let us know the results. It will be easiest to conduct this analysis on your ManhattanGMAT test.

[marilusm]

Ok, I will do the analysis.

Just one question, cause I didnt do the essays, my situation is worst, right? Because I have "inflated"+ scores. Uppss!! Im in troubles.

Thanks in advance

Marilu

[StaceyKoprince]

Your scores are possibly inflated, yes. For most people, not doing the essays is an advantage because they aren't as tired when they're doing the multiple choice sections.

For some people, though, not doing the essays is a disadvantage. Some people start slowly and only really start to do well a half hour or longer into the test - so, for those people, doing the essays first is an advantage.

There's no real way to tell which group you're in without taking the tests with the essays and seeing what happens. Most people are in the first group. :(