ESR Analysis: Requesting Expert Replies

Question

Hi,

I gave the GMAT yesterday and scored 710 with Q49, V37, and IR7. I'm looking for some feedback on how to proceed for a retake.

Context and information regarding prep:

Studies: 
1) How long have I studied? 
Almost 3 months

2) What study materials have you used so far? 
 e-GMAT for Verbal, 
OG, OG Verbal Review, 
GMAT Club forum problems, 
Manhattan CR and RC problems, 
Thursdays with Ron videos (CR and SC), 
Veritas tests, 
GMAT Prep Tests

3) How have you scored on EACH of your CATs (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)? 
Table shared below for point 3:
 https://i.imgur.com/TnM36S7.jpg

Goals: 
4) What is your EXACT goal score? 
I want to score 750+

5) When are you planning to apply to Business School? 
Well, I had planned to apply in R1 this year, but that does not look feasible to me anymore.

6) What Schools are you planning to apply to? 
Top 20 US B-Schools

-----------------------------------------------------------

Verbal ESR: 
 https://i.imgur.com/4Tua14O.png 
 https://i.imgur.com/w9c95VO.png 
 https://i.imgur.com/fJJEGdY.png

I'm a bit confused as to how I should consume this information. I should mention that I got a "business-related" RC in the last set of questions. I don't too well on such RCs.

Hoping for some expert feedback.

Thanks in advance.

sandman

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi sandman13,

First off, a 710/Q49 is an outstanding score (it's right around the 90th percentile overall), so you can comfortably apply to any Business Schools that interest you. As such, a retest is probably not necessary. Depending on the specific Programs 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-admission ... tants-124/

If you're certain that you want to retest, then I'd like to see your FULL ESR (not just the data on the Verbal section). You can feel free to PM it to me if that would be convenient.

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

AjiteshArun · Answer

Your V37 is actually in line with your GMATPrep scores, but on the day of your actual GMAT, apart from the extra time in the third set of questions, there is  nothing  wrong in the first 3 sets of questions. You were, in fact, doing very well and were headed for a V40+. Clearly, the last quarter was bad, with only 2 questions out of the 8 scored questions correct. If you feel that you got all 3 (maybe 4?) questions in that RC incorrect, then you definitely need to put more effort into becoming more comfortable with passages related to business.

It's more likely, however, that something else happened in that last set, as any major weaknesses in your concepts would have been exposed well before the last 8 questions. Are you sure that you didn't change your approach or start second-guessing yourself?

sandman13 · Answer

AjiteshArun , thanks for the response. To be honest, I was usually short on time on mocks in the last set of questions and would panic. I generally employed a guessing strategy. I tried to solve as many SC questions which came in the last set of questions.

In the GMAT, there were not a lot of SC questions in the end. I had to choose choices on CR questions without going through all the options. There is a high likelihood that I got 3/4 questions on the business passage incorrect. The passage structure was also new to me. This RC passage had 7 short paragraphs, which was a very new structure for me. I felt overwhelmed by the amount of information I needed to keep track of throughout my reading.

On top of that, in the last RC passage, there were no "primary purpose", "main idea" type questions, which I usually perform better on compared to inference questions (which is evident from the ESR as well).

In conclusion, I was short on time in the last set of questions (as was usually the case in mocks) and did not follow the process I usually do in solving questions (finding 4 wrong answers, translating CR passage to simple essentials, etc.).

AjiteshArun · Answer

Right, and that's why I don't think you should overanalyze this ESR. No one is going to tell you that you shouldn't have made even 1 mistake in the second set, or that you shouldn't have made 2 in the third set. Work on your timing ( here  is one example of a timing strategy) and make sure that you finish well on your next attempt, if you decide to go ahead with a retake.

This is not to take anything away from your (very good) score. Most test takers will not get either a 710 or a V37.

sandman13 · Answer

EMPOWERgmatRichC ,  AjiteshArun  can you give any advice on how I should proceed with prep? Given that I've completed OG 18 and GMAT Prep tests already. Which tests should I take? Should I go for Manhattan?

And if I want to give the exam in mid-September, when should I start giving tests?

Thanks

Manick9 · Answer

Hi all,

I gave the GMAT on 8th August and scored 620 with Q46, V30, and IR5. I'm looking for some feedback on how to improve my scores.

Context and information regarding prep:

Studies:
1) How long have I studied? 
Almost 1.5 months.

2) What study materials have you used so far? 
OG 2018, OG Quant Review, 
GMAT Club forum problems, 
Veritas videos, 
GMAT Prep Tests.

3)Mock Test Scores
GMAT Prep Test (old) 1: 620 (Q49, V26, IR4)
GMAT Prep Test 2: 620 (Q48, V27, IR3)
GMAT Prep Test 4: 640 (Q49, V27, IR5)

Goals:
4) What is your target score? 
I want to score 730+.

5) When are you planning to apply to Business School? 
I am planning to apply in 3 years.

6) What Schools are you planning to apply to? 
Top 20 US B-Schools

My ESR:
 https://i.imgur.com/6Oegk0t.png 
 https://i.imgur.com/Xbs1t5Q.png 
 https://i.imgur.com/42ls1P8.png 
 https://i.imgur.com/bF6p8IT.png 
 https://i.imgur.com/q6inAOy.png 
 https://i.imgur.com/JyG7ky0.png 
 https://i.imgur.com/JIuspPZ.png 
 https://i.imgur.com/irvU1xV.png

Thanks a lot!

mcelroytutoring · Answer

Hi  Manick9 ,

To state the obvious, it appears that you have a pacing issue on Verbal, since you were doing just fine until the final quarter of questions. You need to find a way to go faster without sacrificing (much) accuracy.

The Verbal section requires a consistent performance: you can't fall apart at the end and still salvage a solid score, as you can on the Quant section.

-Brian

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Manick9,

To start, I recommend that you start your own thread (instead of piggy-backing on this thread) - so that the advice and discussion can stay focused on YOUR situation. As an aside, there's a bit of data that is missing from your ESR (you posted one of the slides twice, but did not include your quarterly Quant 'pacing' data).

In early July, you posted a CAT Score that was remarkably similar to your recent Official Score (here: https://gmatclub.com/forum/request-for- ... l#p2090870) and I noted that you might end up getting 'stuck' at this score level since your studies were 'book heavy.' When you include the additional CATs that you took since then, you do appear to have gotten stuck. GMAC has publicly stated that the Official Score that you earn on Test Day is within +/- 30 points of actual ability. Assuming a similar 'swing' in how your CATs function, your various results show that you essentially performed the same each time (about 620 +/- a few points).

Considering your Score goal, you will likely need at least another 2 months of consistent, guided study to consistently score at that level (and it might be longer than that if you've developed any 'bad habits' that are keeping you from scoring higher - beyond learning the necessary content and Tactics, we'll also need to work to change how you physically "see" and respond to the Test).

Once the missing ESR data is included, I'll be happy to analyze the results for you. You can feel free to PM your ESR directly to me if that would be easier.

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

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