Background: Starting from Scratch

Ignacio’s GMAT journey began with a challenging start. In his first mock, he scored 440, with Verbal at 21 and Quant at 29. Time management was inconsistent, and his Data Sufficiency questions in Quant proved especially difficult. At the same time, silly mistakes plagued his performance, particularly in Verbal. His GMAT preparation was off to a rough start, and Ignacio knew he needed a change in strategy. He focused on improving his test-taking techniques, balancing his time better, and refining his overall approach to tackle the areas holding him back. 📉

The Turning Point: A Major Leap in Quant

After some weeks of focused practice, Ignacio made significant progress in his second mock, where his score soared to 590. This 150-point leap showed vast improvements in Quant, where his score jumped to 44. He reduced his silly mistakes and started to feel more confident with Problem Solving questions. By Mock 3, Ignacio stabilized his performance but still struggled with Verbal consistency.

In subsequent mocks, Ignacio’s Quant scores remained stable, hovering in the low 40s, while his Verbal fluctuated, peaking at 33 in Mock 6. He began refining his skills in Sentence Correction and Critical Reasoning, focusing on reducing tough question mistakes and improving time management. 🔑

Final Outcome: A Solid Finish and GMAT Focus Success

As Ignacio worked through the final mocks, he demonstrated solid gains in Problem Solving in Quant but noticed more time being spent on Data Sufficiency. His consistent approach led him to a peak score of 610 in Mock 6. By Mock 7, he scored 580, maintaining a steady performance overall. 🎯

In the end, despite preparing for the GMAT 10th edition, Ignacio took the new GMAT Focus Edition and achieved an impressive score of 645. This result is a true reflection of his hard work, adaptability, and ability to tackle both Quant and Verbal challenges.

Time Management: The Key to Balanced Success

Throughout Ignacio’s mocks, time management played a critical role in his progress. In the Quant section, he managed to reduce his time spent on Problem Solving, going from 2.29 minutes per question in Mock 1 to 1.99 minutes by Mock 7. However, his time for Data Sufficiency questions fluctuated, with some increase in later mocks, reflecting the greater complexity of those questions.

In the Verbal section, Ignacio’s time management showed even more variability. His time for Critical Reasoning improved steadily, but Reading Comprehension questions took longer as the mocks progressed, peaking at 2.45 minutes per question in Mock 6. Despite this, he showed a remarkable ability to adapt and optimize his time, especially in Sentence Correction, where he achieved his lowest time per question in Mock 6 at 1.23 minutes.

The balance between maintaining accuracy and optimizing time proved essential to Ignacio’s improvement, highlighting the importance of pacing when tackling different types of questions. ⏳

Conclusions: Ignacio's Key Takeaways for Future GMAT Test-Takers

• Efficiency is key: Ignacio’s steady improvement in Quant came from becoming quicker and more confident in Problem Solving, though Data Sufficiency remained an area to focus on.
• Time management matters: Ignacio’s progress in Verbal showed that optimizing time, especially in Reading Comprehension, played a crucial role in reaching his peak scores.
• Consistency counts: Maintaining consistent performance in both sections led to significant overall improvements.

👉 Ready to take your GMAT preparation to the next level? Learn from Ignacio's experience and start your journey to GMAT success today! Book a free strategy session with our GMAT experts now! 💪