Took the GMAT recently. Not satisfied.

Expert replies

nakultandon9: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 9; Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2012 11:08 pm

by nakultandon9 » Fri Oct 10, 2014 2:12 am

Hi there,

I recently took the GMAT and scored a 640 (Q49 28V). I can't believe I screwed up Verbal so bad. I was confident after the Quant section. But for some reason I wasn't able to comprehend the Verbal questions fully and hence ended up taking too much time on each question (including SC's which I would solve in 1.5 mins max at home). Im really shocked and disheartened at my Verbal score. My scores in Verbal in the Veritas practice tests were consistently from 35 to 37 (except for 1 test in which I got 31). I'm not able to understand why this happened. I should have probably told myself to focus harder before the Verbal section started. Please suggest some measures that I should keep in mind before my next attempt which will be in a month or two. Also, let me know how to go about planning my next attempt.

Thanks!
Nakul Tandon

Like this post

Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy | Fri Oct 10, 2014 2:12 am

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] » Fri Oct 10, 2014 5:13 pm

Hi Nakul,

I've responded to your private message about this.

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

Contact Rich at [email protected]

Like this post

BestGMATEliza: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 103; Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:31 pmFollowed by: 12 members; Thanked: 25 times; GMAT Score:770

by BestGMATEliza » Mon Oct 13, 2014 10:25 am

Hi Nakul,

This may be a result of test day fatigue as verbal is the last section. How many full length (including IR and AWA) practice tests did you take in preparation for your GMAT? It is a long and mentally exhausting test, so I usually suggest that students take around 10 full length practice test in the final few weeks before their test, to essentially train their brain to function on high capacity for the full 4 hours of the exam. This is so they dont hurt their score as a result of being mentally fatigued by the end.

Hope this help!

Eliza Chute
Best GMAT Prep Courses
GMAT course comparison and reviews
Your one stop for all your GMAT studying needs!

Like this post

nakultandon9: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 9; Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2012 11:08 pm

by nakultandon9 » Mon Oct 13, 2014 11:29 pm

Hi Eliza,

I took about 6-7 full length tests (IR + Essay) before the real test. Still I feel I was drained out by the end of the Quant session. One factor could also be that I was empty stomach and did not refuel myself in the 8 min break. Having said that, I believe that I should have scored around 35-36 in Verbal if not higher. Anyway I plan to take it up again. Please suggest some measures that I should keep in mind to get a good verbal score in my next attempt.

Thanks,

Nakul Tandon

Like this post

BestGMATEliza: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 103; Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:31 pmFollowed by: 12 members; Thanked: 25 times; GMAT Score:770

by BestGMATEliza » Tue Oct 14, 2014 6:48 am

I would definitely recommend that you bring snacks next time for the break to help you refuel. As far as studying for verbal, its hard to say definitively without knowing exactly what your weaknesses are but in general for studying verbal:
-For RC and CR, you don't need to learn rules or memorize anything you just need to learn how to take the test, so the best way to do this is to practice. I would also recommend that you try to practice with more difficult material so that you are prepared for those types of question. Past LSAT questions can be a good source for this since they are pretty much the same, just more difficult.
-For SC- you will need to memorize a lot of rules, so I recommend going over your book again and taking notes on the rules you don't remember.

In general, try to pinpoint your weaknesses and address them by doing over your past few CATs and documenting what type and topic (i.e. SC: idioms) you are getting wrong the most, then review those topics.

Hope this helps!

Eliza Chute
Best GMAT Prep Courses
GMAT course comparison and reviews
Your one stop for all your GMAT studying needs!

Like this post

Post new topic Post Reply

• Page 1 of 1

GMAT Course Reviews

559 reviews

1168 reviews

431 reviews

359 reviews

147 reviews

5/5

5 Star (560 Reviews)

"Target Test Prep is the closest to the official version of the GMAT exam, about 99% accuracy in terms of the quality and quantity of information. The course has excellently created singular sets of focused lessons and tests for every possible topic that one could come across in the official GMAT exam."

"The TTP course maximizes the efficiency of the time you spend studying. It will take time and effort but I could almost guarantee that if you complete the course exactly as it is laid out you will get an amazing score. They also have a very responsive team willing to help with any questions you might have."

"TTP has two things that I think no other test prep company offers: A teaching approach that reinforces understanding and an attitude that will give you the mental preparedness needed to succeed on the test. TTP gives you a deep understanding of the concept you need to know while teaching you how to think."

Write a Review