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1st GMAT attempt -590 (Q36,V34) pretty discouraged- Need advice

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Jscheu91
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1st GMAT attempt -590 (Q36,V34) pretty discouraged- Need advice [#permalink] New post   04 Feb 2016, 13:36
Hi Everyone,

So I have not been too active on this site as far as interaction is concerned. I guess that needs to change...something needs to change after today.

I took my first shot at the GMAT today and received a disappointing score of 590 (Q36,V34) :| . I cannot even put into words how discouraged I am after putting in two months of hard work and coming up so short.

I started my GMAT journey in the middle of November. I began with a cold practice exam (free GMAT prep 1) to get an idea of where I stood and scored a 460 (Q24,V30)...that was a little disheartening. However, I knew that it was not about where I started, it was about where I finished.

I purchased my study materials which were- Full set of OG study materials, Kaplan's Math Workbook, MGMAT SC, and MGMAT Algebra.

In the beginning of my journey I was doing many problems, but I was not reviewing them to the depth I should have. I know that I was kind of half assing the review because I felt that if I did more problems then I would be exposed to a larger variety of questions and I would score better....my logic was not correct.

About a month ago, I changed my study method drastically. I created a daily to do list every morning before classes to focus on my weaknesses and I would review my incorrect questions on Practice exams, but dramatically decreased the number of new problems I was completing. My study for the last month pretty much went: Practice exam, review, review, redo incorrect problems, new practice exam. I felt it was working since there was an increase in my score.

My Mgmat scores went as followed
CAT 1: 500 (Q23, V35)
CAT 2: 480 (Q26, V31)
CAT 3: 590 (Q39, V32)
CAT 4: 590 (Q36, V34)
CAT 5: 620 (Q43, V32)
CAT 6: 640 (Q40, V37)

I also took two GMAT prep exams as my last two and scored the following on both:
640 (Q40, V37)

Now even though my practice scores were still subpar, I was confident that I could perform better under different circumstances. I also felt (strongly) that I have the ability to currently score in the 680 range.

Now this morning my exam was at 8:00am. I woke up at 6am and went for a quick 2 mile run. When I came back to the the hotel I briefly reviewed my error log and got ready to leave. I had a light breakfast and made my way to the testing center which was only a half mile away. I realized that when I walked in the door, I became very alert...does anyone else get this way when taking standardized tests? Anyway, I drank a 5 hour energy and signed in. When I sat down for the exam to begin my AWA I realized how nervous I became...then the 5 hour energy hit me and as I was typing my fingers were shaking. I finished the AWA with plenty of time. Then IR began and for some reason I got a question that stumped me and from there it felt downhill (I received a score of 5 on IR). I took a break after IR and exceeded my break time by 1 minute, then Quant concepts started to leave me, and I was receiving very easy questions. Long story short, I got the 590. I really expected around a 670-690 based on my comfort level...I do not know what happened. I know my practice exams did not hit a score that high, but I just had this feeling I was going to do better.

I NEED to retake, this already put a couple of programs out of reach due to deadlines...I just dont want to rush and get a lower score than needed. I also do not know how to approach this next round of studying to be as successful as possible. If anyone has any advice they could offer it would be greatly appreciated.

I am determined to beat the GMAT one way or another...it was very discouraging, but my failure will make the inevitable success that much sweeter.



-James Scheu
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Re: 1st GMAT attempt -590 (Q36,V34) pretty discouraged- Need advice [#permalink] New post   04 Feb 2016, 21:23
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Hi James,

To start, raising your score from a 460 to a 590 represents a solid improvement - so you shouldn't get too down on yourself. The information that you've provided in this post is important - much of it helps to point out why you weren't ready to hit your goal score YET.

To start, many Test Takers spend 3 months (or more) of consistent study time before they hit their peak scores. From what you describe, you really only started getting serious about all of this a month ago. This is meant to say that you have not put in enough time and effort yet to hit the 680+ level.

Many Test Takers who use a 'book-heavy' study approach get 'stuck' at a particular score level, and that's also likely a factor in your recent performances (on the Official GMAT and on your last few CATs). As different as these scores may appear, they're actually fairly close to one another, meaning that you do certain things consistently well, but you certain consistent mistakes.

From what you described, it sounds like you spent a night in a hotel before your Exam. Why did you do that? Was the Testing Center not close to your home?

When you took your CATs:
1) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT (including the Essay and IR sections)?
2) Did you take them at home?
3) Did you take them at the same time of day as your Official GMAT?
4) Did you ever do ANYTHING during your CATs that you couldn't do on Test Day (pause the CAT, skip sections, take longer breaks, etc.)?
5) Did you ever take a CAT more than once?

Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Test, so you CAN train to score at a higher level. You'll need to learn/practice some new Tactics and you'll likely need to invest in some new, non-book practice materials.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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Re: 1st GMAT attempt -590 (Q36,V34) pretty discouraged- Need advice [#permalink] New post   04 Feb 2016, 22:24
My testing center had very few slots that were not at 8am and I'm never up that early so I chose the noon slot even if I had to wait a bit for it. Are you a morning person? Do you normal take a 5 hour energy before doing your cats? Also when you say you felt the quant concepts leaving you, that sounds more like you weren't prepared and expected to do well due to serendipity. The same as when you say you just knew you would do better.

Now based on your test scores, I don't think a 600 or 680 would be unreasonable, particularly as they are pretty consistent. Are you sure there weren't many repeat questions, etc? Honestly I think based on your test scores, if they're an accurate representation, maybe you should rewrite sooner rather than later.
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Re: 1st GMAT attempt -590 (Q36,V34) pretty discouraged- Need advice [#permalink] New post   05 Feb 2016, 11:57
EMPOWERgmatRichC wrote:
Hi James,

To start, raising your score from a 460 to a 590 represents a solid improvement - so you shouldn't get too down on yourself. The information that you've provided in this post is important - much of it helps to point out why you weren't ready to hit your goal score YET.

To start, many Test Takers spend 3 months (or more) of consistent study time before they hit their peak scores. From what you describe, you really only started getting serious about all of this a month ago. This is meant to say that you have not put in enough time and effort yet to hit the 680+ level.

Many Test Takers who use a 'book-heavy' study approach get 'stuck' at a particular score level, and that's also likely a factor in your recent performances (on the Official GMAT and on your last few CATs). As different as these scores may appear, they're actually fairly close to one another, meaning that you do certain things consistently well, but you certain consistent mistakes.

From what you described, it sounds like you spent a night in a hotel before your Exam. Why did you do that? Was the Testing Center not close to your home?

When you took your CATs:
1) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT (including the Essay and IR sections)?
2) Did you take them at home?
3) Did you take them at the same time of day as your Official GMAT?
4) Did you ever do ANYTHING during your CATs that you couldn't do on Test Day (pause the CAT, skip sections, take longer breaks, etc.)?
5) Did you ever take a CAT more than once?

Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Test, so you CAN train to score at a higher level. You'll need to learn/practice some new Tactics and you'll likely need to invest in some new, non-book practice materials.

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


Rich,

Thank you for your reply. I know I should feel good about the jump, but a 180 jump with the possibility of a 230 felt so much better :| .Should I ditch the book heavy approach and try something completely different or a mix of the two? I am not sure how to proceed from this point on because during my last 5 days or so it felt like I was just going through the motions and not making any more progress.

I stayed in a hotel the night before my exam because the exam was at 8am and if I wanted to make it from my house to the exam site it would have taken an 1.25 hours even though the center is only 16 miles away. I felt it would take some of the pressure of the exam off.

To answer your questions..
1.) I took the entire CAT except for the 3rd one
2.) I did take all of the CAT's at home
3.) I originally had an 11am scheduled and moved the date back by 15 days so I did not take any CAT's at 8am...all at 11am (even after I switched the exam)
4.) Everything I did during the exam followed normal procedure for the exam
5.) I did not take any of the CAT's more than once, I reset the MGMAT CAT's but did not take any of them.


-James Scheu
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Re: 1st GMAT attempt -590 (Q36,V34) pretty discouraged- Need advice [#permalink] New post   05 Feb 2016, 12:04
WayneHam wrote:
My testing center had very few slots that were not at 8am and I'm never up that early so I chose the noon slot even if I had to wait a bit for it. Are you a morning person? Do you normal take a 5 hour energy before doing your cats? Also when you say you felt the quant concepts leaving you, that sounds more like you weren't prepared and expected to do well due to serendipity. The same as when you say you just knew you would do better.

Now based on your test scores, I don't think a 600 or 680 would be unreasonable, particularly as they are pretty consistent. Are you sure there weren't many repeat questions, etc? Honestly I think based on your test scores, if they're an accurate representation, maybe you should rewrite sooner rather than later.


The thing is I am a morning person so I thought I would be fine...however, as I mentioned just now to Rich, I never took a practice at 8am. That was the first time I have taken a 5 hour energy during. The most I did during a CAT was a cup of coffee. I found that some CATs I would be exhausted toward the end at home...at the end of the GMAT there was no way I was sleeping. It was a combination of concepts leaving me in some areas, I guess a lack of thorough understanding so that I could pick out when to use certain formulas etc. , and the inability to focus at all since my thoughts were racing so fast.

As far as the tests, I did not get a single repeat question when it came to verbal or quant...the only thing I did not like about the free GMAT preps is the integrated reasoning stayed the same for the second exam so that section I had previously seen which took a little off the top pressure wise.

I am thinking of rewriting the exam on March 4th...this would give time for prep and keep my window open for programs I am applying to. Do you think this would be too soon or too long?

-James Scheu
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Re: 1st GMAT attempt -590 (Q36,V34) pretty discouraged- Need advice [#permalink] New post   05 Feb 2016, 17:51
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Hi James,

The extra information that you've provided is quite useful, as it helps to define some things that factored into your performance on Test Day. In real basic terms, you took your CATs in such a way that you were NOT properly training to face the Official GMAT - so you were not ready to face it on Test Day (not either time).

Test Day is a rather specific 'event' - the details are specific and they matter, so you have to train as best as you can for all of them. The more realistic you can make your CATs, the more likely the score results are to be accurate. The more you deviate, the more "inflated" your scores can become - and that's what happened here. By taking the CATs at home, taking them at a different time of day, etc., you weren't properly training for the FULL GMAT 'experience.' In addition, by spending the night in a 'strange' location, you slept in a strange bed and took yourself out of your normal morning routine - THAT types of last-minute changes can significantly impact your performance on Test Day.

Thankfully, this is a relatively easy set of problems to fix. The big question now is "how long will it take you to properly get 'used to' taking the full GMAT in a way that properly mirrors Test Day?" You'll certainly need a new set of practice CATs to work with and you have to put in the necessary time to train your brain (and body) for the FULL GMAT. While you can certainly 'mix in' some bookwork during this next phrase of studying, your emphasis should be on properly using the non-book resources and learning/practicing new Tactics.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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1st GMAT attempt -590 (Q36,V34) pretty discouraged- Need advice [#permalink] New post   06 Feb 2016, 08:36
EMPOWERgmatRichC wrote:
Hi James,

The extra information that you've provided is quite useful, as it helps to define some things that factored into your performance on Test Day. In real basic terms, you took your CATs in such a way that you were NOT properly training to face the Official GMAT - so you were not ready to face it on Test Day (not either time).

Test Day is a rather specific 'event' - the details are specific and they matter, so you have to train as best as you can for all of them. The more realistic you can make your CATs, the more likely the score results are to be accurate. The more you deviate, the more "inflated" your scores can become - and that's what happened here. By taking the CATs at home, taking them at a different time of day, etc., you weren't properly training for the FULL GMAT 'experience.' In addition, by spending the night in a 'strange' location, you slept in a strange bed and took yourself out of your normal morning routine - THAT types of last-minute changes can significantly impact your performance on Test Day.

Thankfully, this is a relatively easy set of problems to fix. The big question now is "how long will it take you to properly get 'used to' taking the full GMAT in a way that properly mirrors Test Day?" You'll certainly need a new set of practice CATs to work with and you have to put in the necessary time to train your brain (and body) for the FULL GMAT. While you can certainly 'mix in' some bookwork during this next phrase of studying, your emphasis should be on properly using the non-book resources and learning/practicing new Tactics.

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


Where would you recommend that I take future CATs? And what other exams are decent indicators of GMAT success given their algorithm? I am only aware of GMAT Prep, MGMAT, and Kaplan CAT's. Also, I am making a spreadsheet for my schedule broken down into two hour increments this next month so I can make an effective study/sleep/class/work schedule. I want to register for a March 12th exam. So my new gameplan will consist of

1.) Book study twice weekly primarily for review on SC and algebraic concepts
2.) Signing up for a website that will offer additional tools when it comes to gmat strategy and concepts since my strategy is not too great
3.) Taking one CAT weekly and reviewing the CAT same day instead of next day
4.) Focusing my studies (through online tools and apps while out and about) on 700+ level SC and CR as well as quant.

Does this seem like it could be effective?

-James Scheu
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Re: 1st GMAT attempt -590 (Q36,V34) pretty discouraged- Need advice [#permalink] New post   07 Feb 2016, 12:12
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Hi James,

For your next GMAT, if you plan to spend the night at a hotel, sleeping in a strange bed, etc. then you have to train yourself to better handle that type of 'stress' when you take your CATs (so sleeping in a strange location, etc. are details that you'll have to account for). Personally, I would rather you stay at home and just deal with the commute to the Testing Center - in that way, you can stick with your normal routines and not have to deal with any 'surprises' the night before (or the day of) your Exam. As to where you might take your CATs, you might try a public library, University campus or Business Office.

With a March 12th Test Date, you have about 5 weeks to study, so you have to be really efficient with that time. Given your Official Score result, you could potentially find all of the 'missing points' that you're looking for in the Quant section; otherwise, you'll have to make improvements to how you handle BOTH the Quant and Verbal sections.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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Re: 1st GMAT attempt -590 (Q36,V34) pretty discouraged- Need advice [#permalink] New post   08 Feb 2016, 18:58
EMPOWERgmatRichC wrote:
Hi James,

For your next GMAT, if you plan to spend the night at a hotel, sleeping in a strange bed, etc. then you have to train yourself to better handle that type of 'stress' when you take your CATs (so sleeping in a strange location, etc. are details that you'll have to account for). Personally, I would rather you stay at home and just deal with the commute to the Testing Center - in that way, you can stick with your normal routines and not have to deal with any 'surprises' the night before (or the day of) your Exam. As to where you might take your CATs, you might try a public library, University campus or Business Office.

With a March 12th Test Date, you have about 5 weeks to study, so you have to be really efficient with that time. Given your Official Score result, you could potentially find all of the 'missing points' that you're looking for in the Quant section; otherwise, you'll have to make improvements to how you handle BOTH the Quant and Verbal sections.

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


Rich,

So I signed up for EmpowerGmat. I have a few questions regarding the one month study plan and how I could cater it more effectively to my needs. Primarily, which CATs to take throughout the prep time given that I have already taken the free Gmat CATs and the six Mgmat CATs. I do also have some concern about the time dedicated for the one month study plan. I am not sure if you would like to PM me rather than discuss the matter over my post feel free. I really appreciate your advice up to this point and sorry about the question overload! Lol.

-James Scheu
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Re: 1st GMAT attempt -590 (Q36,V34) pretty discouraged- Need advice [#permalink] New post   09 Feb 2016, 00:35
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Hi James,

I've PM'd you with some specific suggestions.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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Re: 1st GMAT attempt -590 (Q36,V34) pretty discouraged- Need advice [#permalink]
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