Hi all,
These forums have been a lot of help to me, so I'm hoping you can help me too.
I first took the GMAT in March, and I scored a 570. This score was well-below my high 600s, low 700s practice CATS (MGMAT), and I realized I had understudied and underestimated the test. I assumed that because I went to a great undergrad school, have always been an A student, that this would be a walk in the park for me. Obviously I was wrong.
I buckled down between end of March to present, and I was feeling great. I did a lot of timed sets, made index cards for every problem I didn't understand, I watched a lot of Thursdays with Ron videos, and my practice tests were suggesting that I was ready for this exam. GMATPrep Test 1: 720 (Q47 73rd %tile, Q42, 96th%tile); GMATPrep Test 2: 760 (Q50 90th%tile, V44 97th%tile; disclaimer: quant score is probably inflated a little bit because I recognized a few questions).
I took the GMAT yesterday and score 660 (Q44 63rd%tile, V38 84th %tile). I'm aiming for in the 700s, and given how much lower this score is than my practice tests, I'm very disappointed. I'm satisfied with my quant score, but what disappoints me is my verbal score - I don't know how or why it dropped so much. On practice tests, I usually never get RC wrong - just a few CR and SC. I took all my practice tests with essays and IR, and i simulated the actual exam experience. I was not feeling anxious during the test at all, and I took the breaks, ate a healthy snack, etc... There were a couple of moments during verbal when I had to sit and just take a moment to breathe because I was feeling tired, but this happened during practice tests, too.
I don't even know where to go from here, and it's really discouraging. I don't even know how I should be studying at this stage. I've done almost all the OG problems for quant, all of the higher-level verbal questions in the OG, all Kaplan 800 verbal questions, and I'm scared to use any non-GMAT or MGMAT practice tests for fear that a crappy score due partly to a non-GMAC algorithm will freak me out. I was studying 6-7 days/week, but during the week just mostly a quick timed set if 10 or so because my job is so exhausting; sat/sun probably 4-6 hours total.
1) When should I take the test again? (My gut says ASAP, but i am going to be in Italy for 2 weeks next month and don't want to be practicing... but i'm worried if I take any time off that i'll forget things).
2) How should I be studying at this point?
3) What resources should I be using?
I'm feeling totally defeated and depressed at this point and really need some guidance:(. Thanks everyone.
These forums have been a lot of help to me, so I'm hoping you can help me too.
I first took the GMAT in March, and I scored a 570. This score was well-below my high 600s, low 700s practice CATS (MGMAT), and I realized I had understudied and underestimated the test. I assumed that because I went to a great undergrad school, have always been an A student, that this would be a walk in the park for me. Obviously I was wrong.
I buckled down between end of March to present, and I was feeling great. I did a lot of timed sets, made index cards for every problem I didn't understand, I watched a lot of Thursdays with Ron videos, and my practice tests were suggesting that I was ready for this exam. GMATPrep Test 1: 720 (Q47 73rd %tile, Q42, 96th%tile); GMATPrep Test 2: 760 (Q50 90th%tile, V44 97th%tile; disclaimer: quant score is probably inflated a little bit because I recognized a few questions).
I took the GMAT yesterday and score 660 (Q44 63rd%tile, V38 84th %tile). I'm aiming for in the 700s, and given how much lower this score is than my practice tests, I'm very disappointed. I'm satisfied with my quant score, but what disappoints me is my verbal score - I don't know how or why it dropped so much. On practice tests, I usually never get RC wrong - just a few CR and SC. I took all my practice tests with essays and IR, and i simulated the actual exam experience. I was not feeling anxious during the test at all, and I took the breaks, ate a healthy snack, etc... There were a couple of moments during verbal when I had to sit and just take a moment to breathe because I was feeling tired, but this happened during practice tests, too.
I don't even know where to go from here, and it's really discouraging. I don't even know how I should be studying at this stage. I've done almost all the OG problems for quant, all of the higher-level verbal questions in the OG, all Kaplan 800 verbal questions, and I'm scared to use any non-GMAT or MGMAT practice tests for fear that a crappy score due partly to a non-GMAC algorithm will freak me out. I was studying 6-7 days/week, but during the week just mostly a quick timed set if 10 or so because my job is so exhausting; sat/sun probably 4-6 hours total.
1) When should I take the test again? (My gut says ASAP, but i am going to be in Italy for 2 weeks next month and don't want to be practicing... but i'm worried if I take any time off that i'll forget things).
2) How should I be studying at this point?
3) What resources should I be using?
I'm feeling totally defeated and depressed at this point and really need some guidance:(. Thanks everyone.
