Hi All,
I've been pretty open about my GMAT journey on the forums, but today I sat the GMAT and needless to say bombed it, scoring 560 (Q41, V 30).
I took 5 weeks off work in attempt to really push my mark up.
During this time, I reviewed content from MGMAT, made notes from the Economist and MGMAT and completed the majority of the OG 2017. I undertook self-study during this time.
My practice tests during this time were as follows:
Economist GMAT 9th Aug - 460 (32Q, 23V)
Economist GMAT 21st Aug - 620 (41Q, 35V, 3 IR)
Economist GMAT 28 Aug - 380 (6 Q, 38 V, 1 IR) --> no idea how i got 6Q i really don't... and the test glitched on question 3 of IR)
GMAT Prep-2 29th August - 600 (43Q, 30V (skipped IR))
Actual GMAT Exam today 31st Aug - 560 (Q41, V30)
Fucking disheartening as hell but hey I was riding on a miracle to hit the high 600s today.
I'm headed back to work tomorrow but i'm not giving up on this MBA dream, so targeting round 2.
If anyone has any general advice I would greatly appreciate it. I'm quite shattered from this to be honest.
Check which schools accept the GRE and try that exam?
Did you buy manhattan gmats navigator tool which tracks which questions you are getting wrong? I found that to be really important for me to improve my score.
I self studied using only manhattan gmat guides and the math guide someone posted in the forum here for 2 months while working (studied from 10pm to midnight on weekdays and the entirety of the wkd). I also took three days off work before my exam and reread the sentence correction guide which boosted my score by 50+ points. Although I was starting off above where you are, that prep was sufficient for me to get a 99ile% score.
Yes I did but I didn't go through weaker areas in detail quite honestly. I went through as many questions as I could to have enough data to truly pin point the weaker areas.
You're still struggling with fundamentals at this point. Focus less on testing and more on building up your knowledge base in weak areas. None of your practice scores indicated that you were ready for the real thing-don't take it again until you're consistently scoring in the range you want-by and large miracles do NOT happen on exam day. Give yourself as much time as you need...B-school isn't going anywhere.
Target your prep specifically to your weaknesses. use software that sorts the questions in a way that it gives you reps/attempts at specific types. For me that was Magoosh and GMAT Club. Devote days dedicated specifically to immersing yourself in each one, until the discomfort you feel tackling them at any level disappears. It's not going to be easy. Your verbal score is alarming-breathe the MGMAT for sentence correction, use the Powerscore Bible for critical reasoning, and RC is hit or miss-find a good guide on prepping for it. For Quant GMAT Quantum gave me massive gains in a short period.
Do all this for about a month each (quant and verbal), then start taking more practice tests to see how you've improved. Rinse and repeat in week long increments and your scores should gradually creep up.
My first diagnostic was a disaster. I gave myself all the time in the world (nearly a year, in fact), re-learned math for a couple months, immersed myself in weak areas until things clicked, and did targeted practices to ensure no let up in gains.
Thanks, This is solid advice. I woke up wth a headache this morning so I can tell this time is going to be tough..
I want to apply for round 2 so perhaps I'll get started this weekend.
How did you strengthen your fundamental knowledge? I've made notes etc and understand the content but it's different when it comes to actual practice. I find the questions test the content in ways I'm not sure of.
You're probably a poor test taker. Nerves getting you down. I'm pretty bad about talking about myself and get nervous, but when I am talking business I am a stone cold killer. Everyone excels at different things. So don't get discouraged, you'll figure it out, but always keep things in context. It's just a test and a MBA is just a degree :). Don't stress.
Your real score is in line with you practice test scores. Don't retake the exam until you are scoring consistently +/- 30 pts from your target score. For some people it takes 3 months, others a year (like me). Pro tip - use GMAT club to search for your specific questions and look for the answers. There are some quant geniuses on that site who post amazing answers to the trickier problems. It took me thousands of repetitions before I started seeing test-maker strategies (Oh, this isn't a fractions problem, it's a probability problem in disguise).
Stick with it. I had to take it 4 times = 620 - 660 - 650 - 700
Thanks Warden and thankyou to everyone else providing feedback and i completely agree with you - i should have scored within my ideal score twice prior to going in.
I had a terrible weekend. On top of my exam crap, a date bailed on me last minute, I broke my wrist in a bicycle accident and Father's day plans fell through... It can only go up from here, beginning with tomorrow. Tomorrow I intend on starting up my prep again.
I am considering enrolling in Empower GMAT Total preparation, GMAT Quantum, or potentially a face to face veritas session in Sydney (but availability is limited to October onward). I think I need to go a different route in terms of my prep and just be consistent.
In addition to this, I will review my weaker areas and do as recommended in this thread, that is: - dedicate days to each content type (e.g. combinatorics) - look up questions from GMATClub specifically target those weaker areas - repeat, repeat, repeat
Going to aim for November exam, so please provide feedback on this approach if anyone thinks otherwise.
I don't have any suggestions as to which course / prep materials, but you should pick one that includes a heavy dose of Verbal. I think that is where you will get the most bang for your buck in terms of studying.
For Quant, I'd reiterate that mastering the fundamentals is critical (as I learned the hard way, it is a waste of time to try and learn/do the more advanced stuff simultaneously; you will never reach them on the test if you don't have the fundamentals nailed down) - this alone should bump you into the Q44 to Q46 range.
As I mentioned in my post, I don't really have much advice on Verbal, but I'll toss out one suggestion:
Good luck on your next go.
I am in such a similar situation. I was getting around 620 average on practice tests and last week on the day bombed and got 550. I just cancelled the scores at the end.
I took a full week off work in the run up to it and studied like 10 hours a day including weekends. It was about 8 straight days of 10 hours in a row. Its back to the drawing board for me pretty much now. Going to aim to apply in round 2. I'm really hoping to get plus 700 so I've got a long way to go.
I knew I wasn't going to get the score I wanted going into the exam but as I'd already booked I went anyway. I just didn't think it would of been as bad as it was.
Good luck with it!
gmatquantum.com quant course. game changer
Are MGMAT books enough for verbal and IR?
I signed up to EmpowerGMAT....what's so good about gmatquantum?
Reiciendis quibusdam voluptate harum ut dolores. Enim error eum distinctio esse qui minima. Veniam minima consequatur similique ea incidunt quia. Quia voluptatem voluptatem et repellat. Blanditiis provident consequatur porro expedita odio officia voluptatem enim.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...