GMAT Retake: 705 (Q90, V84, DI81) | AMA

Going to keep this brief. Keeping this as an AMA for others:

Back story - Scored 655 in my first GFE attempt in October '24. Sleep deprivation (only 1.5 hours of sleep before the test) and anxiety were the main reasons things went wrong. Knew could do better and needed a 30-40 points jump for target schools so scheduled another attempt for ~1 month later (Dec 1st week). I didn’t do much prep between the two attempts. My “revision” was mostly just skimming through my error log.

What I did differently this time:

1. DI was my weakest section (consistently scoring <80 on 10 mocks). Only practiced GMAT Prep & sometimes OG questions.
2. The lack of sleep during my first attempt was a killer. Had slept for only 1.5 hours in last attempt because of anxiety. Got medical advice and took medication to help regulate sleep cycle.
3. Quant had always been my strongest suit, so just made sure to focus on avoiding silly mistakes. No new strategies here—just ensured I didn’t lose easy points.
4. Specifically focused on working on nerves and the psychological approach to the exam.
5. Gave OG mocks 3 and 4 both twice in that 1 month.

Test-day experience (what changed):

1. The paper was definitely tougher this time. In my first attempt, I had finished both Verbal and DI with about 5 minutes to spare. This time, I had to rush through the last few questions and made mistakes on the final ones in both sections.
   
2. Got 4 back to back RC passages (Questions 6 - 18). I had never seen this pattern in any mocks, so it threw me off. My advice: expect the unexpected.
   
3. The MSR section cost me big (AGAIN!). In my first attempt, I had rushed through an easy Math-based MSR question and regretted it later. This time, I overcompensated by spending 9-10 minutes on a tough, non-Math MSR and still got 2/3 wrong. This messed up my timing for the rest of the section.
   
4. I genuinely thought I had messed it all up. Everything felt harder than my first attempt, and I barely had time to review any questions in Verbal or DI. I was bracing for disappointment when the final score popped up—it was much better than I expected. Major relief!

Tips for repeat test-takers who need a <50 points jump:

1. I jotted down notes on my way home after the first test. You’ll forget details if you don’t do this immediately. Write down question types that felt tough, timing issues, or strategies you want to revisit. Cross-check these with your official score report later.
   
2. Don’t get overconfident with your strengths. Just because you’re good at a section doesn’t mean you should ignore it. Double-check your basics and avoid silly mistakes.
   
3. Keep the test center the same if possible. I was lucky to get the same center and even the same seat which helped calm my nerves. Familiarity goes a long way.
   
4. Lastly, sleep is non-negotiable. Seriously, don’t underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. If anxiety is a problem, address it early—talk to a doctor/ if needed.

Feel free to ask any questions—I’m happy to share more about my prep or test-day strategies if it helps. Sharing my mock scores below to show that for most of us - improvement takes time, and not all wins are instant!

If you’re finding it hard to relate to some of the shared experiences in this thread, where people often start with great 645/700+ scores, know that progress is still very much possible no matter where you begin.