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Manager
Joined: 27 Apr 2016
Posts: 91
Given Kudos: 12
Location: Brazil
GMAT 1: 610 Q37 V36
GPA: 2.7
WE:Information Technology (Education)
610 on first attempt, wanna improve
[#permalink]
17 May 2016, 06:18
17 May 2016, 06:18
Hello,
I took the GMAT yesterday and scored a 610 (37Q, 36V). My goal was 600+ at this time, so I consider this a successful attempt.
However, I'd like to improve upon my quant skills, so I would appreciate any advice on how to proceed from now on. For this I'm gonna give you a short description of my profile and a debrief of my first attempt:
- I'm 25 years old, live in Brazil, and been working with IT since I was 17.
- I'm quite proficient at Verbal, I was kind of born ready to kill this part of GMAT. People have a seriously hard time understanding this sometimes.
- Before I started preparing for GMAT, it had been 5 years since I last solved an equation.
- I'm very disorganized and undisciplined (my secret to productiveness), I'm bad at following schedules, and I hate long term preparation.
GMAT attempt:
- Studied for a month, GMATPrep only, quant section only.
- Kept GMAT resource investment to a minimal because current exchange rates (BRL - USD) are insulting.
- Was scoring 710 on CATs prior to the actual exam.
- Decided to take the exam in Rio de Janeiro, the closest city which offered exam schedules during the afternoon.
- Got stuck in traffic jams for three hours prior to arrival (went by car), and the city is crowded, smells of piss and crap, and is insufferably hot. Spent more money on road tolls, parking and fuel combined than I would have spent on airplane tickets, even though I live 150 km away from the city, and this made me angry. Arrived with a headache at the scene.
- Went YOLO on the IR section. Can't explain why.
- Felt like I was in for a 800 until I found out how mistaken I was.
- Coffee offered by the test center was bad, and this may have dragged my score down.
- I'm frustrated because I was doing well on CATs, I don't know what exactly went wrong on the exam or how I can improve my score.
Now that time is no longer a constraint, I'm prepared to set aside up to 1k USD in order to invest on good resources that focus on my weak points. Would you recommend any?
Thanks,
Samir
I took the GMAT yesterday and scored a 610 (37Q, 36V). My goal was 600+ at this time, so I consider this a successful attempt.
However, I'd like to improve upon my quant skills, so I would appreciate any advice on how to proceed from now on. For this I'm gonna give you a short description of my profile and a debrief of my first attempt:
- I'm 25 years old, live in Brazil, and been working with IT since I was 17.
- I'm quite proficient at Verbal, I was kind of born ready to kill this part of GMAT. People have a seriously hard time understanding this sometimes.
- Before I started preparing for GMAT, it had been 5 years since I last solved an equation.
- I'm very disorganized and undisciplined (my secret to productiveness), I'm bad at following schedules, and I hate long term preparation.
GMAT attempt:
- Studied for a month, GMATPrep only, quant section only.
- Kept GMAT resource investment to a minimal because current exchange rates (BRL - USD) are insulting.
- Was scoring 710 on CATs prior to the actual exam.
- Decided to take the exam in Rio de Janeiro, the closest city which offered exam schedules during the afternoon.
- Got stuck in traffic jams for three hours prior to arrival (went by car), and the city is crowded, smells of piss and crap, and is insufferably hot. Spent more money on road tolls, parking and fuel combined than I would have spent on airplane tickets, even though I live 150 km away from the city, and this made me angry. Arrived with a headache at the scene.
- Went YOLO on the IR section. Can't explain why.
- Felt like I was in for a 800 until I found out how mistaken I was.
- Coffee offered by the test center was bad, and this may have dragged my score down.
- I'm frustrated because I was doing well on CATs, I don't know what exactly went wrong on the exam or how I can improve my score.
Now that time is no longer a constraint, I'm prepared to set aside up to 1k USD in order to invest on good resources that focus on my weak points. Would you recommend any?
Thanks,
Samir
Target Test Prep Representative
Joined: 14 Oct 2015
Status:Founder & CEO
Affiliations: Target Test Prep
Posts: 18952
Given Kudos: 285
Location: United States (CA)
610 on first attempt, wanna improve
[#permalink]
17 May 2016, 16:01
17 May 2016, 16:01
1
Kudos
Expert Reply
Hi Samir,
Thank you for that information. I think you're capable of a much higher score. I have a few thoughts.
First - your practice test scores show promise. After all, it's not easy to earn 700+ scores from the MBA.com tests. You're clearly capable... What's interesting (and concerning at the same time) is the variability displayed in those scores. I typically don't see 150+ point fluctuations in those scores. Are you a person who has "good cognitive days" and "poor cognitive days?" By that I mean some of us could perform well in the middle of a hurricane, while some of us get rattled by even a few small things out of place. I notice you had a few annoying things working against you on the morning of the test. Do you feel these factors could have played a role in your scoring a 610? How did you feel while taking the actual test? Did you feel anxious or worried? Did you let some of the questions/problems rattle you? Were you tired or frustrated from the traffic congestion? Did you carry the bad coffee taste into the test with you (I hate bad coffee...). Living in Los Angeles, I can empathize with the three-hour traffic. Sitting in traffic for three hours in Rio de Janeiro (been there done that) is enough to make anyone crazy. Perhaps you were tired come test time?
On the flip side, how did you feel when you were taking these practice tests?
May 10 - GMAT exam pack 1, test 2: 710 (Q47, V41)
May 12 - GMAT exam pack 2, test 2: 710 (Q46, V41)
May 13 - GMATPrep free exam 1 (retake): 710 (Q48, V40)
Were you fresh? Awake? In a positive state of mind, etc... ?
Regardless of whether you had a bad day, I do think you could make gains by increasing your knowledge and skills, but you'll need to put in some hard work. It's difficult to punch above the 700 mark without being more knowledgeable and more skilled than your peers. Contrary to what anyone tells you, there is no way to "game" the GMAT. High scores are built with persistence and determination.
Would you consider one more hard month of practice? If you're short on time, you could devote your study time to improving your quant score. However, because you are naturally strong in verbal, you'll probably be able to increase your verbal score without much effort. What about an 80/20 mix of quant/verbal prep? Studying is no fun, but a high GMAT could certainly help you reach your objective of qualifying for some scholarship funds.
Would you like some personalized guidance? If so, are you up to take a GMAT Quant diagnostic? If so, I'd be happy to review your results and provide you with some strategic feedback on how you could optimize your study. Just let me know...
Best Regards,
Scott
Thank you for that information. I think you're capable of a much higher score. I have a few thoughts.
First - your practice test scores show promise. After all, it's not easy to earn 700+ scores from the MBA.com tests. You're clearly capable... What's interesting (and concerning at the same time) is the variability displayed in those scores. I typically don't see 150+ point fluctuations in those scores. Are you a person who has "good cognitive days" and "poor cognitive days?" By that I mean some of us could perform well in the middle of a hurricane, while some of us get rattled by even a few small things out of place. I notice you had a few annoying things working against you on the morning of the test. Do you feel these factors could have played a role in your scoring a 610? How did you feel while taking the actual test? Did you feel anxious or worried? Did you let some of the questions/problems rattle you? Were you tired or frustrated from the traffic congestion? Did you carry the bad coffee taste into the test with you (I hate bad coffee...). Living in Los Angeles, I can empathize with the three-hour traffic. Sitting in traffic for three hours in Rio de Janeiro (been there done that) is enough to make anyone crazy. Perhaps you were tired come test time?
On the flip side, how did you feel when you were taking these practice tests?
May 10 - GMAT exam pack 1, test 2: 710 (Q47, V41)
May 12 - GMAT exam pack 2, test 2: 710 (Q46, V41)
May 13 - GMATPrep free exam 1 (retake): 710 (Q48, V40)
Were you fresh? Awake? In a positive state of mind, etc... ?
Regardless of whether you had a bad day, I do think you could make gains by increasing your knowledge and skills, but you'll need to put in some hard work. It's difficult to punch above the 700 mark without being more knowledgeable and more skilled than your peers. Contrary to what anyone tells you, there is no way to "game" the GMAT. High scores are built with persistence and determination.
Would you consider one more hard month of practice? If you're short on time, you could devote your study time to improving your quant score. However, because you are naturally strong in verbal, you'll probably be able to increase your verbal score without much effort. What about an 80/20 mix of quant/verbal prep? Studying is no fun, but a high GMAT could certainly help you reach your objective of qualifying for some scholarship funds.
Would you like some personalized guidance? If so, are you up to take a GMAT Quant diagnostic? If so, I'd be happy to review your results and provide you with some strategic feedback on how you could optimize your study. Just let me know...
Best Regards,
Scott
Target Test Prep Representative
Joined: 14 Oct 2015
Status:Founder & CEO
Affiliations: Target Test Prep
Posts: 18952
Given Kudos: 285
Location: United States (CA)
Re: 610 on first attempt, wanna improve
[#permalink]
17 May 2016, 06:55
17 May 2016, 06:55
Expert Reply
Hi Samir,
I think that a 610 is a great starting point and with some further prep you should be able to improve your score. To better provide some advice, I have a few questions:
1) What is your new GMAT score goal?
2) When you say you only studied “GMAT prep” are you referring to the Official Guide?
3) How many practice tests did you take and were those practice tests from MBA.com?
4) Do you have the exact score breakdown of those practice tests?
5) For your next GMAT attempt, do you plan to study both quant and verbal?
6) How long do you have to study before your retake and how many hours a day can you dedicate to studying?
I think that a 610 is a great starting point and with some further prep you should be able to improve your score. To better provide some advice, I have a few questions:
1) What is your new GMAT score goal?
2) When you say you only studied “GMAT prep” are you referring to the Official Guide?
3) How many practice tests did you take and were those practice tests from MBA.com?
4) Do you have the exact score breakdown of those practice tests?
5) For your next GMAT attempt, do you plan to study both quant and verbal?
6) How long do you have to study before your retake and how many hours a day can you dedicate to studying?
