Retake advice

[kulsim]

Hi All

I would like some advice on how to best set up my study plan for re-taking GMAT.

I scored a disappointing for me 680 (47Q, 37V) and already registered to re-take the exam in 3 weeks with the goal of scoring 700+. Since my Q result is only in 67%, initially I figured to focus on improving my Q. I am relatively happy with my V result, especially considering that I am not a native speaker. However, having read through a few forums, I see that most of the 700+ results come from Q47-48 and high V. Is there a reason for this? Perhaps it would be more rewarding trying to improve my V result by a few points?

Any thought on this would be highly appreciated!

Thanks

[[email protected]]

Hi kulsim,

First off, a 680/Q47 is a great score (it's just shy of the 90th percentile overall), so you should apply to any Business Schools that interest you. With a 680, you're remarkably close to a 700+, so you could pick up those missing points in either the Quant or Verbal sections. That all having been said, you probably don't *need* to retake the GMAT (you just *want* to).

When are you planning to apply to Business School?
What Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

[kulsim]

Hi Rich

Thanks for this. I want to apply in R1 this fall, so effectively in 1.5-2 months. In R1 I am applying to HBS, Wharton and London Business School. I figured that my score is way below average in the first two and below average in LBS and, given the new cancelled score rules, I will not lose anything if I give GMAT another try.

I think that I was not on the top of my game during my last exam. Perhaps my biggest mistake was that I have not done any prep CATs. I just never found this much time to devote in one go and though that timed sets were a better idea. During my practice, I was able to solve most of the DS problems and a lot of PS problems from OG from the first try attempt. I was also managing the time really well, always being ahead. During the real exam, however, I was not able to concentrate and was behind time-wise at the end of both Q and V sections. I think that this was due to the lack of concentration and not being able to manage moving between scratchpad and monitor that well. Due to this, I figured that if I just take enough practice tests, analyse them properly and go through the problem areas, that should improve my result in Q. However, now seeing that a lot of 700+ people score Q47-48 and V40+, I am no longer sure whether this strategy would be effective? Any ideas for the alternative study plans?

Thanks!

[kulsim]

Hi Rich

Thanks for this. I want to apply in R1 this fall, so effectively in 1.5-2 months. In R1 I am applying to HBS, Wharton and London Business School. I figured that my score is way below average in the first two and below average in LBS and, given the new cancelled score rules, I will not lose anything if I give GMAT another try.

I think that I was not on the top of my game during my last exam. Perhaps my biggest mistake was that I have not done any prep CATs. I just never found this much time to devote in one go and though that timed sets were a better idea. During my practice, I was able to solve most of the DS problems and a lot of PS problems from OG from the first try attempt. I was also managing the time really well, always being ahead. During the real exam, however, I was not able to concentrate and was behind time-wise at the end of both Q and V sections. I think that this was due to the lack of concentration and not being able to manage moving between scratchpad and monitor that well. Due to this, I figured that if I just take enough practice tests, analyse them properly and go through the problem areas, that should improve my result in Q. However, now seeing that a lot of 700+ people score Q47-48 and V40+, I am no longer sure whether this strategy would be effective? Any ideas for the alternative study plans?

Thanks!

[kulsim]

By the way, I was also a bit surprised that my Q47 and V37 only gave me 680. I have seen a lot of people reporting 690 or even 700 with these results. Perhaps this is another reason why I figured, the 700s is not that far away for me

[[email protected]]

Hi kulsim,

You are correct - you have plenty of time to retest before the Round 1 deadlines, AND with GMAC's new cancellation policy, you have no fear of a lower result showing up on your score report.

You've also defined one of the 'weaknesses' in how you prepared for the GMAT. Taking FULL-LENGTH CATs at regular intervals is an essential part of the study process. By not doing that, you ran into some issues on Test Day that you were not properly prepared for: pacing and endurance. As you continue to study, you should plan to take 1 FULL CAT every 1-2 weeks. Once you've taken a couple of CATs, we can evaluate your overall study plan and talk through any adjustments that should be made.

In answer to your last question, GMAT scoring includes a slight 'curve' (which varies from year to year), so a set of Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores do not always lead to the same exact overall score.

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