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First practice exam - 570

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First practice exam - 570

by mdlyman » Mon May 26, 2014 9:55 am
Hi All!

So I'm a beginner when it comes to the GMAT and I'm planning on taking the exam in September. I took a practice exam this morning to get an idea of where I currently stand. There were a lot of quant problems that I didn't feel comfortable with (I know I'm definitely rusty on fundamentals, especially geometry and simple computing rules). Also I didn't feel super confident on some of the RC and CR problems. The main purpose of taking my exam today was to just see where my starting point is and where I can improve. I ended up scoring a 570 (38Q 30V). I know that there is tons of room for improvement. I'll be using the MGMAT manuals and attending an 8 week prep course starting end of June. My target score is 670+. Based on the time and my initial performance after not studying math for a LONG time, do you think that this is a reasonable goal, or have I bit off a little more than I can chew? Any input would be greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance!

- Mark
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by [email protected] » Mon May 26, 2014 10:35 am
Hi Mark,

An initial score of 570 is a good start (the average score for the Official GMAT tends to hover around 550). Most Test Takers need 3 months (or more) to hit their respective peak scores; with the class that you've mentioned, you appear to have given yourself plenty of time to prepare, which is good.

A 670+ is absolutely doable, but you have to keep in mind that you have to treat the GMAT differently from how you've treated other exams in the past. You'll need to learn GMAT-specific tactics and be very organized with your work/note-taking. Since the GMAT is a predictable, standardized Test, you can train to crush it.

Have you scheduled a Test Date yet?

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by varung79 » Mon May 26, 2014 11:25 am
Hi Mark

You scored 570 on GMATPrep or any other sample CAT?
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by mdlyman » Mon May 26, 2014 7:03 pm
Thanks for the feedback. I'm planning on taking the GMAT on Saturday, Sept 6th. I haven't booked it yet as I'm waiting for this next paycheck. I'm glad that a 670+ score is something that is achievable. Right now I have a coworker that is going to be taking the prep course and GMAT exam with me, so we have decided to spend some time during lunch each day to study. I hope that I'll be in good shape if I combine this with some evening study and weekly practice exams. However any study tips/advice is always welcome.

And varung79, I scored the 570 today on a MGMAT CAT. I didn't do the essay/IR sections as I wanted to just get an idea of how I'd perform on quant and verbal. However I'll be sure to practice those sections from here on so that I can get accustomed to taking the full exam.

Cheers,
Mark
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by [email protected] » Mon May 26, 2014 8:49 pm
Hi Mark,

From here on out, you should plan to take the ENTIRE practice CAT, including the Essay and IR, every time. The GMAT tests many skills, including endurance. If you don't train to take the entire Test, then you won't be properly prepared when you face the Official GMAT. This is an issue that affects many Test Takers, and many of them see significant score drops because they didn't take their CATs in a realistic fashion.

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by varung79 » Wed May 28, 2014 12:04 pm
Hi mdlyman

Also, consider taking your GMATPrep test1 along with essay and IR & publish your scores here. You can download an instance of GMATPrep from www.mba.com for free. Your essay will not be scored by this software. Just to get a sense of what it is going to be like to take the real GMAT test, you may consider taking one full test.
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