GMAT Strategy

nervousgmat wrote:I just took my first MGMAT test and scored 640 (39Q 57% and 38V 85%).

I am very disappointed with my math percentile, and a little surprised that 38V somehow put me in the 85th percentile. Is this even possible?

I enrolled in MGMAT online class in hopes to break a 700 barrier. But how likely am I to reach my goal of 700 with my shaky math?

I was always good at math in school but GMAT questions require very quick responses, and I just can't finish a question in only 2 minutes!

Thanks!

It's certainly possible for you to reach your target GMAT score. It sounds like you need to take a lot more practice tests and do more timed practice questions to get your pace up. Practice is the only efficient way to improve your pace.

Best of luck!

You'll get better! It sounds like class hasn't really started yet (or maybe it just started), so you've got a lot of work to do, but if you study, you'll be able to improve your score. You'll learn to get better at both the math itself and your timing. Most of my students start out in the 550-650 range and the median score of our students after the course is over is a 700-710.

The math and verbal raw scores have different percentile scales, and generally the same raw score will translate to a higher percentile in verbal, so a 38 V is actually a higher percentile than a 39 M.