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How to prep for retake?

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bcrew13
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How to prep for retake? [#permalink] New post   21 Nov 2015, 15:15
So I recently took the official GMAT and scored a lot lower than I desired. In my prep, using Manhattan and Veritas, I was averaging around 660-680 with ~45q ~37v. In my actual first attempt I got a 42q/29v and a 590. Now, I wanted to take it twice in order to see what the actual quant would be like so that I can prepare best for it, but the biggest difference I saw in my prep vs. official is the verbal. Even if I got my usual ~37 I would have at least gotten close to my average, but the questions seemed much more difficult. What's the best way to prep myself for my next attempt if I have 1 month? Also does a high(8) IR effect the next sections difficulty to start, as in, will the starting questions for quant be harder because of your high previous scores?

EDIT: Also because I was scared that I wouldn't be able to take the GMAT again before I need to turn in applications, I sent the scores, I regret that now, but how does that effect the chances of my acceptance in to a school even if I improve?
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EMPOWERgmatRichC
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Re: How to prep for retake? [#permalink] New post   21 Nov 2015, 16:21
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Hi bcrew13,

To start, Business Schools don't really care how many times you take the GMAT, so as long as you improve on your next 'reported' Score, then your applications should be fine. Each section of the GMAT is a 'stand-alone' section - your performance on one section has NO impact on any section that follows.

When these types of score drops occur, the two likely "causes" involve either something that was unrealistic during practice or something that was surprising (or not accounted for) on Test Day.

If you can answer a few questions, then we should be able to figure this out:

When you took your CATs:
1) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT (including the Essay and IR sections)?
2) Did you take them at home?
3) Did you take them at the same time of day as your Official GMAT?
4) Did you ever do ANYTHING during your CATs that you couldn't do on Test Day (pause the CAT, skip sections, take longer breaks, etc.)?
5) Did you ever take a CAT more than once?

It's possible that you just had a "bad day"; but if we can figure all of this out quickly, then you won't necessarily have to wait too long to retest.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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bcrew13
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Re: How to prep for retake? [#permalink] New post   21 Nov 2015, 16:33
1) I took 3 CAT all complete, but also 1 before that I did before studying at all to see where I was at, so 4 total
2) All at my local library quiet room
3) 2 of them I did, other one I couldn't due to my class schedule
4) Only in the pre-study one, the others I did not
5) Never the same CAT twice, 1 Veritas, 1 GMAT official, 1 MHGMAT

I think the problem with my verbal is I didn't study too hard because being between 34-37 would have been fine for my goal on my first try, but the material on the official GMAT seemed much harder than any of the 3 I took before hand.
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Re: How to prep for retake? [#permalink] New post   22 Nov 2015, 00:09
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Hi bcrew13,

From your prior post, there weren't any obvious 'red flags', so I have a few additional questions about the lead-up to Test Day and Test Day itself:

1) What did you do in the 3 days before your GMAT?
2) How did you sleep the night before your Test?
3) How long was the ride to the Test Center from your home?
4) Were there any distractions at the facility or during the Test?
5) What did you do during the two 8-minute breaks?
6) Did you finish any sections early?
7) Did you have to rush to finish any sections (and guess on questions just to finish on time)?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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bcrew13
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Re: How to prep for retake? [#permalink] New post   22 Nov 2015, 16:10
1)I took one of the CAT exams 2 days before, reviewed some of the basic, not extremely deep stuff. Though I definitely did feel a mental fatigue on me by the verbal section
2) Fairly well, 9 hours
3) This may have played a factor as it was an hour drive in a snow storm haha
4) No, very quiet, room to myself almost
5) Tried to clear my head and prepare myself for the next section
6) Verbal I finished early, but I had finished it early every time in my CAT exams too
7) I rushed Quant at the end, and missed the last questions due to that, which was an easy one.The first 3 I received in the quant section were strangely difficult, and took me ~3 min each, so I felt a little rushed in the beginning, verbal I cruised through, and thought I did well, but apparently not.
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Re: How to prep for retake? [#permalink]
22 Nov 2015, 16:10

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