Hi,
I have give the exam three times and ended up with the following scores.
GMAT 1: 660 (Verbal - 32, 65 percentile) (Math - 49, 81 percentile) (IR - 6, AWA 5)
GMAT 2: 650 (Verbal - 35, 75 percentile) (Math - 45, 65 percentile) (IR - 7, AWA 5.5)
GMAT 3: 660 (Verbal - 30, 57 percentile) (Math - 50, 89 percentile) (IR - 7, AWA 5.5)
Now, overall there is a consistency as overall all my scores are in the mid 600's and my IR and AWA scores are consistent too. However I have not been able to be consistent in my verbal and math scoring. I am aiming for 700+ and i know that if i combine my best scores I can achieve that. However it baffles me that i have not been able to do so.
I am not too concerned with inconsistency with my Math score as in my second test I didn't focus on timing and the GMAT beat me on that. However I refocused on timing and ended up getting a good score on my third exam.
Verbal is a different story all together. I do understand that basic concepts and was able to improve my score from 1st to the 2nd exam. However i didnt expect to drop in the third exam. However the reality is different. I dont know what i should be doing or should not be doing to improve my verbal and be consistent in getting a decent verbal score. I am aiming for 35+ in verbal as i know i can get it.
I gave enough practice exams and scores pretty decent as well. I averaged around 690-710 - verbal (approximately 35-38) and math (approximately 49-50).
I really do not know what steps i should take next to score above 700. If i apply to top schools (i.e. top three business schools outside US), i think i have a 50% chance to get in. I have good work experience, 6+ years, in both public and private sectors, have done some extremely interesting projects at highest levels of the government, travelled with work across Asia, have good work references, speak three languages and come from a country (New Zealand) where not many people apply from. Also, I am confident in writing good essays and develop a good story.
Therefore I have few questions
- Should i apply to schools with the current GMAT score? My preferred schools are INSEAD and LBS
- Should i reset the GMAT to get 700+ score?
- How do these schools look at the variability in english and math scores? Will this impact my application?
- If i want to improve my verbal score and get consistency, can you please suggest whether i should be trying private tutoring or joining online courses such as
e-gmat. In New Zealand there are no classroom training as no one teaches GMAT here.
I am somewhat confused at this stage. I would really appreciate any feedback or advise.
Thanks
PK
PS: i have tried some online courses such as GMATPILL,
MAGOOSH and Manhattan. They have helped me however it seems like i have not understood the verbal concepts completely.