alkinga wrote:
Good Afternoon,
I recently received my official score report and had a few questions.
730 Overall 96% (48 Quant 73%, 42 Verbal 96%) IR 5 53%, AWA 5.5 81%
First, the Integrated Reasoning portion was obviously my weakest section. From what I have read online it seems to be in its infancy and not yet a major factor in admissions decisions. Is this in fact the case? I plan to apply in a year (for classes to begin in the Fall of 2017), what are the chances that schools will start using IR scores within the next year and a half? Is there any need to retake the exam to improve my IR score to remain competitive for top schools? I can pinpoint a major error while taking the section so would hopefully be able to score better on a retake (I got hung up on one question for well over 5 minutes and then had to make blind guesses on the last 4 questions).
Also, Vertias Prep practice tests seemed to continually mention that schools would like you to have an even split between your Quant and Verbal scores. Will it be looked down upon that I scored low on my Quant section, even though my overall score is higher?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Alkinga
Hey Alkinga
Generally speaking, you want to score decent enough on the IR section so as not to draw negative attention to a low IR score.
You don't want the admissions committee to focus on a really low IR score of like 1 or 2 -- that shows lack of effort or ability.
That said, it's not that much more beneficial to have a perfect 8 versus a 6 or 7.
So ideally, you want to stay in the 4, 5, 6, or 7 range to efficiently get a score that is decent without putting a crazy amount of effort.
Now, with your IR score of 5 – that is decent and good enough. In addition, your 730 score is very high. So in your situation, I wouldn't worry about retaking the test for a higher IR score because you’re in the target zone.
In addition, I wouldn't worry about your quant score, because your overall score is very high.