I just Beat The GMAT!

I can't seem to join the GMAT 700+ Club!

Score Details
Q-48 (86%)
V-36 (80%)
Total-690 (91%)

This is actually the second time I've taken the GMAT. I took the GMAT about 9 months ago and scored a 670 (Q-47, V-35, 89%). Going into the test today, I was confident I would score higher than I did previously. However, I was hoping/expecting to reach the 700 level.

Quantitative
For some reason, I had convinced myself after my first GMAT that I was "unlucky" with the set of Quantitative questions I received. However, I found out today that this was not true. In both exams I ran out of time towards the end of the section. Like before, I spent the final 3 minutes rushing through the last 5 or so questions. This lack of time was caused by my inability to give up on questions is the beginning/middle part of the section. I’ve always had a hard time conceding to take an educated guess on a math question. Because of my stubbornness, I probably spent too much time on either a difficult or an experimental question (which would be even worst). I would say that the majority of the more difficult questions involved number theory. And by the way, over the span of two GMATs, I ran across zero questions about probability, combinations, or permutations.

Verbal
Since the last time I took the exam, I tried to focus on honing my verbal skills. Yet, after receiving my score today, I can't say I did much better. The questions were very typical of those found within the GMAT Prep software. I can't add much to what others have said on this website. Just remember that by the time you get to the Verbal section, you've sat for a couple of hours in front of the computer and (depending on the time of your test) may start to feel hungry. I suggest bringing a snack, getting a drink of water, or getting some fresh air in between sections.

Before deciding to take the GMAT the second time, I felt that I needed to answer the following questions:
1) Could I really improve my score? And if so, could I increase my score significantly?
2) Was my first score really that bad? Would it really prevent me from getting into the schools I really wanted to go to?
3) Could I use my time more effectively in other areas of the application?

For me, I felt like I needed to take the GMAT again because my first score, which I didn’t view as a terrible score, was not indicative of my test-taking abilities. Also, I felt I had some extra time because schools were only starting to release their applications for this year’s cycle.

I’ve decided that I am done with the GMAT test. At this point, it is more important that I spend my time on other aspects of the application (primarily the essays and recommendations). I think this website is wonderful and is a great asset for anyone preparing for the GMAT. Good luck to everyone taking the GMAT and applying to business school this year.

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Pre-Test Scores:
12/12/2005 GMAT (Q-47, 81%; V-35, 77%; 670, 89%)
6/3/2006 Power Prep 1 (Q-48, 90%; V37, 82%; 700, 93%)
6/9/2006 Princeton Review CAT 1 (Q-42; V-30; 590)
6/18/2006 Kaplan CAT 1 (Q-36; V-29; 550, 60%)
7/3/2006 Princeton Review CAT 2 (Q-46; V-35; 650)
7/6/2006 Princeton Review CAT 3 (Q-42; V-32; 610)
7/8/2006 Power Prep 2 (Q-48, 90%; V-40, 90%; 720, 96%)
7/22/2006 GMAT Prep 1 (690)
7/30/2006 GMAT Prep 2 (Q-44; V-42; 710)