Failed after the 3rd attempt

[sameer3105]

I took the exam today and scored a 620(Q49,V25).I am a non-native.In my earlier 2 attempts I scored 640(Q51,V25) and 600(Q49,V24).I am extremely shattered.
I took my 3rd attempt after a period of one year of extremely serious preparation.

They say that the GMATPREP is the truest measure of your standing.I took a total of 7 GMATPREP tests(3 being retakes) and scored from 680-750.I am at loss to understand what went wrong.Experts please throw some light on this.Suddenly I panicked in the midst of the test and that is where the downfall might have started.

I have exhausted all the questions from GMATPREP sources and the GMATPREP tests look so familiar to me.I have booked my next attempt for a date one month from now.Really cant figure out what it takes to get to a decent score.I am extremely good at quant.I even finished my quant section 5 minutes prior to the allocated time.But I panick when things start to get wrong in Verbal.Much more than the preparation,there is something serious which is missing here.

Experts,Please throw some light.I would really be grateful.What is to be done next?

[ceilidh.erickson]

Disparity between practice tests and the real test usually come down to two issues: unrealistic practice test conditions or anxiety.

With a test like GMATPrep, there is very little value in retaking the same test, as you will have seen many of the questions already. This will lead to artificially inflated scores. You should be taking different practice tests each time to ensure that you're seeing new questions.

You also want to make sure that you're taking each practice test accurately timed. That means no pausing while you're taking the test, no giving yourself extended time or extended breaks, etc. Otherwise the real test will feel much more time-pressured.

You mentioned that you felt panicked during the Verbal section. Anxiety can really take a toll on the brain's ability to make decisions, so it can seriously adversely affect your score. You should always tell yourself, "this isn't my only shot. It doesn't matter how I do on this test, because I can always take it again." Take the pressure off of yourself - you don't need to be perfect!

That said, if you've only been studying from GMATPrep, you're probably missing some of the underlying principles and strategies. I recommend that you study from test-prep company materials (of course I recommend MGMAT, but any reputable company would be beneficial), especially for things like SC that have a lot of rules to follow. Studying topic-by-topic is the best way to get a comprehensive understanding of a particular principle, before putting everything into practice with a practice exam.

Good luck!

[[email protected]]

Hi sameer3105,

Your Official GMAT scores are consistent, which is equal parts "good" and "bad." The good part is that once you "see" things a certain way, you're consistent about it; the bad part is that while your current way of "seeing" the Quant is great, your current way of "seeing" the Verbal is costing you points. Before you retake the GMAT, you'll have to redefine how you approach the Verbal side of this test and figure out what is happening during your practice CATs that is not happening on Test Day.

To that end, there are a number of questions that need to be answered, so that we can figure out what was "different" about Test Day. Here are some things to think about:

1) Did you take the entire CAT every time (or did you skip the Essay and/or IR sections)?
2) What time of day and day of the week did you take your CATs?
3) Was there anything physically different or "unrealistic" about how you took your CATs? (at home, on a laptop, listening to music, etc.)
4) What did you do in the last week before your GMAT? What did you do during the last 48 hours?
5) Was there anything surprising or unusual about Test Day itself?

I've never been a fan of "retaking" a CAT, for the exact reasons that Ceilidh noted. There are plenty of CATs that you can use for practice though. Before you take ANY of those CATs though, you need to put an emphasis on your Verbal work and the "realism" of your practice. You'll also likely need to invest in some new resources that will help you to approach the Verbal section correctly.

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

[sameer3105]

Hi sameer3105,

Your Official GMAT scores are consistent, which is equal parts "good" and "bad." The good part is that once you "see" things a certain way, you're consistent about it; the bad part is that while your current way of "seeing" the Quant is great, your current way of "seeing" the Verbal is costing you points. Before you retake the GMAT, you'll have to redefine how you approach the Verbal side of this test and figure out what is happening during your practice CATs that is not happening on Test Day.

To that end, there are a number of questions that need to be answered, so that we can figure out what was "different" about Test Day. Here are some things to think about:

1) Did you take the entire CAT every time (or did you skip the Essay and/or IR sections)?
2) What time of day and day of the week did you take your CATs?
3) Was there anything physically different or "unrealistic" about how you took your CATs? (at home, on a laptop, listening to music, etc.)
4) What did you do in the last week before your GMAT? What did you do during the last 48 hours?
5) Was there anything surprising or unusual about Test Day itself?

I've never been a fan of "retaking" a CAT, for the exact reasons that Ceilidh noted. There are plenty of CATs that you can use for practice though. Before you take ANY of those CATs though, you need to put an emphasis on your Verbal work and the "realism" of your practice. You'll also likely need to invest in some new resources that will help you to approach the Verbal section correctly.

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

Thanks a lot Rich.I took all the tests under timed conditions at home.I usually skipped doing the whole IR part.Instead I would do 4-5 questions and try to get them 100% right.
Now the question is how do I redefine my verbal strategy.I have practised almost 500 questions in Verbal from latest GMATPREPs and most of times I would do it right.My accuracy being 80%.The fact that I scored a max of 41 on Verbal on my last GMATPREP was boosting for me.My average would be 34-37 in practise tests.

Now that I have exhausted almost whole of practise material(GMATPREP),what should I do next?Is it worth retaking the GMATPREP tests.I have re-registered for GMAT since I am in good touch and I have to meet the deadlines of a few B-schools I intend to apply.

[[email protected]]

Hi sameer3105,

The fact that you score so well in the Verbal during your practice is something that we have to focus on since your Verbal scores on your actual GMATs don't seem to match up. By your own admission, you have not been taking the FULL CAT each time, so you weren't properly testing your endurance. It's possible that on Test Day you were simply too tired to handle the Verbal section correctly. There might be some other factors that did not "carry over" to Test Day. You have to figure out what those little details are. Since Test Day is a "fixed point", you have to adapt your practice to match.

With this next round of studying, you have to put an emphasis on making your CATs as REALISTIC as possible. Make sure to take the ENTIRE CAT, somewhere OTHER than your home, use a mouse (instead of a touchpad), etc. You should NOT retake any CAT that you've already taken - doing so would be unrealistic and you'd end up seeing questions that you had previously answered. To that end, you should ignore all of your practice scores that were from retakes - those scores were likely ALL overly inflated. You'll need to purchase a new set of CATs; Kaplan, MGMAT and Veritas all have "packs" of 5-6 CATs that you can purchase.

What practice materials were you working with besides the GMATPrep CATs?

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

[sameer3105]

Thanks Rich.

I used Manhattan SC Guide,latest GMATPREP questions for CR,and the same for RC.I have given a thought over what possibly might have gone wrong.Pacing seems to be an issue in my case.I went down very well in the first 10 questions on Verbal and then due to lack of concentration,I kind of panicked.Following this,I fluked a couple of questions to get a time lead.This might have been the beginning of my disaster.

[[email protected]]

Hi sameer3105,

A few wrong answers would not be enough to turn a V41 into a V25, so there's some bigger issue that you need to define (and fix). Usually the big factor is that practice CATs don't line up with the Official GMAT (partial CAT vs. full GMAT; the day/time the tests are taken, etc.). Sometimes there's an external factor that you don't even consider. I worked with a Test Taker once who had to drive 2 hours to take the Official GMAT and didn't think about that arrangement affected his performance (but it DID hurt how he performed later on in the Test). There's more to Test Day than just the Test. Define all of those details and do your best to control them (and minimize any negative impact that they might have on your work).

One of the big challenges in the Verbal section is that you won't know if you've made a mistake or missed a detail, so you will always think that you answered the question correctly. By putting some extra effort into note-taking and the details, you can PROVE that you have the correct answer, then just find the answer that matches.

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

[sultana199]

Don't give up dear. You have attempted for 3 times, I hope you will win in your next attempt. Practice and hardworking will help you in your next beating. Best of luck.

[GMATinsight]

Here is an experience of one of my students... I hope this instill "the hope" in you which you probably need the most at this time

1st attempt - 620
2nd attempt - 670
3rd attempt - 660

Prepared with guidance
4th attempt - 770

P.S.-She is an IITian...

[GMATinsight]

You might want to check this thread as well.


https://www.beatthegmat.com/gmat-fourth- ... 45c52642a1

[sameer3105]

Took my fourth attempt at GMAT:Scores were 660(Q50,V28)

Experts,Please advise.I think I lack the exam temperament big time.However,hard I try,no matter what I do,my Verbal scores just don't seem to improve.

There are stories all around this thread that people do score well after consistent preparation.My story is entirely the other way round.I am a non-native speaker.

I have solved the ENTIRE question bank of GMATPREP Verbal questions.I have taken every GMATPREP test,including the 2-test question pack thrice,i.e, 12 takes for GMATPREP tests.

Please help me formulate the strategy for Verbal or should I just leave?

In the hindsight I feel that classroom coaching is just farce.I have attended one.Just found that they just introduce you to the course content.

[GMATinsight]

Took my fourth attempt at GMAT:Scores were 660(Q50,V28)

Experts,Please advise.I think I lack the exam temperament big time.However,hard I try,no matter what I do,my Verbal scores just don't seem to improve.

There are stories all around this thread that people do score well after consistent preparation.My story is entirely the other way round.I am a non-native speaker.

I have solved the ENTIRE question bank of GMATPREP Verbal questions.I have taken every GMATPREP test,including the 2-test question pack thrice,i.e, 12 takes for GMATPREP tests.

Please help me formulate the strategy for Verbal or should I just leave?

In the hindsight I feel that classroom coaching is just farce.I have attended one.Just found that they just introduce you to the course content.

My opinion is "ONLY Strategy does NOT improve score from 28 to 35" in case you are aspiring so. I would strongly recommend that you take a free One-on-One demo class with Dr.Sushma Jha. She is reachable at 9891333772 and on [email protected].

There are several benefits

1) You will be able to identify the problem area and the way forward to improve them
2) You will get the entire attention during the class as these will be one-on-one interactive classes
3) The classes will not be oriented to give you the basic idea or finishing the course content, instead the classes will be focused on your weak areas
4) If you don't feel benefited by the FREE Demo class then you may choose to avoid joining paid classes

[[email protected]]

Hi sameer3105,

What practice CATs did you use before this latest attempt at the GMAT? And how did you score on those CATs?

I'd like to know a bit more about how you handle Verbal questions. In the Verbal section, tell me if you do any of the following:

1) On SCs, do you read all 5 answer choices, then eliminate answers that "sound wrong" and pick an answer that "sounds good"?
2) On CRs, do you read the prompt twice, then go straight to the answers and try to find one that "fits"?
3) On RCs, do you read the question first, then try to hunt down the info in the prompt?

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

[sameer3105]

Thanks Rich.
(1)On the SC part,I use the process of elimination finding 2-3 errors that make a particular option wrong.
(2)I am not very sure of the strategy which I follow in CR.But I do use the POE to find the best answer.This area of mine needs improvement.
(3)On the RC part,I read to get a grasp of the structure of the passage minus the facts there.If there are questions which involve the details to be found out,only then I go back to find the answer in the passage.I also try to justify each word in the answer choice.My main concern is the speed part.

Above all,please help me formulate a strategy for the overall Verbal part.In this attempt,I had set time-limit for every set of 9-10 questions.I also skipped 1-2 questions to keep myself within the time-limit.I have followed the same strategy in all GMATPREP tests and scored a minimum of 34.

Please suggest.
Thanks.

[varung79]

Dear Sameer,

Did you talk to your manager...shared your views?