Should I Retake GMAT Thread - Retaking GMAT Strategies

My semi-professional opinion/suggestion would be:

1. R3 is not really a realistic option to depend on, so if you can't apply to R2, then may as well apply next year
2. Foster mailbox is full of Microsoft and Amazon tech applicants - your profile is likely to be considered not unique and definitely well represented. Can you add more value in your application? Think how you could do that via professional growth, experience, etc - you probably had more than the other applicants.
3. I know you are dead-set on Foster but there are plenty of other schools with similar stats that may be just as good and even better that may appreciate your candidacy more.
4. Based on what I am hearing/reading sounds like you can get the most value out of putting your time into Apps rather than GMAT
5. Your age is becoming a problem and will be a problem next year. I think you want to put 110% of effort to get in this year


Based on the above, if I were in your shoes, I would apply for R2 into a number of schools and Foster included (R3 for them) this year and would not consider next year as an alternative or an option. This year or nothing. Since you are so set on Foster, as a last-ditch effort, I would also schedule a GMAT appointment on Jan 2nd or smth like that but do very little prep - mostly focus on applications and only do enough to keep you in shape, and then do one more attempt in Jan just in case you can move the needle another 20-40 points (GMAT has a standard error of 40, meaning the same person can score quite a bit of a difference between 2 attempts). But I would not count on it, it is more of a bet to improve your chances - you need to focus on essays, applications, etc.

Good Luck!

Hi all,

I had registered for the Mock CAT about 3 years ago and purchased the 6-test pack back then. Scored a 710 on the actual GMAT.

I plan to reappear for the GMAT in a couple of months. Are there any additional mock CATs that are available from Manhattan that I can purchase for my prep?
Separately, what are the other mock CATs that have now moved on to the new test taking mode?

Cheers
Arpit

Manhattan hasn't released any new practice tests, but their question bank is pretty huge, so it would probably be at least somewhat useful to retake them, especially since it's been three years and you've probably forgotten most of the questions. Just keep in mind that it's incredibly hard for even the best test-prep companies to copy the style of the test -- particularly on verbal -- so make the official GMATPrep tests a higher priority if you haven't already burned through those.

Veritas and Manhattan have definitely updated their software to allow you to select the order of your GMAT sections, but I'm not sure about any of the others. The GMATPrep software will supposedly be updated in late July.

Hi,

I just took the GMAT this weekend and score a 720 overall with a 42Q, 47V, and 8IR.

I am wondering if my low quant score is too much of a red flag for top 10 schools and should retake, or if my other experience makes up for this and I should focus on other areas (extracurricular).

I have my bachelors degree in Finance with a 3.81 GPA, have passed all three levels of the CFA exams, and work in equity research.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks!
Jared

Whoa, congrats on the great composite and the epic verbal score, Jared! Please send some of that verbal mojo over to our brothers and sisters in the verbal forums.

It's hard for me to imagine that schools would be fundamentally worried about your quantitative abilities with a background like yours. Finance degree, 3.81 GPA, CFA x3? That all looks great. Maybe they'll flinch at the 42 anyway, though. And keep in mind that average scores are north of 730 for some of the top programs now -- so as a male applicant in finance, a 740+ would look awfully nice.

More importantly: I'd bet anything that you're totally capable of raising that quant score. Like, by a lot. I'd also bet anything that you made a whole bunch of careless errors on questions that you're capable of handling. Did you happen to get an ESR? If so, you'll probably see all sorts of evidence of errors on not-super-tough questions.

So the biggest reason for you to retake is probably the fact that you most likely have the talent to gain 5-7 extra points on the quant section. So unless you've struggled a whole lot more with GMAT math than with your undergrad degree and your CFA... why not take another shot or two? A 47Q/47V -- or even a 47Q/44V, or something like that -- would put you on much stronger footing if you're applying to elite programs, and I'm pretty convinced that you can pull that off.

Let us know what you decide to do!

Hey guys.

I need help figuring out what to do next. I've been studying for nearly 4 and a half months already and took the GMAT twice. My first run was a 650 (Q42 V38) on May, so I got the extended report and noticed my main problems were SC and RC. So I focused for an entire month on SC and on reviewing Quant. Two days ago I took the GMAT once again and a lowered 10 points to a 640 (Q43 V35). I bought the extended report once again and noticed a huge improvement on SC but a TERRIBLE performance on RC (and to be honest I didn't practice it much). I feel like I've been out of focus in my study. I feel I can reach the 700 but I think I'm missing something.

Right now I'm focusing on verbal, specially RC to get that boost. Also, my performance on "Arithmetic" could be a bit higher, how can I study for this? What should I do for verbal? I plan to retake the test on 3 weeks. Any advice on this? I'm a little desperate to tell you the truth, I'm tired of this test and all it entails.

Attached is a table with detail from my GMATs. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Cheers!

Hm, interesting verbal results, felipeangelm. In general, there could be two reasons why your RC score was low: 1) you're bad at reading, or 2) you missed some RC questions that you're perfectly capable of getting correct. And clearly, you're not bad at reading. Your CR results are really good. You just managed to do something goofy on RC this time around -- maybe a lack of focus, or some fatigue leaking in, or just reading too darned quickly? That stuff seems fixable to me if you really concentrate on developing a consistent approach to RC.

I'm not sure whether this will help, but this (pretty generic) article on RC might point you in the right direction in terms of how to think about consistency on RC. But I don't think that you need to drive yourself crazy doing TONS of RC practice -- just enough to be confident that you'll perform up to your usual standards. Other than the RC on that last exam, you've been in the 75th-90th percentile on RC and CR, so there's no reason you can't consistently score in that range on RC.

For quant, I wouldn't overthink the arithmetic subscore. Basically, the GMAT shoehorns EVERY type of quant question into those two categories (arithmetic and algebra/geometry), and that isn't terribly helpful for test-takers who are trying to figure out what, exactly, they need to study. I suspect that you have some legitimate weaknesses that could use some attention, but "arithmetic" is too general to be helpful. Keep a close eye on what you miss on your practice questions and tests, and see if that helps you figure out which topics could use some extra attention. And there are some great people in the quant section of GMAT Club who can help you with all of that.

Good luck with your retake, and please let us know how it goes!

GMATNinja has nicely summarized the quant strategies. As far as Verbal is concerned, I believe that you haven't completely analyzed your ESR. I bet that your average time in RCs is very low and in SC/CR is higher than required. If I am correct, first thing you should do is fix the time you take to solve CR & SC. That would generate more time for RCs and hence you will be more comfortable and accurate in them.

Hello,

Hoping to get some feedback on potentially re-taking the exam. Background: male, strategy consulting at a top firm, undergrad at top 20 business school with ~3.8 GPA.

1st exam = 640 (Q36 V41)
2nd exam = 690 (Q48 V37)

The drop in verbal resulted in me not quite hitting the 700 mark. I'm confident that I can bump the verbal back up into low 40's and maintain upper 40's in quant. Unsure if it's worth the time, effort, and money at this point.

Interested to hear some of your expert opinions. Thanks!

Two thoughts:

• There are a TON of strategy consultants applying to top MBA programs, so if you're looking at elite, full-time U.S. programs, a 690 probably isn't going to cut it, unless you have some special trump card to play in the admissions process (diversity candidate, former Olympian, parent who has donated millions to the university, etc.).
• If you can get a 48Q once and a 41V another time, there's no reason why you couldn't achieve both again if you put some time into developing better consistency.

If you're looking at less-selective programs -- or again, if you have some magnificent trump card to play in the admissions process -- then you might be OK with that 690. But I don't see any good reason why you couldn't pull that score up by at least 30 points.

I hope this helps!

Hi
I am giving my GMAT next week, i was getting 600 score but just now when i took a mock i got 470 , please suggest something my verbal score is not getting better , i have to give exam next week only and i want 700 plus.
i finished my test before time also., either i am too late or too fast and low accuracy.

Hi priya666 ,

Let me be honest. Getting 700 in one week when you are at 470 is NEXT to impossible unless your luck is very strong.

Please see if you can delay your exam.

Holy crap, congratulations on that 750! And on that great GPA!

It's hard for me to imagine that you NEED to do any better, but if you think you can get a 50, then go out and do it! An eye-popping quant score can only help your case, and in the scheme of the six-figure MBA investment, a couple of weeks + $250 isn't all that huge of a cost. I'd go for it.

The biggest risk -- and it's not much of a risk, really -- is that your verbal score is so magnificently high that one or two more errors might cost you a couple of points, even if you don't do anything differently. But even then, I think schools would (mildly) prefer to see a 50Q/44V than a 47Q/47V. At the very least, it can't hurt to take one or two more shots at the test if you think you can do better.

Let us know what happens! Feel free to tag me if you end up writing a debrief -- I'm always curious to see how these things end up. Good luck with the retake!

Hi,

Hi considering retaking the GMAT again. I am now working in finance. Took the gmat just in case.

July 2017: 710 - Q44, V42 (AWA: 6, IR: 6)
August 30 2017: 710 - Q49, V39 (IR: 7)

Practice Exams:
GMAC 1 (End of June 2017): Q49, V38 (710)
GMAC 2 (End of June 2017): Q48, V46 (750)


I ran out of time on Verbal (3 questions) this time around, which I think led me to a lower than expected score. I also ran out of time on the Quant and did not answer 1 question.
Would love input! Thank you!

The GMAT is within ~30 points of your true ability, so I think it's scoring you correctly -- only take it again if you have time to study in a more in-depth manner this time around.

And just out of curiousity, which "top Ivys" have finance degrees? I know HYP don't, and isn't Wharton technically "Economics?"

IIT male with a 2.7 GPA? Unfortunately, you're going to need every point you can possibly get on the GMAT. And I'd give this advice to almost anybody: if you're pretty sure that you can increase your score by 20-30 extra points, it's probably worth doing it. With that 2.7, it's definitely worth it.

I hope this helps!

Hi,

I just took my GMAT exam and my Score is 690 (V-31,Q-50,IR-8).

I am an Engineer graduate from one of the very reputed college in India with GPA 4. I am working as Linux and VMware administrator with 7 years of experience.

I am targeting Chicago based universities, primarily Booth and Kellog.

Please suggest if I should try for round 2 with this GMAT score or Should I retake the exam?

Looking forward for your suggestions.
Thank you!!