Hi All,
I have taken GMAT twice in the past 4 months and my third one is in exactly three weeks and I would really appreciate your thoughts on how to improve my score, given that my Veritas scores have been quite strong recently. So here is the situation:
Before the first exam:
GMATprep1: 690 (Q49, V36)
GMATprep2: 710 (Q49, V38)
GMATprep3: 740 (Q50, V40)
GMATprep4: 750 (Q50, V41)
First Actual Take in Early December: 690 (Q49, V34)
Took a bunch of
MGMAT: all around 680-710
Second GMAT take on early Jan: 710 (Q50, V36)
I have taken 2 Veritas prep over the past two weeks:
1- 750 (Q51,V42)
2- 760 (Q51,V43)
I am now confident that I can score 50-51 on quant, but my Verbal varies significantly from test to test...and my actual verbal scores are the lowest in any exam i have ever taken! (even MGMT)
I also have to say that I was under a lot pressure during the first test and made many strategic mistakes (not sleeping enough, bad food etc.). during the second exam, take fire alarm went off (near the end of quant) and we had to leave the building for around 20-30 minutes! they added the time back though.
My main problem here is that my verbal score is consistently lower than any prep test, and I really need to know what to expect from my real score! I am confident that i can score 50-51 in my quant, but its the bloody verbal that keeps my score down! Do you think my latest veritas CATs are a good reflection of my verbal? and what else can i do over the next three weeks to improve it!
Thank you
M
Your verbal score is much more affected by your state of mind than your Quant score. Your comprehension suffers a lot when you are anxious. Therefore, it is harder to get an accurate reading on Verbal scores. Also, it depends a lot more on your areas of interest. Say, if in the beginning of the test, you get an RC on Archaeology - your passion, you will run through it and answer all the questions within 3-4 mins. This boosts your confidence and gives you extra time so you stick to your plan and move ahead accordingly. On the other hand, say you get an RC on Economics of exactly the same difficulty level. You don't get Economics, spend 8 mins answering the questions and this disrupts the rest of the section for you. Your score in the two tests could be very different.
That is the treason you are suggested to read as much as possible and from various different topics. Also, if you take more practice tests, you are likely to come across both kind of situations and would know how to handle them in the actual test. Mind you - it is important to stick to the plan and not get ruffled by a setback. If you do that, you should be able to score close to your practice test scores.