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Low Gmat Score - Post Exam Study Stategy

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Low Gmat Score - Post Exam Study Stategy

by sgraves » Fri Oct 23, 2015 8:39 am
I took the GMAT this morning and got a 440 (29 Q/22V). I knew I wasn't ready to get my goal score (700) but I needed a 500+ to apply to a Pre MBA program. So while I am disappointed I knew in the long run that my GMAT journey still has some time to go.

I'm suspecting and its probably evident from my results that I was getting easy questions wrong, despite I was feeling like I was getting them right. The quant did not feel difficult in comparison to practice questions.

MCAT#1 (Taken 7/5/15): 420 Q23 V24
MCAT#2 (Taken 8/5/15): 430 Q19 V30
MBA.Com Prep Software CAT (Taken 9/26/15): 470 Q31 V25

In late August I started using Empower GMAT and immediately I felt better about how I approached the GMAT. Initially I was going through the 3 month study plan but as the test date approached I starting to skip around in the lessons based on weak areas from my CAT on 9/26. I'm trying to figure out the best study plan going forward, should I go back and complete the empower course from the beginning again?

Should I buy a ESR? Is it worth it?
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by [email protected] » Fri Oct 23, 2015 3:22 pm
Hi sgraves,

I'm sorry to hear that Test Day didn't go better, but you seem to have done the proper self-assessment of all of this (and you have the proper perspective on the big picture).

Since you've now taken the Official GMAT, we can use this 'experience' to better plan for you next attempt:

1) How did you sleep the night before your Test?
2) How long was the ride to the Test Center from your home?
3) Were there any distractions at the facility or during the Test?
4) What did you do during the two 8-minute breaks?
5) Did you finish any sections early?
6) Did you have to rush to finish any sections (and guess on questions just to finish on time)?

With your score goals, the ESR isn't going to provide much (if any) useful information. You're going to have to continue studying and make big improvements to both your Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores (across all of the major and minor categories).

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by Bara » Fri Oct 23, 2015 5:47 pm
ESR could be a worthwhile investment-certainly a modest one at $25-to understand where you stand in what you recently did on this test.

Tracking your performance going forward, with practice and this as a baseline 'template' would provide you with some data for comparison and contrast.

But this is just a tool for tracking and improvement, there are many tools to . What are you planning to do once you know this information?

Whether or not the Empower program works of you, you'll need to decide. You might fare better with an in person class or one-on-one tutoring.
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by sgraves » Sun Oct 25, 2015 2:12 pm
Thanks Rich!

1) How did you sleep the night before your Test?

I didn't really sleep well the night before. I was pretty nervous about the test.

2) How long was the ride to the Test Center from your home?

The ride to the test center was only 20 minutes, no traffic at all. I got there over an hour early to ensure I wasn't stressed about getting there on time.

3) Were there any distractions at the facility or during the Test?

No distractions during the test.

4) What did you do during the two 8-minute breaks?

The first break I drank some Gatorade and walked around and stretched in the test center. The second break I ate a PB&J, chewed a piece of cinnamon gum for a few minutes and went to the restroom and did a short sprint in the hallway.

My test administrator was very strict so I didn't even try to sneak chewing gum in the test center.

5) Did you finish any sections early?

I had about a minute left when I finished quant and about three minutes left on verbal

6) Did you have to rush to finish any sections (and guess on questions just to finish on time)?

No
[email protected] wrote:Hi sgraves,

I'm sorry to hear that Test Day didn't go better, but you seem to have done the proper self-assessment of all of this (and you have the proper perspective on the big picture).

Since you've now taken the Official GMAT, we can use this 'experience' to better plan for you next attempt:

1) How did you sleep the night before your Test?



2) How long was the ride to the Test Center from your home?



3) Were there any distractions at the facility or during the Test?



4) What did you do during the two 8-minute breaks?



5) Did you finish any sections early?



6) Did you have to rush to finish any sections (and guess on questions just to finish on time)?



With your score goals, the ESR isn't going to provide much (if any) useful information. You're going to have to continue studying and make big improvements to both your Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores (across all of the major and minor categories).

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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by [email protected] » Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:30 am
Hi sgraves,

Your last post provides some important information about what likely impacted your performance.

1) A poor night's sleep can severely impact your performance on Test Day - disrupting your energy levels, causing anxiety, affecting your focus, attention-to-detail, etc. A calm, well-rested mind is often one of the 'keys' to putting together a strong overall performance on the GMAT.

2) Arriving at the Test Center an HOUR early for your appointment, when the Center is roughly 20 minutes from where you live, also seems like a poorly-planned choice. Unless you were able to start your GMAT early, you were left to wait at the Center for quite some time (while 'burning' valuable energy that you could have spent on taking the Test).

Thankfully, all of this can be better planned for.

You mentioned how this attempt was really just about scoring high enough to apply for a pre-MBA Program. What is the deadline for that application?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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by sgraves » Mon Oct 26, 2015 6:03 pm
That is insightful information, I wouldn't of thought getting there early could burn up mental energy. The application is due by Nov 1st so it doesn't give me enough time to take the exam again with hope for better score.
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by [email protected] » Tue Oct 27, 2015 8:43 am
Hi sgraves,

Based on the timeline you've described, the earliest that you could retake the GMAT would be right around November 9th. While that date is certainly PAST the application deadline, the School might still allow you to apply. You'll have to contact the School directly, explain how interested you are in the Pre-MBA Program (be really sincere about all of this), BUT that you won't have your GMAT score until November 9th. The representatives of that Program might grant you some leniency, as long as the rest of the application is in on time. Of course, they might hold fast to the dealing and application rules, in which case you won't have any options. However, it does not hurt to ask.

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