690 GMat-should i retake?
Should I retake the GMAT? I got a 690, Q43, V41 so did horrible on the quant (64 percentile).
I've been out of ugrad about 4 years, and saw that the test format was changing and wanted to take it now before the new test comes out. There's basically 2 months before it changes over, so I need to decide whether to retake. I've heard that schools have minimum scores on each section and prefer more even scores. Should I retake? Or instead say good enough and focus on rounding out my app?
Also, what are your thoughts on the new changes? (one of the two 30-minute writing sections is being replaced by an integrated reasoning section)
The format change won't affect the Q and V sections - it will only replace one of the essays. Better take your time to study for the quant portion and get at least a 47-48, which will put you in the safe zone. Now your quant score is too low. The adcom can blink twice to a low Q score, but that's not very likely if it's below 45.
If you think you can do better than I would advise you to take it again.
yeah, I can def do better on quant. I really didnt allocate my study time correctly the first time , I really should only have been working on my Q score the whole time, also hadnt done anything really math heavy since freshman year
Thanks for the advice, its what i was thinking already...just didnt really want to face the facts
Oh god yes. No reason not to.
Quant section is the most important. Since you think you can do better, retake it.
Retake.
Agree to retake. I think the 80/80 split thing is over-hyped, but 64th percentile is too low for top programs.
It's weird how the quant is a lot harder than many people expect it to be. I worked in consulting and now finance, and several of my co-workers (and myself), all of whom have quanty backgrounds, had a much tougher time with the quant than we initially anticipated.
Maybe it's all the Chinese and Indians driving up the curve or something (reference the GMAT score analysis tool that was floating around this site a month or so ago).
i can tell you this, i got a 690 with an 81-80 split my first time. had been scoring mid 90s in verbal so was annoyed with myself. came on to this forum asking the same question you did thinking maybe i didnt have to retake cause i had the 80-80. long story short, i decided to push myself for 31 (exactly) days and came out with a 730. havent applied anywhere yet but i can tell you itll make you a lot more confident in your applications. big mental barrier bw that 690 and 700+ and regarless of what ppl tell u, there not the same score.
yeah def retake that low ass quant and sub 7 will ding you
700 82 83 q v split bitches
OP: Definitely retake. The quants will sink your application at any top 10. Even if you are not generally a mathy person, you should at least be able to get it up to Q48. Feel free to PM me to further discuss.
Retake it.... your crap quant score is going to keep you out of most top programs regardless of the 690 score. Get 7XX+ with something 48+ in quant
Depends on where you want to go, but if you think you can score higher go for it.
Speaking from experience yes. I scored a 700 last summer with a 44q 41v split but didn't have time to retake. I am sitting on Kellogg's waitlist but was dinged at all the other top schools I applied to. I don't believe the GMAT score was the sole killer for me but it definitely threw a red flag right from the start. You have quite a few months until the application season, you should definitely retake it this summer when you are better prepared.
Yes, retake that. 64 percentile for quant is definitely too low. I had no real quantitative background in college and, with a lot of studying and repetition, got upper 80s percentile for the math.
retake...pretty common to improve 2nd time around. I had a HUGE jump on my 2nd time. Just set another test date for ~45 days and do 3,000 math problems in the meantime. Guarantee you'll be in in 700+ range if you do that.
I too originally scored a 690 and decided to retake. If you're aiming for the M7, it's definitely in your best interest to retake in hopes of improving by at least 20 points.
Check out Knewton, they offer a 50pt guarantee. So if you don't get a 740+ on your next attempt, you get your money back.
I went into my first attempt underprepared for the Q section and spooked out by the laminated note paper and marker I was given. Having written my notes with a mechanical pencil on unlaminated notebook paper in preparation for the test, the abrupt change to the marker and laminated paper really fucked me up. I also thought I had the quant down pat until I realized that there were advanced questions I just wasn't prepared for. My score was 640.
I tightened up my quant prep and really explored the ins and outs of the advanced problems, and in my retake scored a 730 (50 Q, 40 V).
You didn't quite bomb your first attempt like I did, but if you weren't super prepared for the quant, I imagine you could squeeze out an additional 50-ish points in your retake.
don't worry about the format change. it's not changing the Q/V.
take a breather. make a study plan, hang around forums/boards and retake in a month or two.
when you go back to your preparation, don't focus too much on the tough ones. rather get the basics right and learn to avoid pitfalls. this will get you easily to the 47/48+ range.
good luck.
730 - 45 Q 45V: quant too low?
Test taken 2 yrs ago, so trying to weigh whether it's worth it to get back up to speed. Didn't do great during undergrad quant classes (mostly Bs) but recently retook Calc/Stats at NYU SCPS and got As..
Retake, and keep retaking it until you get 720+
They consider only the top score and you have 5 more months before the real stuff starts.
If you go for an MSF and eventually want an MBA, will they put more weight on your undergrad GPA or MSF GPA? My undergrad GPA is horrible 3.0 so I'm hoping to kill it in the MSF and use that on my resume/applications moving forward.
I got a 690 48/36, and I'm retaking it. If anything, it'll give you a better chance at getting scholarship money. I was interviewing at Cornell, and the person next to me got a 47 in Q, and they brought it up.
GMAT 690, retake? (Originally Posted: 01/06/2010)
I scored a 690 on the GMAT and would like to go to Columbia or NYU. Wondering if I should retake. Q45 V 40 AWA 5.5 GPA from ok undergrad school 3.5 2 years work experience as junior equity analyst.
also CFA Level 3 candidate and passed FRM
I was rejected from Columbia early decision, and wondering if its possible my GMAT is the thing that is holding me back. I know the quant is lower than it should be but wondering if that alone is enough that I should try and retake.
Thanks
Take what I say with a grain of salt, but I would say that it couldnt hurt to try again if you got a 690 on the first try. I got a 480 on the first try and got it to a 640 followed by a 720. Also, it sounds like you are light on W/E. You don't mention extracurriculars or what your major was in. If it is was an easy major from a non-target, and you have little life / leadership experience to contribute to your MBA class, or nothing to make you special in your essays, then GMAT is the least of your problems. I don't know you so i can't say if the GMAT is really what you should be concentrating on.
i would say you should retake it because you can probably break 700 with a bit more studying. Especially on the verbal side...your math isn't bad or great, but if you can bump up your verbal (just do about 1,000 sentence corrections and critical reasonings in 1 week) you should pass the 700 mark.
Hard to say if that is why you didn't get in (doubtful), but a 700+ GMAT does look better. Not easy for us to guess without seeing the rest of your application (essays, recs, etc.)
Good Luck, Patrick
I'd definitely retake if I were you. 700 seems to be the magic cut-off. If nothing else, you should re-take it just for your own peace of mind; otherwise, you'll keep worrying about whether you should have re-taken it instead of concentrating on more meaningful aspects of your application like your essays and recommendations.
If you have good experience, you've cleared the nyu/columbia bar
Go for 700+
I'd retake it only if the time you spend on prepping for the exam won't be such a time sink that it takes away from your ability to put together a strong application (assuming you haven't submitted the NYU application yet).
Based on your profile though, I don't think the GMAT alone is what did you in - it certainly was a factor, but it was the whole rather than the sum of the parts. Chances are, you likely got lost in the shuffle compared to the slew of other finance applicants who have similar profiles as you. The challenge in the application is being able to effectively highlight what makes you an individual - and getting the adcom to see you as an individual, rather than "finance guy #45968094-RT6-a". And even if you were able to do that, it's still hit-and-miss. You probably should apply to more schools.
depends, how much time do you have to study for it? prep did you have and what resources did you use?
look into manhattan GMAT
Yea I would agree that my work experience is certainly holding me back some. I was hopping to have my GMAT help my application and where it is now I don't think it helps that much, not necessarily hurts, but certainly isn't differentiating me from the typical NYU Columbia Pack.
How many times to retake is too much? I have heard 3. I know I could do better but making sure I put in the time and effort is the hard part.
Thanks for the feedback, I think I'll hold off and gain more work experience and take another crack at the GMAT before my next applications go out.
For all people replying to this post, I was wondering if being a CFA Level III candidate helps significantly when you're applying to a top B-school. Could it be something that could make a deal if one or two of the other things were slightly below the mark?
Re CFA:
I have done a lot of research but I have yet to apply so take these words with a grain a salt:
It’s not a big deal at most schools. Most people in the B-School community (adcoms, students, alumni) have never been in the main CFA fields and therefore don’t value it. Many have never even heard of it. There is a good chance you will be interviewed by an ex-engineer who is now a product manager for a F500 company – that guy won’t give 2 shits about the CFA. It may help at the finance-centric schools like Columbia and NYU, which have dedicated CFA clubs, but that’s it.
CFA will help on the goals essays. The “what are your long term goals and what have you done to achieve them?” question is a common one. Hear, you can explain that you’ve spent 650 hours working on the CFA so that you can one day become a PM/
The real value of the CFA is in the B-School job hunt. The CFA will certainly help set you apart from the other top B-School students when you apply for jobs in asset management or ER.
GMAT 690 retake? (Originally Posted: 07/14/2012)
I just took my GMAT exam and got 690(Q-50, V-32) in it.I am planning to apply for MIM and MSC programs at top B-schools.Is my score too low. Should I Retake?
Might be worth another shot. The 700 mark is an importatnt psychological barrier. Did you take a formal review course?
Your verbal is significantly lower than your quant - specifically putting you in the 63rd percentile. This will be a flag to the adcom. Typically, you want a much more even split. Without it, you will have to prove some other way that you can handle the verbal/reasoning aspects of the program.
firstly, your name sounds indian so a 690 is definitely not enough. most indian/chinese males at top business schools score around 750-770 and adcoms will benchmark you against them.
however that's for the mba degree. i'm not sure about the degrees you referred to.
lol, never heard of such a practice.
PS that's a quite a low verbal for an extremely high quant - is English your second language by chance?
I've always thought the GMAT is a racist test, how on earth does knowing idioms (when to say 'between' versus 'among') have any strong association with success in business, beyond your ability to learn stupid obscure American English rules? I haven't seen the revamped GMAT but I have to imagine it's still there. Maybe I'll call the Times and see if they'd like to write an article about it.
Good luck!
You're an asian male. A 690 is way too low for the M7. Anything below a 730 puts you in a dangerous category. Try to get 750+. I would not be surprised at all if the median GMAT of asian males at the M7 are in the 750-760 range.
not that I'm bitter or anything but If the GMAT is such a high predictor of success in management, then why do Asians make for the worst managers, even though they typically do the best on the exam? Some of the best and most successful managers I know are white males who did not do too well on the GMAT or go to an MBA program.
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