MGMAT CATS- 610, 550, 630 Actual GMAT- 590- Retake Help

Expert replies

seane: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 3; Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2014 7:00 pm

by seane » Tue May 27, 2014 4:30 pm

After having studied a majority of the Manhattan Prep Quant guides, I decided to take the course. My CAT tests went as follows:
1st CAT 610 (Q-40, V-34) [After having studied the MGMAT Quant books on my own, before any classes]
2nd CAT 550 (Q-39, V-28) [After 7 weeks in class -- House was very loud that day!!]
3rd CAT 630 (Q-39, V-37)[After the last class, 2 weeks before actual test]
-- Did light quant work over the two weeks
Real GMAT 590(Q-34, V-37)

I have not done any preparation since taking the exam May 3rd.
I'd like to take the test one more time to see if I can get my quant score back to the range I was hitting.

Was wondering if anyone had a good strategy for refreshing my brain. Should I use all OG quant? Foundations of GMAT Math? How long should I try to refresh math for? Should I just walk in and take it again?

Thanks for the help.

-Sean

On a side note, if anyone wants to buy the MGMAT strategy guides (All brand new, no markings or serial numbers scratched off), PM ME

Last edited by seane on Tue May 27, 2014 4:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy | Tue May 27, 2014 4:30 pm

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by [email protected] » Tue May 27, 2014 4:40 pm

HI seane,

When you took your practice CATs, did you take the ENTIRE CAT each time (including the Essay and IR sections). If you skipped those sections during your practice, then you weren't properly prepared to handle the entire Official GMAT when you took it.

Your practice CAT scores are all within +- 40 points of your Official GMAT score. GMAC itself has written that your Official GMAT score is within +-29 points of your actual ability, so you COULD have scored just about any number in that range.

If your goal is to score higher (high 600s or 700s), then you need to make some adjustments (perhaps investing in some new resources) and continue to study before you take the GMAT again.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Contact Rich at [email protected]

seane: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 3; Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2014 7:00 pm

by seane » Tue May 27, 2014 5:12 pm

Rich,

Thank you for the reply. I only took the IR during the 550 CAT-- Maybe that's why it was so awful!!
I am still mostly upset that my quant dropped 6 points after remaining steady for so long.

I'd like to find a way to get my quant back to 40 in a reasonable amount of time, preferably before July. Ideally I'd like to be in the 680 range, but I know in such a short amount of time I am pushing my luck. I am looking for some effective study suggestions. You mentioned new resources, do you have any quant guides you could suggest?

More info: I am applying to a few schools, I had a 3.1 GPA from a small college and have decent work experience in IT including multiple promotions. During my undergrad I transferred twice before returning to my original school and my GPA was poor at my two transfer schools.

I'm aiming to get into Rutgers Flex MBA program, but would also like to try my luck at getting into NYU's part time program.

Thanks again!

GMAT/MBA Expert

[email protected]: Elite Legendary Member; Posts: 10392; Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pmFollowed by: 511 members; Location: Palo Alto, CA; Thanked: 2867 times; GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Tue May 27, 2014 9:24 pm

Hi seane,

From your practice CATs, it certainly appears that you have a Quant ability that's at the Q40 level. On Test Day, you have to work through almost 1.5 hours of material (sign in, Orientation, Essay, IR, break) before you even START the Quant section, so you have to work on your endurance and keeping your skills sharp throughout the entire Test.

When do you think you'd want to retake the GMAT?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Contact Rich at [email protected]

seane: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 3; Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2014 7:00 pm

by seane » Wed May 28, 2014 4:40 am

I registered to take it again June 21st. May reschedule if I need to. You think I should work on timed OG problems everyday?

GMAT/MBA Expert

[email protected]: Elite Legendary Member; Posts: 10392; Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pmFollowed by: 511 members; Location: Palo Alto, CA; Thanked: 2867 times; GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Wed May 28, 2014 11:01 am

Hi seane,

While I understand why you would want to retake the GMAT as soon as possible, I think that you're rushing things with a June 21st Test Date. That's just over 3 weeks away. From the information you provided, most of your CATs were done in an unrealistic fashion, so I have to assume that your studies might also have been done in a way that was less than ideal.

I think that you have the capacity to hit your goal score, but I don't think that 3 weeks is enough time to make the necessary adjustments and improve to that degree. That having been said, you don't have to reschedule your GMAT just yet - you can continue to study for a bit and if your practice CAT scores aren't high enough, then you can reschedule (remember that rescheduling must be done at least 7 full days before your exam).

You can decide the amount and frequency of your studying, but I would suggest that you take 1 FULL-LENGTH CAT per week to gauge your progress.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Contact Rich at [email protected]

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