Seeking advice: Aiming for a 710 on 7-10
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01 Jul 2008, 05:49
Quick history: I have studied for the GMAT for 2 months. I spent the first month using the Kaplan study guide. Eventually I started taking practice tests and browsing different forums. Below are my test results and reactions to the tests.
1. Kaplan written test: 690
This was an easy test to take, not too stressful. I did much better on the verbal than I expected and worse on the quant as I was a mathmatics undergrad.
2. Kaplan online test: 670
Test felt similar to the written even though it was supposed to be adaptive. Studied a bunch and took a step back, was frustrated, but knew that this was probably withing the +/- that my score would vary
3. mba.com GMATprep test A: 700
This was such a shockingly hard test to take. I felt like I was getting my butt kicked. I got 15 quant wrong and 10 verbal wrong. It was a wake-up call to what the test would actually feel like. I spent WAAAAY to much time on the early quant problems which killed me in the end of the quant b/c with <1 min per problem for the last 20 Sad
4. mba.com GMATprep test B: 710
Same experience as above. I did not have a good strategy to speed up on the early math problems. 15 quant wrong and 7 verbal wrong. What the heck am I doing getting in the 97th percentile in verbal and the 83rd in quant anyway Sad
5. Princeton review online test: 570
I seriously almost cried after this experience. I still can't explain fully what actually happened, but I just pray it does not happen again on the test day.
6. Old MBA.com prep test A (forget the name): 690
Right back to my original score. 83rd percentile in math and 93rd in verbal. I felt like I paced my mathematics much better than in previous tests, never rushing like I had to so many times before. But I ended up getting q3 and q4 wrong because of stupid mistakes, so in the end I netted the same result
So I have a few questions:
Am I just where I am going to be in two weeks and not much will actually change my score?
If the answer to the above is "no" (and I pray it is), what do I do?
- How can feel secure about getting my goal of a 710 on the test?
- What would be the most effective ways I could improve my quant score and my method for taking the quant?
- Should I purchase more practice tests?
- I feel like my biggest problem is finding the balance of getting through early questions while still making sure I get them right. What would be the best resources to refine that ability?
I am kinda at my last resort at this moment in time.
Thanks for any advice you can offer.