Same as title

I just finished my third free mock and scored 595 with QA at 81, DI at 82 and VA at 75. My best individual scores across attempts have been QA 89, DI 82 and VA 79 so I know the potential is there but I am just not putting it all together on the same day.

I am planning to appear for the actual GMAT in August which gives me roughly one month and my target is somewhere between 680 and 700.

I honestly do not know if that jump is realistic in this time frame or if I am setting myself up for disappointment. The gap between my best sectional scores and my combined mock score is confusing me. Like why am I not able to peak in all three sections on the same attempt?

A few things I would really love advice on are how to close the gap between my best sectional scores and my overall combined score, whether a 80 to 100 point improvement in one month is actually achievable with focused prep, which section I should prioritize given my current numbers and what specific strategies helped people break into the 680 plus range.

I am willing to put in serious work this month but I just need to know I am working on the right things.

Has anyone made a similar jump in a short period of time? What actually worked for you?

Would really appreciate any honest advice. Thanks so much!

I am currently in a gap year preparing for management entrances and I would really appreciate some honest opinions on a decision I am facing.

My academic profile is 9/8/7 across 10th, 12th and graduation. I belong to the OBC category and I am a male fresher with no full time work experience. On the extracurricular side I have completed certifications in financial modelling and data analytics and I have one published research paper which I am fairly proud of.

This year I am seriously hoping to convert JBIMS through MAH MBA CET, specifically the MSc Finance or the MHRD programme. If that does not work out my backup plan is to spend the next year preparing seriously for CAT 2026 with a target of 95 percentile and above.

But here is the dilemma. If I do manage to get into JBIMS this year should I just take it or does it make more sense to let it go and repeat for CAT 2026 given my profile and category?

On one hand JBIMS is a genuinely respected institution especially for finance and the Mumbai location adds a lot of value. On the other hand my academic profile is not the strongest and I sometimes wonder if a better CAT score next year could open doors to colleges with stronger overall placements.

A few things I would love opinions on are how JBIMS compares to baby IIMs for someone in my category, whether a gap year and repeat attempt is looked down upon during placements and whether my certifications and research paper can compensate for my academic profile.

Would really appreciate realistic takes from people who have been through this or seen similar situations. Thanks so much!

So here is my situation. I am currently in my first year MBA at an IIT and I am seriously considering attempting CAT again this year alongside my studies.

A little background: I met with a severe accident last year and was hospitalized for over 45 days. Despite that I somehow managed to appear for CAT without any preparation and scored 80 percentile. My VARC was really poor though, under 25 percentile. I got calls from some decent colleges but could not convert the bigger ones.

Since my current MBA fees is extremely low because of my PwD category I feel like this is actually a good time to take another shot at CAT without too much financial pressure.

My academic profile is 93 percent in 10th, 84 percent in 12th and 78 percent in UG from a T2 engineering institute. I also have around 15 months of work experience before joining here.

My honest feeling is that if I had actually prepared properly last year I could have scored much better given the circumstances I was dealing with. So attempting CAT again while studying feels like a real opportunity worth exploring.

My questions are:

Is it realistically possible to balance first year MBA coursework with serious CAT preparation?
Has anyone here done this or know someone who has?
What would a practical study schedule even look like in this situation?
Are there any risks I should be aware of academically or otherwise?

Would really appreciate guidance from anyone who has been in a similar situation or has thoughts on whether this is a good idea or not.

Thanks so much in advance!