680 GMAT (Score Plateau); Aiming for a 710+ Retake

Question

Hi all,

My first post on GMATClub (reviewed maybe 500+ posts to date). I apologize if I have left any critical information out. Thank you all in advance for your guidance.

I am a Project Engineer at a major Oil & Gas company in the US, looking to pursue an MBA to pivot my career path in a few years. I am an Indian Male (raised/went to Undergrad in the US), and have about 2 years of work experience.

I took the GMAT about a month ago and got a 680 (47Q 37V). I took the exam as Q-V-IR-AWA (the same as all of my practice exams). I struggled between accepting this as my final score and gearing back up for a retake of the GMAT. First, I would like to say GMATClub has been instrumental in helping me understand the aspects of the GMAT from different perspectives. However, one very concerning thing is as I seemingly began to learn "more," I did not see an increase from the time I took my first GMATPrep mock exam (November 2018 - scored 690) to in my real GMAT score (June 2019 - scored 680).

It was incredibly disheartening to see I did not increase my score from my first mock exam many months ago, even though I broke time apart to "target" weaker areas after 2 practice exams (namely SC and CR... or so I thought). I really drilled down on the types of errors to easily flag on SC, the types of questions you come across on CR. What's worse is my mock exam scores were improving. My RC was around the 80% percentile, which is what I scored on the exam. Consistently, I scored Q49 in my GMATPrep exams, and scored between V38-V42. My verbal score fell to 37, with my SC being the weakest section. Most shocking was my Quant score dropping from 49 to 47. I have my ESR but cannot attach yet as I have not posted enough.
NOTE: There was only 1 Geometry question, so I am not sure if the 0% should be taken as "he knows nothing about Geometry," just want to point that out. Still need to work on it for sure.

As I got closer to the exam date, I was scoring above my expectations (740 and 720). One thing that concerned me was the easiness of Quant in GMATPrep Exam 5/6. The anxiety grew as the test week approached, specifically for Problem Solving (thought to be a strength, but flopped on aspects like Geometry in the REAL GMAT -- 1 question -- and Statistics).

I took all 6 GMATPrep Exams, as well as 3 MGMAT Exams (significantly harder Quant section). Here is a breakdown of my timetable:

11/18 GMATPrep Exam 1: 690 (Q47 V38)
1/19 GMATPrep Exam 2: 670 (Q47 V36)
3/19 GMATPrep Exam 3: 710 (Q49 V39)
5/19 GMATPrep Exam 4: 740 (Q49 V42) *I really tried to understand what I did differently for Verbal, I just feel like I didn't do any "gimmicks," focusing on meaning/logic. That didn't last though...
6/19 GMATPrep Exam 5: 700 (Q49 V38)
6/19 GMATPrep Exam 6: 720 (Q49 V40)

2/19 MGMAT 1: 670 (Q45 V37)
4/19 MGMAT 2: 690 (Q47 V38)
5/19 MGMAT 3: 680 (Q47 V37) *Was heavily rushed as I took the exam during a bad time...

Now, with some self-awareness, I definitely realize the anxiety I built in my head put negative thoughts inside (regarding my PS skills). Seeing a Q47 after I was consistently score on GMATPrep (I scored Q47 on MGMAT, which was said to be much harder than the actual GMAT)... I feel like nerves got to me. I do know I spent SEVERAL EXTRA MINUTES rechecking my initial 8-10 questions. This left me hurrying and in problems that required some more effort, I was unable to properly solve due (Ex. In which sets is the median > mean? and Algebra).

My ESR indicates I had very difficult questions for Quant in the "2nd portion" but then the difficulty decreased (assuming I got middle questions form Q10 to Q20 wrong at increasing frequency).

However, I am struggling to understand how to break the hump of 700, which I thought I had from my practice exams. I have attached my ESR... any and all advice would be so greatly appreciated!!!

DisciplinedPrep · Answer

shivenpatel112 - Welcome to GMAT Club!

Congratulation on getting a 680 on the GMAT. A score of 680 shows that your basics are clear and you would thereby need to only fine-tune certain areas to increase your score to the mid-700 level. At this time, you have to focus on your weaknesses and eliminate them one by one.

Your verbal score is good and the quant score has a lot of room for improvement. I feel you still lack certain quant concept to reach Q49-51. For the Quant section, GMAT Club Test Center is the best option. The questions available in the GMAT Club Tests are fairly representative of the ones on actual GMAT. If you do not have access to the GMAT Club Tests, please purchase the tests as early as possible. You'd see tremendous improvements in your Quant score. I highly recommend the GMAT Club tests, especially the Quant sectional test, because these tests can indeed give a significant boost to your Quant score, subsequently resulting in overall score improvement. Also, you would find detailed answer explanations and forum discussions.

That said, I would recommend that you review an excellent forum post on retake plan.
Recommendations and Resources for GMAT Retake: https://gmatclub.com/forum/should-i-ret ... 83339.html

rohan2345 · Answer

Hi shivenpatel112, Welcome to GMATCLUB! Firstly congratulations on a 680 as it definitely not a bad score. I understand it is a bit lower than what you were scoring in your mocks. Seeing that you were consistently getting a 700+ on your Mocks, it feels that you just let your anxiety get to you, resulting in a drop in score. You can of course try to improve your Quant score. For Quant You can try out the TTP course as it is phenomenal and covers the entire syllabus really well. Plus it has great reviews on GMATCLUB. I must add that if you are particularly looking to discover and improve on your weak areas in Quant; a subscription to GMATCLUB tests is the best way to do that. They are indeed phenomenal and will not only pinpoint your weak areas but also help you improve on them. Further taking multiple mocks might help. Apart from the GMATPREP, Manhattan GMAT tests and Veritas Prep Tests in my experience have good verbal and Quant section and will certainly help you point out and improve your weak areas. Further another advantage of taking many mocks is to build up your stamina. Apart from the GMATPREP tests, taking practice tests of any major GMATPREP company ought to do that. Lastly I would also encourage you to purchase the GMATPREP QP 1 for some great additional practice. Here is a link that will help you with your decision. https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/3-month-g ... h-focused/ Hope this helps. All the best.

Businessconquerer · Answer

I don't understand why you cannot go to a 700, Quant on the GMAT is very simple, at least simple enough to assure you a Q45, nevertheless, Look at these two posts of mine, You situation is just like my own, I was at a 690, and then I broke the 700 MGMAT is more difficult than actual GMAT, which also means that it is more unrealistic than the actual thing. Most GMAT DS problems can be solved without lifting the pen, saving u time on the actual test to do the PS problem, they donot want you to think beyond a point, MGMAT on the other hand makes you solve stuff that is mostly asked in Q51 problems You're prepared, stick to the official material develop momentum and strike. I am working on a post on exam anxiety, I hope the moderators find it "up to the standards of community". Seriously, they even remove the posts that I posted to ask for help. This can help https://gmatclub.com/forum/beginner-to- ... l#p2313182 This would help too (for confidence) https://gmatclub.com/forum/my-second-gm ... s#p2332198 To be honest with you I managed to screw up on the test. I was consistently scoring V42+ on verbal and Q50 in quant on practice test, I was hoping a 730+, but atleast I did not fall in 600's, I'd follow this plan if I were you. You're on the same boat as I was. Please provide a like on my posts if you found them helpful, it takes nothing to leave a like but it makes posts available to many members who can benefit

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi shivenpatel112,

First off, a 680/Q47 is a strong score, so it could be enough to get you into your first-choice School. As such, a retest might not be necessary. Depending on the Schools that you plan to apply to, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile. There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/

There's certainly no harm in continuing to study (with the goal of retesting and scoring higher) - and you have the opportunity to pick up some significant points in both the Quant and Verbal sections. Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) Since you began your studies, how many hours did you typically study each week? Did you take any 'time off' from your studies?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) In your list of CAT Scores, you appear to have taken TWO CATs on 5/19 and TWO on 6/19. Are those dates correct?

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score?
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
6) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

Since you've purchased your ESR, I'll be happy to analyze it for you. Before you can include attachments to your posts/PMs though, you need to have at least 5 posts in the forums. If you'd rather not go through those extra steps, then you can feel free to email me your ESR directly.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

shivenpatel112 · Answer

Hi Rich,

Thanks for you insightful reply! I am working to get to 5 posts, but will definitely email you my ESR to better understand my "pain points." I did feel like I had a fundamental understanding, but know there are areas I can hone in on to break the 700 hump! I have answered the questions you posed below.

Studies:
1) Since you began your studies, how many hours did you typically study each week? Did you take any 'time off' from your studies?
 I studied the first 2 months (till the end of 2018) kind of lightly, about 7-10 hrs/week. I did maybe 2 hrs on weekends and an hour each weekday. This was spent reading learning material (highlighted in question 2). I then took about 1 month off from studying but took a CAT. I then resumed studying but didn't really ramp up till April 2019, during which I was honing in on CR, SC and DS. I didn't notice PS as an issue in my mocks. During the final 3 months, I studied 1/hr each weekday and 4 hrs each weekend. This was spent attacking higher difficulty problems and analyzing my CATs.

2) What study materials have you used so far?
I have mainly used the OG 2018 guide and Quant OG 2018 guide. Then I continued with some supplemental resources below:
CR - Powerscore Bible (This was very helpful, but I read it about 4 months before my exam so I felt I lost touch with the strategies I learned by exam day)
SC - I used guides developed on GMATClub Forums, and started MGMAT SC but did not continue. I eventually used a collection of SC problems testing each of the main "types of issues," and felt comfortable about 3 weeks before my exam. I could improve in this area though.
RC - Was not too much of a focus area (I scored 80%ile in the real GMAT). I usually got 5/6 or 7/9 RC questions right per practices (I would do CAT and OG RC passages).
PS - I did not have specific learning material... this definitely hurt me

3) In your list of CAT Scores, you appear to have taken TWO CATs on 5/19 and TWO on 6/19. Are those dates correct?
Sorry, I meant to say I took TWO CATS in May 2019 and 2 CATs in June 2019. They were taken on different weekends, and within 2 hrs of my actual exam time (10AM central time).

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score?
I am really aiming for a 720. This would help my score become competitive for the schools I am targeting (ranked from 5 to 15).

5) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
I currently have 1.5 years of work experience, so I plan to apply in 2022 (when I have roughly 4 years and multiple rotations under my belt). I wanted to knock the GMAT out since I know at the latest, I will apply in 3 years

6) What Schools are you planning to apply to?
My reach schools were MIT Sloan, Columbia and Dartmouth Tuck. This is based on reading many GMATClub forums on which schools are strong at what aspects for post-grad hiring. I am primarily interested in going to Consulting or pivoting to the Tech industry (within Strategy/Operations). I am currently in the Projects organization of an Oil & Gas company.

I will definitely email my ESR (will come from my email titled "Shiven Patel GMATClub Post - ESR")

Thanks endlessly Rich!

shivenpatel112 · Answer

*FOR SOME REASON I CANNOT QUOTE A POST YET. ARGH!!!!*

Hey DisciplinedPrep,

This is a great, actionable response. I have not tried GMATClub Quant tests, and I do agree it may help me reach Q49-51 on my actual GMAT. This would put me over the 700 mark. I will definitely check out the forum (and have in the past).

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Shivenpatel112,

I’m sorry to hear how things went with your GMAT. Two things stand out to me from your post.

1) “I definitely realize the anxiety I built in my head put negative thoughts inside (regarding my PS skills)”

2) “I spent SEVERAL EXTRA MINUTES rechecking my initial 8-10 questions”

Those two items alone likely had a major impact on your not hitting your score goal on test day. Let’s first discuss anxiety. A big key to success on your retake will be keeping your anxiety at bay. One great way to do so is to develop a positive attitude and be confident. Look, you’ve scored 710+ on multiple practice GMATs, right? So, look in the mirror and tell yourself that you CAN hit your score goal!

To help further manage your nerves, you could try some visualization techniques. Imagine various test-day scenarios such as getting stuck on a question, issues in the testing center, feeling pressed for time, or worrying that you’re underperforming. As you feel your stress responses start to kick in when thinking about these things, practice pulling yourself together and visualize focusing on getting correct answers.

When taking the GMAT, the best way to deal with stress is to get busy answering the question in front of you, focusing completely on the task at hand so that you redirect all of that nervous energy and naturally calm down. In other words, you distract yourself with a goal. Just tell yourself that all that matters is getting the correct answer to the question in front of you, and then when you have finished that question, take the same attitude toward the next one. Focus on winning each “mini-battle” and you won't have time for anxiety. If you can win enough of those battles, you can win the GMAT war, right?

Regarding rechecking answers, since you have an average of 2 minutes to answer each quant question, you definitely do not have the time to recheck any of your answers. As you correctly stated, this hurt you later on in the test because you were running out of time.

So, if you can get a handle on your anxiety and stop checking answers on your GMAT, you should be able to perform at a higher level on test day. That said, are you looking for specific advice on how to study between now and your retake?

Lastly, you may find it helpful to read the following articles:

How to Eliminate GMAT Test-Day Anxiety

How to Score a 700+ on the GMAT — A Mini Guide for Success

shivenpatel112 · Answer

All, I was able to retake the GMAT this Feburary and scored a 740! Thanks so much For all of the advice

Posted from my mobile device

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Nice job!!!! Thank you for the update.

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