GMAT Results: 650 (Q41 - V39) - Keep Going?

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Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
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Joined: Wed May 02, 2012 11:14 am
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GMAT Score:650
I have been following Beat the GMAT since I started studying 2 months ago. Though this is my first post, I will say that the site has managed to answer or clarify a lot of my questions. I was also able to modify some of my study techniques based on the previous Beat the GMAT posts. With that being said, I'd like to share my experience with everyone.

I finished the day with a 650 - 41 in Quant and 39 in Verbal. I was very happy with my Verbal score, but somewhat disappointed with the Quant given how much extra effort I put in during the past several weeks. I would say that overall I spent 75% of my time studying Quant and 25% on Verbal. The exam seemed to focus on questions relating to number properties; essentially providing me with far less actual computation than I anticipated or experienced in the CAT simulations.

My GMAT efforts began on 3/14/2012 when I took a diagnostic test. My score was far less than I hoped for (510), but understandably so, given that I haven't seen most of this material in over 10 years. I graduated college 5 years ago and have worked for various MNCs internationally since 2006. I plan to do my MBA in the next few years and wanted to get the GMAT out of the way sooner than later. After the diagnostic, I took 2 weeks off then began studying. Looking back, I probably averaged 3-5 hours per day during the week and 8 hours per day on the weekends with a full day break about every 10 days.

I enrolled in the Kaplan GMAT Anywhere and began going through all their tutorials as though I was seeing all the material for the first time. Their videos were very informative and helpful for building a solid foundation. The program seems ideal for anyone that aspires to get close to the 600 range. To get beyond this, you'll need to work from additional resources. I have heard the Kaplan Advanced course covers the additional concepts, but I haven't looked into the details of that course or know anyone that has taken it.

The second CAT that I completed was the Manhattan GMAT free exam. I scored a 630 and thought that I was making significant progress in hardly any time at all. The following Kaplan CATs yielded more realistic results and showed corresponding increases to the amount of time I spent studying. I found MGMAT to have some good material, but I do question their scoring methodology given the abnormally high score I received on my CAT. Here is a summary of the subsequent CATs and dates administered:

CAT 1 - 3/14/2012 - 510 (Kaplan)
CAT 2 - 5/02/2012 - 630 (MGMAT)
CAT 3 - 5/07/2012 - 570 (Kaplan)
CAT 4 - 5/13/2012 - 590 (Kaplan)
CAT 5 - 5/22/2012 - 600 (Kaplan)
CAT 6 - 5/23/2012 - 610 (Kaplan)
CAT 7 - 5/25/2012 - 610 (Kaplan)
Official - 5/30/2012 - 650

Materials used:
-Kaplan GMAT Anywhere course book
-Kaplan GMAT Math Workbook (good for refreshing core concepts)
-OG 12 (All problems for every section except RC)
-MGMAT 5th edition (purchased mid-May to reinforce or elaborate on weak concepts; very helpful)
-Beat the GMAT forums
-Various free online content that provided fresh questions, tips, or techniques

My question to the group is whether or not you think that it is worthwhile to pursue a higher score. I'm interested in attending INSEAD or London Business School and know that my score is within range, but notably lower than the average at each school. My undergrad GPA was good and I have a decent amount of international work experience. Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

As a final take-away, based on my experience I would say that it is possible to achieve your target score if enough effort is put into it. My initial goal was to score between 650 and 720. Albeit, I hit the low end of the range, I still made it and am happy with the results. More time to study would have afforded the ability to reinforce some of the concepts that I struggled with during the actual exam. I also think that taking breaks, sometimes for even a few days, will pay dividends in the long run. I set myself up with a consolidated schedule with the understanding that I wouldn't be able to master every topic. The wide array of information tested on the exam doesn't make it easy for anyone to learn the concepts overnight. It's beneficial to get a feel for where you stand overall, identify areas of weakness, drill-down into each of them until you reach a level you are satisfied with, then repeat. Also, the CAT simulations really help out with learning time management and showing where you truly need to focus your efforts. A word of caution (at least from my experience) is that the CATs will exhaust you mentally if you do them in the same manner as the actual exam. After taking the exam and reviewing the missed questions, I was at my limit for successful studying for the day. Anything beyond that did not have any value added.

Overall the GMAT experience was beneficial, not only for getting one step closer to B-school, but also for that fact that it helped to improve my study techniques and re-learn all the information I should have known from years ago! Good luck to everyone.
-M

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by Jim@StratusPrep » Thu May 31, 2012 7:45 am
Congrats on getting to your goal. As there are many details that go into an application, here is one piece of advice:

If you have not done exceptional things like start a company, foundation, or had very rare experiences, you should look to have your GMAT score be above the schools average. You have to even things out.

Good luck.
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by AbhiJ » Thu May 31, 2012 10:06 pm
LBS is a Finance centric school and put weightage into your quant score.

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GMAT Score:650

by Danishka16 » Sat Jun 02, 2012 7:17 am
Thanks for the feedback and the tips. I know there is plenty of room for improvement in my Quant score. I plan to work on those concepts and possibly re-take the exam within the next year.
-M