I failed my first attempt at the GMAT

Hey, it's ok! But to regain confidence, review your test-day experience and create a strategy to address any challenges. Retaking the exam in 16 days while the material is fresh could be an option, but ensure you focus on areas of weakness in your preparation. If you need more time, take a month or two to study and practice extensively. Additionally, seek advice from your tutor on tailored strategies to enhance your performance. Remember, setbacks happen, and with persistence and a well-planned approach, you can improve your GMAT score.

Hi rudiger,

I recommend pushing your test by a few months to get some solid study time in. Regarding how to move forward, here is some helpful advice:

How to Improve Your GMAT Score

Hi rudiger,

I'm sorry to hear that Test Day didn't go as well as planned. When these types of score drops occur, the two likely "causes" involve either something that was unrealistic during practice or something that was surprising (or not accounted for) on Test Day. Considering the disparity between your Official Score and your practice CAT Scores, retaking the GMAT in 16 days is probably NOT a good idea (since it will likely take time to define - and fix - all of the factors involved). Before we discuss any of those potential issues though, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What specific study materials have you used so far? What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used?
3) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score?
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

If you took your Official GMAT at a Test Center, then 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 went wrong on Test Day (and 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

Contact Rich at: Rich.C@empowergmat.com
www.empowergmat.com