got beatten. 680. need advice

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got beatten. 680. need advice

by djkvakin » Sat Mar 06, 2010 9:39 pm
So I took GMAT again today and got 680(V40 Q43). My last attempt 2 months ago was 670. In between I studied sentence correction from MGMAT, Kaplan 800, questions on this forum, and took 3 additional MGMAT CATs and 2 practice test from GMAC. In my MGMATS I scored 700 in all 3, and for GMAT practice tests I scored 730 and 740 in the week prior to the test. I only saw 2-3 repeat questions from the previous 2 attempts prior to my first test, and therefore was really confident in my ability to score over 700 on the real test.
I already applied to Darden for 2010, and had my interview, and now I am just waiting for the decision on March, 26th.
Given my practice scores, should I retake it again? I need a higher score because the internships I plan to apply for (granted I get in) require scores above 700. A score above 700 will also help me compete for scholarships, and possibly improve my chances if I get waitlisted.
Now should I take a mental break for a week, and take the test again in a month? I just want to try to avoid becoming a designated GMAT test taker, and hope to one day put this behind me...
Any advice is appreciated.
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by Sophia007 » Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:51 am
Take a break and take the test again. Continue practicing from Kaplan 800 if you want to score over 700. Keep a practice log to see where are you going wrong and what kind of questions are you doing incorrectly. That will help you bump your over all scores. Don't just blindly take the test.

You may download "awesome error log" if you don't have a template to work with already. This is a good log and you can customize it / change it per your needs.

https://gmatclub.com/forum/competition-f ... 2-100.html

Good Luck.
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by Sean McNeil » Tue Mar 23, 2010 11:30 am
Hi djkvakin,

It definitely won't hurt you to take the test again (other than a little added stress). For most schools, you won't have a red flag until you've take the GMAT more than three times.

It does seem that you need a slight change in your approach, perhaps diversifying your materials will help. I notice you don't mention using the Official Guide to the GMAT. You should pick that up and maybe the Quantitative and Verbal books too.

If you haven't done so, you should also check out the resources on this website. This is a great place to get started:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/how-to-g ... n-the-gmat

Best of luck!

-Sean
Sean McNeil
Marketing and Outreach
The Princeton Review