430-550-560-650 to 650 again. New ESR attached

I am sorry dcummins. Long stretches of prep do tend to have negative effects, unfortunately. As prep stretches out, our memory starts failing and our motivation grows weaker. It is hard to be on the offensive after getting stuck for months. I feel for you!

P.S. Someone did post a HEC Admit with a 650 a few days ago so not the most impossible score but it is not helpful per se....

Hi All,

Thanks so much for the overwhelming support from everyone. It's a really nice thing to come on after yesterday and read the support from people around the world.

I guess to clarify how I am. I want to get across that i truly know I've grinded the gears as I'm not upset, not angry, but just impartial.

I lodged a case with customer support in regards to the test. There were 3 factors that impacted me, but ultimately I was fairly out of it, so if they can somehow annul this test and grant me another then thats a +1 for me.

I forgot to mention that before I even got to the exam centre I had semi-blood shot eyes - photosensitive to some degree. No idea why.

Also, each day before my past tests I have studied lightly, and I have taken a long bike ride to really exert myself, clear my head, and get better quality sleep.
I didn't do any of this this time around, I studied about 6-7 hours, went to bed late and yea... probably overdid it.

I will address each person's comments below.

Thanks Rohan, after reading your comment I feel motivated to go and get what I'm entitled to. I appreciate the support you've given me. You're right, yesterday things just didn't go to plan.

Its really inspiring to read these types of comments and see that at least I've had a positive impact on another's journey.


Thanks Marty. Yeah man. I honestly think GMAC has a different algorithm based on the sub-section order you take. Or maybe its just THAT randomised. Either I was off or the first few questions I got given in quant were super hard. I burnt too much time and ultimately screwed off the rest of the test.


Thanks Charles. I intend on sorting some personal commitments out then taking a strategic break. Maybe a week away somewhere. I definitely need to recharge.

All good - I understand you get PM'd a heap!

Hey Dan,

This just did not seem to be your day. I think a combination of burnout and some freak events taking place during the quant section really threw you off your game. The good news is that, despite all these things happening, you scored V35, which is one of your better GMAT verbal scores. With all this said, I agree with your assessment that it may be time for a break. I’m not saying to give up, but I think you really need a mental break in which you step away from the GMAT, so that you can come back refreshed and ready to rock. When you are ready to dive back in, Marty, and Jeff, and I will be waiting to help you bust through this brick wall once and for all. If you’d like to chat further, feel free to reach out to any of us directly.

We’ve got your back, my friend.

Thanks man. I appreciate your messages and words of support. You're right. Each question is a step forward to progression and every test is an experience. I know now what NOT to do.



Thanks mykrasovski

100% I'm going to take a break and evaluate the situation, but most likely still try for Round 2 or worst case Round 3 at my target schools depending. Ultimately I'll still apply no matter what I end up with and see how I fair.


Thanks bb Yes I think I also saw someone with an LBS Admit with a 650. Its never an apples to apples comparison, but at least It inspires confidence.

Memory was intact, but my motivation was out the window. My motivation for everything. I'm burnt to such a degree that I have no motivation to go out, hang out with anyone or whatever. I just want a break somewhere and gather my thoughts.

Thanks Scott, much appreciated.

Man the support yourself, Jeff and Marty have given me is insane. I really can't thank you guys enough. The guidance and time taken in the day to help me with issues or coach me is just surreal. I'll keep you updated, but current high level plan is to evaluate the next best steps with Fortuna, both Karen and Emma have been amazing btw, then to take a break (maybe a couple of weeks depending..) and to evaluate best course of action, including what I need to do differently, whether that be taking the test at a different exam centre or changing my entire approach to study.

ESRs attached from yesterday's exam and my exam on the 1st Nov.

Man, if i didn't stuff up RC on the 1st Nov I would have walked away with a high 600s or low 700s score at least.

Note that I started with Quant and then progressed to Verbal.
Overall, I still haven't quite digested the bloated format of the test on the monitors. I think it justifies that In future I retake GMAC exams and do so on a crappy monitor so I can get better acclimated to the bloated text.

Comments on most recent ESR:
- The first quant question I thought was 700, it was a difficult ratios question. I must have gotten that wrong, but perhaps I also misinterpreted the difficulty. I spent so long on this question and I decided to dump a few questions to catch-up, so the average time in the first section of my Quant component is a bit misleading.
- Verbal. SC and CR Dipped from my last exam. RC seems to have improved- Stated idea jumped up, Inferred Idea dropped dramatically.

Dan, dumping questions just to catch upl is a great way to kill your score. Never ever dump questions just to catch up.

You are better off doing your best throughout the test and guessing on a few at the end if you have to.

Alternatively, you can catch up by having your trigger finger for dumping questions with which you are having trouble be a little faster.

By dumping questions with which you are having trouble, you are likely to dump hard questions.

By randomly dumping questions to catch up, especially a the beginning of the section, ESPECIALLY after missing the first one, you probably dumped relatively easy questions, driving your score down hard.

Notice the average difficulty of correct answers in the first quartile of your test, below medium.

Anyway, don’t ever just dump questions to catch up. By doing so, you may dump easy questions that you could have answered.

The good news is that that one move may have driven your quant score significantly below what it would have been had you dumped only hard questions. So, apparently, even in a burned out state with bad pens, you can readily score higher than you did on this last test.

We are always happy to help, Dan. So, please keep us updated and reach out when you need us.

Just to let everyone know I took a week off prep. I didn't do anything exciting really.

I booked my last exam for the 16th of December at a different test centre. Will be active on here again.

Right now i'm just coming up with a plan of attack and doing mixed practice/ tests to get back into the swing of things.