HELP:560 (q42, v25), +7 months study, 4 times to exam, DESPERATE!

Hi to all members that can help me out with my gmat issues,

First of all, thanks to all the gmatclub community. I have been through this forum for a lot of hours and I really appreciate all the valuable content.

Secondly, let me introduce: non-native male, 23 yo, recently graduated in engineering and applying for a MiM on the lasts rounds. I am not super smart, but I have a really willpower and I sacrifice everything for my goals. I graduated because I spent a looooot of hours studying and attending to extra-classes, studying with classmates, not from my super smart brain. My english level is C1: I have the CAE advance from Cambridge (69/100) and the TOEFL 91 (R:23, L:20, S:23, W: 25). Never had an experience more than 1 month in a english-speaking country and all I know is from my school, my classes with a private tutoring and from reading/watching movies/internet in english.

Thirdly, my story:
1st try:
My first test at home I scored 350. So, I joined to a course and just after that virtual exam I started studying the gmat on October 2015 with a physical course of gmat at my city (3 months, 5 hours/week). However, I did not take a lot of profit of it, it was ok to know how gmat works and to gain the basic things, but when I finished the course I still score low than 500. I was working and finishing my degree and, honestly, I was not focused at all. Back on February 2016, I took 3 months until April 2016, 6 hours/day, did all the OG a couple of times, the extra of the OG (Q+V) a couple of times, read all the MGMAT books twice, even took notes while I was reading and reviewed all my course book from the academy. I did 5 MGMAT tests (marks from 450-650) and also both GMATPrep marks (480-500).

So, honestly, I did what the most people do, but I knew that I was not scoring more than 650, because that what my mocks showed. I did not know why my marks were not increasing, but what I know is that I had to take the exam at the end of April as I was in my last round and it was the last possibility to get into a MiM. I took the exam and scored 490 (q42, v17). 1ST ATTEMPT, I CANCELLED the score, I went home super anxious, desperate and unmotivated and after a week thinking what to do with my life, I decide to postpone the MiM for next year. I finished my thesis (full-time) from May to September and I did not study anything from the GMAT these months.

2nd try:
*When I take a MOCK EXAM, I always take the next day to review the WHOLE EXAM, take notes and understand all the problems. I will not say it but I always did like this.
I started on the GMAT again on October, dedicating from 6 to 8 hours per day, everyday. (If I feel inspired, comfortable and motivated to study I study the 7 days, otherwise, I take 1 day or 2 days off. Generally, I took 2 days off per month, from October to today). So, I know I study more than the average and logical says that it should be enough to score more than 650, which it is what I am aiming… However, it has not been enough and I will explain it right now.

Started on October and I realized that I have forgotten all (or almost all) I studied last year, so for me, it was like starting from 0, but with the disadvantage I had a lot of hours of gmat study time and I wanted to finish asap because I was tired of it. Study plan:

- 3 weeks: MGMAT books, read it twice, also take notes and reviewed last year notes. Did all the exercises on the guides, twice and even three times the more difficult one's, no time for the exercises.
- 3 weeks: all the OG: From the first page to the last page, all. Did it twice and even three times the more difficult one's, again no time for the exercises. (I felt that I had to gain a lot of knowledge and practice and then I will go trying for faster ways to solve the problem).
- 1 week: Extra OG Q + V: Did it once, everything and reviewed/redid the difficult ones. (tried to time the exercise, but if i knew how to do it and took 3 minutes, I was ok with that).
- First week of December 2016: Took a GMAT Prep: BOOOM: 500 (Q38, V21). Felt again desperate, super unmotivated and shocked. I was dedicating a lot of hours and time to the gmat and I did not know why my score was not increasing.
- Took 2 weeks off before Christmas and around Christmas I continued studying again…

- Reviewed again all the MGMAT books, all the OG problems and all the OG Extra problems. (I just read the easy problems with my solutions If i did correctly the previous months, i redid again the problems I did incorrectly. Again, with some problems i was having troubles to solve them, even it was my 5th or more time, especially verbal problems. At that time, those problems sound me familiar but I still did not know the correct answers of some of them..)
- 28/january 2017: MGMAT1: 640 (44,33), NO TIMED. Happy to increase. but with no time, I knew it was not my real score. However, I did all the problems focusing on try to solve them, rather than thinking to solve in a fast way… Review the exam the next day, understood everything (thanks to gmatclub solutions)

- 2/feb/2017: OFFICIAL GMAT. 470(q40, v17). 2ND ATTEMPT, CANCELLED THE SCORE, SUPER UNHAPPY, lower score than my previous attempt. had a big issue with time. i started super slow in both parts, had to guess around 15 questions during the test… reading takes me a lot of time, and if i skim the passage, i just do not know what i have read. 2nd attempt was a big fail. also, i guess i had the pressure of the real exam and my score dropped even more.

- Between the following exams, I continued reviewing problems from OG/Extra guides, taking notes, studying the basics from my notes on MGMAT…
- 9/feb/2017: MGMAT2: 620 (39, 36), NO TIMED. Happy to increase in verbal, unhappy because my scored was lower… Again, full revision the next day.
- 17/feb/2017: MGMAT3: 610 (44,31): TIMED, like a real gmat. Happy, but months were passing and my gmat score was lower than I wanted.
- 21/feb/2017: MGMAT4: 590 (42, 30): TIMED, super unhappy. score lower than 600. really sad.

At that moment, I knew my quant was ok. I had to focus on my verbal part, because I think that to score more than q45, you need a lot of time/being super smart. I can practise a lot, I took a lot of random questions here in the gmat club, but if i face a new/complex/difficut problem and I do not know how to do it, and it's not basic, because it is 700+, i will answer (probably) incorrectly.
So, I joined to e-gmat verbal course. During my whole months of studying, I was reading debriefs to keep me motivated, and all of them have the same thing in common. Keep studying, work hard and practice because hard work, pays off. They recommend (most of them), e-gmat, so I joined. However, I still did not see an increase.

I dedicated a lot of time at e-gmat, watched everything, did everything. It was ok, but i felt that the problems are sometimes different from the original gmat questions and, of course, I am better now than before joining, but i feel it was not enough for me (it is just my opinion, my particular case. i appreciate all the effort they are making but in my case i was not satisfied). sometimes i felt that i knew the concept i was learning, but put into practise with my gmat test, timing issues, i did incorrectly even though i knew the concept…

after the full month course, 100% dedication, back with a official exam + tests:

- 9/march/2017: 530(did not remember the specific score): 3RD ATTEMPT. CANCELLED THE SCORE, desperated, anxious and again, i felt that it was in march, months were passing so fast, i was achieving last deadline for my mim (MAY) and i had nothing, but i had worked super hard and it was not paying off. also, i felt that mgmat was easier or the mark puntuation was higher. (however, i read in the forum that people says it is exactly the opposite). i think also the environment of the real exam makes me feel more anxious/nervous and my score drops 50 points aprox. anyway, at that moment, i was super unhappy, read a lot of debriefs, take a week off, thinking of what to do and come back studying (i was about to leave the gmat and the mim goal, but after these hard months, if i can not score a decent mark, i felt like i throw a lot of time/energy for NOTHING).

Back on the routine, reviewed OG, extra OG Q+V, random questions i found in the gmatclub (i follow some legends here in the gmatclub (q and v), and when i get a notification i try to solve at my home. i did not post a lot because i felt that i can not say anything that is not written. i am a kind of person that i prefer to research if my doubts are posted than posting again and that someone has to do my work because i did not researched that topic).

- 17/march/2017: MGMAT5 700(q44, v40): NO TIMED. Supper HAPPY to reach 700, super happy of my verbal score, but knew it was not timed, knew it was not my original mark. However, that means that I know the concepts, I know how to score high (for me, 700 is high, it will my my dream mark) on the gmat, but i had to deal with time.
- 22/march/2017: MGMAT6 680(q45, v37): NO TIMED. I wanted to know if that 700 was a random mark or if it was a proof of hard work. I scored a lower mark but happy. however, knew that it was a fake mark because it was no timed.
- 28/march/2017: GMATPREP1: 580 (42, 28). TIMED: Super unhappy. Reviewed the exam the next day, understood everything, but with the time problem and when i face new problems, sometimes i did not know how to do it. but when i read the answer and justification, i perfectly understood.
- 3/abril/2017: GMATPREP2: 610 (46, 28): TIMED. Again, not happy at all, but months were passing so fast and i am against the clock.

Take a week FULL-TIME to review some random OG problems + EXTRA OG i had troubles in the past, review also my mocks tests (incorrect answers), my MGMAT BOOKS notes, take 2 days off before the D-DAY and went to the 4th ATTEMPT.

- 7/april/2017: 560(Q42, V25). 4TH ATTEMPT. I accepted the score. Even it is lower than 600, I accepted just in case. However, I am not satisfied and I do not know how to do. Happy of my quant score, q45 it is approx my maximum. v25 is lower than i expected. i dedicated a lot of time from question 1 to 10 (it appeared a READING and a BOLD FACE question on the question 10), i think i answered them ALL CORRECTLY. However, took me a lot of time, i was answering two or three questions and blind guessing 1 out of 4, i also guessed the LONG READING (4 questions) to avoid to read the reading and recuperate from my wrong time management. Finished on time, answering the last 2 questions correct i think (they were easy, i knew my verbal mark was low… even though i started in a good way).

So, right now, after a weekend of thinking what to do, what I have and what I want:
- I have a 560 (q42, v25), my goal is 650. I think my knowledge from months and months of practise allow me to do it, but with the time management problem I have, i maybe retake the exam on the last week of april and failed again with a super bad mark.
- I am against the clock. Last deadline finishes mid-may. I only have 1 shot if i want to retake the gmat.
- Furthermore, my TOEFL is pretty low too. (91/120). i don't know if it is a problem and they will accept me, but at first they were asking me for a 100… If i have to retake the toefl, i had to study a little bit with the gmat.
- I have the applications ready to submit. only lacks a decent gmat mark (and maybe also to retake toefl), but with only 1 month to do it.
- I am sorry to say this, but I am tired of studying, I have been working on it with the gmat 7 months this year and also last year (Even though, it did not count a lot…). I felt like maybe i am not prepared for this/i am not the type of person to do it/i can not face this type of exams… You can work hard for a lot of months, but the important is how you score on 3 hours, not on the previous months/mocks…
- This is not an excuse, but i really believe you will understand me: I am tired of invest money in the gmat, a lot of $$$ (4 times the gmat, e-gmat course, phisical course in my city, plus the time i am losing because i am not working right now and i could dedicate it to my job. i quit to go all-in with the gmat on january).
- Finally, I am facing a little bit of "anxiety" when i went to bed, thinking and thinking with the gmat and what to do. Maybe this pressure can affect my gmat if i retake it again.

CONCLUSION AND ASKING FOR SUGGESTIONS: I read a lot of debriefs that hard work pays off, but in my case, it has not been the case. I am thinking of retaking one more time at the end of April or just finish with it and apply with a 560. if i retake it, i have 2 weeks, but i am a little unmotivated and, honestly, i do not know what to do, study super hard with more mocks, review concepts, exercices or just took a couple of mocks and give it a try to the original exam.

Right now, i think of the past and i wish i had never had the idea of the MiM, of the gmat, etc. but i wanted to do it (still want to) and i have to face the reality. My original plan was to take the gmat on January and apply after that in a decend round. After 3 months, i am in the last deadline, against the clock and with a low gmat mark. I know what is my problem, time management (specially in the verbal part with the readings), but i do not know what to do right now to face it. I used to read english books, but in my case, it did not help a lot to read faster (i am a slower reader, and more in english, as i am non-native).

All the suggestions/comments/help will be appreciated.
Thank you very much for your time reading this long post and maybe someone has been in the same situation as me.