What does it take to score 700+ on the GMAT? Aparmeyo was stuck at a 680, but a strategically crafted hyper-specific study plan and leveraging the data from Scholaranium helped him improve his score to a 730 on the GMAT. Besides, he was able to improve his score and cross the 700+ barrier in just two months.
This article highlights the GMAT journey of Aparmeyo and how, with the help of Atreya, an e-GMAT mentor, he was able to achieve 700+ on the GMAT.
The article is in an interview format. You can even watch Aparmeyo’s interview below:
How to score 700+ on the GMAT?
Atreya: How do you feel about scoring 700+ on the GMAT?
Aprameyo: I feel great. It was a challenging journey, especially since I am working. But at the end of the day, I am delighted with my score.
To score a 700+ on the GMAT, Apromeyo focused on improving his sentence correction, critical reasoning, and reading comprehension accuracy. He was reasonably good at the GMAT Quant section. So, his strategy for Quant preparation was to maintain his score by learning from his mistakes on the SIGma-X mock tests.
Planning to take the GMAT? We can give you access to quality online content to prepare. We are the most reviewed GMAT prep company on the GMAT club with more than 2600+ reviews and have delivered 10x 700+ scores than the average GMATClub partner. Why don’t you take a free trial and judge it for yourself? Write to us at acethegmat@e-gmat.com in case of any queries.
Improving GMAT SC accuracy to score GMAT 700+
Atreya: How did you tackle GMAT sentence correction, which was one of your weaknesses?
Aprameyo: Three things helped me to improve my GMAT SC score:
- Scholaranium 2.0
Scholaranium helped me a lot to tackle the GMAT SC questions. The interface of Scholaranium 2.0 is very lucrative. You could always go on it and see lots of stats and data, track your progress, and analyze your mistakes, which would not have been possible if I had prepared from GMAT books. Moreover, Scholaranium also helped me to improve my timing issue in SC.
- E-GMAT’s SC module
The e-GMAT’s Sentence correction module is very structured. For instance, the SC module is divided into so many segments, which need to be dealt with separately like Modifiers, Subject-Verb Agreement, Parallelism, Idiom errors, etc. The course allows you to target each sub-section under SC individually. Moreover, the content is flawless. With this methodological approach, I could spend a lot of time on each aspect, which improved my score.
- Meaning-based Approach
I think the meaning-based approach is the best approach to ace the GMAT SC. If you understand the meaning of the sentence, you rely less on the grammar and syntax part of the sentence. Moreover, when you solve 700+ level questions where more than one answer choice can fit, the meaning-based approach helps you get to the correct answer.
By following e-GMAT’s learning pedagogy and leveraging Scholaranium, Apromeyo was able to reach 98%ile accuracy in GMAT SC.
Watch this video where e-GMAT students who scored 700+ on the GMAT give their feedback on the meaning-based approach:
Learn how to approach 700+ level SC questions by using a meaning-based approach. Here are 11 Official Guide SC questions solutions by using a meaning-based approach. (Video solution included).
Improving GMAT CR and RC accuracy to score GMat 700+
Atreya: How did you tackle GMAT Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension?
Aprameyo: When I scored GMAT 680, I was pretty much confident in CR. However, there were some blind spots, such as the boldface questions, where the e-GMAT course helped me build accuracy. Again, the e-GMAT’s CR module is systematically broken down into parts, like Inferences and Conclusions. This approach of going through each sub-sections in CR step-by-step improved my confidence.
For my first attempt, whenever I read a critical reasoning question, I couldn’t understand the complete entirety of the sentence. But after following e-GMAT’s methodological approach towards solving a question (CR, SC, or RC), I was able to score GMAT 700+.
Aprameyo was able to incorporate the pre-thinking approach to ace the GMAT CR. The e-GMAT course structure ensures that pre-thinking comes naturally to you, as it did for Aprameyo.
Watch this video where e-GMAT students who scored 700+ on the GMAT give their feedback on the pre-thinking approach:
Aprameyo: My RC was a lot better than CR and SC. I could comprehend longer passages in one stretch. So, I didn’t focus too much on learning through the e-GMAT course. However, I focused a lot on practicing RC questions through Scholaranium, which boosted my confidence.
From V33 to V41 with the help of Scholaranium
Atreya: Since you were good in CR and RC, how did you leverage Scholaranium to practice questions?
Aprameyo: One of the key areas I lacked was timing in GMAT verbal. When I was solving CR and RC questions through Scholaranium, if the data told me that a particular question on Modifiers has a timing issue, I would go back to the e-GMAT Modifiers module and revisit the theory. I made sure that I had my fundamentals right. I followed this process until I got 80-85%ile accuracy in CR and RC.
Aprameyoimproved his accuracy in CR and RC by precision targeting, where he leveraged the data from Scholaranium. What is precision targeting? If you are strong at the topic, you solve a few questions, look at the stats, and if you lack somewhere, you go back to the course and do a strategic review of what went wrong. For instance, Aprameyo could not tackle the boldface questions, so he did the entire module targeted towards boldface questions to improve his overall accuracy in CR.
Improving Quant to score GMAT 700+
Atreya: Coming from an engineering background, how did you tackle the GMAT Quant section?
Aprameyo: Since I lacked in the GMAT verbal section, most of my prep time was focused on that. I did not pay too much attention to Quant till my exam dates were near. For my Quant preparation, I quickly glanced through all the topics. I was a little bit afraid of the probability and combination/permutation part. So, I went through those topics in depth.
Also, I took few mock tests and analyzed my Quant performance. I was under the impression that I could easily score high on the GMAT quant. However, I did mess up a little bit on the test day, but I managed to get a Q49. Luckily, my GMAT verbal preparation was on point and helped me score a 730 on the GMAT.
GMAT Exam Day strategy to score 700+
In this section, Aprameyo talks about his actual GMAT test, what order he followed and what went wrong.
Aprameyo: I got stuck at the first question in Quant. It took me 6 mins to solve it, and the answer choice I picked was wrong. From there, it was downhill. I started to think about why am I not able to solve it? Moreover, the thought that the first ten questions at least need to be correct broke my confidence.
I don’t know what happened. I just somehow marked the answer and went on with the remaining questions. By the end of the Quant section, I had ten questions left when I had 10 minutes remaining. Knowing that I think my brain started working faster, I was able to finish eight questions out of 10. The remaining two questions I marked randomly.
Atreya: How confident were you while attempting GMAT verbal section?
Aprameyo: I was pretty confident going into the test in the first place, but after the Quant fiasco, my confidence level went a little bit down. However, when I started the verbal section after doing 2-3 questions, I was back on track because I had practiced verbal so many times. It felt very natural for me to see a CR or SC question. I did not even think about the time and went on to solve questions.
I think I was more confident in Verbal than in Quant by the end of the day.
GMAT Mock test strategy
Before starting the e-GMAT course, Aprameyo took a diagnostic test (SIGma-X mock) to evaluate where he stands. What are his strengths and weaknesses?
Once he knew what areas he needed to focus on, he went along with his preparation. He completed the three stages of learning:
1. Learning the concepts and methods: through e-GMAT’s concept and application files
2. Cementing the methods: through custom quizzes in Scholaranium
3. Doing test readiness: through quizzes in Scholaranium + taking SIGma-X mock tests
Atreya: How close where the SIGma-X mock test to the actual GMAT?
Aprameyo: It was pretty close. In fact, the SIGma-X mock tests were a bit tougher—things which SIGma-X tests are much more subtle than what the GMAT would test. However, if you can score, say, 730 on the SIGma-X mock, the same result will be replicated on the actual test. Moreover, the data provided by SIGma-X mock is very fundamental in getting your strategy right. For instance, how much time you should dedicate to one question.
Know your starting ability by taking a FREE SIGma-X mock test.
e-GMAT’s LMP program to cross GMAT 700 barriers
After scoring a 680 on the GMAT, Aprameyogot enrolled for e-GMAT’s Last mile program.
Atreya: How did the program help you, and what were your learnings?
Aprameyo: The LMP program was the key to scoring a 730 on the GMAT. I was able to schedule time properly and know the exact places where I need to focus. I was not just randomly going through questions and solving problems. You have given me insight into my preparation and progress.
There were targeted tasks that I needed to do, like strategically reviewing each question that I solved, cementing the methods where I lacked, and incorporating my learning. The entire process was systematically done.
I think it’s essential to have a systematic approach to your GMAT preparation, especially when your test date is within a short period. You should know precisely where you need to put in your effort to reach your target score and have a strategically crafted plan for it.
– Aprameyo
To score a 700+ on the GMAT, the student must be diligent. Aprameyo diligently followed the e-GMAT’s process and was able to leverage the data to create a hyper-specific improvement plan with the help of Atreya.
Aprameyo advice to GMAT aspirants
Here are four things you should keep in mind:
- Focus on not solving problems but understanding what that problem is. For example, in sentence correction, you need to differentiate between the types of problems asked by the GMAT. It would help if you separated what errors are in a particular sentence – is it an idioms error, or is the modifier misplaced?
- Understand what the GMAT tests you on. For instance, CR and RC sections require you to comprehend the problem rather than finding mistakes. So until you get to the core of the problem, you won’t be able to increase your scores significantly in a short period
- Master Pre-thinking and meaning-based approach to ace the GMAT verbal section
- Do the e-GMAT course diligently
Planning to take the GMAT? We can give you access to quality online content to prepare. We are the most reviewed GMAT prep company on the GMAT club with more than 2600+ reviews and have delivered 10x 700+ scores than the average GMATClub partner. Why don’t you take a free trial and judge it for yourself? Write to us at acethegmat@e-gmat.com in case of any queries.
