(Help Needed) Last Questions Marking

Question

Hello Everyone,

I have been preparing for a GMAT for a month and half. I took the mocks really late in my preparation and scored 540 (Q32, V27). Timing is an issue on both parts Quant and Verbal. I missed 3 questions from each section. Just wondering how much score can improve from guessing last 3 questions vs skipping them.

Thanks in advance.

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ApplicantX · Answer

I believe that every question you skip will reduce your score by 3 percentile.
Its better to guess them. 
GMAT levies heavy penalty on not completing the test.

ss3617 · Answer

There is a heavy penalty for not answering a question and it drags down your score higher than answering wrong. There can be at least a 20 point difference, I guess.

HKD1710 · Answer

Hi nooraftab , Yes, As other ponited it out The Penalty is substantial. Fact about The Last Question: If you select a choice for the last question and do not get a chance to submit it then this question would be considered NOT attempted. So the high penalty applies. It was not the case earlier. So mind It guys

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi nooraftab,

Yes - questions that are left unanswered are 'penalized' (and the penalty is worse than if you had simply gotten the questions wrong). Unfortunately, it's difficult to say exactly how many points you actually lost because of the penalties here - since there are additional factors that also would have influenced your score. That having been said, pacing issues do NOT exist on their own - they're the results of OTHER issues. To solve this problem, and score at a much higher level, you'll likely have to make significant changes to how you 'see' (and respond to) the GMAT.

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) What study materials have you used so far?
2) How have you scored on each of your CATs (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for each)?

Goals:
3) What is your goal score?
4) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
6) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

KungFuGmat · Answer

Thanks Rich for the kind words and so dedicatedly following all users. I would want to be a future GMAT assassin.

I have read your question so many times while following your responses to other users that I thought about adding this info right after I posted my question.

I am aiming for top 10 schools. I have an undergrad in IT as well as one in Journalism and Pol Sciences. I run my own NGO worked in public and private sector finance.

I am aiming for 99th percentile. I have prepared for a month with MGMAT. Completed all guides. It wasn't working a lot for me. I did official guide for quant portion and half for verbal. I have end of Nov to make it for my goal score.

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AjiteshArun · Answer

I hate to be the only one going the other way on this, but it is likely that the impact on your score (540, Q32 V27) would have been  minimal . There's a chance that your score would have actually dropped if you had marked those questions incorrectly (through guessing) instead of skipping them.

KungFuGmat · Answer

AjiteshArun- Thanks for the different view. I know my score does not depend on unanswered questions. I just wanted a feel of how bad the penalty was.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi nooraftab,

Many Test Takers spend 3 months (or more) of consistent study time before they hit their 'peak' scores, so if you've been studying for a bit more than 1 month, then you simply have not put in enough time and effort to have scored higher yet. Since you've referenced the 99th percentile, I assume that your goal is to score in the 750+ range. With a Test Date at the end of November, you would have no more than 7 weeks of study time remaining. Unfortunately, raising a 540 to a 750+ will likely take at least another 3 months of consistent, guided study - and you'll have to make significant improvements to how you handle BOTH the Quant and Verbal sections. As such, you might need to push back your Test Date and/or adjust your application plans.

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

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