GMAT Retake Success: From 450 to 750 with Recommended Resources
March 2021 GMAT 750 V42 Q50 (Seven-Week Intensive Training Class)
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Exam Scores
- First Attempt: Score cancelled (October 29, 2018)
- Second Attempt: 450 Q43 V11 AWA:3.5 IR:1 (November 28, 2018)
- Third Attempt: Score cancelled (January 8, 2019)
- Fourth Attempt: 590 Q47 V24 AWA:4 IR:1 (September 9, 2020)
- Fifth Attempt: Score cancelled (November 19, 2020)
- Sixth Attempt: 750 Q50 V42 AWA: N/A IR:5 (March 08, 2021, online)
Background and Preparation Information
- Academic Background: Cultural University, Department of Information Communication; currently a BI (Business Intelligence) – Data Engineer.
- Preparation Time: June 2018 – March 2021 (Over 2 years)
- Preparation Materials: OG, OV, Manhattan SC, PP, GWD, A2 Training Class Materials
Foreword
If you’re serious about studying abroad, find the right tutoring class for you and then put in the work. Starting your preparation earlier is a good idea to avoid feeling rushed.
The GMAT is no joke! You might get away with being a little less intense with TOEFL prep, but if you let the GMAT slide for a bit, it all starts to feel unfamiliar again. A2 put it well.
Before you even start GMAT prep, accept that it’s going to take a lot of time. Study whenever you can. Since my foundation was weak, I had to spend a lot of time preparing. I believe that once you start, you should go all in, otherwise, it wastes too much time and energy, and the results won’t be as good.
I was working and admittedly pretty lazy, so most of my actual study time happened on weekends. This really tested my self-discipline. It was too easy to get sidetracked by videos or games. But I found a trick that worked: sign up for a class! Once you have a date set, you start thinking, “Wow… only X days left,” and suddenly, you’re off the video and hitting the books. Time really does fly when you’re preparing for this thing. I bet you all feel the same way.
Background
My English is pretty average; my TOEFL score wasn’t even over 100. But I just kept pushing myself!
Overall, the Quantitative section is much easier to prepare for than Verbal. If you put in the effort and practice, it really pays off. My high school math scores were just okay, so if you did better than me back then, you can definitely aim for a 50 or 51!
I felt my SC was a bit stronger, so I was happy if I could just maintain my practice scores. That’s why A2’s advice on summarizing is so important. Don’t forget to summarize the correct answers too! I used to only review my mistakes, but I realized I hadn’t truly understood *why* the right answers were right! I’m better at spotting the main point in SC questions. CR and RC definitely need more practice, but there are patterns you can learn!
I was also lucky to connect with others through A2 GMAT who were in the same boat. We could study and review together, sharing our test experiences. But after my fifth attempt, where I thought I’d finally break 600, the result was crushing. I felt like I’d just spent a month drinking coffee in cafes. So, I went back to work after the fifth attempt. Still, I kept practicing questions on weekends, focusing on RC and CR because those were my weaker areas…
V (Verbal)
After A2’s class, I changed how I approached practice questions. For SC, I learned to compare multiple options carefully instead of rushing. Sometimes, going too fast trips you up on basic things like subject-verb agreement. Still, SC was the quickest section for me out of the three Verbal parts.
For CR and RC, the key really is comprehension. Problem-solving strategies should support your understanding, not replace it. I remember in my first consultation with A2, they immediately pointed out a major weakness in my reading comprehension. In the end, I could finish the exam smoothly.
SC (Sentence Correction)
SC is probably the most manageable part of Verbal. If you review A2’s materials regularly, you’ll start to get a feel for how the official test makers think. I found the question phrasing really interesting, so I didn’t need to keep rereading the material. I could even remember which page had the info I needed… (though not always perfectly, haha!).
This just goes to show how well-organized A2’s materials are. The examples made key concepts easy to grasp, and the grammar rules stuck better. The materials are split into volumes A through E. I found myself going back to C, D, and E the most, as they covered my common mistake areas or important points. You might find different volumes work best for you, so figure out your own patterns!
But one thing I absolutely have to stress: copy A2 and Dustin’s method of comparing answer choices. It really, really works! At least, I think so! Aim for about one to one-and-a-half minutes per question. Don’t try to rush it under a minute, because when you go too fast, you often miss the most basic errors!
CR (Critical Reasoning)
My CR performance was pretty solid during my fifth and sixth attempts. Even though I’d seen some questions before, my main strategy was always to identify the conclusion and premises. You need to know if it’s cause-and-effect or a judgment argument, then figure out how to weaken or strengthen it. Personally, I struggled most with assumptions, especially finding the “gap” in the logic.
For practice, I mainly used OG and PP, working through them about twice. I stopped timing myself during practice. But it’s crucial to finish the course materials first. That makes practicing with OG and PP much more effective. The course materials and A2’s problem-solving techniques will really build your proficiency. Combined with the vertical comparison method I mentioned, practicing with OG and PP feels much smoother! Still, you need a lot of practice because the answers can sometimes be really weird! Hahahaha.
RC (Reading Comprehension)
For RC, pay attention to the passage structure and tone – look for words like “However” or “but”… I used to miss these a lot. And like I said before, focus on understanding the passage first, then use strategies to answer the questions.
My approach was to categorize question types. For example, when I saw “Black people,” I’d think about their fight for equality with White people. Same for “women”… I applied this concept. I also categorized themes I was more comfortable with. Passages can be “explanation of phenomena” or “problem-solving” types… A2 taught me this, and it really stuck with me from our first consultation. Figuring out the passage type is key.
Q (Quantitative)
Math doesn’t really have many special tricks; it’s all about practice. I finished all the questions with 10 minutes to spare. In KH’s course, I learned to switch from my slow, complicated methods to the teacher’s faster problem-solving techniques. At first, I thought I’d use my own methods for questions I knew well and KH’s for the rest. But KH’s approach is so systematic, it’s better to just follow the teacher’s advice!
I remember in my earlier attempts, I never thought about the possibility of question pools shrinking. When I hit a tough question, I’d just guess and move on… (Yes, I was that clueless). But after my fourth attempt, I started reading and really understanding each question, trying my best to solve it. I found I could consistently score in the low 40s. For practice, OG builds confidence, but establishing a solid foundation is more important. Since they’re official questions, OG helps you understand the test makers’ style! PP is genuinely harder. GWD is manageable, though some questions can be tricky, so watch out!
Pace
Pace is important, but don’t let the rush to finish mess up your problem-solving! Taking more practice tests can help, but only if you’re simulating actual exam conditions. Otherwise, if you don’t time yourself during practice, you’ll feel rushed on the real test, just like I did!
AWA and IR
I didn’t practice AWA and IR much. For AWA, I memorized a template and wrote a couple of practice essays. I suggest watching Kory’s videos to get familiar with the question types and practice a bit. This will help you know how to structure your response during the exam.
For IR, it was mostly about my immediate reaction, which is why my scores were really low at first, even a 1… But after watching all the videos, I managed to get a 5 on my last attempt. It’s not super high, but at least it’s not a 1 anymore… My study group friends always wondered why my score was so low initially, haha.
About Exam Mindset
Actually, by the time I took my sixth attempt, I was already working and had a very busy schedule. Preparing for both TOEFL and GMAT under time pressure was challenging. However, I focused on quality over quantity. Practicing a large volume of questions would just exhaust them, leading to diminishing returns. I initially thought a 650 would be sufficient for applying to my desired schools, so never give up! Believe in yourself; you can achieve it!
I also highly recommend finding a study group where you can motivate and learn from each other! The GMAT journey is long, but once you’re done, you’ll see it’s genuinely improved your English and logical reasoning skills!
Keep up the great work, everyone! Wishing you all success in conquering the GMAT soon!
