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Scored a 470. Freaking out. Need some advice !

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Scored a 470. Freaking out. Need some advice !

by Poorvaja » Fri Sep 18, 2015 7:35 am
Okay,

So i took the first MBA Practise Test, with no prep whatsoever.
I scored the following:
Math: 24/37
Verbal: 21/41

Horrible. I know.

But, by the end of the test, i had an hour remaining and maybe i believe i just went through each question too fast and may not have paid enough attention as much as i had to.
Giving the GMAT in almost 2 months, really need help for my morale and also how to finally beat the GMAT for a 700+ score atleast.

Please Advice.

Regards,
Poorvaja
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by [email protected] » Fri Sep 18, 2015 8:58 am
Hi Poorvaja,

Many Test Takers are unhappy with their initial CAT result - but you shouldn't be (it's just your first attempt and you didn't do any real studying yet, so you shouldn't have expected to score at a high level yet).

When you say that you had almost an hour remaining, what does THAT mean exactly? It implies that you finished both the Quant and Verbal sections early, but how many minutes early? That extra time could be quite useful, especially if you got any questions wrong because of silly/little mistakes (spending a bit more time on your physical work can help eliminate those mistakes).

With a 700+ score goal, you have a lot of work to do in a short period of time. You might find that you have to extend your studies a bit (many Test Takers spend 3 months - or more - before they hit their 'peak' scores), but before you have to make that decision, you have to put together a study plan and see how quickly you improve.

1) Have you invested in any GMAT resources yet?
2) What is your exact Test Date?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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by Poorvaja » Fri Sep 18, 2015 10:31 pm
Hey!

Thank you for the reply.
In lieu of the questions:

1. I completed my Quantitative Section and was left with 25 minutes while as in the Verbal section i had almost 30 minutes remaining.
2. I plan to take the GMAT by the end of November.
3. Also, plan to apply to business school between December-January.
4. Have invested in recommended books and am following the 60 month guide.

Thank You.
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by [email protected] » Sat Sep 19, 2015 9:55 am
Hi Poorvaja,

Since you sped through the Quant and Verbal sections of this CAT, your score result is understandable (and not bad, considering the circumstances). There must have been a point in each section in which you realized you were moving too fast, so there's some question as to WHY you didn't slow down and do more work, but that's something that we can work on.

Given that you have a study plan in place, I suggest that you stick with it for the next few weeks, then take another FULL-LENGTH CAT (including the Essay and IR sections). Once you have that result, you should report back here and we can talk through what you've worked through and the adjustments that you might have to make.

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by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Sat Sep 19, 2015 11:15 am
Keep in mind that the GMAT is a test of your math and verbal skills AND it's a test of your test-taking skills. By merely improving your time management skills, you will likely see a significant score increase.

Regarding time management: I suggest that you use the following Milestone Charts to keep you on track:
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We (at GMAT Prep Now) feel that these times are easily remembered so you can quickly jot them on your noteboard on test day.

This (and more) is covered in our free GMAT time management video at https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gener ... es?id=1244

Also, early in one's studies, it's a good idea to use a stopwatch to help get an idea of what 2 minutes feels like. This tip and others can be found in these articles on "making friends with time on the GMAT"
https://www.gmatprepnow.com/articles/mak ... %93-part-i
https://www.gmatprepnow.com/articles/mak ... 93-part-ii

Cheers,
Brent
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
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