MGMAT 590-690 all the time, official 510!!??

Question

Hey,

I need to share with you my experience with the GMAT, I began my journey last summer and took the test second time today. I've been scoring all the time in MGMAT practise tests 590 - 690 (mostly closer to 690), and was confident today when went to the test center. Result: 510!! How is this possible?? I've understood that MGMAT is a reliable indicator how you've proceeded in studying, but now I'm not that confident with that - looks like the tests are way too easy compared to the real GMAT.

I have no clue what I should do now, deadline to the school is 15th Jan and I should have scored at least 150 more to have chances to get into an interview. I have very strong essays but I'm afraid it does not help when the score is so low now. I'm totally stunned and I don't know if I still should just apply, I have no interest of studying anymore especially when it feels now that it doesn't give any results and is just waste of time.

Anyone else having same experiences or ideas what on earth I should do now?

Good luck to all of you!

Melina

smellbelly · Answer

How have you been scoring on the GMATPREPs?

From what I read in the forum, the quant in MGMT is a lot more difficult than the actual GMAT but the verbal is easier.

The GMATPrep questions should be the most reflective of the actual (per Ray^_^)

I have a few friends who took the GMAT and they told me that your score in the GMATPrep should be +/- 20 from the actual

Melina · Answer

I took the 2 available GMATPREPS already before the first test day, and haven't been therefore using the official preps since. One of the reasons I bought the MGMAT books was to get an access to additional practice tests. Probably not that good idea... I think you are right especially about the verbal section, my best verbal have been in MGMAT 93% and now I scored 40. I've now used all the MGMAT tests and I need some more sources to be able to practice for real, does anybody know what would be the most accurate indicator and testing environment available with which I could continue?

Though I feel this was such a devastating day, and I'm a bit tired with studying, I think I try to postpone my application till March since it's no use to apply with so low GMAT to Stern, though they do say that GMAT is only one part of the application. Since I really want to do my best and this was only my second try... I have everything else ready for the application but this GMAT, I'm now obsessed with that test and want to crack it really, but wondering if I could still make it with a good study program in 5 weeks... Ideas? I don't even need to score to 700, I know the higher the better but for me, I'd be very happy with 680-690 which, already, would be A HUGE improvment.

Melina

Melina · Answer

...and don't get me wrong, I think MGMAT books are great material for studying, just not that happy with the practice tests at the moment. Maybe someone have different experiences

jazzman · Answer

I've heard the same thing, that MGMAT tests are more difficult. Maybe did test day pressure get to you? It happens to many people. I know it's easy to say, but sometimes I do best on tests when I put things in perspective...

vinzycoolfire · Answer

it wud be helpful if you could give your verbal and quant breakdown in the actuall test and the practice tests.

leadout1 · Answer

Hey everyone,

I'm having the same experience...just not on the official test. Here are my scores so far:

Manhattan 1 690 Q43 V40
Manhattan 2 640 Q41 V36
Manhattan 3 630 Q42 V34
Manhattan 4 670 Q43 V38
Manhattan 5 660 Q42 V38
Gmat Prep 1 690 Q45 V40
GMAT PREP 2 550!!! Q32 V34

I had a slight headache, but very minor...not enough to cause me to lose focus or stamina. I was well rested, didn't feel anxious, but wondering what went wrong. After analyzing the verbal questions on this horrible prep test I last took, sentence correction seems to be the thorn in my side. Also, the quant was a joke. The problems weren't that hard, but its like my brain just froze up and I couldn't recall even the simplest of methods. I checked my timing using the 12/50, 25/25 method for quant during the practice exam and didn't "feel" at least that I was under pressure to speed up. I guessed on 3 problems in quant, but thought I nailed most of the others. I've been using the method to re-read the stimulus in quant to make sure I solved the right problem and took into account any restrictions and didn't notice many mistakes that way because of using it.

Any ideas on what to do, what to study? I'm planning to sit for the exam on the 18th and my confidence, though high, is starting to waver with such a poor showing on the last gmat prep exam. Thanks in advance for any insight!

Melina · Answer

I hear you... I'm gonna re-take the test at the beginning of March, I really want to get in this year and I do whatever I have to to improve the GMAT, but there is so little time left!!

My official GMAT now was 510 Q35 V26 --> verbal is horrible but I ran out of time (which I've never done with MGMAT so didn't expect it to happen during the real test, either) and had to guess last 3 questions.

Track record from MGMAT have been

560 Q39 V29
640 Q42 V35
650 Q37 V41
590 Q38 V34
590 Q39 V32
690 Q43 V40

OFFICIAL: 
510 Q35 V26

So my quant is a bit lower than my average but verbal went down way too much... 
I was a bit stressed in the middle of the studying season when scored 590 2 times in a row and I wasn't so worried about that because I knew it would happen.

I felt a bit anxious at one point during verbal but I believe I've been quite strong in CR and RC all the time still. SC is hard since I'm not native and those idioms drive me crazy sometimes!

Leadout1, I don't think you need to worry that much, since you've got from the official prep already 690. Bad days can come to everyone, as you can see from my track record, too, and it's better that yours was now. I've heard it's quite common when studying that at some point your score just drops, and next time it's at the level it should be again.

I just don't understand how can it be that I score decently in a practice tests but not in a real one, and that the drop was so huge. If it would have been somewhere in 550-560... but now it feels totally impossible what happened! Now I should just find out WHAT to do differently. Content I can always study more but it seems like I need to practice also stress management and pacing (though I never ran out of time in practice tests)... Any ideas for that? Everyone is saying that MGMAT CAT's are good in indicating how you'll do and I don't believe I would be that different case in that sense, so there must be something now with the anxiety level when it comes to the test date, or something compared to that at least. Though I did feel myself pretty calm and relaxed... oh a bit frustrating!

leadout1 · Answer

Thanks Melina! Yeah, I hope it was just a fluke. What scares me is the inconsistency for both quant and verbal on that practice exam vs my others. It's funny, I've been training on Gmat Club tests, and the MGMAT Advanced book (highly recommend both for your situation), so I thought at least quant would remain near 44-47. I've been taking the practice exams between 6 and 7 days apart from each other, so it wasn't like I forgot how to take the exam either. It's like I can handle the 700+ level question, but throw me an easy one and I'll take forever analyzing it, thinking it's too easy and that I'm missing something or just freeze up altogether. At this point, I'm chalking it up as a bad day, but realizing I really need to focus on my weak areas. Best wishes to you in your studies...for SC (I know I'm one to talk, :wink:

but...) try gmat club's sentence correction guide. The tools in there have helped me quite a bit. Also, I've been studying Powerscore CR Bible and find it to be a valuable resource (especially understanding the contrapositive better). As for RC, the CR Bible will help there, but only in conjunction with practice problems. The biggest help for me thus far has been learning to read critically for structure, not just content (see gmat pill's free video for an example). Knowing how the argument flows shapes everything. This is stuff you are probably already doing, but if not it may be helpful.

Melina · Answer

Thx, this was a lot of help!

I think one of the important realizations I've made just recently, is that GMAT really is a holistic test. No matter how well you know quant and verbal, it's not that much of a help if you are not able to work under pressure. Pacing is extremely important yet you should not think that too much during the test. In quant, in my opinion, pacing is a lot easier, but if you have the clock in your mind too often on verbal, you might loose it all. Verbal needs even more focus and presence so that you are able to perform well.

I'm gonna try out this tip I read somewhere of developing sense of 1 and 2 minutes, so that you can actually feel when you've used too much time for one question. I hope it'd help me in pacing and keeping my focus during the verbal especially, that this time ended up very badly. Could be a useful tip for others, too!

Best of luck to you, and keep us posted how you did!

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