710 (Q 50 V 38): Dissappointed

Question

Just took my GMAT about an hour ago.

Scored a 710  ;   putting me in the 95% overall.

I am actually dissapointed esp since I am a native speaker. In fact, the only language that I can read in is English so my poor performance in verbal is quite devasting.

I had to rush a little towards the end and one of the reading passages was over 90 lines.

Does anyone on this forum think I should take it again? Ive heard that people do better the second time around but since my score is somewhat high already, I dont want it to drop.

I was a little uncomfortable during the verbal b/c I had to pee but didnt go b/c I didnt want to waste time.

Anyways, should I take it again esp given my poor verbal? Id like to score higher but everyone else is telling me that my scores are high enough. If you want to know what my practice scores were here they are:

PP1: 700 (taken a long time ago around April)
PR: 670, 720, 730, 700 taken from 8/16-8/18 
Kaplan: 660, 690, 730, 640 taken from 8/19-8/20 (took two per day)
PP2: 740 taken 8/22

p_malh · Answer

Congrats!!!!

I think that's a good score u have there! depends upon what target u had set for yourself.

what kind of scores were u getting in the practice tests? PP or kaplan or PR etc

how were the questions on the real test? was the math tough?

do u recall any peculiar kinda questions?

if u want to take the test again, u can cause the schools take the highes score, not the latest.

numlock31 · Answer

The math wasnt that tough although there were a few questions that you had to think about.

Also the test threw one q at me that was designed to be "different". (ie there is no way that you could have studied for it.) But it was easy in terms of concepts. (Just simple addition)
The trick is to understand what you are being asked and not lose your cool.

The verbal wasnt that difficult but of course i didnt do well so i must be wrong. The CR were the hardest and I got two bold face questions.

Also the SC and RC are longer than what in the OG. I had 4 RC passages with 3 question each.

p_malh · Answer

Thanks for the quick reply!

can u suggest any test besides PP that would be like the real one.My test is on monday....

haven't seen any sample Boldface questions besides the one in OG and I've heard they come a lot on the test now days....do u know of any questions that I could look at?
how were the prob and comb questions if u got any?

any tips or suggestions???

710 is a good score and u should atleast celebrate tonight for yr achievement :wink:

numlock31 · Answer

THe BF CR threw me a little. Unfortunaltey I dont know of any place to get similar prac q's.

I got 2-3 prob/combinations problems wiht the hardest one being #16.

Know how to calc combinations and permuations.

The combinatoric questions on test are a lot easier than the ones on this site. I would go through some random ones posted on the site. If you cna do these, you are ok.

I think I answered them correctly (since I got one of the possible answers each time.)

NO SD, no range questions. I dont remember any # propery q's either.
Hope this helps

p_malh · Answer

Thanks a lot!!!

so do u suggest I should take a PR or kaplan or Arco test tomorrow for my test day after?

which might be the closest?I haven't taken a test in a while!!

PP scores were very high but not a true rep cause I knew all the questions

Thanks for yr help!

gladstone · Answer

710 is a great score! You shouldn't be too down because of that. Your quantitative score is great. I agree with others when they say that you shouldn't retake the test unless you really honestly feel you need a score above 710. Your score is a very competitive one for the vast majority of even the most elite schools. Another reason you should think twice about taking the test twice is that there is a realistic probability that you might get a lower score next time. If you're pissed about getting a 710, imagine how you would feel if you scored substantially lower than that :!:

If you feel that you can consistently maintain your quant performance while improving your verbal performance -- and you really feel you need a higher score -- then by all means feel free to take it again. But I think that 710 is a great score that will work for you for even the most elite schools. BTW, I don't think that being a native English speaker necessary means that one will do well or badly on the verbal section. The verbal section tests arcane rules of grammar, requires efficient reading comprehension abilities, and comfort with logical reasoning. I think it is safe to say that the vast majority of native English speakers are deficient in one or more of those areas ... including even those native speakers who are well-educated.

pkatz · Answer

Hey I'm a little bit late coming to this post. I have a different opinion than a lot of other people. Let me say up front I am not trying to be argumentative. I think that you should retake the test if you think that there is a chance you can do better. I'm sure that since you're capable enough to have scored 710 you're also smart enough to realize the risk that you might not do as well. 
First of all most schools only consider your best score. Use this to your advantage if you think that you can score in about the same range. 20 points lower on a second test won't hurt you as much as I believe a 20 point improvement will help you. Another major factor is that you were unhappy with your verbal score. I have talked to a lot of strong quant guys, and they find that their verbal score varies depending on how they test on a particular day. At the same time they always feel confident that they can score close to 50 on the math. If this is how you feel, then take a risk. I hope it works out for you and best of luck!!!

JP · Answer

1. What did you get on your AWA? If you got a 5.5 or a 6 I would not be too concerned about a lower verbal score.

2. What were the results of your liberal arts/writing/communication/English/etc college classes? If mostly A range grades, this is strong evidence of good verbal ability.

3. My thought about how to handle this would be to do an outstanding job on your essays from a grammatical and linguistic perspective. That way the admissions committees will be able to see evidence of strong verbal skills.

My guess is that, as so often happens with V questions, you got hit with a lot of questions that had 2 good answers and ended up picking the wrong one sometimes.

numlock31 · Answer

JP,

Thanks for your advice. I received a 5.5 on my essays. I have heard that bschools dont care about the essays esp since they are graded by a computer, but I see your point.

I was an Econ major so I only took 3 Enlgish classes in college. My grades in them were A,A,A-. (I think.) I also have a few more A's in classes like history etc

I do have a late drop of one English class though, so I hope this does not negate the three A's.

Do you really think that school assess you English skills based on your essays? My thoughts were that since you can have anyone edit your essays, they do not neccesarily imply that you have a strong command over english. (ie, Im sure that many "less than fluent" applicants submit steller essays b/c they have had lots of editing).


I def agree with P_Katz comments but Im running out of time before apps are due, so im not sure that Ill retake.

JP · Answer

At least 1 grader, and perhaps 2, are trained people like you and me. It's not only computer, so there is some human element there...

You should be fine here.

Right, that is why the AWA is key. Since you got a 5.5, there should be no surprise when your essay is really well written, because you have demonstrated good writing skills. Remember, the whole reason the AWA exists is because colleges asked GMAC to test students on their writing skills, admissions readers were receiving more and more essays that they increasingly felt were written by someone else more fluent or better at English. As far as the essays in the application, yes, they are good evidence of strong verbal skills. I used to be an admissions reader for undergrads -- the most important thing is that you make yourself  interesting , and that is most easily done via a command of the language (and a cool life).

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710 (Q 50 V 38): Dissappointed

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