So I took my first official exam in February without much in the way of preparation and scored a 520 (37Q 24V). This was a humbling experience, and really opened my eyes to just how tough the GMAT journey was going to be. To improve my score, I took the standard, in-person
Manhattan GMAT Course. Every week, I felt I was learning a lot and was making vast improvements. However, my score only somewhat reflected this progress, going from a 540 (37Q 28V) on the initial exam to reaching 650 (44Q 35V) in about 3 months, which I felt was a fluke. In mid-June, I thought it was time to test my aptitude once again on the real test. In the month leading up to the exam my scores were as follows:
Manhattan GMAT: 620 (40Q 35V)
Manhattan GMAT: 650 (44Q 35V)
GMAT Prep*: 650 (47Q 34V)
Manhattan GMAT: 620 (40Q 35V)
*I had seen two or three of the quant problems, but I did not remember the answers and therefore approached them as I did all others.
Although I get quite nervous, particularly in regards to standardized tests, I was supremely confident going into the exam. I thought my score would fall in between the 620 and 650 range, referencing my practice tests..I was ready!The day before the exam was somewhat rough at work, and I ended up staying almost until 7 o'clock. With my exam scheduled for 8 AM the next morning, I knew I had to be disciplined and pretty much wind down as soon as I got home. I ended up getting a good night's rest (around 7.5 hours) and woke up at 5:30 AM for the big day. Prior to the test, I did my normal practice routine, and got my Veinte Iced Coffe and croissant from Starbucks. In addition, I also got a banana and a parfait to eat during breaks.
It was about a half hour wait from when I stepped into the waiting-room-of-doom until I was actually seated for the exam. Although I was a bit anxious to start, I was noticeably less nervous than I thought I would be at that point. Once I began, everything went smoothly. I knocked out my essay and the IR pretty easily. During the break, I went to the bathroom, ate my banana, and did my normal 20 push ups (yes, I went into the hallway). Bring on the Quant!
Upon restarting, I breezed through the first half of the quant, and thought the exam questions were quite easy. There was one particular question which I just couldn't seem to let go, even though I was almost positive I answered it right. This somewhat took away from my focus, but I was able to gain it back and finish the section strong. At the conclusion of the section, I was indifferent about my performance. I didn't think I did great, but I also didn't think I bombed it. On this break, I ate my parfait, and did another 20 push-ups. It was time to power through my weak spot, the verbal section.
I started off the verbal section strong with a few sentence correction questions, and then got to my first RC passage. After I read through it, I knew I was in trouble. My brain just seemed to shut off. Not only was I mentally fatigued, but the words were starting to blend together. I tried everything to regain my focus, stretching a few times, closing my eyes briefly between questions, and taking deep breaths. Nothing seemed to work! I panicked through the last 25-30 questions, and ended up guessing the last two questions. As I took the post-exam survey, I was dreading the inevitable results. When I got to the final survey question, I took a deep breath and clicked NEXT.
What I saw was beyond disheartening. I received a 540 (39Q 26V). I stared at the screen for about a minute and a half in disbelief. In the last ten seconds, I decided to cancel my scores. Not only did I not want colleges to see this pitiful display of progress, I never wanted to see it again either.
After a few days to digest what happened, I am now more determined than ever. I know I am capable of reaching the 700 plateau, but just need some advice in getting there.
1) What can I do better?
2) Should I reinstate my score?
3) What would be the best resource to improve my verbal?
4) How should I approach my testing routine?
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16 Jun 2015, 15:35
