WARNING: Very long post. Just took my exam today and essentially bombed it by scoring a 640 (Q40 V38). I can't even describe how awful I feel currently but figured I would write a quick debrief when it is fresh on my mind so here it goes:
Took the 9 week
MGMAT course in person beginning in mid March.
Work anywhere from 8-13 hour days so I tried to study some each night and then would do the majority of my studying on the weekends (also English speaker born in US).
I read all of the
MGMAT books, did a good portion of the OG12 problems and kept track in
OG archer (through
MGMAT).
Took all 6
MGMAT CATs spread over my entire studying time frame. The last 4 were actually after I learned the fundamentals: and ALL were under official testing conditions
MGMAT 3 680 (Q43 V39)
MGMAT 4 680 (Q45 V36)
MGMAT 5 670 (Q46 V36)
MGMAT 6 680 (Q43 V39)
I took the last
MGMAT about 3 weeks before my actual exam.
In the past few weeks, I had been reviewing problems I missed on exams and OG12 (via
error log). In addition, I had started going through parts of this great forum. I knew my weak areas (so I thought) and had attacked them from the time of my last practice test.
I did not do any GMATPrep until the last week (in which the software froze mid way through Quant) so I tried to remember the ones I guessed on and search these forums (turns out I had guessed right more often than not).
Actual Test Day experience:
Had everything planned out. The night before I had jitters but still managed to get 8 plus hours sleep. Woke up with a calmness and ready to do it after all my prep. Get to test center (which I had visited). no surprises.
AWA: Remembered my templates and struggled to get some of it out onto the screen but feel like I did well enough for 4 or better.
IR: This section I was very concerned with after not really preparing at all. I had not breached a 4.5 on any of the 3 tests I completed with IR. However, when IR started, I felt dialed in. I literally feel like I had a decent shot at all the questions so needless to say I felt confident.
At break, I went to restroom cleared my head and told myself it was time for the real thing (chugged redbull and had bite of snickers).
Felt no shortage of energy in quant. The first four or so I felt pretty good. At that point, it is kind of a blur to be honest. I mean if I started to get some that I felt were out of my range, I would guess. I stayed pretty much on track in terms of timing as I went along. There were a few problems that I felt I knew how to do (i.e. square root, etc that I couldnt get to answer to) so I may have spent too much time on these. As I approached the last few questions, I had the time to do them but I couldnt get to an answer quickly. But, in the end, I felt like I guessed at at least half of the questions. I think it was a solid mixture of timing problems and just not being able to get to the answer (i guess a lack of fundamentals). Even with this guessing, it didn't seem to me that I was getting hit with what is 2+2 questions, I thought they were of 600-700 level difficulty.
Took my break and repeated the steps above. Didn't feel great with quant but figured maybe it was hard bc I did well.
anyway, i hit verbal section running. felt that I was doing better than I had in all my practice tests. then I hit about question 22 and felt the urge to pee (sorry if TMI). It stayed with me throughout the rest of verbal and kind of gave me a rushed feeling but I dont think it affected my score really. That being said, there were Id say 1 RC question, 4-5 CR questions, and 3-4 SC questions in which I spent too much time on. This kind of made the end a little rushed as well (for the last 2 questions Id say I had about 30 seconds for). So probably equivalent to guessing on last 3-4 questions. All in all, felt that I probably hit within my range (which I did).
Asked to report my scores and didn't really think twice about it. I figured I probably scored in the 660-680 range and heck maybe could have been surprised (like some others have mentioned) and scored above 700. Then I see the 640. Literally a grown man that had to fight back tears.
I don't even know what to do at this point. I know it is a fresh wound so I may be talking a little extreme but I really don't have any motivation or faith that I can raise my score if I were to take it a second time. I thought I had the fundamentals down but obviously I didn't which was made exponentially worse by timing. Even if I study longer, I feel defeated with this score. I gave it my best shot and failed. I literally dont want to look at any study materials ever again.
Any advice to get me out of this mindset? should I take a week off and then study until I am hitting 700 level on tests and then schedule the test? Should I do more GMATPrep? Ive reread the
MGMAt books about 3 times so should I get a tutor for fundamentals?
sorry for long post.