Need Help | Just gave 4th attempt | Stuck to 580

Question

I am writing to ask for help. After a year of preparation I scored a dismal 580. This is 0 improvement from my first GMAT. My score in quant has dropped from 46 to 44 and verbal has definitely increased from 19 to 27, but my overall score is still 580. My split is Q44, V27. I also ordered the ESR to understand where I went wrong. The questions I encountered on verbal, were tough for me and I was under the impression that my test is going well but after seeing the score I cancelled my result because I already had a 580 4 years back. Then I took 2 more consecutive attempts in the year 2012 and 2013 and scored lower. I left GMAT for 1.5 years and then got back to it to change my career again. All the previous 3 times I wasn't as prepared as this but this time I left my job and studied for a year and a half and gave my exam. I am also an egmat student. In all my mocks my lowest has been 640 including Manhattan. These were full length mock tests with appropriate breaks and taken at home under similar conditions.

To say that I am surprised and disappointed is an understatement. I have always been an above average student and did my UG from one of the top colleges in India and yet I have failed miserably at GMAT. This is my 4th attempt and this time I had taken a 1 year drop to do this. I am still very keen on attending college next year and did speak to some consultants regarding the same. The response was quiet natural. They said that I need a 7 at the hundreds digit for top 10 abroad and at least late 600s for IIMs in India.

On the day of my test, I couldn't get sleep and slept for only 3 hours. Also I kept the same pace of studying. I am not sure how much these factors matter. But on my real GMAT I didn't have enough time to complete my Verbal section properly due to this I did skip questions on CR since that is my weakest but I am way too disappointed with my SC score. I gave my exam on 17th and I am thinking the below questions constantly

1. Is the GMAT Doable for me and should I head for a 5th attempt?
2. If yes, what is the timeline that you would recommend?
3. Do you have any insights on my ESR report

Few details about my test to help you better understand my ESR:
1. On all my mock tests I had at least 640 and I am talking about 4 consecutive tests here and I found the GMAT Verbal way tougher than all my mocks
2. My SC has mostly been in the 90% range and on the test it dropped to 50%
3. I skipped majority of my Qs on CR and looks like the ones I attempted were wrong 
4. The RC passages were extremely long. Encountered 2, 5 or maybe 6 passage long arguments

Any words of advice or suggestion would be helpful.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi nishatfarhat87,

To start, you'll likely get more of a response if you also post this in the Shared Experience Forum:

share-gmat-experience-8/

Since you've taken the GMAT 4 times now, and your scores are fairly similar to one another, then there are some fundamental 'issues' with "your way" of studying. Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Exam, so you CAN train to score at a higher level. With a score goal of 700+ though, you're going to have to make some big improvements to how you handle BOTH the Quant and Verbal sections though. You've also likely developed some 'bad habits' that will take time to fix (and replace with new 'good habits'). This is all meant to say that you'll likely need at least another 2 months of consistent, guided study and you'll need to invest in some new materials so that you can learn/practice new Tactics.

I have a few questions about how you've studied and your timeline/goals:
1) How long have you study for each GMAT attempt?
2) What materials did you use for each attempt? Have you used any of the materials repeatedly (and if so, then which ones)?

3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

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

HKD1710 · Answer

Hi Nishatfarhat,

here is what i could find looking at your ESR:

Verbal: 
As you can see in the attachment, Despite the fair start in verbal in 1st set, the 3rd set of verbal section you got 3/7 questions correct and that has impacted the score by at least 4 points. if you could get 1 question correct in each set 2nd, 3rd and 4th then definitely you could earn more points.

Quant: 
first of all the test started with lower difficulty level and you got 2/7 questions wrong. so this would have had the higher penalty on the score. but then you did well on the given question and got 6/7 questions correct on 2nd and 3rd set but ended up making 3 mistakes in 4th set. but i am so bewildered and baffled as to why did you get Q44. because you did reach to medium-high difficulty level questions. i wonder if out of those tough questions you had marked one more question correct you could get a higher score OR is it that algorithm penalised the score so badly only because of those couple of easy questions you got wrong in the very start.

HanoiGMATtutor · Answer

Do you have the other pages of the report?

Posted from my mobile device

nishatfarhat87 · Answer

Hi  HanoiGMATtutor ,

Please find attached my ESR report. I look forward to your response.

AndreMBAitNOW · Answer

Hi there,
It’s crucial that your GMAT score is 680+ if you want to apply to top 20 school in the USA. Getting a better score is doable that you just need to evaluate your method of studying. We have some GMAT study tips in our youtube channel. Also here are useful tips about what to do the day before your test: https://bit.ly/2bd4o8o
If you need further assessment, please don’t hesitate to sign up for a FREE consultation.
Best,

JeffTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi nishatfarhat87,
 
Thank you for sharing such detailed information about your GMAT experience.
 
Although you have been studying for the GMAT for quite some time, there must be some fundamental issues in your studying that is not allowing you to improve your GMAT knowledge. That fact that the GMAT seemed much harder than any of your mocks, could be an indication that you did not have as thorough as an understanding of GMAT quant and verbal than you previously thought.
 
As I am constantly reminding all of my new students, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again, but expecting different results. So - we need to figure out what you’ve been doing - both right and wrong - and get you on a better, more productive path.
 
Remember, what makes the GMAT such a challenging exam is that there are relatively few questions asked in a given exam, yet those questions come from a huge topic pool. Thus, the best way to get a great GMAT score is to have a thorough understanding of all the topics that may be tested on the exam. To develop such mastery, you want to strive for linear and targeted learning and follow that with focused practice. In other words, you want to master one topic before you move to the next. Have you been able to study in this way?
 
For example, when studying verbal focus on learning one section at a time: reading comprehension, sentence correction, or critical reasoning. For example, when learning about critical reasoning, you want to be able to learn about all aspects of critical reasoning: e.g. strengthen and weaken the conclusion, resolve the paradox, find the conclusion, must be true, etc. Follow up your learning with focused critical reasoning practice, so you can determine your specific weaknesses within that topic. You should follow a similar routine for sentence correction and reading comprehension.
 
For quant, since you are already scoring between 44 and 46, you might consider following a similar but slightly altered approach that consists of more focused practice. For example, if you are reviewing number properties, be sure that you can practice 50 or more questions just from Number Properties: LCM, GCF, units digit patterns, divisibility, remainders, etc. The results of that practice will help you determine your weak areas within that topic. Once you find and fix your weak areas, then move on to the next quant topic.
 
To help diagnose your GMAT quant strengths and weaknesses, I welcome you to take my free  37-question quant diagnostic . After completing the diagnostic, you are provided with a detailed analysis of your proficiency level of all GMAT quant topics, as well as an opportunity to discuss your diagnostic results with me or another TTP instructor/coach.
 
If you are able/willing to follow a new approach to your prep, I think you can achieve GMAT success in your 5th attempt. As far as a timeline, you might consider giving yourself another 2 to 3 months of dedicated prep; however, it could take more or less time than that.
 
If you have any further questions about how to get moving with your GMAT prep, feel free to reach out to me directly.

nishatfarhat87 · Answer

Hi EMPOWERgmatRichC,

1) How long have you study for each GMAT attempt? - The first one I took after 3 months. The other 2 followed one after another without much prep in a span of 1.5 years. Then I took a 2 yr break and returned to GMAT in 2015. However, this time I studied for a year and my prep was nowhere close to where it was the earlier.

2) What materials did you use for each attempt? Have you used any of the materials repeatedly (and if so, then which ones)? - Official material, GMATclub tests, GMATprep questions and Egmat

3) When are you planning to apply to Business School? - I am targeting round 2 this year

Honestly, I have consistently scored above 640 in all my mocks. Not sure if it was a stroke of bad luck or my stamina ran out. I am thinking of taking it in a month.

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

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi nishatfarhat87,

If you've used the same practice CATs and Exams more than once, then you're likely seeing repeat questions during your practice and receiving unrealistic, 'inflated' score results. We have to use your Official GMAT Score as a gauge - since that's your actual score. You could very well have the capacity to score higher, but right now 'your way' of dealing with the GMAT keeps getting you a score in the high 500s. Retaking the GMAT in a month doesn't give you enough time to diagnose all of the 'issues' that need to be fixed and then properly train to fix them. Thankfully, the Round 2 deadlines are far enough off that you don't have to rush back in to retest.

If you can set aside 2 months of study time, then there is a specific study plan and some specific materials that I would recommend to you.

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

nishatfarhat87 · Answer

Hi EMPOWERgmatRichC,

In my repeat tests I have scored 710 and 690 due to missing some questions. I know couple of fixes that I would like to do and therefore thought of giving the GMAT within a month. My other worry is I have already done one year of this full time and I am willing to put in another month full time. Do you think that's not enough? I am also fearful of burning out if I take more than a month. Nevertheless, I would like to hear your views on this and recommendations if you have any.

If you can set aside 2 months of study time, then there is a specific study plan and some specific materials that I would recommend to you. -  Please do

nishatfarhat87 · Answer

Hi @Jefftargetgmatprep,

I did use Egmat quant course but I would say it is not as comprehensive as their verbal and covers few concepts. I have also used Manhattan guides for more quant prep and concept clarification. But there are few topics that always trump me. Below is the list:

1. Inequalities
2. Absolute values
3. Probability
4. P and C
5. Could be/Must be true kind of questions
6. Arithmetic involving calculations

What I am going to do is start with your diagnostic test and maybe then get back to you. Also I think My quant score is 44 because I spent 5 mins on the first question and then decided to let it go when I could have used number substitution to solve it and because of this despite high accuracy, I was penalized very heavily. Towards the end I encountered tough inequalities questions which I skipped. So, I think I can personally do way better in both quant and english. But I don't want to be under any misonceptions and see things for what they are. I am open to suggestions/recommendations.

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