I’m really struggling with the GMAT. I have one month left and my practice scores are only around 415 (especially bad in Quant). I’ve studied hard for two months, even taking the Manhattan Prep course twice. I need a 600. What can I do in this last month? Should I switch to the GRE?
One month is still enough time to make a significant push, but you need to be strategic. First, let’s address that Quant score. 1% is alarming, but it also means you have a lot of room to improve. Forget about the overall score for now. Focus solely on Quant for the next week or so.
I agree. You need to diagnose the problem. Are you struggling with specific topics, or is it a fundamental misunderstanding of the concepts? Go back to the basics. Review the core concepts, formulas, and problem-solving strategies. Don’t just do practice questions; understand the why behind each solution.
But I’ve done the Manhattan Prep course twice! I’ve seen all the concepts.
Seeing the concepts isn’t the same as truly understanding them. Go back to the fundamentals, even if it feels tedious. Try different resources – maybe a different textbook or online video explanations. Sometimes a different approach can make a concept click.
And focus on targeted practice. Don’t waste time on questions you already know how to solve. Identify your weak areas and drill those topics until you feel comfortable. Use the Manhattan Prep question banks or other online resources to create custom practice sets.
Okay, back to the basics for Quant. What about Verbal? Should I just ignore it for now?
Hi Rohan,
I hear you—it’s tough, but a 600 is still within reach. With one month left, focus on high-impact strategies rather than broad studying.
- Fix Quant ASAP – Identify your weakest areas (algebra? word problems? data sufficiency?) and drill those daily. Use GMAT Club’s question banks and Official Guide practice. Master the fundamentals—don’t chase hard questions.
- Timing Strategy – If Quant is dragging your score down, learn to skip strategically. Don’t waste 3+ minutes on one question—move on!
- Targeted Practice – Don’t just take full-length tests. Spend more time on reviewing mistakes and recognizing patterns.
- Official Mocks Matter – Take the GMAT Official Practice Tests under test conditions. Review every mistake thoroughly.
- Verbal Can Boost You – If your Verbal is stronger, leverage it to lift your overall score. Focus on Sentence Correction (it’s the easiest to improve).
Switching to the GRE? Maybe—if Quant is your biggest hurdle. The GRE math is more straightforward than GMAT’s logic-heavy Quant. But only switch if:
Your target school accepts the GRE.
You can quickly adapt to GRE format.
You’re confident you can score higher in one month with GRE material.
Final advice: Stay calm, manage stress, and trust your progress. You’ve got this! 