FAILED AGAIN! HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN TO GIVE UP!

Part of the GMAT that is ignored, often just because we do not think of it, is that the GMAT tests our ability to perform under pressure. We get 78 questions to answer in 150 minutes. Not a big deal, 2 minutes per question, right? But that only considers the "time" pressure. It doesn't consider the thoughts of "I just dropped $250 on this, I can't really afford to take it again. I have to get the right score this time!", "My entire future with an MBA in my career is riding on this! I have to rock this test!" "Oh no, I told my boss I was going to get my MBA, what if I get a bad score and he/she will know I didn't get a good enough score to get into an MBA program?"

We put way too much pressure on ourselves and I think you're doing that too. You could use a mantra to repeat to yourself prior to and during the test. This is what I use when I'm nervous. Whether it's appearing for oral argument (I'm an attorney), taking the bar exam, or taking the GMAT. I say to myself, "This is what all of my preparation is for. Now it's time to perform and set myself apart. I'm ready, lets do it."

For me, this takes the pressure off of me because I know what I've done to bring myself to that point of performance and what I can do nothing to help me out at that point other than PERFORM!!!!

I like to watch professional sports. Whether you're an NBA fan, NFL fan, soccer (football), or anything else. There are so many athletes that have the physical abilities to be the best. A guy I knew from college was drafted by the Detroit Tigers as a pitcher. He got his shot to pitch a few years ago when Kenny Rogers got hurt. He went 7 and a third and got the W for Detroit. He went back to the minors and was in spring training the next year to battle for a starting spot. He had a bad outing, went to the dugout, punched a wall, broke a small bone in his hand and has never had a shot since. He throws his fastball about 96 mph, has a curve that moves more than an elevator and is immensely talented. The difference between him and Kenny Rogers is the ability to perform under pressure. The pressure got to him and he couldn’t get it done.
I know you have the capability of performing and getting these questions right, you just need to get your mind in the right place where you can perform and not worry about it. I don’t know you well enough to give you any tips on how specifically to do that, but I do hope you find it. Once you are able to find it, then you’ll get an awesome score.

Never give up! Practice your mental endurance (try 2 CAT in one day) and maybe practice in a more stressful environment? Perhaps TV up or something.

This is actually really good advice. I am a personal trainer and when I am with a client and if they aren't able to make a certain repetition count but gave 100% they NEVER complain. If they didn't give 100% then I here complaints about something being too hard, they are tired, or anything else they dream up. Giving 100% eliminates all excuses and your best effort is exactly that and nothing less.

I say schedule a month or two where you can give 100% of your free time to the GMAT. Practice as best as you can and then take the test and leave it all on the field. If you give 100% I think any remaining questions you have lingering inside will be gone.

That really sucks. But I think you've come to the wrong forum for that. We generally don't seem to be a bunch of quitters, even if it may actually be better for us. My motto is to never give up. Never. Because when you do, you cease to exist. Just IMHO.

That probably wasn't what you were looking for, but that's how most of us prospective MBA applicants keep ourselves going.

So my advice to you is to NOT give up and KEEP AT IT. Someday you can achieve your goal. It just has to come from YOU. If you think positively, then it will be easier to come to a positive outcome....