The clock was ticking for Alex as Round 3 deadlines approached for business school applications.He had to plan on how to improve his GMAT score within 2 weeks. With an initial GMAT score of 625, the path ahead seemed daunting. While this score wasn’t poor by any means, Alex knew that reaching target schools would require something more impressive. What happened next would become a testament to strategic preparation and unwavering determination.
Need for Different Approach
Having initially relied on self-study methods – poring over the Official Guide and free GMAT Club resources – Alex realised that breaking through to the next level would require a different approach. The decision to seek guidance would prove to be a turning point in this journey.
Verbal Approach
What followed was an intensive 15-day sprint that would challenge conventional wisdom about GMAT preparation. Alex’s approach was methodical, treating each day as a carefully orchestrated symphony of learning. Mornings were dedicated to verbal practice when the mind was at its sharpest. Rather than hunting for correct answers, Alex developed a keen eye for elimination, maintaining detailed error logs that would become a roadmap for improvement.
Quant Approach
The afternoons were reserved for quantitative practice. Despite already performing at the 84th percentile in this section, Alex refused to become complacent. Practice sessions involved tackling problems more challenging than those on the official exam, always ensuring 12-15 minutes remained for review. This commitment to pushing beyond comfort zones would later prove invaluable.
As evening approached, attention turned to Data Insights and comprehensive review. Here, Alex made a bold strategic decision that would raise eyebrows among traditional GMAT preppers – deliberately choosing to skip Multi-Source Reasoning questions. This wasn’t an admission of defeat but rather a calculated choice to excel in other areas, particularly graphs and tables.
Reading Comprehension
The transformation in Alex’s approach to Reading Comprehension was particularly noteworthy. Gone were the days of uniform reading speed. Instead, a more nuanced approach emerged – slowing down for author opinions, accelerating through detail-heavy passages, and developing comfort with back-to-back passages. In Critical Reasoning, Alex adopted a systematic approach to scenario planning before even glancing at answer choices.
Mock tests became crucial calibration points during this intense period. Consistently scoring around 695, these practice runs proved to be accurate predictors of the final outcome. The harder practice questions built not just competence but confidence – a vital component often overlooked in test preparation.
On test day, Alex arrived armed with more than just knowledge. A light formula review and three-minute meditation session set the tone for what would be a defining moment. Throughout the exam, the strategic decisions made during preparation played out exactly as planned – from the deliberate pacing in verbal sections to the strategic skipping of certain Data Insight questions.
The Improvement
The result? A remarkable 70-point improvement, reaching a score of 695 with impressive percentile rankings: 94th in Verbal, 93rd in Quant, and 93rd in Data Insights. But beyond the numbers lay valuable lessons about the nature of preparation itself. Alex’s journey demonstrated that smart practice could triumph over endless hours of study, and strategic choices about focus areas could yield better results than attempting to master everything.
The mental aspect of this transformation cannot be understated. Alex learned that some nervousness was actually beneficial – a sign of investment in the outcome. Regular meditation helped maintain focus, while detailed error logs provided concrete evidence of progress. The emphasis remained steadfastly on the process rather than just the final score.
Summary
For future GMAT aspirants, Alex’s story offers several key insights. First, the importance of fundamentals cannot be overstated. Second, quality of practice consistently trumps quantity. Third, strategic decisions about what to focus on – and what to skip – can make the difference between good and great scores. Finally, good mentorship and guidance can accelerate progress in ways that self-study alone cannot match.
While Alex’s journey was uniquely personal, it stands as a testament to what focused, strategic preparation can achieve in a surprisingly short time frame. The 70-point improvement in just 15 days wasn’t magic – it was the result of smart choices, dedicated practice, and the courage to challenge conventional wisdom about test preparation. Thereby, Alex answers the question of how to improve GMAT score substantially in 2 Weeks!
This story is inspired by a Reddit post by a student mentioned in the link.