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19 Jul 2020, 01:32
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I took my first attempt of the official GMAT last week and scored a 720 (Q50 V38). The Quant score matched my expectations but the Verbal score was slightly off as I'd been scoring 40+ on my GMAT prep mock tests (taken under 100% test conditions). I ordered my ESR scores and was shocked to see I had a 25% accuracy in CR, and roughly got 2 out of 8 non-experimental CR questions correct.
Unable to post my ESR snaps here as the forum suggests I need to have at least 5 posts before I can upload stuff.
But after reverse engineering my ESR, here's some summary:
Verbal (30 non-experimental questions)
1. CR 2 out of 8 right - 5th percentile
2. RC 8 out of 10 right - 80th percentile
3. SC 11 out of 12 right - 98th percentile
Quant (28 non-experimental questions) 24 out of 28 right - 85th percentile
I am bummed that CR was an anomaly on my overall GMAT and the only clear let down. I'm not sure what I can attribute this to, either, as I was used to not getting more than 2 CR questions incorrect on my GMAT prep mock tests (remember, these include the experimental questions as well). Psychologically, I was operating at almost peak intensity on the test day itself and had minimal anxiety. I've seen a few other posts on the forum with similar results and I guess I will just have to take more attempts to stand a chance of getting luckier.
On a side note, I know 720 isn't terrible but being from an oversubscribed pool of candidates and aiming to get into the top US MBA programs, I'd need a 750+ to bolster my chances. In spite of the disappointment, I still have 4 attempts left for this year and remain hopeful I can hit 750+ if I maximize my attempts (and with that, my chances of getting lucky).
Some other notes that might be helpful for other candidates -
1. I can't emphasize enough the importance of going in with an aggressive mindset. Your true ability will not stand much chance of coming to light if you don't go in with a killer mentality or if you let nerves get the better of you.
2. Not a huge fan of the GMAT prep mock tests, inspite of their popularity. Yes they're probably the closest representation of the official test but the official test felt much harder and much more diverse, especially on the Quant front. I had a 760 and 770 in my last 2 mock tests, one of which I was able to complete ahead of time (with around 5 minutes to spare in both Quant and Verbal).
3. I completely bottled IR (scored 6) and AWA (score yet to be revealed at this point, but I know I screwed up) cause... I spent 0 minutes ever prepping for or taking the IR, and watched a 10 minute YouTube video on the AWA before the test day. I could remain focused through Quant and Verbal and was dead by the time I was through with half of IR. The biggest mistake was, I skipped all my breaks. I don't think I need a break between my Quant and Verbal sections, but I definitely need a breather after the two. I still wouldn't do a proper prep for IR before my second attempt but there's the need to familiarize myself with the kind of questions asked so I don't waste much time understanding the questions and the patterns in the official test itself. For AWA I would need to spend a few hours and probably a couple of essay attempts to feel confident on the official tests. Either way, I wouldn't recommend anyone to prioritize these sections. If you come from a quantitative background, IR isn't actually tough. AWA essays require a standardized format and is pretty hackable - so just a few hours of practice closer to the test date should do.
Unable to post my ESR snaps here as the forum suggests I need to have at least 5 posts before I can upload stuff.
But after reverse engineering my ESR, here's some summary:
Verbal (30 non-experimental questions)
1. CR 2 out of 8 right - 5th percentile
2. RC 8 out of 10 right - 80th percentile
3. SC 11 out of 12 right - 98th percentile
Quant (28 non-experimental questions) 24 out of 28 right - 85th percentile
I am bummed that CR was an anomaly on my overall GMAT and the only clear let down. I'm not sure what I can attribute this to, either, as I was used to not getting more than 2 CR questions incorrect on my GMAT prep mock tests (remember, these include the experimental questions as well). Psychologically, I was operating at almost peak intensity on the test day itself and had minimal anxiety. I've seen a few other posts on the forum with similar results and I guess I will just have to take more attempts to stand a chance of getting luckier.
On a side note, I know 720 isn't terrible but being from an oversubscribed pool of candidates and aiming to get into the top US MBA programs, I'd need a 750+ to bolster my chances. In spite of the disappointment, I still have 4 attempts left for this year and remain hopeful I can hit 750+ if I maximize my attempts (and with that, my chances of getting lucky).
Some other notes that might be helpful for other candidates -
1. I can't emphasize enough the importance of going in with an aggressive mindset. Your true ability will not stand much chance of coming to light if you don't go in with a killer mentality or if you let nerves get the better of you.
2. Not a huge fan of the GMAT prep mock tests, inspite of their popularity. Yes they're probably the closest representation of the official test but the official test felt much harder and much more diverse, especially on the Quant front. I had a 760 and 770 in my last 2 mock tests, one of which I was able to complete ahead of time (with around 5 minutes to spare in both Quant and Verbal).
3. I completely bottled IR (scored 6) and AWA (score yet to be revealed at this point, but I know I screwed up) cause... I spent 0 minutes ever prepping for or taking the IR, and watched a 10 minute YouTube video on the AWA before the test day. I could remain focused through Quant and Verbal and was dead by the time I was through with half of IR. The biggest mistake was, I skipped all my breaks. I don't think I need a break between my Quant and Verbal sections, but I definitely need a breather after the two. I still wouldn't do a proper prep for IR before my second attempt but there's the need to familiarize myself with the kind of questions asked so I don't waste much time understanding the questions and the patterns in the official test itself. For AWA I would need to spend a few hours and probably a couple of essay attempts to feel confident on the official tests. Either way, I wouldn't recommend anyone to prioritize these sections. If you come from a quantitative background, IR isn't actually tough. AWA essays require a standardized format and is pretty hackable - so just a few hours of practice closer to the test date should do.
19 Jul 2020, 07:22
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Congratulations on your score.It's really nice to cross 700+ barrier.Going by your debrief you can aim for 750+.One of my friend got 710 after scoring 750-770 consistently in gmat prep mocks.So, he gave it again, scoring 740.The reson I have mentioned this is he faced issue with CR.What he did was practicing each topic in power score CR bible and solving the 700+ level og questions in gmat club forum.This way your accuracy shall shoot up in couple of weeks.
Please follow it if you find it useful.Good luck on your prep!
Please follow it if you find it useful.Good luck on your prep!
TheUltimateWinner
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Schools: Harvard '24 Judge '23 LBS '24 McCombs '24 Mendoza Tepper '24 Ross '24 Cox Marshall '24 Fisher Kelley '24 Jones McDonough '24 Owen '24 Terry BU Simon '24 Katz GWU Mason Babson Gabelli Foster '24 Goizueta '24 Scheller Stern '23 CBS '23 Booth '23 Haas '25 Wharton '25 Stanford '26 Johnson'23 Fuqua '23 Kellogg '23 Kenan-Flagler'23 INSEAD Aug 22 intake Olin '23 Said '23 Sloan '23 Carey Arizona "22 Yale '23 UC Davis Madison '23 Anderson '23 Carroll Carlson '23 Darden '23
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19 Jul 2020, 08:23
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gmatnoobtomaster
Your CR score is horrible. You should try it again if everything is favor in this pandemic.
