From 690 to 660 to 630 - WHAT DO I do ?

Question

Guys, i have a problem and i need your help.

I started with the GMAT thinking i will do well in my first attempt but landed at a 690. I needed to get into the 700+ zone which is a psychological barrier for a Indian Male Engineer and took the exam 7 months later and got a 660. Disheartened, i tried analysing my mistakes (which i thought was more related to timing during the exam) and decided to give it a third shot. After 4 months of intense study and 10 mock tests later, i scored a 630 on my third attempt. I have been decently good in academics (scoring more than 90% in maths from school to engineering as well) and my verbal skills are not bad as well.

I cannot live with a score of 630 especially since it shows a downward trend.

Should i attempt the GMAT for the fourth time. I really want to get into the 700+ zone. Will my chances of admission be affected if i take the GMAT 4 times (thinking of schools like INSEAD, LBS, M7)

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ssk04,

I'd like to know a bit more about your 3 GMAT scores and your timeline/plans/goals?

1) What were the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for each?
2) What were the dates for each of those exams?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

Academically, I'd be a bit concerned with the downward 'trend' in your scores, but since this is really an Admissions question, you would be better served asking the Admissions Experts in that Forum:

ask-admission-consultants-124/

You'll likely need to provide more details about your overall profile to get an accurate assessment of your chances at getting an invite.

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

ssk04 · Answer

Hi Rich,

I took the first test 690 (Q49, V34) in Aug'13, second 660 (Q48, V33) in MAY'14 and third 630 (Q48, V28) in Mar'15. All three were sort of independent attempts since i spent lot of time between two attempts (due to personal and prof reasons)

i plan to apply for classes starting 2016 Sept

ssk04

joshnsit · Answer

IMO, you should definitely apply. You miss 100% of shots that you don't make. You can keep on working on your GMAT and profile in parallel. Clearly, your quant is shaky and verbal is shakier. You are definitely neglecting Quant for Verbal and that is dragging you behind more. In Verbal, which section is weakest for you? Spend at least two weeks in continuation on it and then see if you improve on it in later mock. Another advice: Plan your study session only in 4 hour stretches. If your RC is weak(which I am kind of sure is), keep your RC sessions for 4 hours. Concentration is the key to this game of GMAT.

ssk04 · Answer

Thanks John for your advice.

In verbal, i dont think there is any particular section which is weak. Infact i scored a 730 (Q50, V38) two days before i took my third attempt. My other scores on MGMAT's were between 670-700 (V 33- V37) and Veritas were between 720-740 (V 37- V41). I dont know what went so drastically wrong on the D-day.

I really think i have a 700+ score in me (at the minimum) .. Somehow, what started as a battle has become a war with the GMAT.

ssk04

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ssk04,

There are a number of 'big picture' questions that need to be answered about your plans and how you studied.

1) You named some competitive programs that you're considering applying to. The downward score 'progression' might be a problem. As I recommended earlier, you should discuss this with an Admissions Expert. Have you talked to (or posted/emailed/etc.) any of them yet? Even if you didn't have these decreasing scores, you should consult with an Expert when applying to any really competitive programs - the competition is too intense to just "take a shot" at applying without really thinking and working through all of the details.

2) Have you thought about how much time you have available to continue studying and ultimately retaking the GMAT if necessary?

3) You mentioned that you were scoring at a higher level on your CATs. When you took your CATs, did you take the ENTIRE CAT each time (including the Essay and IR sections)? Test Day is a rather specific 'event', so if your practice deviates from the specifics of Test Day, then the practice score results become less and less accurate.

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

joshnsit · Answer

Hey ssk, I would really suggest not to take GMAT personally. You have to keep on butt-ramming and trying till you get your score and admit. I can't tell how much I empathize with you. I felt so much like you, depressed and persistent at same time. I don't have a GMAT debrief, but I think below nuggets of advice will help. Over my GMAT journey scattered over 5-7 years from 560 to 670 and a final admit to my school, I have learnt that GMAT is stamina and psychometric exam first and knowledge exam after that. GMAT designers know the standard traps to which students keep on falling and they employ again and again those traps. This is extremely true for Quant. That's why I highly recommend doing GMATClub tests for just the tricks and not for those lengthy questions in GMATClub Tests. Some of these traps are also available in below link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NApwEPHyOA For the Verbal part, it is simply the stamina. I am convinced that RC is most important section in Verbal and sincerely suggest to do RCs in a 4-hour session. You can't and just can't afford to make an RC mistakes towards the end of the exam. Why? Because 1) RC weigh higher than CR and SC in GMAT 2) Making high weighted mistakes consecutively in RC due to lack of concentration and stamina drops your score in a compounded fashion. Do it, even if you die of boredom. Make RC a habit by doing it for minimum 21 days(courtesy Psychologist: BJ Fogg

). You wont be able to overcome GMAT beast without mastering RC. For CR, the best material is Powerscore CR Bible, if you have covered OGs. You should be able to get online easily. For SC again, it is simply some set of fixed rules which you should know(Verb is always preferred over Adjective form which in turn is preferred over Noun form in a GMAT sentence also known as VAN or V>A>N). OGs first and then, if needed, you can go for extra material like Magoosh or SC1000. I have provided one link for SC1000 in my signature, just in case, you need the extra practice on SCs. If you know that RC is dragging you down, go and improve it first. HTH

littlegirl · Answer

too sad to hear your story. just donnt give up.
Your mocks were so nice. I think u should try enhanced score reports for 3 or at least 2 to know what was going wrong.

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