{"id":10417,"date":"2012-12-02T11:47:57","date_gmt":"2012-12-02T17:47:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/?p=10417"},"modified":"2022-07-25T02:24:47","modified_gmt":"2022-07-25T06:24:47","slug":"gmat-impact-improving-your-score-before-r2-deadlines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/gmat-impact-improving-your-score-before-r2-deadlines\/","title":{"rendered":"GMAT Impact: Improving Your Score Before Round 2 Deadlines"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to the GMAT, raw intellectual horsepower helps, but it is not everything. In this weekly blog series,\u00a0Manhattan GMAT<\/a>\u2019s\u00a0Stacey Koprince<\/a>\u00a0teaches you how to perform at your best on test day by using some common sense.<\/em><\/p>\n

Welcome to December, the most stressful time of the year for GMAT takers. \u00a0Around this time, many potential business school applicants are wondering what they can do if their second round deadlines are approaching and they have not yet achieved\u00a0the score they want. Back in September, I wrote a post<\/a> on this topic, giving general suggestions. Here, I offer some concrete things you can and cannot do if you are in this tricky situation.<\/p>\n

What you CANNOT do<\/h3>\n

You can try some things\u2014but you should not expect miracles.\u00a0If you tell me that your test is in less than two weeks and you want a more than 100-point improvement\u2026 you should also start examining your other options. These could include accepting a lower score, changing the schools to which you apply or postponing your candidacy to a later round or a later year. Some people, thinking through this, end up deciding that they would rather wait a year anyway and take their time with the whole application process.<\/p>\n

As a general rule, unfortunately, not a lot will change over a period of a few weeks. If, on the other hand, you have four to six weeks, you might<\/em> be able to lift your score a decent amount (50 or so points).<\/p>\n

What you CAN do<\/h3>\n

I want to make very clear that there is no guaranteed way to lift your score in a short period of time\u2014if such a thing existed, I would be very, very rich. You do have options you can try, though.<\/p>\n

Timing<\/em><\/p>\n

Timing problems can improve in a four- to six-week time frame. Something like 98% of people have timing problems. Many people think their timing is fine because they do not run out of time on the test, but this does not mean that they have good<\/em> timing.<\/p>\n

If you are not convinced that you do have a timing problem, use this article to analyze your most recent Manhattan GMAT (MGMAT) CAT<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Okay, now read the “In It To Win It<\/a>” article to \u201creset\u201d your overall mind-set. Next, start fixing your time management<\/a> today, particularly what is discussed in Section 4 (One Minute Sense).<\/p>\n

You will not completely fix your timing issues in a short time frame\u2014but if you can get better<\/em>, that might just help lift your score.<\/p>\n

Content<\/em><\/p>\n

Next, if you have not already done so, use the first article I linked to in this post to analyze your most recent MGMAT CAT(s). Compare your list of strengths and weaknesses to a list of the most commonly tested topics and question types. (I will provide a list here, but note that this can change over time!) Look for things that are of \u201cmedium\u201d weakness and also commonly tested; these will give you the biggest return for your time investment.<\/p>\n

As of now, here are the things that tend to be tested most commonly on the GMAT:<\/p>\n