710 (47Q/40V)

Find out how Beat The GMAT members tackled GMAT test prep with positive results. Get tips on GMAT test prep materials, online courses, study tips, and more.
This topic has expert replies
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 21
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 12:37 am

710 (47Q/40V)

by aerodan1 » Sat Apr 24, 2010 4:28 pm
well have just taken the gmat for the first time (and hopefully only time) today, and got a 710. while the score was in my acceptable range (700-730), it was well below my target score of 740. my undergrad. gpa was bad, and it was an easy major. things have changed since then, and i have been back on track for a while now. im applying not for an mba, but for an msa, and wont be applying to harvard or sloan or anything. just umass boston (1st choice) and bentley.

So, I have been studying for the gmat since mid-december, somewhere around that time. i work full time and have other committments, such as a finance class i have been taking to help finish my credits so that i can get my undergrad. degree this summer. i have put in what feels like a world of time tho, spending all the free time i can get on the gmat. anyways, here are my practice test scores:

MGMAT 1: 640
2: 710
3: 640
4: 670
5: 710
6: 740

In addition, my Gmat prep scores were: 1: 700 2: 770

I took all cats under the time constraints allotted by the real test, and I feel that the 6th mgmat cat was not a good indicator because they ran out of tough questions to ask. I was very encouraged by the 2nd gmat prep test, which I took only a week ago. Along my gmat road, I figured out a few things. Firstly, I realized that everyone that scores highly has a different story to tell, so I tried to ignore what worked good for others for the most part, and just concentrate on what works for me. One of the keys that I noticed, thanks to mgmats great cat evaluation tools, was that I was running short on time for the verbal section, and that if I managed my time a little better, I could improve from about a 39/40 to the mid forties. I also knew that my quant. was consistent, and that I could def. get a mid to upper forties, tho never a 50. It turns out that my pacing on the verbal was not great today; I was kinda behind with about 15 -17 questions to go, and basically ran out of time on my last 3 questions. I feel that had I managed time on the verbal better, I may have gotten that elusive 44 or 45, and would have had a real kick butt score. The reading comp. wasnt too hard or time consuming, it was the sc and cr questions that delayed me. Honestly, I think that my pace was not urgent enough during the first half of the verbal, as I was focused on trying to stay relaxed, and getting confused by some of these questions.

If my score is good enough to get into school, then I wont have to take the gmat again. However, b-school aside, I really wanted to kick the crap out of the gmat, and feel that I won the fight, but did not pound the stuffing out of the gmat like i wanted to.
Source: — I just Beat The GMAT! |

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2008 8:57 am

by michaelw50 » Sun Apr 25, 2010 5:35 pm
Great job! Got my msa at bentley and loved it, highly recommend it.

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 384
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:54 am
Location: Paris
Thanked: 92 times
Followed by:13 members

by Dan@VinciaPrep » Mon Apr 26, 2010 12:37 am
A 710 is 92 percentile right? You may not have gotten a 760 or something like that, but you did do better than 184,000 other test takers this year so that's something to be proud of.
If my post helped you- let me know by pushing the thanks button ;)

I'm a private tutor in Paris, I provide online and in person consulting for the GMAT and MBA application essays.
GMAT tutor paris
Prepa GMAT

Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 21
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 12:37 am

by aerodan1 » Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:45 pm
dan.gmat.gre wrote:A 710 is 92 percentile right? You may not have gotten a 760 or something like that, but you did do better than 184,000 other test takers this year so that's something to be proud of.
since many people take the gmat multiple times, i wonder what the percentiles and averages would look like for 1st time gmat takers, because I think a lot of people that take it again improve their scores. anyways, I just always like being in the top 5% of anything I do. I am happy and content only when getting a 95 or above on tests for school, and always want the A in the class. So for me, I would have been happy with a 730 (96th percentile) or above.

During my last 5 days before the test, I only had the day before to study, and did not spend much time on CR. On the test, I became confused by some of the CR questions, and therefore wished I had spent more time going over CR the day before, tho it may have still been negligible.

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 3:52 am
Location: India

by jaskaran » Tue Apr 27, 2010 12:34 am
firstly congrats on a good score, can you tell us the material you used for prep and how many hours you put in on an average?

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 2109
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2009 10:25 pm
Location: New Jersey
Thanked: 109 times
Followed by:79 members
GMAT Score:640

by money9111 » Tue Apr 27, 2010 7:19 am
Congratulations... I hope I get that split!
My goal is to make MBA applicants take onus over their process.

My story from Pre-MBA to Cornell MBA - New Post in Pre-MBA blog

Me featured on Poets & Quants

Free Book for MBA Applicants


Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 21
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 12:37 am

by aerodan1 » Tue Apr 27, 2010 4:27 pm
jaskaran wrote:firstly congrats on a good score, can you tell us the material you used for prep and how many hours you put in on an average?
The first book I got way back in December was a Kaplan book called Math foundations or something like that, it helped provide a very basic refresher, but I blew through it very quickly without much challenge. I used the OG 12 extensively, doing most of the problems in the book by the time the GMAT rolled around. I do wish I had had more time to review and go through the problems a 2nd time. One of the keys throughout my studying process was to reinforce what I had already done and read by going over things again and again, if time permitted.

I bought four MGMAT guides, SC, RC, number prop. and word translations. sc was great, tho the problems on the real test often took me a while to sort through. RC i think i spent about 2 minutes reading a few nights before the test. RC never really gave me any problems anyway. Number properties was not exceptionally hard to work through, but I found it to be extremely valuable. Word translations was also a terrific book, tho it seems like it took a lot longer to work through. I think these two math books certainly helped my confidence and helped on the test.

I also had powerscores cr bible, and tho I went through that book in a thorough manner once, and worked a lot of the material several more times, I still struggled with some of the CR questions on the test. Im pretty sure I was getting tough questions on the gmat, but not answering enough of them right. In addition, I ran out of time with about 3 questions left, and did not pace myself well at all during the first half of verbal. I wish I had been more aggressive and had a greater sense of urgency during verbal, but oh well.

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 384
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:54 am
Location: Paris
Thanked: 92 times
Followed by:13 members

by Dan@VinciaPrep » Wed Apr 28, 2010 10:18 am
aerodan1 wrote:
jaskaran wrote:firstly congrats on a good score, can you tell us the material you used for prep and how many hours you put in on an average?
I do wish I had had more time to review and go through the problems a 2nd time. One of the keys throughout my studying process was to reinforce what I had already done and read by going over things again and again, if time permitted.
.
If you do end up taking the test again I think that going through your old questions again would definitely be worth your time. I think that reviewing problems is just as important as actually doing problems.
If my post helped you- let me know by pushing the thanks button ;)

I'm a private tutor in Paris, I provide online and in person consulting for the GMAT and MBA application essays.
GMAT tutor paris
Prepa GMAT