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18 Jun 2020, 09:46
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I took the online GMAT recently. Although it was after June 11th, decided to stick with using the online whiteboard only since that is what I had been practicing with for the past couple of months.
I ended up scoring a 700 (Q46, V40), which is borderline for the schools I am interested in (H/S/W/MIT/CBS). I read the “Retaking GMAT Strategies” guide and I fall into that “maybe” category. I’ll probably reach out to a couple admissions consultants for a second opinion.
I am considering a retake if/when GMAC allows individuals with a post June 11th test date to register for another.
I started studying in March and had originally planned to take it in-person in June, but we all know how things went during the spring…
I have an engineering background from a top 10 school, so I (very wrongly) assumed that being able to solve Gibbs free energy for the transition state of a specific conformation would mean that I would find quant to be fairly easy. Not the case. Some math overlaps, but I spent most of my time learning how to approach the typical GMAT-style problems and the tips/tricks that let you answer these questions in <2 minutes.
I used the MGMAT strategy guide 6th edition and OG 2020 practice problems. I studied roughly 12 weeks, 1-2 hrs on weekdays, 5+ on weekends (CAT + review all answers). I probably could’ve studied more, but work ended up having us onsite for a couple of days per week these past few months.
Practice test scores:
OG Practice test 1 (early Jan): 550 (39Q, 27V, 4IR)
I had no idea what I was doing. What is DS? How do you expect me to figure out if 123,456,789 is divisible by 3? I also had poor timing; I had to guess the last 5+ questions in both quant and verbal.
MGMAT CAT 1 (mid April): 610 (41Q, 33V)
SC and DS were weaknesses. >75% correct for CR and RC. Definitely use the assessment report to find your weaknesses.
MGMAT CAT 2 (early May): 650 (42Q, 37V)
Improved in SC and DS. Dropped a little in CR, but I think that was a fluke since I was answering most of my CR practice problem correct. A little weak in geometry for PS.
MGMAT CAT 3 (early May): 670 (46Q, 35V)
SC still low (~50% correct), but difficulty of avg correct for everything was around 680+. Identified I needed to improve in number properties and algebra (hit 100% for geometry so studying paid off). Focused my studying on my weakness areas.
MGMAT CAT 4 (late May): 640 (42Q, 36V)
Took a break to apply to a target school (R3), ended up devoting a ton of time to the application and didn’t study as much as I would’ve liked between this and the previous CAT. Roughly the same weaknesses as the last CAT.
For all of the MGMAT CATs I always ran out of time on both the quant and verbal sections.
OG Practice test 2 (early June): 690 (45Q, 39V)
I made several careless errors and most of the errors I made were obvious when I reviewed my answers. Doesn’t help that I made them in the first place but gave me confidence that if I brushed up on specifics that I would be okay with the real test. But timing improved and I finished every section on time.
Actual test:
Online GMAT (early June, post June 11th but elected to only use online whiteboard): 700 (Q46, V40)
All and all it went smooth. Check in was easy and proctor showed up quickly. No software crashes. Since the test is computer adaptive, it was hard to tell how well/poorly I was doing. Difficulty felt in-line with OG Practice test 2. Quant definitely easier than MGMAT CAT, verbal probably similar, maybe SC a little easier than MGMAT. I finished every section on time. I did well on IR, but not sure how much that factors into admissions.
I had two minor technology surprises during the test:
1. The ‘z’ key is broken on the test. If you push ‘z’, even when you have a text box open, it is the equivalent to using the undo function in word. This was not a command that is replicated in the online whiteboard practice and it occurred in both the quant and verbal sections. I had to redo work for one quant question. I forgot about this in the verbal and ended up rewriting notes for a RC passage. Now that I search for this, others have mentioned it in passing. I think this deserves a bullet on the GMATClub GMAT online thread.
2. The writable area on the whiteboard is the exact same as the online whiteboard practice on MBA.c0m, so unlike MGMAT practice whiteboard, you cannot resize the writeable area on the actual test. I practiced with the MGMAT whiteboard practice where the writeable area scaled with the size of the window and this threw me off a little.
I ended up scoring a 700 (Q46, V40), which is borderline for the schools I am interested in (H/S/W/MIT/CBS). I read the “Retaking GMAT Strategies” guide and I fall into that “maybe” category. I’ll probably reach out to a couple admissions consultants for a second opinion.
I am considering a retake if/when GMAC allows individuals with a post June 11th test date to register for another.
I started studying in March and had originally planned to take it in-person in June, but we all know how things went during the spring…
I have an engineering background from a top 10 school, so I (very wrongly) assumed that being able to solve Gibbs free energy for the transition state of a specific conformation would mean that I would find quant to be fairly easy. Not the case. Some math overlaps, but I spent most of my time learning how to approach the typical GMAT-style problems and the tips/tricks that let you answer these questions in <2 minutes.
I used the MGMAT strategy guide 6th edition and OG 2020 practice problems. I studied roughly 12 weeks, 1-2 hrs on weekdays, 5+ on weekends (CAT + review all answers). I probably could’ve studied more, but work ended up having us onsite for a couple of days per week these past few months.
Practice test scores:
OG Practice test 1 (early Jan): 550 (39Q, 27V, 4IR)
I had no idea what I was doing. What is DS? How do you expect me to figure out if 123,456,789 is divisible by 3? I also had poor timing; I had to guess the last 5+ questions in both quant and verbal.
MGMAT CAT 1 (mid April): 610 (41Q, 33V)
SC and DS were weaknesses. >75% correct for CR and RC. Definitely use the assessment report to find your weaknesses.
MGMAT CAT 2 (early May): 650 (42Q, 37V)
Improved in SC and DS. Dropped a little in CR, but I think that was a fluke since I was answering most of my CR practice problem correct. A little weak in geometry for PS.
MGMAT CAT 3 (early May): 670 (46Q, 35V)
SC still low (~50% correct), but difficulty of avg correct for everything was around 680+. Identified I needed to improve in number properties and algebra (hit 100% for geometry so studying paid off). Focused my studying on my weakness areas.
MGMAT CAT 4 (late May): 640 (42Q, 36V)
Took a break to apply to a target school (R3), ended up devoting a ton of time to the application and didn’t study as much as I would’ve liked between this and the previous CAT. Roughly the same weaknesses as the last CAT.
For all of the MGMAT CATs I always ran out of time on both the quant and verbal sections.
OG Practice test 2 (early June): 690 (45Q, 39V)
I made several careless errors and most of the errors I made were obvious when I reviewed my answers. Doesn’t help that I made them in the first place but gave me confidence that if I brushed up on specifics that I would be okay with the real test. But timing improved and I finished every section on time.
Actual test:
Online GMAT (early June, post June 11th but elected to only use online whiteboard): 700 (Q46, V40)
All and all it went smooth. Check in was easy and proctor showed up quickly. No software crashes. Since the test is computer adaptive, it was hard to tell how well/poorly I was doing. Difficulty felt in-line with OG Practice test 2. Quant definitely easier than MGMAT CAT, verbal probably similar, maybe SC a little easier than MGMAT. I finished every section on time. I did well on IR, but not sure how much that factors into admissions.
I had two minor technology surprises during the test:
1. The ‘z’ key is broken on the test. If you push ‘z’, even when you have a text box open, it is the equivalent to using the undo function in word. This was not a command that is replicated in the online whiteboard practice and it occurred in both the quant and verbal sections. I had to redo work for one quant question. I forgot about this in the verbal and ended up rewriting notes for a RC passage. Now that I search for this, others have mentioned it in passing. I think this deserves a bullet on the GMATClub GMAT online thread.
2. The writable area on the whiteboard is the exact same as the online whiteboard practice on MBA.c0m, so unlike MGMAT practice whiteboard, you cannot resize the writeable area on the actual test. I practiced with the MGMAT whiteboard practice where the writeable area scaled with the size of the window and this threw me off a little.
18 Jun 2020, 10:26
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi Notyourmanager.
Nice job driving you verbal score up. People often find achieving that kind of score increase more difficult in verbal than in quant.
I bet you could drive it a couple more points higher still.
Regarding quant, as you may be aware, the schools to which you plan to apply are probably going to want to see a higher quant score, in addition to a higher total score, than you have achieved. Fortunately, driving your quant score higher should be pretty straightforward. Doing so is generally a matter of working on weaker areas one by one, by first learning more about an area and then practicing by doing dozens of questions involving that area's concepts until you consistently get such questions correct, preferably in streaks of at least 10 to 15 in a row.
I bet that, with the right approach, you could get to Q49+ pretty readily.
For more on how to increase your quant score, you could read the following post. How To Increase Your GMAT Quant Score
Nice job driving you verbal score up. People often find achieving that kind of score increase more difficult in verbal than in quant.
I bet you could drive it a couple more points higher still.
Regarding quant, as you may be aware, the schools to which you plan to apply are probably going to want to see a higher quant score, in addition to a higher total score, than you have achieved. Fortunately, driving your quant score higher should be pretty straightforward. Doing so is generally a matter of working on weaker areas one by one, by first learning more about an area and then practicing by doing dozens of questions involving that area's concepts until you consistently get such questions correct, preferably in streaks of at least 10 to 15 in a row.
I bet that, with the right approach, you could get to Q49+ pretty readily.
For more on how to increase your quant score, you could read the following post. How To Increase Your GMAT Quant Score
18 Jun 2020, 14:28
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi Notyourmanager,
First off, a 700/Q46 is an outstanding Score, so you can comfortably apply to any Business Schools that interest you. While the Q46 is a solid performance in the Quant section, that Score won't "impress" anyone. Many Business Schools view an Applicant's Quant Scaled Score as an indicator of how that Applicant might handle the 'academic side' of the Program - and your Q46 implies that you were great on the "math" questions that you saw on Test Day, but you missed out on a block of 'strategy-based' points. This is meant to say that by focusing on Quant Tactics, you'll be better able to increase your GMAT Score AND better impress how Business School Admissions Officers will view your potential to handle their respective Programs.
Since you are interested in some highly-competitive Schools, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. When applying to those types of Schools, you need a strong GMAT Score, a strong OVERALL profile AND you need to properly 'market yourself' to each individual Program that you apply to. Those Admissions Experts should be able to answer your Admissions questions and help define the specific areas of your profile that could use some improvement.
There's a Forum full of those Experts here:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/
If you do choose to retest though, then I'll be happy to discuss how you might best proceed with your studies. You might also choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report. While the ESR doesn’t provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what you should work on to score higher. If you purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
First off, a 700/Q46 is an outstanding Score, so you can comfortably apply to any Business Schools that interest you. While the Q46 is a solid performance in the Quant section, that Score won't "impress" anyone. Many Business Schools view an Applicant's Quant Scaled Score as an indicator of how that Applicant might handle the 'academic side' of the Program - and your Q46 implies that you were great on the "math" questions that you saw on Test Day, but you missed out on a block of 'strategy-based' points. This is meant to say that by focusing on Quant Tactics, you'll be better able to increase your GMAT Score AND better impress how Business School Admissions Officers will view your potential to handle their respective Programs.
Since you are interested in some highly-competitive Schools, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. When applying to those types of Schools, you need a strong GMAT Score, a strong OVERALL profile AND you need to properly 'market yourself' to each individual Program that you apply to. Those Admissions Experts should be able to answer your Admissions questions and help define the specific areas of your profile that could use some improvement.
There's a Forum full of those Experts here:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/
If you do choose to retest though, then I'll be happy to discuss how you might best proceed with your studies. You might also choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report. While the ESR doesn’t provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what you should work on to score higher. If you purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
