How Did I Choke So Hard on Test Day? Retake Advice

Hi all,

This is my first post but I have been lurking in gmatclub forums for more than half a year now. I recently attempted GMAT for the third time, and oh boy, I am so awfully shocked and upset after getting a score of 620. I first started preparing for the exam around 7.5 months ago, but I can honestly say that diligent and focused studying began after my first take. Even though I got 710 on my second attempt, I targeted score of >740, mainly because the rest of my profile is too weak to produce a good chance of admission to my schools of choice. Anyways, here is the breakdown of my official attempts:

GMAT Prep Practice and Official Exams in the order they were taken (Prac tests 1 and 2 omitted because they were not taken under strict test conditions):
Official Attempt 1 October: 650 (Q46, V34)
GMAT Prep Test 3: 720 (Q50, V38)
GMAT Prep Test 4: 720 (Q49, V39)
GMAT Prep Test 5: 710 (Q49, V39)
Official Attempt 2 December: 710 (Q48, V41)
GMAT Prep Test 1 Retake: 770 (Q49, V47 - Not representative, I saw ~4 repeat questions in Verbal)
GMAT Prep Test 6: 750 (Q49, V44)
Official Attempt 3 March: 620 (Q46, V30)

Between Attempt 1 and 2, I studied every day, using the following materials: TTP Quant (did a little bit of TTP Verbal but in a half-assed way), Manhattan Prep Guides, OG, GMAT Practice Set 1, Verbal Review, OG Advanced (btw TTP Quant is AMAZING). I studied approximately 4 hours after work on weekdays and throughout the day on weekends. I maintained an error log and carefully analyzed all attempted official questions, no matter whether I got them wrong or right. But I will say that 70% of my time was spent on Quant and 30% on Verbal. By the Attempt 2 date, I still had some glaring weaknesses in Quant, namely in Geometry, Absolute Value/Inequalities, Stats, and Counting/Probability.

Between Attempt 2 and 3, I studied just as intensely for two months, but this time dividing my study time into 50% Quant and 50% Verbal. I focused more on my weaknesses but also worked on maintaining and sharpening my existing knowledge. At this point, I incorporated Veritas free quant question banks and LSAT prep tests into my study plan, doing logical reasoning and reading passages for the first month. The second month, I switched to official material. For Verbal, roughly every other day, I was doing a set of 20 CR+SC questions timed, and spending another day analyzing each question (reviewing official explanations and expert responses on GC). I was also completing 2 RC passages every other day (sometimes LSAT, sometimes official material). For Quant, I mixed it up among Veritas, TTP, and Official materials. I genuinely felt that I was improving, and results seemed to confirm my feelings. Before Attempt 3, I only took two practice exams (Test 1 retake and Test 6). I took Practice Test 6 (750) ~2 and a half weeks before my final official attempt (620). Practice test 6 was representative because I took it under strict test conditions and all the questions were new, none that I have seen before.

The final week before the exam, I mostly used OG 2021, Verbal Review, and OG Advanced for CR and Quant. Before test week, I had a short vacation for four days and I got super concerned that I may have forgotten a lot of the material. So the last 5-6 days before the exam I took time off from work and studied intensely, morning to evening each day. One day before the exam I just reviewed my SC and Quant notes, but kept it light for the most part.

My sleep the night before the exam wasn't good; my eyes were closed but I felt awake the entire night. I didn't let that get me down and I decided to remain confident, trusting all the hard work. For the most part, the test center experience was fine. Test sequence was Verbal then Quant. Once I started the test, every question (starting with the first one) seemed so ridiculously difficult, even though ESR obviously shows that the questions were mostly medium. My performance was SO SLOW and sluggish. And I had a hard time comprehending sentences, too often rereading multiple times. Same situation in Quant and IR. Each question was taking me awfully long to complete. I probably guessed around 5 questions in Verbal, around 7-8 in Quant, and 4-5 in IR.

How did I do so poorly, relative to my previous scores and prep? On one hand, I am thinking that it was an off day and that my brain gave up on me at the most crucial time, but on the other, I am questioning my entire prep and knowledge.

What do experts advise I do - KarishmaB sayantanc2k ScottTargetTestPrep? I am devastated and feel lost. All three attempts were at the test center. I am considering a GMAT Online retake as early as this week, and I am thinking that if I do, I am going to take it with zero studying or review, just so my mind is 100% clear and well-rested.