Took the GMAT last Saturday after a couple months of preparation using the
OG and GMAC software. Never really studied the verbal other than answering the questions on practice tests. The quant is what I was focused on because I knew it was my weakness (having not even thought of geometry since 10th grade, and having used a calculator since middle school). I scored 600 on my first practice test after minimal preparation. Took the free Kaplan and
MGMAT tests in between (scoring between 620-640). I then took my 2nd GMAC practice test and scored 650. On these practice tests I scored between 60th and 73rd percentile in Quant, and between 75 and 80th percentile in Verbal, but by the time I would get to the verbal section I would get tired/bored and rush through it (working 8-5 every day it would be 10 or 11 oclock before I could finish these practice tests). I would always finish verbal with 20-30 minutes to spare. Quant I would usually finish with only a minute or 2 to spare (actually had a little trouble finishing the
MGMAT test on time), but I had little problem finishing the GMAC tests on time or with a couple minutes to spare.
So I get to the actual GMAT and breeze through the AWA/IR. Got at least a 5/6 on the essay and 7/8 on IR.
Skip ahead to the Verbal, I took my time as opposed to rushing it as I did on the practice tests. Actually read the passages instead of skimming through, and scored a 40 (90th percentile!).
With this verbal score, if I had scored my WORST quant score from the practice tests I would have had a 680.
Now for the part where I shot myself in the foot. I had read of the importance of the first 10 questions, so I made sure to take my time on them and I felt like I got AT LEAST 8 of them right. I was doing much better than usual, and the questions kept getting harder. I continued to do well on these questions and felt that I was crushing the section like I had never done in any of the practice tests. I wanted to continue to get every single question right, and spent WAY too long on some 700-800 level questions. Through 27 questions, I felt that I had gotten 20 or more right. However, it was at that point that I looked up at the clock and saw 11 minutes remaining.... with 10 questions left. I panicked. I randomly guessed at a few, rushed some calculations, and probably missed 7-9 of the last 10 questions. Ended up with a 36th percentile score..... 36th.
Now I am absolutely sick about it. I feel like I got too greedy wanting to get every quant question right and score a 750, and it ended up backfiring on me. If I had just done my average in quant then I would have scored MORE than high enough to get into ANY of the schools I am targeting. If I had scored on the higher end of my practice test quant scored I would be applying to some schools I didn't think I had a shot at.
Now I absolutely cant wait for 30 days to pass so I can do what I should have done on my first attempt. It is a personal grudge now, I will not rest until I score 680+ like I should have in the first place.... grrrr