First Attempt 670 / 42Q / 40V. Retake?

Question

Hey all,

First post. I took the GMAT earlier today after studying all weekend and my scores surprised me. To be honest I didn't think I'd get so high on verbal and I really didn't expect my quant to be so low. I didn't really have much of a problem with the quant questions from the guide. Either way, is it worth going to retake the test with this? How will schools view this?

greenzie · Answer

I found Quant questions from the OG are way easier than the practice tests and the real test.

IgboRobinHood · Answer

Prepare and try again... I got 680 on the first attempt... prepared with Magoosh and hit a 730 on the second try... Gives you room to focus on improving the other parts of your application

BasX · Answer

Thanks for the replies. Yes the questions in the OG were rather weak. I knew that on test day I would be faced with mostly difficult questions. The questions should really have a difficulty rating.

I should have spent a little more time studying for this (mba says the average study time for this range is 100+ hours.... I spent maybe 20 over 3 days). I needed to review quant concepts and maybe do some practice tests; I've been out of school for awhile now. I have a degree in Economics/International Development and I've been working as a Business Analyst for JPMorgan Chase for some years now.

I'm certain I can break 700 with relative ease but I don't know if it will even make a difference regarding my applications. I guess at this point it's best to speak with a recruiter directly. Either way, I'm tempted to retake it simply to see what I can actually achieve...

CABBA · Answer

Don't forget the GMAT is a means to an end, and therefore whether or not you should retake the test depends on which B-school you are targeting. 670 is good enough for you to get into most tier 2 programs, but if you are targeting the top tier, you will need to re-write. With your strong verbal aptitude it's likely that you will improve your score significantly. 
If you're not sure which school you want to apply to and you have time, re-writing would be a good idea because a better score will give you more options and a greater chance for acceptance. 
In my situation, I studied, wrote the test, and scored a 660. I knew I could have done better (based on practice tests and knowing that I had missed problems that I could have got), but the school I was targeting in Canada admitted an average GMAT below what I had scored. So instead of re-writing the test I turned my attention to the remainder of the application and in particular towards submitting my application as early as possible. It worked out and I was admitted.

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sagnik242 · Answer

what percentile was your Quant? how many practice tests did you take?

BasX · Answer

I am also in Canada and was considering either Rothman at U of T or HEC Montreal. Now I can't be sure about this but I think it will be more an issue with Rothman (I don't expect any difficulty with HEC).

The percentile is what concerns me the most: 91st percentile in verbal and  60th percentile  for quant. I mean I MUST have made some really careless mistakes in that section. Overall I'm 82nd.

I didn't take any practice tests. Just reviewed some questions from the guide.

CABBA · Answer

According to the latest MBA Review by Canada Business, the average GMAT at HEC is 638, and Rotman 673. These are average scores so you can probably make it in to either program with your 670 as long as the rest of your application is solid. 
When are you planning to apply? 
If you are targeting 2016 intake, then you're best to get you application submitted ASAP. But if you're looking at 2017, then you have plenty of time to retake the test. Since most schools consider only your highest GMAT score, retaking the exam wouldn't hurt if you have time. A higher GMAT score MIGHT help your chances for admission, AND increase the entrance award offered.

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greenzie · Answer

I did almost all the questions in OG and looking back I really think it was a waste of time. I'd rather do more practice tests and focus on the difficult questions only. If you ever retake, at least do a practice test. Your quant is quite low and might be a problem. If it's the other way around, I'd say you're fine

AjiteshArun · Answer

I think you should take it again. I would normally ask why you took the exam with close to zero prep, but your score is good, and no one can argue with that.

A little bit of effort now will, however, make things easier for you, and (maybe) get you thinking about options that you haven't yet considered.

VeritasPrepEdison · Answer

With the minimal preparations you had, it may be a good idea to spend more time preparing for a re-take. If you believe you can easily break 700+, you should do so especially if you are aiming for the top programs, it could boost your chances for admissions, and scholarship odds.

Wish you all the best!

Wish you all the best!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi BasX,

First off, a 670 is a strong score, so it could be enough to get you into the two Schools that you listed. As such, a retest might not be necessary. You're ultimately asking Admissions questions though, so you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile. There's a Forum full of them here:

ask-admission-consultants-124/

If you're not facing an impending application deadline, there's a great 'upside' to studying for a bit and retesting. Assuming that you can repeat that same approximate Verbal performance, there are a bunch of potential points waiting for you in the Quant section - and a much higher score would almost certainly improve your chances at getting acceptable (and put you in position for potential Scholarship money). With a Q42, your issue was NOT "hard" questions though - you would have made a bunch of little mistakes on gettable questions and missed out on a lot of 'strategy-based' points (especially on DS). All of that should be easy enough to improve on, but you'll likely need to invest in some new study materials and put in a bit of study time.

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

WayneHam · Answer

Always good advice from this guy.

If what you're saying is true about barely studying and getting that score, then you should put in an honest effort and get a score that you think you're worthy of, even if your score is high enough to get in. I was in a similar boat but my score was lower on the first try and I debated just like you and also had a low quant and a 2 in IR. In retrospect, rewriting was the best thing I could have done since it basically took out the suspense from the application process by being way over the average. Now if you killed yourself to get a 670 and think you reached your peak then I'd stick with it. Also, don't forget about scholarship opportunities. That's what I didn't consider and rewriting paid for itself many times over. Also, people usually don't want to rewrite because they spend the last 3 months studying and just want it to be over, that's not the case for you.

CABBA · Answer

The thing that we don't know from the OP is whether or not they are facing an imminent application deadline. 
If there is no deadline, then clearly much can be gained by re-writing and performing at a higher level (ideally a better score overall score, and if nothing else a more balanced score). This would result in better chances for admission and better entrance award. If there is a deadline then it may be more beneficial to submit the application with the GMAT as is, particularly if the score is already above the school's average for admission.

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