Miserable Second Attempt - 660 (Q46, V34)

[chiconsultant]

My second attempt at GMAT this afternoon was miserable, deflating, horrifying...the worse part is I felt like I'm better prepared than last time and when the score popped up at the end, I didn't know what to think anymore.

I believe this definitely my fault for waiting 8 weeks from my first attempt and my studying kind of lost momentum as I had many visitors during the last few weeks and I lost motivation to study. I focused more on Quant since my first attempt since that was my weak area, and I barely touched Verbal (only practiced on a few practice tests, which I score over 700s on all of them with few repeat questions)

I'm retaking it on Jan. 4th and I need a solid plan to attack the GMAT. Does anyone have any advice on how I should approach this? My biggest concern is that I've exhausted pretty much all MGMAT practice tests and GMATPrep tests. I've seen most of the OG questions from the OG guides and I'm afraid any more practice tests will not be able to accurately gauge how I'm going to do on the real thing...Help?

Thank you!!
-S

[[email protected]]

Hi chicoconsultant,

Both your most recent GMAT score and your original GMAT score are solid performances (both are above the 80th percentile), so calling them miserable makes you sound silly. A 660 is a remarkably close performance to a 680, so I have to assume that you essentially approached this Test in the same way that you approached the first one.

How do these CAT scores and Scaled Scores compare to your practice CATs? The more specific that you can be with the information, the better. Over the last 2 months, how many CATs did you take and what were the scores?

Also, what schools do you want to apply to?

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

[chiconsultant]

Hi Rich,

660 is not a horrible score by itself, I would've been fine with it if it was my first try. I just had such a different expectation of the test and how I would perform (700+), considering I planned the test in the afternoon as opposed to the morning, which caused me quite a bit of distress the first time. I don't know how I could do better under way more stress the first time (680) and a 660 under a more relaxed condition and a more confident mindset. I still felt fatigue after Quant, and my timing on Quant could've definitely be better. I hit problem 4, an algebra simplification question and took the wrong approach the first time, and ended up guessing anyway... tried to recover the timing on the next few questions and I guess mentally everything just went down hill from there.

I felt like I did better in AWA (5+ expected) and 6 on IR (4 for first attempt)

Here are my recent CAT scores:

9/14 MGMAT CAT 2A: 680 (Q44, V38)
9/15 MGATPrep Test 1 (repeat): 700 (Q48, V37)

9/21 Real GMAT: 680 (Q44, V39)

10/9 MGMAT CAT 3A: 690 (Q45, V38)
10/30 MGMAT CAT 4A: 710 (Q48, V38)
11/2 GMATPrep Test 1 (repeat): 750 (Q49,V42)
11/28 GMATPrep Test 2 (repeat): 710 (Q49,V39)

From a timing perspective, should I have spent more time on the first 10 questions? I don't know if that's a misconception or not. The test is like I've never seen before, I supposed that's very common. I got many algebra, probability and inequality DS questions, which I fear the most...no overlapping sets, 1 combinatorics and 1 geometry problem.

I thought I was breezing through verbal, but probably because I kept getting easy questions wrong and never saw the hard problems...!!! I don't know what my weak areas are???

The schools I'm targeting are all very prestigious programs (HBS, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, Ross, and Fuqua). I feel like if I don't get 700+ I don't belong in the elite club. Jan 4 is probably going to be my last try and I really need to figure out a solid plan

Please let me know if my goal to get 700+ in a month is a realistic goal? I'm running out of options...

Thank you!
-S

[abhasjha]

Hi chiconsultant,

You will be surprised to know that the GPREP Question bank contains more than 500 questions in quant alone . You need not write GPrep 1 and 2 any more . You will get all those questions on the manhattan forum dedicated for solving Gprep Question. Here is the link for it . https://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/gma ... h-f30.html

Out of those 500 or so questions in quant alone some 300 are real Good question take out of Gprep. As gprep is the closest preparation material to official thing - you will benefit a lot from this . Apart from this the explanation to these questions are given by Ron and other instructors at Manhattan and you will gain insight into .. how these high scorer approach a particular problem .

You can also get some 80 gmat sample questions from this website https://gmatsamplequestions.net/

or from here

https://gmatsamplequestions.net/gmat-sample-questions/


these questions are from Gprep and if you have not seen them during GPrep then they are worth a try .

If at all you start solving those questions .. then you can google out few questions especially in quant .. look in for solutions provided by buneul and karisma from veritas prep too(if you have time)
) . Sometimes bunuel or karisma would have provided a more efficient solution than Ron has . keep benefitting out of it .

Similarly for verbal you can again to the same thing . The link is this https://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/gma ... l-f40.html

There are more than 450 questions on SC alone from GPrep with solutions from Ron . Try understanding the logic behind those questions . All this will keep you occupied till january 4th your test date . Buy the GPrep pack 1 from mba.com .That contains 2 additional full length tests and you can practice (another 400 questions in total apart from those additional tests). You still have not exhausted all your study material and it makes sense if you study questions only from official source coz in the real exam that is what will help.

I am attaching few documents that contains those questions in word files . There will be overlaps in questions but you can delete the questions if there is a overlap.

[abhasjha]

Few more attachments to help you...

While you solve the questions take a note of time on every question spent .. that will give you an idea as to when the level gets tough it really takes more time for every one to solve those questions and that is why we all see posts on the forum that say after 10 questions in quant in the gmat they had a tough time and by the time say they reach question 25 they were behind schedule ... (normal thing .. if you take note of timings for every questions.. therefore you must sacrifice few questions .. your practice with these material will tell you what questions to leave .. you can leave even 5-6 question in quant alone still get a score of 48- 49 in quant. ( leave questions but not in a row - that way software is harsh on you - spread them if possible!)

I am sure should you decide to practice these question you will have lots of fun and you will also confident at the GMAT . I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Abhas

Abhas

[abhasjha]

yet more attachment... containing those SC questions ......