I just Beat The GMAT!

I sat for the real thing today. Score: 690 (Q47, V38).

Target score was 700... a 710 would have made me very happy.

Practice test results:
- 1 week before the actual test: GMAT Prep 1 (first attempt): 700 (Q48, V38)
- 2 days before the actual test: GMAT Prep 2 (first attempt): 710 (Q48, V39)

Preparation: For about a month, using OG 11 and the Verbal and Quantitative guides from GMAC.

Btw, I have been planning to take up a professional course…Manhattan GMAT seems to be the best option. However, in the mean time, I thought I will sit for the real thing and see how much I need to improve. Taking the real thing today has established my baseline score.

I was quite disappointed with my quant score. I was hoping to get around 48 or 49. I think I messed up the initial questions… the fourth question in the quant section was extremely easy. I think I need to have a better grasp of quant theory as well as practice tougher questions.

Now I am not sure what I should do next..resit or try my chances with the 690. Anyway, I will take a few days off and think about it later.

Congrats!

Great score for 1 month prep. I am sure u will be in the 700's with some more prep.

I think a 690 is pretty competitive score but again it depends on the schools u r targetting at.

Good luck with the rest of the process.

Regards,
CR

Dude, great score!
690 is fine for every school. Don't bother reapplying, i would've said reapply if you got 680/670, but 690 is super fine!
I know, you'd liek a 700 there, but 10 points = no difference!

A 690 is fabulous! though i understand that some ppl have higher expectations than I do.

I would save my money and skip the prep course.

690 is a great score! Congratulations.

Thanks to all of you guys.

I am planning to get in touch with schools that I am interested in. This is essentially to assess whether I need to retake the exam or not.

Ordinarily, I'd say not to retake with a 690. That score is plenty good for any MBA program, and I have students who scored much lower at top 10 schools.

That said, in your case, I might advise otherwise. While a month of study is certainly a lot, it's "short" in terms of people scoring 700+. So, I think you probably have some more potential points in you - especially if you take a prep course.

Contact your schools to see, but I'd be inclined to really buckle down, take a course, and study hard to get that score from "great" to "stratospheric".

Thanks Jim.

I was thinking on very similar lines. I think I should be able to extract a 720 or at least a 710.

While there maybe no meaningful difference between a 690 and a 700, it does play upon the minds of interviewers(I guess).

One advantage next time around is that I am likely to be a bit relaxed when I resit for the GMAT - I have a decent (if not great) score i.e. my baseline is set.

Congratulations - I am in the exact same boat. Took mine about 25 days ago and received the same score with 700 level scores on my practice exams. A 690 makes you think quite a bit.

I've reached out for a ton of feedback and my understanding is that a 690 is good to go for top tier if you can pair it with a very compelling application. It will not carry you through, but it will more than suffice if you can show strength somewhere else as well.

Whatever the weak point in your GMAT score, quant or verbal, be sure to address it with your LORs, a short optional essay, or a strong gpa in that area.

Best of luck.

690 after only a month of prep is a great score. It proves that you have a naturally ability to do well on standardized tests. Depending on what schools you're targeting and factors such as whether you're in a competitive applicant pool (ie. engineers, i-bankers) you might want to give it another go in 1-2 months.

I have a feeling that if you prep for just a little bit longer that you'll easily be able to top 730.

Gotta do a retake if you want a scholarship.

690 is a good score, but it's gonna be average score at most top 20 to 30 schools. Sad truth. Have to retake if you wanna stand out from the herd, especially if all your other stats are average.

What a hypercompetitive world we live in nowadays. Coffee is your friend.