GMAT Strategy

Hi,

Before I start, here's a bit of information about me.
I am an IT Engineer working with one of the IT firms in Pune. Have just completed my 4 years of experience and am preparing myself for the next move in my career: an MBA degree.

I had joined a coaching institute just to keep me on track with my preparations in June this year and after three months of preparation took GMAT on the 7th of Sept. in Mumbai.

I had taken 6 Princeton Review tests and the two GMATPrep tests (will update the scores later, as they are in my laptop at home ).
On the 5th Sept. I took GMAT Prep second test and faired a score of 750 - 50q,41v, which did good to me and made me feel at ease for the test. After this test I practiced and read many AWA issues and arguments as that was a bit that I had not practiced all through my preparation.

On the day of my test, when I reached the test center I noticed there was some construction work going on in the adjacent shop, which shared one of the walls with the test center. Although worried about the hammering and drilling noise I was anticipating the test room to be more sound proof. We raised a concern about the noise to the test center manager, but were told that earplugs will be provided to cope up with the noise. Of course we were provided the earplugs, which didn't really help much, reason being
1. The hammering and drilling noise was too loud, with ocassional dumping of some heavy stuff on the ground.
2. Had never expected to take the test in such an environment and after plugging in the earplug, things are different - one tends to hear all the hearbeats and pulses, which, take my word, does distract your thoughts. (If you have not practiced taking tests wearing earplugs, I would strongly recommend you to do that)

Managing with the noise and desperately trying to keep the mind on track all through the test, I got a score of 630 - 47q, 30v. The test score, needless to say, was very disappointing but I was so stressed out that I didn't know what to do.

The score hit me hard and I was thoroughly diheartened, so I mailed the Pearson Vue and raised a concern about the noise and requested them to allow me a retake of the test, but only yesterday I got a call from them that my request has been declined because no one else has raised that concern. This feels so unjust to me and has put me in a fix.

Because of all these incidences I am losing faith and, although I want to take the test again within a month's time, I am unable to bring myself together and put myself to studies with a stable mind.

I had thought the test centers are under audio-video surveillance and my case would be investigated by browsing through the recordings and not by basing it on the fact that no one else reported such a concern. I strongly feel that if it was not for those distractions I would have scored much better.

I want to re-take the test and have started preparing for the same...but am finding it tougher to prepare now than the first time because of these incidences.

Please help.

Regards,
Vivek.