Score drop in Math section in GMAT prep

[naraenk]

Guys,

I have been taking Mgmat exam mostly and I scored - 650, 660, 680 and 700 respectively. My score across both sections have been pretty much consistent but I have scored quite poorly in GMAT Prep. My scores are as follows.

GMAT prep 1- 600 (Math 35, Verbal 37)
GMAT prep 2 - 670 (Math 39. Verbal 42)

I have been averaging at around 46 in math in MGMAT which are supposed to be tougher. GMAT prep math definitely looks easier with much lesser calculations but seem to be better at outsmarting you with trap questions and the scoring in mgmat is quite forgiving as well. I really need a 700+ score. Any advice on what I can do in the next 3 days?

[David@VeritasPrep]

You say "any advice on what I can do in the next three days?" so perhaps you are taking the GMAT in three days?

Don't worry, there is still much that you can do to bring your score back up to the levels you have seen. As you mentioned the official GMAT questions are great at tricking you. This is because the GMAT is not a test of math skills. It is a test of careful thinking, of decision-making, of attention to detail. Unofficial questions more often rely on what would be considered more difficult math on the surface - it looks more complicated. The Official GMAT questions are better at stabbing you in the back. For example, Official questions always seem to make you go through the distraction answer in order to get the correct answer.

The question, "how much chocolate is left over?" is a more difficult question than "how much chocolate was used?" This is because you have to go through the amount used in order to get to the amount left over.

The best thing that you can do in the next 3 days is to solidify your procedures on the Quant side. What you want to do is to avoid the traps. So I recommend always writing down what the question is asking. Never rush through questions, no matter how "easy" they seem. Have a way of keeping track of things on Data Sufficiency, etc.

For overall strategy for the Quant section check out this article https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2011/01/ ... n-the-gmat

Do not worry - you have the skills to make this happen. Change your mindset. Work hard to avoid errors and traps. Try to get 25 questions right on the Quant section rather than worrying about missing a question. You can get the score that you have earned on the other exams.

[naraenk]

Thanks a ton David. Extremely helpful tips. i will try my best to follow them...

[galaxynexus]

David,

I just took the gmat and I scored 680 (q47,V36). I felt the questions was very similar to the gmat prep test and no where close to what you see on mgmats especially for quant. I took your advice of paying close attention to potential trap questions and of course the fedrer approach. However, I'm quite disappointed that I scored sub 700. This score is probably not enough fot my target schools. Here are my options. Please let me know what you think

1. Retake the exam - If yes, how soon should I take it? Is a break recommended before I resume studying or should I continue right now? i'm quite burnt our right now and I postponed a lot of work travel which I need to do now so I wouldnt mind a break but will the negatively affect my preparation? Any tips?

2. Take GRE - A friend of mine was in a similar situation as me and instead of retaking gmat, he took GRE which he thought was slightly easier than GMAT. What is your point of view on this?

[David@VeritasPrep]

galaxynexus -

680 is not the target score that you wanted, but it is within range. Meaning that it is certainly within you capability to score higher. There is some variability within the scoring and even according to GMAC you could vary 30 points just based on certain random factors. So that means that if you were able to take the GMAT the very next day you might have gotten a 710.

For that reason I think that you are better off staying the course. I understand that the GRE can be an attractive option for some, but you have studied for the GMAT, you have had success with the GMAT and this may or may not translate to the GRE. You should certainly take an official GRE practice test and if you were to score really well on that without any specialized studying then you might want to take it. However, the GMAT is the most accepted and most respected test for business school and you are on the verge of the success on that test so attempting another test at this point would generally not be advisable.

What I would say is to take a short break from studying. It has been a week since your test so maybe a bit longer. I would not want to go long without studying however. You have the potential to do this. Take a practice test again in another week and see where you are. If you have not taken the GMATPrep official practice tests more than twice each then you would want to re-take one of those. See what you need to work on to make that final push. I would advise you to take the retake not too far into the future. You do not want to have to relearn things. If your practice test goes well then establish a plan to address any weaknesses and get back in there and get this thing done. You may have been only a few correct questions away from a 700.