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May 1408:30 AM PDT
-09:30 AM PDT
Most GMAT test-takers are intimidated by the hardest GMAT Verbal questions. In this session, Target Test Prep GMAT instructor Erika Tyler-John, a 100th percentile GMAT scorer, will show you how top scorers break down challenging Verbal questions..
May 1212:00 PM EDT
-11:59 PM EDT
Make the most of your break with the most realistic GMAT™ prep. Take up to $700 off select products.- Jun 10
06:00 AM PDT
-06:15 PM PDT
Register for the GMAT Club Virtual MBA Spotlight Fair – the world’s premier event for serious MBA candidates. This is your chance to hear directly from Admissions Directors at nearly every Top 30 MBA program..
23 Jul 2023, 13:53
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Disclaimer: long post! Created a thread here based on suggestion from OnlineTutor_Knight in the hopes of getting some more feedback.
Reddit post with the same title (unfortunately can't post a link yet)
--Begin rant/debrief--
Being ORM - 720+ is something which would make any adcom at any good MBA program to even pick up the application let alone read it
Hi,
So I gave my GMAT the second time today and scored a measly 530 (Q41, V23). This has been frustrating to say the least. My first attempt was 520 (Q33, V28) last year in October. It has been a very disappointing day after almost 300 hours of prep and lost vacation days + family time etc. Granted the first time, I only studied for 15-20 hours in total, but the second time, I really did spend time and grind through to the point where I was getting Q47-48 in my mocks with a few minutes to spare (thanks TTP) but getting a Q41 today is just painful. Usually, after mock I remember most of the questions attempted, which ones I guessed etc. but in the actual exam, it all becomes so hazy that neither do I remember what did I do nor what sort of questions were there in the test. It is still all too hazy and I literally can't seem to recall a single question except knowing that somehow my Quant section today was so weird and word problem heavy with profit, loss and combinatroics - which I struggle with a little and was hoping to get done with just 2 or 3 of them. I am usually better in equations, geometry, rates, numbers and not seeing these question after question kinda got to me and threw me off, I guess but like I said, it is still too hazy to analyse.
Don't get me started on Verbal. Although I am a 'non-native' speaker but I have been studying, working, living in the English since forever. I do know and acknowledge that GMAT verbal is more than just a EN language test and has always been my weakness, but I was always between 27 and 32. I was really happy to have made the progress in Quant to the point that after today's exam I was planning on dedicating more efforts into improving verbal and polishing quant but I am now seriously reconsidering the whole GMAT. I never really understood GMAT verbal and it just doesn't get in my head - maybe I am not wired that way and I just feel like GMAT is sucking all the fun out of my love for English as a language. I love poetry, novels - appreciate a well-written nuanced op-ed here and there but I just can't get a hang of GMAT verbal. For me the verbal feels like a game to trick you all the time. I spent 2 months of dedicated 2-3 hours each day on verbal and went through everything from TTP to GMATNinja etc. but the needle hasn't moved and today it went downhill
. BTW my accuracy for Verbal untimed (with around 4 minutes per question) is like 75% on medium OG problems and 60% on Hard - OG problems - so go figure.
I know maybe not the right mindset and attitude to think like this (and might fade off in a couple of days) but somehow GMAT feels like a game designed to trap rather than test the knowledge. Why the hell in 2023 with all sorts of auto-corrects and AI tools of the world should someone need something like SC. We literally spend hours at work to deconvolute and simplify the language for the reading and meaning level of class V. At least in GRE learning vocabulary make you sound 'posh' when you use it but what does CR make one learn. But what do I know?
--End rant/debrief, and time for some questions--
TL;DR
I work full-time around 10 - 12 hours a day as Tech. PM and have little to no time left and frankly no more energy left to grind more as I am feeling like starting to lack on my work duties because of GMAT in the last 2 months or so and this is nooot goood. To top that the R1 deadlines are approaching soon.
Given that, I have an advanced Master in CS, and as I am mostly looking for EMBAs and a couple of shorter one-year FT programs (with an exception of MIT LGO):
Am I really missing something in GMAT? Or if B-school is gonna be like GMAT - games and traps and I am really not a fit academically and just abandon MBA plans altogether?
Should I still continue grinding through GMAT or switch to GRE - not saying that is easy but I have given GRE in past and feel comfortable with the structure (verbal in general), the ability to mark and go back to the questions and not having to feel like being played by the test?
Does a GMAT v/s GRE score bode differently when it comes to recruiting especially consulting?
I have an older GRE of around 312 - still valid - should I use this to apply?
For the ones who made this switch- your general feedback and resources for GRE?
P.S. Props to TTP and GMATNinja - you guys gave me the confidence and improved my skills.
P.P.S. I am aware of some grammatical, sentence coherence and spelling errors. I was too tired after the exam to proof-read and just wanted write this before work starts tomorrow.
Reddit post with the same title (unfortunately can't post a link yet)
--Begin rant/debrief--
Being ORM - 720+ is something which would make any adcom at any good MBA program to even pick up the application let alone read it
Hi,
So I gave my GMAT the second time today and scored a measly 530 (Q41, V23). This has been frustrating to say the least. My first attempt was 520 (Q33, V28) last year in October. It has been a very disappointing day after almost 300 hours of prep and lost vacation days + family time etc. Granted the first time, I only studied for 15-20 hours in total, but the second time, I really did spend time and grind through to the point where I was getting Q47-48 in my mocks with a few minutes to spare (thanks TTP) but getting a Q41 today is just painful. Usually, after mock I remember most of the questions attempted, which ones I guessed etc. but in the actual exam, it all becomes so hazy that neither do I remember what did I do nor what sort of questions were there in the test. It is still all too hazy and I literally can't seem to recall a single question except knowing that somehow my Quant section today was so weird and word problem heavy with profit, loss and combinatroics - which I struggle with a little and was hoping to get done with just 2 or 3 of them. I am usually better in equations, geometry, rates, numbers and not seeing these question after question kinda got to me and threw me off, I guess but like I said, it is still too hazy to analyse.
Don't get me started on Verbal. Although I am a 'non-native' speaker but I have been studying, working, living in the English since forever. I do know and acknowledge that GMAT verbal is more than just a EN language test and has always been my weakness, but I was always between 27 and 32. I was really happy to have made the progress in Quant to the point that after today's exam I was planning on dedicating more efforts into improving verbal and polishing quant but I am now seriously reconsidering the whole GMAT. I never really understood GMAT verbal and it just doesn't get in my head - maybe I am not wired that way and I just feel like GMAT is sucking all the fun out of my love for English as a language. I love poetry, novels - appreciate a well-written nuanced op-ed here and there but I just can't get a hang of GMAT verbal. For me the verbal feels like a game to trick you all the time. I spent 2 months of dedicated 2-3 hours each day on verbal and went through everything from TTP to GMATNinja etc. but the needle hasn't moved and today it went downhill
. BTW my accuracy for Verbal untimed (with around 4 minutes per question) is like 75% on medium OG problems and 60% on Hard - OG problems - so go figure.I know maybe not the right mindset and attitude to think like this (and might fade off in a couple of days) but somehow GMAT feels like a game designed to trap rather than test the knowledge. Why the hell in 2023 with all sorts of auto-corrects and AI tools of the world should someone need something like SC. We literally spend hours at work to deconvolute and simplify the language for the reading and meaning level of class V. At least in GRE learning vocabulary make you sound 'posh' when you use it but what does CR make one learn. But what do I know?
--End rant/debrief, and time for some questions--
TL;DR
I work full-time around 10 - 12 hours a day as Tech. PM and have little to no time left and frankly no more energy left to grind more as I am feeling like starting to lack on my work duties because of GMAT in the last 2 months or so and this is nooot goood. To top that the R1 deadlines are approaching soon.
Given that, I have an advanced Master in CS, and as I am mostly looking for EMBAs and a couple of shorter one-year FT programs (with an exception of MIT LGO):
Am I really missing something in GMAT? Or if B-school is gonna be like GMAT - games and traps and I am really not a fit academically and just abandon MBA plans altogether?
Should I still continue grinding through GMAT or switch to GRE - not saying that is easy but I have given GRE in past and feel comfortable with the structure (verbal in general), the ability to mark and go back to the questions and not having to feel like being played by the test?
Does a GMAT v/s GRE score bode differently when it comes to recruiting especially consulting?
I have an older GRE of around 312 - still valid - should I use this to apply?
For the ones who made this switch- your general feedback and resources for GRE?
P.S. Props to TTP and GMATNinja - you guys gave me the confidence and improved my skills.
P.P.S. I am aware of some grammatical, sentence coherence and spelling errors. I was too tired after the exam to proof-read and just wanted write this before work starts tomorrow.
23 Jul 2023, 16:03
Kudos
Bookmarks
It's a drag to see just a ten-point increase after all that preparation, but your Quant score did increase substantially. I sounds as if the Quant questions on the test you took just didn't match up with your strengths and that, as a result, you scored lower on Quant than might have been expected.
Regarding Verbal, to score in the upper 30s to 40s in Verbal, you need to get about 75 to 85 percent of the Verbal questions on the test correct, and they'll all be medium and hard questions if you're scoring that high. So, your untimed practice accuracy needs to be about 90 percent correct in medium and 60 to 80 percent correct in hard Verbal questions.
Meanwhile, when your untimed Verbal accuracy is in the 60s or 70s, anything can happen on test day, as you have discovered.
Regarding CR, it's probably the most real world relevant topic on the GMAT because there as so many situations in life in which we need to reason logically. So, CR is definitely great to master.
Overall, you GMAT prep just isn't complete yet. You've made some good progress but still have gaps in your skillset that can cause you to score lower than you might expect. You can certainly get to 720+ though, with additional effective preparation.
Regarding the GRE, you could try taking a GRE practice test to see how that test seems for you.
For some tips that you can use to master Verbal regardless of which test you end up preparing for, see this post.
How to Score High on GMAT Verbal
Regarding Verbal, to score in the upper 30s to 40s in Verbal, you need to get about 75 to 85 percent of the Verbal questions on the test correct, and they'll all be medium and hard questions if you're scoring that high. So, your untimed practice accuracy needs to be about 90 percent correct in medium and 60 to 80 percent correct in hard Verbal questions.
Meanwhile, when your untimed Verbal accuracy is in the 60s or 70s, anything can happen on test day, as you have discovered.
Regarding CR, it's probably the most real world relevant topic on the GMAT because there as so many situations in life in which we need to reason logically. So, CR is definitely great to master.
Overall, you GMAT prep just isn't complete yet. You've made some good progress but still have gaps in your skillset that can cause you to score lower than you might expect. You can certainly get to 720+ though, with additional effective preparation.
Regarding the GRE, you could try taking a GRE practice test to see how that test seems for you.
For some tips that you can use to master Verbal regardless of which test you end up preparing for, see this post.
How to Score High on GMAT Verbal
23 Jul 2023, 16:41
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Bookmarks
Throwaway251
I started a company to address that ORM issue but I think you should take the GRE instead. I think if you retake GRE, you could have a better shot at touching a 324 (a top 25 level score) as opposed to 530 GMAT (let's not talk about ranking FOR THIS)
I know how that can be but if you can use GRE score to get you into any top choice school, why not do that!
