Inconsistency with my GMAT score
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28 Dec 2015, 18:54
Hello all,
I attempted the actual test for the first time about a week ago; I got a 620 (AWA: 6, IR: 7, Q: 45, V:31). Prior to this actual test, my highest score was 650 (I got that 3 times with 2 Kaplan and 1 Princeton CATs). I am hoping to bring up my score to at least a 680 in order to get into the b-schools that I am applying to (one of them say they would like to see a 650 and up, so I am guessing just 650 is not going to cut it as this is going to be my second attempt). My second attempt is on 1/11/2016.
Throughout the last few days, I have done multiple CATs (provided by 800score - it feels like their tests are fairly close to the actual ones, but if anyone has experience with this site, please feel free to share), the following are my scores:
Day 1 - 680 (Q: 50, V: 31)
Day 2 - 640 (Q: 45, V: 33)
Day 3 - 620 (Q: 50, V: 23)
How I have been studying is to write the full test (including AWA and IR), spend 2 hours or more to look at the questions that I got wrong, and than take another test the next day. My biggest issue is my timing, I tried to push myself to not stimulate a question for too long, but I still spent too much time from question 11 to 25 (both quants and verbal). The 1 good sign is that I do see myself improving with my SC which I consider as my weakest among all the question types. The following are my questions:
1. What else can I do to improve my timing? Even I tried to "push" it, i still have to guess 5+ questions towards the end of each section. I also tried to "think quicker" with some of the quants question but I felt like I will make more mistakes (I guess I just need more practices to make it my second-nature?). Just FYI, out of all the CATs that I have done, I have to guess at least 4 to 5 questions on each section (I guessed the last 7 or 8 questions on each section of my first attempt), so timing is definitely my biggest challenge.
2. I have roughly 2 weeks left before my next test, but technically I only have 6 to 7 full days left as I have a 9 to 5 job. How should I plan for my studying during the rest of the full days? Do more CATs? And how should I spend the off times on my working days?
3. What other brands I can go with that is close enough to the actual test? I have done all Kaplan, Princeton, the official GMAT prep CATs; and I heard that Manhattan is 30% to 40% harder than the actual test, so I don't want to beat up myself even more given my depressing results from the last few CATs.
4. Does my performance with one section impact the others? On my first attempt, I felt like the first 8 quants question were relatively complex (on all the mock CATs that I took, the first 10 questions always have medium difficulty); after looking at my IR score, I wonder if the difficulty of the quants question has something to do with my IR performance. If that's the case, should I just have an "average" IR performance on purpose in order to ensure my first 10 questions for quants are not too difficult (apparently the first 10 are more important)?
I appreciate everyone who has the patience to read through this super-long thread; any answers and experience-sharing will be really helpful.
Thank you,
P.K.A.