650:disillusioned

[john1234]

I gave my GMAT last Saturday and i got a terrible score of 650 (Q48, V 30).

I could not believe it. The result seems surreal because i only got 630 in my first test on GMATPREP without preparation in May this year. So after intense preparation of 3 months, I could only get this silly score of 650.

TEST DAY
On test day, the AWA went well. I saw two questions I have prepared with few days later. The quantitative was awful. I was just getting Median and mean questions and some ratios and inequality. Also I got few questions on prime number, cube, and triangle. .I never saw weighted average,distance,Standard Deviation, range, absolute value, permutation and combination.

The verbal was nothing to write home about. On critical reasoning, I got 5 question on evaluate the argument, 2 question from complete the statement, 2 Strengthen and 2 assumption. No weaken question, No inference question (happened to be my strength). I thought I was doing fine when I was getting these type of questions but was stunned to get 30 on Verbal.

Sentence Correction was just of the same range as OG 11.

Reading comprehension was mixed. One passage about women’s discrimination history on salary, another about economy, two science passages.

Materials used

OG 10 AND 11
OG Verbal and Quantitative
Kaplan 800(never used the verbal section)
Critical Reasoning Bible
Princeton review 2007
Manhattan SC 2007

My preparation test score

GMATPREP 1 630(without preparation)
GMATPREP 1 720(Q 48,V 42)
GMATPREP 2 750(Q 50,V 43)
GMAT PREP 1 760(Q 49,V 43
GMAT PREP 2 770(Q 49,V 45)
GMAT PREP 1 750 (Q 49,V 44
GMAT PREP 2 770 (Q 50,V 46) two days before the test.

I was expecting to score 750 on the real test. I can’t figure out what really went wrong because I was calmed thought the exam. It appears the GMAC decided to make verbal unrepresentative of the GMATPREP because I never come across more than one or two EVALUATION question on the GMATPREP. I am sad and confused.
I really don’t know what to do next.

[wonder]

This is indeed sad john. But you still have time for apps. You always have an option of trying it out for a second time! But give it a month of prep because its very very important to see where and why exactly you went wrong! 770 in gmatprep means that you are capable of getting in 750 range in the actual gmat (that's what we all hear the experienced people saying!) So don't lose heart, just sit down, evaluate your mistakes and just attack the GMAT again!!!

[wonder]

This is indeed sad john. But you still have time for apps. You always have an option of trying it out for a second time! But give it a month of prep because its very very important to see where and why exactly you went wrong! 770 in gmatprep means that you are capable of getting in 750 range in the actual gmat (that's what we all hear the experienced people saying!) So don't lose heart, just sit down, evaluate your mistakes and just attack the GMAT again!!!

[john1234]

I just could not figure out what really went wrong.I have undergrad in Economics with 3.81 GPA and accelerated Master in Finance 4.0 GPA. I sat for GRE 3 years ago for MS in Finance and scored 1430 (Q 800, V 630,AWA 6.0). The verbal section of GMAT is not as difficult as that of GRE.
I am confused what went wrong.

[sumithshah]

Pardon me for asking, but how many repeats did you see in your Practice test 2, 3?

I've often noticed that upon a ( 1st time ) re install, it begins to ask me on an average 4-5 identical questions in each section - if you remembered the answers to these and quickly moved on to the next question, you actually gave yourself a lot of extra time ( ~ 8-10 minutes) on the exam. This can drastically alter you scores.

Stacy / Ron / Erin - comments pls

[john1234]

Yeah. you are right.I saw like 4 to 5 questions from the repeat test on Verbal. But quantitative was a bit different.GMATPREP does not have many questions on database for verbal section and if you have done both OG 10 and 11,including the supplement,you can see many repeat questions.

[sumithshah]

ah - so now you see that you basically gave yourself an extra 8-10 minutes
in the verbal section. On the real Gmat did you find yourself run out of time /pacing towards the end? If yes, then thats one reason.

Secondly, your high GMAT prep score might not be an accurate reflection of your verbal skills - essentially because you were simply answering questions that you knee the answer to - so a 750+ is not so hard.

AtIn, these are possible explanations - you could have just had a bad day. Dont loose heart, practice well for a month n give it again.

Thanks

[Stuart@KaplanGMAT]

Here's a semi-verbatim quote from GMAC itself:

"The GMAT will give an accurate representation of your score, within 30 points, 2/3 of the time."

In other words, 1/3 of the time the score you get on test day won't even be within 30 points of your "true" GMAT score (i.e. the score you "deserve" to get based on knowledge and test-taking skill).

Don't lose heart because of 1 bad score. Instead, think about what you could have done better and how you can ensure that next time you get the score that you need.

Here's something else to think about: when you wrote all those practice tests, did you do the AWA every time? In my experience, people with really big verbal swings from practice to test day often didn't do the AWA while practicing. Why is that relevant? Because there's a HUGE difference between starting the verbal section after 1h30min of intense focus and starting the verbal section after 2h45min of intense focus - and if you don't do the AWA on practice tests, you're not building the stamina you need for your real GMAT.

[codesnooker]

Hi Stuart,

Thanks for your post and sorry Jhon1234 for hijacking your post. Stuart, I got your point about 1/3 time theory.

My condition is somehow similar (may me even worse) as compare to Jhon. I had given my GMAT and scored 580 (50Q, 20V). The score was nearer to my GMAT Prep II (i.e. 530), so I don't mind. Secondly, what I feel that I was surely not prepared enough for the verbal. Though I was also not worst like I scored in real GMAT and another thing I was scoring much better in Kaplan tests (above 600 in all first three test).

That is my rough background. Of course like others I am also preparing again for GMAT.

My questions are:-

1. I had already run GMAT prep more than 7 times. So next time, if I would give the practice test, definitely I would get the same questions. Is there any alternative? As I told I had also given the KP tests.

2. I have seen most of the people lack in verbal (especially non-native speakers). Can you share some strategy with us, especially for the people who are going make second attempt because of verbal? I hope all second attempter know the basic though not master it, so I think we need a bit different strategy.

3. You and Ron are my idols and of course 800 scorers. I don't say that we all have equal brain, but I believe that we can train our brains as per the requirement. The only thing that we need the right direction. So you guys must be having some different pattern to look at the problems both in verbal and quantitative sections. Can you share some example with us (especially of Verbal)? I have already started searching your's and Ron's OLD posts in the verbal section and use to read it often. Fortunately in past two days I learned few new rules that I had missed earlier. But I would like some more information on the study strategy that you guys haven't shared with anyone yet.

4. During the preparation and also in the test, in verbal, I can easily eliminate the three wrong choices and most of time I struck between 2 remaining choices (1 correct and 1 wrong). Fortunately, I always pick wrong choice in such situation, no matter of whatever strategy I follow to eliminate the last choice. Yes, you read correctly I said Fortunately because if I would have picked the correct choice with the help luck in most of the questions, then may be I can clear GMAT last time but I would never able to learn proper English (at least of GMAT level). In short, I want to say I usually trapped in the GMAT verbal traps. How to identify the verbal traps?

Thanks for sharing the information and reading such a long post.

Other people can also share their views.

Thanks,
CodeSnooker

PS: I don't want to be lucky to clear the GMAT, I want to crack GMAT with my own efforts and with seniors' guidance.

[sumithshah]

As for your 1st problem - Buy the Manhattan Gmat test series - 6 exams believe - give each of them twice. Go through the explanations of correct and incorrect answers. You'll most definetly see an improvement.

[john1234]

Stuart,
Yeah. You are right.I NEVER practiced AWA at all on the GMATPREP.I believe this must have contributed immensely to decrease in my verbal score. Like you said,i will give the test again next month.Also,I have contacted Stanford about my GRE score,they told me that they do accept GRE in lieu of GMAT.So, i am gonna apply to Stanford with my GRE score and see what happens.

Thanks for your help.

In btw,what do you think about Kaplan 800 verbal section?

[mitesh23]

Hi everyone,

Could you please let me know how to run the GMAT prep more than once without getting repeat questions. Do you have to reinstall the software? Or you just erase the exams and start again?

My test is next week. So, you prompt response is greatlty appreciated.

Cheers,

Mitesh

[AbhishekGakhar]

Hi John,

I had exactly the same experience. After getting 700+ in all my GMATPREP, POWERPREP, Princetion, 800Score tests, I could manage only a 660 on G-Day. My Verbal got screwed. I don't even know what went wrong. I thought I did well on this section. My practice test scores wer always 38-42. In the GMAT Verbal I got only 34.

In the week before GMAT I scored 760 and 730 on the two GMATPREP tests. I was hoping to break 750 or atleast get 730.

When I started the Q section, I was horrified by the 1st question. It took me 10 mins due to nerves etc. and I still didn't get it right. After that I gathered myself. I thought 50-51 is out but 49 is still gettable. In the end I managed 47.

I thought with my Verbal I will manage 700. But the V got me. The 34 brought me down to 660. After intense preparation for 3 months I couldn't manage even the score I got after half of my preparation.

Anyway, I have bought a KAPLAN GMAT 800. I know Q is my strength and I cannot go below 47, which I scored when I freaked out and spent 10-12 mins on the 1st question which I got wrong. I need to focus on RC and CR. I think the crazy RCs got me. I always believed RC was easy. OG RC was nothing like the real thing.

Hopefully, I will be able to get my fair share this time. God help me and all those who work hard.