I’ve got 8 weeks to get a 750 GMAT. Let the games begin!
Please let us know what study material you are using.
Good luck! I just missed 750, but I’m sure if I had such a can do this’ll be fun attitude I could have hit it!
I’m taking the GMAT on Monday and have been boyant at a 600. How does one crank it up to 700s? I’ve read PR and all the OGs. If needed, I’m going to retake the exam after a prep course in November. A mid 600s would get me into the best school in my location and 600 or so would get me into the second best. I’m content with either, but all else equal I’d rather go to the better of the two.
ditchdigger2CFA Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I’m taking the GMAT on Monday and have been boyant > at a 600. How does one crank it up to 700s? I’ve > read PR and all the OGs. If needed, I’m going to > retake the exam after a prep course in November. > > > A mid 600s would get me into the best school in my > location and 600 or so would get me into the > second best. I’m content with either, but all > else equal I’d rather go to the better of the two. If you are getting a 600, it means you have significant weaknesses in one or more areas (probably several). Have you hammered on your weak areas? I suppose some people would say that 600 might be your natural ability level, but I don’t fall into that camp. Certainly not everyone is capable of a 99th % score, but I think anyone of at least average intelligence can break 700 if they study correctly and/or have a strong background. I am not that bright, but I smashed 700 by focusing on my weak areas (geometry and data suff). Good luck on your exam – try to rest this weekend and stay calm tomorrow.
Thanks Bro. I have been working really hard and found my weaker area is SC. The math is ok, but I get tripped up from time to time. Personally I think I should have signed up for a classroom course off the bat. We’ll see how Monday goes.
SC is kind of hard to study for because there are so many “random” rules that can pop up. If English is not your first language or you are pretty “quanty” by nature, then it can be a battle. Have you tried the 1000 SC file that is floating around on the internet? I found the file on ScoreTop, which I think may have been shut down, not sure. Try to find that and do 50 SC questions a day and drill the ones you get wrong so that you understand. I also recommend Kaplan 800 SC since those are fairly tough. Also, good luck DirtyZ, sorry to thread jack.
DirtyZ, I’m using Kaplan 800 and also shooting for mid 7’s in about a month. Its a pretty good book. Amazon has it. All the questions are the hardest of each type, so its pretty good practice. It does a really good job of explaining why each choice was wrong or right.
if you want to improve your quant score do math challenges from gmatclub.com. I didn’t have to use them because I am a quant but I heard from many people the challenges helped them tremendously.
I started out with Princeton Review: Cracking the GMAT, 2009. I’m about 80% and it gives some decent tips on how to approach the exam, but it is very basic. Next up will be Kaplan 800, and then I will do the official guides. Next weekend is my first practice test, so that will give me more clarity on what I need to work on. Right now, I feel good in math, due to the fact that high school level math is my specialty! haha. Studying for the CFA the past two years has helped because my study skills are as good as they’ve ever been. Compared with the CFA, the material on the GMAT seems a lot easier thus far.
Careful: I wouldn’t recommend going anywhere scoretop. They were closed down following the discovery of cheating (sharing live GMAT questions on their forums). GMAC (the co that runs the GMAT test) followed up on some of the perpetrators and cancelled (voided) their GMAT scores, obviously making life difficult for those Business School aspirants who had already applied (and been admitted) on the basis of those scores. There are enough other legitimate sources of GMAT prep - I’d just keep clear of scoretop material. On another note: I found the rate of GMAT inflation staggering. When I was applying, the average and median GMAT score of the so-called “M7” schools was in the 700 range. It’s now pretty close to 720, and that’s only 2 years later. It also looks as though the advances have been made in the Quant section with 48-51 scores occurring quite frequently. Just my observations…
BishBosh, I noticed the GMAT score inflation as well. If you look at scores from the mid-90’s they are about 20-50 lower for virtually every school. I don’t know if the test is getting easier or the test takers are getting more advanced in their preparation. It’s like watching the evolution of the size and strength of pro athletes. Are the new GMAT takers on some sort of mental steroids??? Obviously kidding…but it does make one think: If a 680 or 700 was all it took 10 years ago, does that mean you need to have a 720+ today to remain competitive? I’m beginning think so…hence the quest for 750.
how are you scoring in the OG11 questions now?
DZ, Obviously aim as high as you can but any balanced score of 700+ once achieved, is not worth trying to trump. In fact if you did try, you might have schools questioning your judgement concerning time-allocation. Every year people with 750+ get dinged in their droves. Stats like GPA and GMAT are often overhyped. Clearly you need to demonstrate aptitude for study and a basic level of quant and verbal ability and schools publish their class profile ranges to give candidates a sense of what “cuts the mustard”. But once you’ve cleared the bar (and in my opinion a 700 will do this), Business Schools become more interested in the types of soft skills that you have. So spend a lot of time on your essays. Make them compelling and let your personality shine through. Practice your interviewing technique and really prime your recommenders. My point is this. I dont believe anybody ever gets dinged because a 700 GMAT is not high enough. They get dinged because the other aspects of their application were not compelling enough. Furthermore in that case, a score of 750+ would not have changed the Adcoms opinion anyway … My 2c.
the pool is getting more competitive. i think it’s that simple. DirtyZ Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > BishBosh, I noticed the GMAT score inflation as > well. If you look at scores from the mid-90’s > they are about 20-50 lower for virtually every > school. I don’t know if the test is getting > easier or the test takers are getting more > advanced in their preparation. It’s like watching > the evolution of the size and strength of pro > athletes. Are the new GMAT takers on some sort of > mental steroids??? Obviously kidding…but it does > make one think: If a 680 or 700 was all it took 10 > years ago, does that mean you need to have a 720+ > today to remain competitive? I’m beginning think > so…hence the quest for 750.
I should also add that I want to get a high score because employers will often look at it for a few years after graduation and almost certainly for the internship and first job. Similar to the SAT, the GMAT score is with you for life, and a 750 is a lot more impressive than a 700. Both might get you into a top 10 school, but a 750 is likely needed to work for a McKinsey or a firm of similar prestige.
700 is enough for top 3 consulting from what I have heard. They may prefer 750, but 700 is the unofficial cut off (what I have heard from friends going through the process). I think more important than you GMAT score is having previous consulting experience or some skill set they need. Even if you have a 750, it might be a tough sell for you to get in as a career changer, difficult market conditions or not.
Agreed. The GMAT score is not a deal breaker, but they definitely look at it.
Guys, what sites will you recommend for GMAT stuff download (ebooks, tests etc)? any tips are highly appreciated. thanks in advance!
I’ve commented on this a lot. If you post search GMAT and joemontana, you’ll get some good stuff from me and others. Hey, just because the averages at the tip schools have moved up doesn’t mean that people are scoring better. Maybe the top schools are just emphasizing GMATs more for the rankings. Letting in a few more 750-800’s with light work experience can do the trick.