Bad Standardized Test Taker

Last year I was applying to grad school for an irrelevant masters program so that I can have one more summer to intern. I took the GMAT because I thought I was pretty good at math but I did absolutely horrible on it (460). I did not study because since it was for a bs masters program I was just aiming for the bare minimum (of which I didn’t even reach). The part I did extremely bad on was the data sufficiency questions. So I ended up taking the GRE and studied for a month with Magoosh and got a relatively better score for what I needed (310) and got in. Historically, I have been a bad standardized test taker but have done well in school and this summer I will be interning at a MO role at a top BB and next summer I will be interning at a MMIB. Looking a bit forward, I think I’d be interested in applying to business school and I think I have a great background and story to justify it but I have to retake either the GMAT or GRE because I completely skipped the writing section and they are pretty low scores for business school. My question is, how important is it for me take the GMAT over the GRE and how much of a deal breaker would that score be if I only do a bit better than my first time around?

TLDR: I’m ass at standardized testing but I want to go to a great business school.

9 Comments
 
Most Helpful

You should take the GMAT.

Nobody is "bad at standardized tests", it's just those that are prepared and those that are not. They aren't a measure of intelligence, they're just a measure of how well you've studied the exam and figured out the patterns. It's the same as the SAT. You need to do prep exams and take courses until your eyes bleed.

This is why standardized test scores are correlated with wealth and why a lot of schools are starting to waive them. Good scores are mostly tied to how well someone is able to prepare, which is mostly tied to how much money they're able to throw at it.

 

Even for the SAT I spent about 800 dollars for classes and I only did mediocre on it. But like I said, I do pretty well on everything else. Not sure if it’s a mental thing or what but it just seems to be like a pattern that keeps happening with standardized testing.

 

Getting out of the mindset that you're inherently bad at these exams despite all efforts would probably go a long way toward avoiding a self-fulfilling prophecy here. You're probably psyching yourself out.

 
"gufmo"

Nobody is "bad at standardized tests"...

You might as well quit. I got a 1170 on the SAT in 7th grade. I pushed myself through my Charter with gamesmanship. Knowing how to pass a standardized test is very much a skill.

The only difference between Asset Management and Investment Research is assets. I generally see somebody I know on TV on Bloomberg/CNBC etc. once or twice a week. This sounds cool, until I remind myself that I see somebody I know on ESPN five days a week.
 
"Intern in Other" I think I’d be interested in applying to business school and I think I have a great background and story to justify it

LOL said every B school grad ever especially those applying to M7? HAHA

Will update my computer soon and leave Incognito so I will disappear forever. How did I achieve Neanderthal by trolling? Some people are after me so need to close account for safety.
 

You guys have any amazing tips that can help me for the LSAT or GRE or GMAT or SAT? Any tutors out there?

Will update my computer soon and leave Incognito so I will disappear forever. How did I achieve Neanderthal by trolling? Some people are after me so need to close account for safety.
 
"not_epstein" also have struggled with standardized testing. you gotta realize it’s a game. it’s not about circling the objective right answer. it’s about circling the Anwer the test writers were thinking about when making the test

You know, I'm going to give you a qualified no.

The SEC exams are pretty straightforward, but involve a painful amount of securities law. The CFP is a cunt because they just write the questions poorly. CFAi is particularly notorious since they figure out the two best wrong answers for each question and make them the other options.

The only difference between Asset Management and Investment Research is assets. I generally see somebody I know on TV on Bloomberg/CNBC etc. once or twice a week. This sounds cool, until I remind myself that I see somebody I know on ESPN five days a week.
 

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