A Hellish 710 (49 Q, 39 V)

I took the GMAT again late last month and thought I should debrief because it could help some in the future.

I finished up the AWA with little concern (I got a 5.0), and after a break, I began the Math section. Early on I had no idea of how I was doing, but then around question 20 I got the most simple question I had ever seen: it broke my heart. It was pretty much take the square root of two numbers and then add them. The next question did not seem extremely difficult either, so I felt like I was scraping the bottom of the question barrel. I finished the math section completely disheveled. I don't think I even saw a permutation or probability.

Coming out of the test for the break I felt terrible. I thought I had already killed my chances of getting a better score. I tried to get back in a good mindset, but couldn't. I entered the test again as a beaten man. I tried my best to answer each question right (I scored a 44 on each of my GMATPreps). However, at about question 25 I began to panic. Concerns about how I did on the math section were being overridden by my need to use the bathroom. After struggling through a few questions I realized I wasn't going to make it through the test, so I raised my hand and got out of the testing center as quick as I could (for those of you who have not taken the test, the test monitor has to come into the room sign you out, guide you out of the room, take your fingerprint and then the process is reversed to sign you back in).
At this point, I was seriously thinking of walking out and not finishing the test, but I had studied really hard and $250 is not chump change to me, so I struggled to the finish.

I clicked through the finishing pages as quickly as I could, not trying to think about how I may soon see a 660 or even lower. Then I got to the page and saw I scored a 710. I was completely relieved and did not care that I again did not quite reach my potential (a month earlier I scored a 690 (44 Q, 41 V).

I guess the take home is don't act like you know how well you are doing; you don't. The super easy question must have been an experimental question. It ruined my day (that and my bladder). Do your best throughout the test and don't ever cancel your score.

jfals
https://www.jaredmalan.com