Appeared for GMAT FE for the first time yesterday and scored a 605 (Q79/V81/DI80). Self prepped for around 2-3 months with a full time job. Not super consistent I’ll admit. Tbh I’m disappointed with my verbal score. On my recent mocks I scored 83, 85 and 88, but ended up with an 81 on the real thing. DI was accurate according to my mocks. And even Quant performance was anticipated since I was struggling with my quant score on the mocks too.
Also felt that point deduction for incorrect answers was harsh on the real test compared to the mocks. Is this a thing?
I am aiming for T10-15 with a scholarship which means I obviously need a retake and an enormous score boost. I know I can score significantly better with the right study plan and consistent efforts. Also, planning to go with a test prep course to alleviate my score. I need some advice regarding retake, test prep course and when should I ideally apply.
Background:
1. Indian female applicant with an engineering degree. GPA: 7.52
2. 3 years of work experience in IT as a Development Analyst. A little bit of mentorship experience.
3. Leading a team in an NGO. Experience: 3 months. Joined in April 2024.
4. I have extra curriculars on my profile too but nothing significant recently: a) Classical music instrument: Cleared two state level exams while in school b) Volleyball: District level (also while in school) c) Dance: Participated in inter-college fest d) Was active member of college student association
My questions:
1. Which prep company should I opt for? Specifically to increase my Quant score. I am good at math and I know I’m doing something very wrong. So probably need to unlearn a few things and start fresh.
2. When should I plan my retake? Which takes me to my next questions.
3. Don’t think I’ll make it in time for R1. So should I retake and apply in R2? Sceptical about R2 because I have heard chances of scholarships are better in R1. Also being an international applicant, I guess R2 would be late.
4. Or should I retake by October/ November, and then build my profile and apply next year? By then I’ll have good work experience and also one additional promotion (including leadership responsibilities). My NGO experience would also be valuable because right now it may seem like a padded application since I started only in April this year. I’m planning to take a few additional courses to prep towards a pre-MBA profile.
If someone can help with these doubts, it would be highly appreciated! Frankly, I feel lost right now

Yes, it is possible that the penalty is higher on the real exam. The reason is that the real exam has
, whereas the practice tests don't. So if we get an operational (non-experimental) question wrong on the real exam, the penalty may be higher. On the other hand, getting some questions wrong may make no difference (if those questions are experimental questions).
Apart from the suggestions you receive from forum members, if you're looking at companies that offer recorded sessions, you could consider taking a free trial as well. If you're considering live classes or tutoring, recommendations from others will be less useful, as your experience will depend almost entirely on your instructor(s).
As far as your verbal section is concerned, I think you could retake quite soon. V88 is a great score, and it's possible that your V81 was just a case of underperformance.
R2 isn't late. Target R2 if you think you absolutely need more time. That said, I usually recommend a combination of R1 and R2.
You could postpone your MBA plans, but it may be better to go ahead this year. You can always apply again if you don't make it. However, this really is your call, as it involves an investment of time/money.
Overall, 605 is a good score, especially given that this was your first GMAT. I think you're in a good position to push this score up. All the best.