Weird Test Result! 660 - Verbal 44, Quant 37 - Retake?

This topic has expert replies
User avatar
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2011 9:57 pm
Hey Guys,

I am pretty sure I know what the answer will be here but I wondered if anyone thought otherwise.

Took the test today and got a whopping 44 Verbal (97 percentile), but only 37 Quant (48 percentile) - this is the opposite of what usually happens for me. Crazy! I've always been a huge "numbers guy," so this surprised me. I've taken a number of prep tests, including the official MBA.com test, and generally get in 40-42 scaled range for quant, so I think it's definitely an outlier/case of bad luck (although the verbal is probably just the opposite).

Without making this excessively long, I have a unique, strong profile with tons of leadership, entrepreneurship, and "cool experiences" that would lend themselves very well to an MBA program. I'm targeting elite schools. Assuming I have an incredible profile, what effect does this GMAT score have on things?

I know I should take the test again, but $$ is a major issue right now (long story!), so a few thoughts:

1. I have a strong GPA, including strong marks in a number of financial courses - is it worth pointing those out in an application? Would that offset the lower Quant score?

2. Even if I rewrite, I'm worried about replicating the high Verbal score. Does a bump of 3-4 points in Quant really affect things if I drop 1-2 points in Verbal?

3. Is it worth applying with the score I got and then re-writing if I get waitlisted? With the logic that if they REALLY want me in, 660 vs. 700 or 710 doesn't really matter that much?
Source: — GMAT Strategy |

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 613
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:17 am
Location: madrid
Thanked: 171 times
Followed by:64 members
GMAT Score:790

by kevincanspain » Tue May 24, 2011 1:39 pm
If you are a 'huge numbers guy' then 37 is really low. Then again, 40-42 is not very high, either. Have
you gone through all of the questions in the 12th Edition, repeating the ones you got wrong or took too long to do? Is data sufficiency difficult for you?
Kevin Armstrong
GMAT Instructor
Gmatclasses
Madrid

User avatar
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2011 9:57 pm

by robhunter » Tue May 24, 2011 2:10 pm
I got 47 on the Manhattan Quant initially so I'm not entirely sure what went wrong... I'll review the 12th edition again. Thanks for your suggestion.

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 613
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:17 am
Location: madrid
Thanked: 171 times
Followed by:64 members
GMAT Score:790

by kevincanspain » Tue May 24, 2011 2:17 pm
When you say that you got between 40 and 42 on GMATPrep, did you review your mistakes and seek out questions that tested the same concepts? Work on raising your GMAT score to 48 and you will have a GMAT score that will match the rest of your application! Work on data sufficiency!
Kevin Armstrong
GMAT Instructor
Gmatclasses
Madrid