I just Beat The GMAT!

Rishab you must have reached the GMAC's neck through initial 20 quant problems on your exam I don't believe many test-takers experience similar CAT conditions.

rishab:if you are too much keen on maths aspect than I agree with you that you should opt for Masters in finance instead of the MBA route.My elder brother (who is also an engineer) used to lament the fact that he did MBA instead of going for the masters in finance.According to him 2 years are overrated for an MBA and one year is more than enough

you can also lookup with dana_j here who has gone for M fin in Amsterdam.

Best of luck.

All,

i just read the success story of @rishab1988 and i strongly believe that I have had the worst of score drops.
from 700 V38 Q48 in practice tests to 550 V19 Q48 on the real deal today - a 150 pt drop in combined score and 50% drop in verbal score from V38 to V19!

following are the reasons i believe why the scores are erroneous:

1. these are the scores from the past few days of my practice tests-
24 nov 2010 Mgmat6 670 V33 Q48
02 dec 2010 Mgmat1 640 V32 Q47
10 dec 2010 Gprep2 660 V32 Q49
13 dec 2010 Gprep1 690 V35 Q49
17 dec 2010 Mgmat2 680 V35 Q47
19 dec 2010 Gprep2 700 V38 Q48
22 dec 2010 Gprep1 690 V34 Q49
24 dec 2010 GMAT2 550 V19 Q48

2. i studied for consecutive 3.5 months (leaving my job) just to improve my SC and verbal. And after that, i got at most, in both MGMAT cats and Gprep interspersed in my prep (this removes test bias) -
1-2 SC incorrect
4-5 CR incorrect
2-4 RC incorrect

3. on today's test -
-i completed all the questions on both sections the way i did on the above practice tests!
-quant was very difficult but i was determined to bring it down and i think i did
-i had 3-4 SCs in the beginning and i think one can handle that very well compared to RC and CR
-i had evaluate in the beginning, resolve the paradox in CR, and method of reasoning with kate and some fellow arguing (later in the test)
-i had an entire paragraph highlighted (scientists blah blah....), inference (suggest, most likely agree) and strengthen/support questions in RC.

4. What I plan to do -
i plan to give another practice test tomorrow morning to confirm, and if the scoring pattern from practice tests repeats, i will be certain that something was fishy with the software today. (a big mistake i did was not talked to other test takers if they had a similar feeling).

i have almost abandoned my R2 hopes, but i will call pearson/gmac right away. seems like this problem may persist till the end of the year.

any other wise suggestions appreciated.

thanks!

here's a detailed debrief:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/700-practice ... tml#326326

I think the GMAC service has to come up with the most fickle replies ever!

I emailed them for checking the score discrepancy in the test and about Pearson VUE services at the test centre and the customer representative responds back by saying 'the report is made by going three layer process from three different locations and there is no discrepancy in my 'score' (!?!??)

Do these guys even read the emails and understand what it is requesting??

i received a similar response; following is all he/she replied with and didn't read that I was requesting for a retake (it costs us $250 for every test!):

"Each exam goes through a three-step scoring process using different algorithms and is scored at different locations. In order for a score to become reportable, all three of these methods must match 100%. The scores that you received on both your unofficial and official score reports are accurate and contain no errors. "

@aslan - try sending a fax as well to the US fax number, abd also call the US number if you can. if you've received your official scores, you can do an 'item challenge', where you request for a re-check of particular questions

And BTW. I gave another practice test with GMATPrep right after my actual GMAT: 700 Q50 V34

!! ...this is actually the same response I received word-to-word!!...

Is this a computer generated message? (although the name of the guy was in the end and looked personalized)..really one needs to be 'abashed' for reading such automated response from reputed companies!.

how about only email to US?....fax goes through a bit different process?.

The thing i,s my email was also lamenting the services and upkeep of the Pearson VUE centre which this email completely avoided, plus the credibility of their scoring process which is churning out scores for 500 ranges to all who test in this centre....I wonder how Rishab got to get the re-test from them!

I skipped all the red tape and just called 1800-717-GMAT to speak with a 'Program Coordinator'. A sensible lady read my email properly and accounting for the 700 on the practice test after my GMAT, she created an incident in which a request for re-evaluation of scores has been made.

My case is under review while i prepare for another test. Try doing the same.

plus the credibility of their scoring process which is churning out scores for 500 ranges to all who test in this centre.

consider taking the test at another center to remove geographical bias

Good Luck!

@sashish007:nice ...

Guys I do have a similar experience here with a horrible score 610 ( Q 45, V 29 ). I took the exam on 3rd Jan 2011 in Pune.

My average score has been around 680 in GMAT Prep.

Last GMAT Prep 690 Q 49, V 36

MGMAT CATS

CAT 1 670 Q 40 V 41

CAT 2 700 Q 45 V 40

CAT 3 660 Q 43 V 37

Once I did see such kind of a score, I decided to take the exam but I am now frustrated to the core.
Is that GMAT an unconquerable beast or has it evolved too much to demotivate people to a great extent.
Or Am I so average that it's beyond my potential
I really doubt my capabilities now..

The Quant I got in the real paper was not at all close to GMAT Prep. Ppl it's way different from GMAT Prep.
Again not trying to scare ..Bottom line is practice more on Quant also.
Most of the questions were very intense and took time to solve. Though there were few of unsolvable kinds many were in the range of approachable but there has been an underlying trap to most of the questions I have encountered.

Trust me or not..I did get a PS question of 7-8 lines ( tho it was a moderate problem only ).Might be an experimental one

So, I might have screwed up here and there in Quant and ended up in 45....still not so convincing!

Coming to Verbal, the monster!!!

I started with a little vague SC...Spent around 2-3 mins and moved on. Again SC's.

Had a same SC which i have encountered in GMAT CLUB ( marked 700 level ) as my 3rd r 4th question I believe.
Knowing the answer, I closed my eyes and marked it.

Then came a CR and RC started with the 6th question.

Did reasonably good in RC's..If I'm not wrong I got my 3rd RC as 23rd question.

I got 2-3 highlighted questions in RC's , inference questions...Got this sort as well.."Except "

CR - Got an evaluation question, respond to criticism, few weakening and assumption ones.

I really felt that I was doing good . I almost reached 31 st question.

My last RC was not a lengthy one but very convoluted.

Did have a tough time ( time was literally closing in on ) Then came some vague CR"S towards the end , guessed few and finished.

Felt devastated looking at the screen..

Questions I have : How come I never felt the adaptive nature of the exam particularly in Verbal..If I had screwed somewhere in the Verbal I would not have got tougher q's in the end.

Even if i had screwed the last few questions in Verbal 29 cant be taken for granted.

Did sweat day and night for this Verbal to see such a score finally..I simply cant take it

I am on the verge of frustration...


Ppl please let me have your suggestions.

Aslan,ashish,prateek,Night reader, Rishab - Guys your inputs are highly required here.

Tell me how should I contact GMAC or whomsoever and take this forward.

Regards,
Ram.

@ram2:I dont know what to say here, because I was also in the same predicament as you.But seeing numerous posts and reading them, I have formed one picture (not good) and that is of GMAC having possibly a different set of quant database set for people giving tests in S.Asia,India,Asia etc compared to people from other countries where quant scores are on a low percentile.This could be due to the reason of balancing the percentile graphs overall.

I could be wrong, but seeing people in Europe or north US getting easily Q48, people who would be above 40 years,people who had no engineering background, achieving this in north american regions without a sweat and engineers from India South Asia encountering MGMAT like quants of 700-800 in a row for a 49 does raise some eyebrows.When I gave the quant for GMAT, it started with a question which I can bet you will not find in any texts.....it was a pure and simple differential calculus slope question!.....there was no other way around it.I was lucky since I studied it as an engineer, but it certainly was not intended as GMAT writes it in its syllabus.Again, i will reiterate it, do not focus on GMATprep now...it is long gone, the verbal in it is also obsolete.In verbal nowadays, the sentences are usually started with an overlay of three lines long and no rules of Kaplan, PR 2/3 etc come in play.


On the other hand the test is structured such that, if you go into it with 'absolutely' no inclination of Kaplan,PR,MGMAT or any other resource you will do well in it.My friend who taught high school math recently went to GRE in US and got 790 in Maths (although not GMAT Q)..and she had not read a single book; just went in with an open slate.

The more you delve into books, the more you train you mind to follow with the same trend of questions on he real thing...it just doesn't happen.

hey ram, the real GMAT questions and its algorithm have always been disguised. The key to success for an ordinary test taker on GMAT would be attention, time management and aspiration/motivation. For example, I am a solid chess player, right... I want to play a game with the full confidence that I am able to beat the opponent and have beaten one ten times. At some point in the game intended, I may be exhausted and play foolish wings. Then having realized that the opponent may overcome the struggle and end with the victory, I would temper up myself and finish with the draw at the best or in the very dreary loosing end game if time limits are off.

Your story as well as those of many other math wizz guys at BTG forums resembled me the situation I have described above.

Let yourself cool down, buy the BTG set of problems, solve 5-10 of them (with the deep analysis) daily and retake GMAT. What's done is done. No reverts are possible, correct? Or may be you want to challenge GMAC and strain your nerves? That's the way too, though I am not sure of the consequences.

This would be my advice so far.

Thanks so much Aslan and Night Reader in giving me such an insightful reply.

Yeah I could understand that many are sailing in the same boat and GMAT PREP is not to be taken too seriously.

I'll certainly take off a break and then decide what exactly I need to do.

Moreover I'm gettin answers for what do I really want out of a MBA etc....but at the expense of such a horrifying experience

@Night Reader -- I cant dismiss completely the idea of approaching GMAC inspite of the known consequences
No offence .

@ASLAN - Pls throw some light in contacting GMAC by email as well as by phone. Little more details would be appreciated.

@ram2:just for your info..a few days later after giving my GMAT, I decided to give GRE. Got 780 on maths and 570 on verbal.I did this for two reasons 1) A large number of B-schools take GRE instead of GMAT 2) I wanted to check the state of my brain (if I really had such a brain damage to get so low on quants!)..it seemed the state was pretty much o.k.

To tell the truth the ETS GRE quant now, is not much different from GMAT quants (with the exclusion of graphs...which also are adding probability in them)...but the atmosphere at Prometric compared to that of Pearson VUE was some 50 times better.There was no crap of checking in and checking out via vein scanners, no transparencies to blot your work with 'water pens', and no old fashioned obsolete CRT which drained your mind.Plus the staff was pretty efficient in replacing the 'paper' sheets, within one two seconds of raising your hand.No camera where they see and then do stuff, but they were continuously pacing around.Pretty decent LCD monitors and up to date latest systems.It was a relief which I cannot explain here in words.

To get back to your point, I wanted this contrast to be also presented to the GMAC staff.I still have not made the live call, and have slackened a bit on this initiative, but I should.Pearson VUE, should not get away with the pathetic service they are offering.It was more than nerves which are on display at the test center and bad atmosphere can also disrupt it.Apart from this, the way they replied on email was also pure nonsense.It didn't reply to any other answer but rather a coercion to accept an 'automated' one, seemingly written by a 'person'

When you give 250$ to GMAC, with about 190$ to ETS, and the serivce has so much difference in it, it makes a good case.You have reminded me again to pursue the matter on 1-800.

Yes. Open State of mind really helps. GMAT questions are difficult by design and they are meant to trap unless, you control your anxiety.

A DS question about Max and Min area of a triangle with three coordinates given as variables A(2a-1,4a-6), B(0,0, C(3a+2, 2a-3) ... as an engineer, I was so tempted to use Determinant/Matrix formula to find area and then solve the inequality..only to realize, I can plug in values to make all vertices as close to (0,0) to make min area possible as close to zero. Then looking at ans options later, it was a 650-700 level question. So I did learn and realize "look before you jump" or "estimate hardness of quants by just reading 5-6 lines of text.

Similar experience for RC, this is where Open State really kicked-in. For every RC, had an implicit heading "Lets Learn Something about ..." & paused for 1second just to flush out any hangover from previous SC/CR question and better context switching.

I hasten to add here that what lalitgmat said is also certainly not easy to come by.You seriously have to lay back all your engineer pretenses when you go into GMAT.Somewhere I heard on a video, where the instructor was asked that 'what type of students are most hard to teach for GMAT?'..and without blinking she replied ..'students coming from engineering and technical backgrounds.'

As lalit said these questions can also be used to your advantage by backtracking from answer choices.As engineers we seldom do that and instead try to figure out answer first by brute computations.This hardwiring is easier to abandon by an arts major and very difficult for an engineering mind .

Furthermore for RC , engineers also try to dissect them like technical papers instead of 'drinking it in' and then answering the 'inference' ones, I guess these little things do make a difference on the test day for an engineer.Thats why when adcomms hear of arts majors getting above 650's and maths or technical majors go below 600 they probably go scratching their heads!