What helped you increase your GRE Quant score from 157 to 165 in one month?

Question

Hema A · Accepted Answer

Getting from 157 to 165 in Quant wasn&rsquo;t about learning more&mdash;it was about changing how practice was done.
&bull; Took a mock every 4 days and spent more time reviewing it than solving it. Each error was labeled as: concept error, misread question, or panic mistake. &bull; Used timers during practice&mdash;not just for the full set, but per question (90 seconds). Helped catch time traps. &bull; Repeated questions I got wrong from the previous week&mdash;solving them cold without notes to check retention. &bull; Cut out new topics after Day 20. Focused only on topics I had already covered, trying to get 100% accuracy. &bull; Used whiteboard for solving during practice to mimic test conditions&mdash;no scribbling in margins like on paper.
The shift came when every session had a goal beyond just &ldquo;finishing questions.&rdquo; That mindset made the 165 possible.

Jayant M · Answer

To increase a GRE Quant score from 157 to 165 in one month, the biggest game changer is switching from random practice to mistake-driven prep.
Start by reviewing the last 3 mocks and creating an error log. Categorize each mistake as &ldquo;silly,&rdquo; &ldquo;conceptual,&rdquo; or &ldquo;timing.&rdquo; Then target one category per day. For example, if Number Properties had frequent mistakes, solve 15 questions only from that topic under a 30-minute timer.
Word Problems and Algebra were the two sections that gave the most scoring potential once accuracy improved. Daily timed sets of 20 mixed questions (Manhattan 5lb and official material) helped build consistency. Also, redoing previously incorrect questions weekly locked in those weak areas. In the final week, focus entirely on full-length mock tests and post-test analysis&mdash;not just the score, but why each mistake happened.