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Should I retake? First attempt 610, second attempt 650

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Should I retake? First attempt 610, second attempt 650

by ackdustin » Sun Oct 11, 2015 3:27 pm
I just took my second crack at the GMAT and I'm still disappointed in my score. Back in 2013 I took the test on very little prep, just to see how it went and scored a 610 (Q36,V38). Yesterday I took the test after studying for four solid months focused EXCLUSIVELY on the quant section. Didn't even touch verbal and I came out with a 650 (Q40, V40). I'm obviously very satisfied with my verbal performance, but my quant score is just not representative of my abilities (in my opinion). I feel like I know the stuff, but my pacing for the section was not good. At the halfway point I was fine, but before I realized it I had 7 questions remaining and only 7 minutes to complete them. I even left the very last question unanswered which I'm worried significantly reduced my score. Does anyone know how much that could have accounted for?

My low quant score is going to raise some flags. I'm not planning on going to a top 15 school, but definitely a top 15-30.

Anyone have suggestions on improving my pacing for the quant section? I've been using Magoosh and Kaplan books for study, but is there anything out there that would help me fine tune some time saving skills?
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by MartyMurray » Sun Oct 11, 2015 4:49 pm
From what you said, it sounds as if you limited your practice mostly to using books. Obviously what that can mean is that you didn't get much practice at working via a screen or at handling the test itself.

Before I go further, I am wondering how many, if any, practice tests you took and how you scored on them.
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by [email protected] » Sun Oct 18, 2015 4:54 pm
Hi ackdustin,

This second GMAT score is a nice improvement over your prior one, but it's still relatively 'close' to your prior performance. GMAC has publicly stated that a Test Taker's Official Score is within +-30 points of actual ability, so it's likely that you continue to 'see' (and respond to) the GMAT in the same general ways that you did before. To score at the 700+ level, you're going to have to make some adjustments to how you handle the Quant section. Thankfully, the GMAT is a predictable, standardized Test, so you CAN train to score at a higher level.

1) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
2) Do you know which Schools/Programs you plan to apply to?

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Rich
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by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Mon Oct 19, 2015 6:33 am
I even left the very last question unanswered which I'm worried significantly reduced my score.
The algorithm assessed a small penalty for leaving the last question blank, but not one that would have had a large impact on your score. Here's a link from GMAC offering advice for how to deal with precisely this situation:

https://www.mba.com/us/the-gmat-blog-hub ... ssing.aspx

The most telling quote: If you only have 1 or 2 items left in either section, it doesn't make much difference if you guess or omit the question.

The more problematic scenario would be if you rushed through the 6 questions you answered and missed some questions that the algorithm deemed easier.
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by flipit13 » Tue Oct 27, 2015 2:45 pm
If you are looking at a competitive school you should definitely retake. It looks like you are trending in the right direction. There are some free practice resources and I always recommend Magoosh and QS Leap. I went from a 610 on the first try to a 740 today.
One advantage of continued practice is that you can start to recognize patterns in questions which will help you answer questions faster.
Good Luck!
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by Jim@StratusPrep » Wed Oct 28, 2015 1:49 pm
Absolutely retake. I have noticed over the years that 650 and 700 are big cut-offs for programs. Practice makes perfect as they say; try to get to a deep level of understanding so that you don't have to think about how a concept works when you are taking an exam, but rather which concept is the right one to use.
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by ceilidh.erickson » Tue Nov 03, 2015 3:32 pm
I would definitely recommend retaking. As David said, just missing the last question alone probably didn't have a significant impact on your score, but having to rush through the last 7 (and likely missing most of them) probably did.

You need to have a bulletproof timing strategy, and you need to practice that strategy with accurately timed practice tests several times before taking the real thing. You didn't mention anything about practice tests, so perhaps you hadn't practiced your timing strategy sufficiently.

Here's the timing strategy that I have my students use - it involves setting up your laminated pad to track your timing exactly: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... tch-paper/

Here is some more info about time management:
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/ ... anagement/
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/ ... nt-part-2/
https://www.beatthegmat.com/how-many-pra ... tml#738904

Good luck!
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