GMAT just destroyed me

Expert replies

yukeduo: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 3; Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2012 11:09 am

by yukeduo » Sat Mar 31, 2012 8:36 am

I just took the real GMAT and got a 620-70%.
Q:42 - 59%
V:34 - 69%

I have been studying for close to a year.

I have read close to 30 different GMAT books(counting individual book from sets) multiple times. I have attended and completed the Veritas Prep class in person. I have read all of the Veritas books multiple times and the complete Manhattan GMAT prep books, along with 11th and 12th edition Official books and Kaplan 800.

On my practice tests I have performed very well. I took an 800score test yesterday and score a 770.
Q:48
V:47

I have taken over 30 GMAT practice tests. Within the last two weeks I took close to 7 practice tests. I scored 700 on both of the official GMAT tests. I have scored 700 or higher on most almost all of my last 10 practice tests.

I was shocked to see how low my score was after completing the real exam. I expected to get at least a 680 or higher.

I ran out of time on the last 2 for the Quant section. I guess this should have been a sign that I should have picked up on and canceled my score...

I studied the entire week before the test, taking practice tests every day and honing in on my weaknesses. I even wrote out the essays on a few of the practices tests during this week.

I am utterly destroyed by my GMAT score today, but I am not giving up. Please give me some advice on how to improve my score.

Thanks!

TL;DR

Score well on MANY practice tests - 700+ range.
Score 620 on actual today.
HELP.

Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy | Sat Mar 31, 2012 8:36 am

dav35: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 27; Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2012 5:21 pm; Thanked: 1 times; GMAT Score:730

by dav35 » Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:51 pm

i am sorry to hear that you didn't get the score you were hoping for.

my suggestion is that you take fewer practice tests and spend that time focusing on mastering the basics. your score indicates that there are topics that you haven't mastered. work through the OG problems (10-20 at a time) and make sure you time yourself. try to use the same pace that you would use during the normal exam (2 min or less for quant and 1 min 45 sec for verbal). compare your solutions with the solutions provided in the OG solutions.

on the quant questions, see if there are any instances where you can reduce the number of computations to arrive at the answer more quickly. for verbal, focus on eliminating answer choices immediately rather than looking for the answer. getting down to 2 or 3 possible choices increases your chances of guessing the correct answer.

it is better to guess and move on (giving yourself more time for questions you can answer) than to spend too much time getting the wrong answer (and giving yourself less time to complete questions later on).

take 1 practice test (max) per week during the last month leading up to your exam. don't take any exams less than 3 days before the exam. it takes time to recover.

if you go back and do these things, I am confident that you will improve your score. I hope this helps!

brightwinds: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 18; Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2011 8:39 amFollowed by: 1 member

by brightwinds » Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:33 am

I think that dav is right on many things. 30 practice tests is a lot, and if you didn't take the time to review each and every test to see what your weaknesses are, then you aren't really studying as effectively as possible.

This is a tough blow, but your practice scores show that you can definitely do better next time. Also, were you stressed at the test? Tired from all the studying you did the week leading up to the test? It might just be a simple matter of working more on relaxing and telling yourself "I've got this". Because you clearly do, and it's just going to be a matter of test-day execution to get your score higher. Best of luck!

penguinfoot: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 116; Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2010 3:25 amFollowed by: 20 members; Location: Bangalore; Thanked: 48 times; GMAT Score:730

by penguinfoot » Mon Apr 02, 2012 1:14 am

Hello Yukeduo,

Maybe it was the fatigue from practicing so many tests that resulted in draining of your brain power. Take a break. Come back fresh and start over your basics and go up.
Your practice scores show that you can definitely beat the gmat. Just hold on to the things you have learnt so far.

Accept defeat and fight another day.

Regards,
Penguinfoot

"Hakunamatata" - No Worries.
Alma Mater: Indian School of Business, Hyderabad
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