Hey there....
I took the GMAT for the first time and scored 650 (Q47, V34).
I hope you can learn something from my experience, since this board has been very helpful for me.
English is not my native language and my practice scores were the following:
Kaplan - 610,600,580 (on two of them i got Q50)
Arco 1-5 - 670-690 (Usually about 2,3 mistakes in Q)
PP1,PP2 - 740 (Q50)
ETS paper tests - 670,670,690
PP was not representative because i rememberd a few questions from the
OG, which i covered fully keeping an
error log.
The test experience:
The test center was very quiet so i have no complaints.
I was really nervous a day before, but somehow i mangaged to contol myself and calm down when i got to the test center.
AWA was ok, and i even remembered the issue topic from the list in
OG.
After taking the first brake, I understood that the test does not continue unless you confirm that you're ready.
First section - Quantitative
started with two easy questions and then the level just jumped and very difficult questions were appearing. The level of those questions was above anything i practiced but i knew that those qustions are important so i invested the time and i am sure that my 8 first questions are correct.
On question number 9 i took my first guess. It was the first time that i didn't know how to solve a question!
The level remained high and i got 3-4 combination and probability questions so i though that i was doing ok. Overall i took about 4 guesses on this section, and i was able to complete it on time. The combination and probability questions were really easy. Don't waste your time practicing on those if you already understand their concepts.
The qustions that i was forced to guess on involved strange equations. I never saw these kinds of questions before. I also had to guess on a geometry question that i knew how to solve but would take more than 5 minutes to solve. I could not believe it !
Word problems were easy and after the 15th question the rest of the questions got easier.
Verbal
Was much more difficult than the verbal secotion on PP.
In the 20 first questions i had 2 RC and the rest SC. I knew that those first qustions are important so i didn't hurry while i was answering them . I think it was a mistake, because then i realised that I had less than 30 minutes remaining for the other half of the section, which contained mostly CR's and two more RC.
CR's were very long but manageable if you have the time to read them.
I had to guess a full RC and a few more CR's in the end.
When the test was over, a knew that i was not doing well on verbal but i was much more dissppointed with the final score of 47Q. I never got less than 48 on practice.
Anyway, it seems that i would have to take the test again since i'm aiming for the top schools.
If you have some advice about how to practice for the next test, i would love to hear it.
I have no idea how to better prepare for the Q, but i am sure i can improve in verbal. I have to be much faster next time..
I am aiming for a 700. Is it possibole to achieve this by next month ?
If you have any questions i am here.
close
24 Jun 2004, 07:40
