I just Beat The GMAT!

Hi chawlakushi,

You've provided a lot of interesting information in this post, so I'd like to offer some perspective (and ask a couple of questions) so that you can put together a solid plan to move forward.

There's nothing inherently bad/wrong about taking the GMAT multiple times; taking it 3 or 4 times is a bit more than the average, but THAT won't keep you out of Business School. Since you took the GMAT 3 times, I'd like to know more about your scores:

1) What were your AWA, IR and Quant & Verbal Scaled Scores on each of your GMATs?

Your overall GPA is fine; if the GPA for the Business Classes that you took as an undergrad is below a 3.0, then you might run into some problems (in which case a higher GMAT score could "offset" that GPA). As is, this 3.2 GPA will NOT be what keeps you out of Business School.

You've gone about studying for the GMAT in such a way that did not translate into Test Day success. Maybe it was the resources, maybe it was how you used them, or maybe there's just something inherently different about Test Day that you haven't been able to adapt to (yet). Since the GMAT is a predictable, standardized Test, my suspicion is that some significant aspect of how you approached your studies did NOT match up with the FULL-LENGTH GMAT.

2) When you were studying, and you took practice CATs, did you take the ENTIRE CAT (including the Essay and IR sections) every time?
3) What were your practice CAT scores from this round of studies?

The GRE actually has a lot in common with the GMAT, but there are some significant differences. Rather than get into those differences here, you can do a bit of research/practice and take a FULL-LENGTH practice GRE Test. You can download 2 for free from www.gre.org. That practice score might give you a clue as to whether you should shift to the GRE or not.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Hi chawlakushi,

You mentioned the 2 practice CATs that you took before this last Official GMAT. Since you've taken the GMAT 3 times, did you take these 2 practice CATs repeatedly (meaning did you take them before each of your GMATs?).

When it comes to assessing your abilities, the only truly valid method is through the completion of FULL-LENGTH practice CATs (taken under Test-like conditions). Doing practice problems and completing quizzes are good to build up your skills, but they won't show you what type of Test Taker you really are.

Assuming that you're going to continue studying for the GMAT, then you're going to need to invest in some new resources (including new CATs that you have not taken before).

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rihc

Hi deepeshb,

Since Business Schools don't care if you take the GMAT more than once, you should be comfortable with the idea that it's okay to retest. Obviously, if your first GMAT score isn't particularly high, then you want to score higher, but there's more to it than just improving your score.

When you apply to Business School, part of the task is "self promotion" (some Admissions Experts refer to this as "developing YOUR brand") - it's the idea that you're really trying to "spin" all of your details into "positives." Many applicants might consider taking the GMAT again to be a negative, but you CAN spin it into a positive. For example, it says something about your character that you don't back down from a challenge. You have the will to succeed and you learn from your mistakes. When you decide that something is important, you don't back down, you keep fighting, you stick with it. Etc. So part of this process is about how you present the results.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Hi erumsayyar,

From a functional standpoint, the GRE has shorter Quant and Verbal sections (but more of them) with fewer questions in each section (but with less time per question overall). You would likely find the Quant sections of the GRE to be easier than the Quant section of the GMAT (although you will have to train for a question type called Quantitative Comparisons, since the GRE does not have DS questions). The Verbal section places a much greater emphasis on vocabulary (the definitions of works and the proper situations in which to use certain words), but does include a bit of work that mirrors GMAT CR/RC.

If you'd like to take a practice GRE Test (they're called MSTs - Multi-State Tests), then you can download two for free from www.gre.org. Before you change your focus from the GMAT to the GRE, you should make sure that the Schools/Programs that you're interested in would accept the GRE as part of the application.

GMAT (and GRE) assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich