Just scored a lower-than-expected 680 on my first attempt - V45-ish, Q39 - this marks my lowest-ever quant score due to many unfamiliar questions.
I studied OG and Kaplan for about two months, then the week leading up to the actual exam I had picked my quants up considerably using Kaplan Quiz Bank practice sets - went from averaging 65% to 81% on sets of 37 questions. Great explanations and the questions didn't seem too easy. I had scored 700, 710 and 720 (reinstalled) on OG Practice CATs from the site.
However, on exam day I drew a disproportianate number of questions in all my weakest areas - coordinate geometry, properties of sets, integers. These only came up occasionally on the practice tests (both Official and Kaplan) but seemed to make up about 30% of the actual test! This surprise, combined with a good bit of panic, sealed my fate.
Any chance I just drew a quirky set? Are quants getting harder this year?
In any case, I scheduled a second try for early November. I'll be working on my apps at the same time, so GMAT study will be focused on tuck-pointing the holes in my quant skills and maintining good pace.
While 680 is not a bad score overall, I know the 39Q will kill me at top schools, especially now that half of Lehman just joined the application pool! My goal is to get up to at least the 75th percentile.
If anyone knows of a quant review that explains well and covers all the relevant areas, or would like to share advice or past experiences, I'd be most appreciative.
Cheers and good luck to everyone!
I studied OG and Kaplan for about two months, then the week leading up to the actual exam I had picked my quants up considerably using Kaplan Quiz Bank practice sets - went from averaging 65% to 81% on sets of 37 questions. Great explanations and the questions didn't seem too easy. I had scored 700, 710 and 720 (reinstalled) on OG Practice CATs from the site.
However, on exam day I drew a disproportianate number of questions in all my weakest areas - coordinate geometry, properties of sets, integers. These only came up occasionally on the practice tests (both Official and Kaplan) but seemed to make up about 30% of the actual test! This surprise, combined with a good bit of panic, sealed my fate.
Any chance I just drew a quirky set? Are quants getting harder this year?
In any case, I scheduled a second try for early November. I'll be working on my apps at the same time, so GMAT study will be focused on tuck-pointing the holes in my quant skills and maintining good pace.
While 680 is not a bad score overall, I know the 39Q will kill me at top schools, especially now that half of Lehman just joined the application pool! My goal is to get up to at least the 75th percentile.
If anyone knows of a quant review that explains well and covers all the relevant areas, or would like to share advice or past experiences, I'd be most appreciative.
Cheers and good luck to everyone!
