Online GMAT score 640. Need help!!

Question

I am extremely disappointed with my score. I thought I would score in the 680-720 given my official practice exam scores. Never expected this. 
Please help what can I do next?

Resources used: Magoosh Premium, OGs, Manhattan Guides for SC, CR and RC

Official Test Scores: 560 - Q47,V21 (Feb 06,2021)
 660 - Q49,V31 (Apr 18,2021) 
 680 - Q50,V31 (May 30,2021)
 680 - Q50,V31 (Jun 6,2021)
 700 - Q50,V34 (Jun 13,2021)
 720 - Q50,V37 (Jun 27,2021)

GMAT Online - 640 (Q48,V29)

My observations - All questions felt significantly tougher than the questions I saw in practice tests, especially RCs and SCs. Though I felt I got them right (clearly I didn't)
I also faced a couple of problems during the test, the answers were not getting selected immediately and there was a lag of 2-3sec after selecting an answer choice for every 2-3 questions. Can I talk to someone at GMAC about this or is this common? (I only heard about a lag in the AWA and experienced the same). Also, the proctor disappeared for 5-6 minutes due to network issues on their side right when my exam was about to start and they had to type in the access code. I called out a lot and panicked, not knowing what to do since I thought my time will run out (I was unable to go back to the Examity page also), but I felt I got back into a good enough mindset before starting the exam (not sure if that could have effected my Verbal performance)

Kindly suggest what I can do now? I am also low on budget and cannot buy other prep courses now. Self-prep suggestions are preferred but open to all suggestions.

kntombat · Answer

AndrewN ,  MartyTargetTestPrep ,  ScottTargetTestPrep ,  bb  your take here would be extremely helpful to @mpk77

AndrewN · Answer

Hello,  mpk777 , and thank you to  kntombat  for calling my attention to the post. First off, test-day nerves may have played a factor in the lower-than-anticipated score, particularly because of the technical issues outlined. Yes, lags do happen. You should make sure you have a strong Internet connection so that the demands of the exam software do not force your machine to come to a crawl. Some test-takers have mentioned purchasing a backup power source to ensure that they would have higher connection speeds. That could be something to look into.

In terms of the exam breakdown, a V29 seems only slightly lower than what you might have reasonably expected. I like to say that you are only as good as your worst performance once things spiral out of control, and your initial shock at seeing, say, lengthier RC passages or more difficult SC questions could have taken a psychological toll. Yes, you know you are capable of a higher score in the section, but your improved results occurred only weeks after you had flatlined at 31. Clearly, there are still some gaps in your understanding, and you will also need to fine-tune your approach. Since you already have access to high-quality material, why not make further use of it? Please refer to  my post on GMAT™ preparation mistakes  to see if you can make some of pointers I mention work for you. Bottom line: a low Verbal score, anything in the mid-30s or lower, will place a lot of pressure on the Quant side for you to earn the score you desire.

Speaking of the Quant portion of the test, it seems to me, based on accounts I have read from other test-takers, that the test starts off pretty hard, but then question difficulty tapers a bit or even stabilizes, even if you answer question after question correctly. A 47 can turn into a 50 overnight for someone who has been scoring consistently in the latter range. Review may be your best bet here, particularly of questions you have missed in the past or taken a long time to work out. If you feel a burning desire to work on new questions, seek out those from other editions of the OG or Quant Review, or, if you want to challenge yourself, go for a few in-house GMAT Club questions. (Every Q51 scorer I have talked to or worked with who has taken the GMAT Club quant quizzes has said that they run harder than the real test, but that they are helpful for practice, written in a way that mimics the type of reasoning that is brought to bear on the actual exam.)

I understand being on a low budget. Such is the story of my life. That is okay. (I am even preparing for the test myself, using only GMAT Club to go through questions and analyses.) You just have to figure out a way to work  smarter , not necessarily  harder . I hope the post I linked to can help to that end.

Good luck with your studies, and if you have further questions, feel free to ask.

- Andrew

mpk777 · Answer

Thank you for the reply  AndrewN  , appreciate you taking the time to reply. It seems clear from your post that I need to work on analyzing and filling my gaps. When do you think would it be safe to book my next test? I am looking to apply for Fall'22.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi mpk777,

While I'm sorry to hear that Test Day didn't go as well as planned, a 640/Q48 is still a solid Score, so it could be enough to get you into your first-choice School. As such, a retest might not be necessary. Depending on the Schools that you plan to apply to, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. Those Experts should be able to answer your Admissions questions and help define the specific areas of your profile that could use some improvement. There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/

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. 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 did you typically study each week?
2) Did you use any other “brands” of CATs besides the Official CATs? Did you take any of your CATs/mocks more than once?

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

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

mpk777 · Answer

Thank you for taking the time to reply Rich, really appreciate it!

1. I started studying in Mid-March. I spent around 3-4 hours every day studying. So, in total - I spent around 24-28hours every week and around 14 weeks studying. 
2. I didn't take any official mocks more than once.
I actually wrote two other mocks
Kaplan - 710 (Q48,V39) May 16,2021
Veritas Prep - 650 (Q48, V31) May 23,2021
3. My target score is 720
4. I am looking to apply in Round 1 or 2 for Fall'22

AndrewN · Answer

Sure thing,  mpk777 . There are two ways you could approach retesting, each with pros and cons:

1) Give yourself no more than 4-6 weeks to improve, and then just take the exam.
Pros: You have a specific window within which you know you need to work, a fact that can prove motivating; you will not take so much time between tests that you start to lose a little test-specific knowledge or technique.
Cons: You may not progress to the point that you will likely achieve your target performance, and you may put too much pressure on yourself to "get it" within a shortened timespan.

2) Set goals for each section and keep practicing until you achieve them (perhaps on a consistent basis).
Pros: You may be less stressed, without a timeline in mind; you will grow in confidence as your performance improves, a combination that often translates to a higher score on the exam.
Cons: You may not be able to hit your marks in practice without more guidance, and that can cost time and money, not to mention cause you personal frustration and doubt; your deadlines may sneak up on you.

To be honest, I would probably set a goal within each approach and create a hybrid: achieve certain scores in practice in each section but cap off preparation in 4-6 weeks. A little pressure is a plus, too much, of course, a big minus.

I hope this helps. See what Rich from EMPOWERgmat has to say as well. Do not sit on anything too long before acting, however you decide to prepare. (The test will not get any easier while you put things on hold.)

- Andrew

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Assuming that you took your official practice exams under realistic testing conditions, the results show that, on a good day, you are capable of scoring higher than V29. Thus, it’s quite possible that nerves, stress, tiredness, or a combination of all three negatively affected your test-day performance. However, it’s also possible that you have some lingering weaknesses that were exposed on test day. Although I’m unsure of how you prepared, it’s possible that, in your preparation, particularly in verbal, you did not really learn to do what you have to do in order to score high on the actual GMAT. Rather, you picked up on some patterns that were effective in getting you relatively high scores on practice tests. So, for you to hit your score goal, your preparation, particularly for verbal, probably needs to be more complete, meaning that you have to go through the various types of GMAT questions carefully to find your exact weaknesses, fill gaps in your knowledge, and strengthen your skills.

For verbal specifically, you have to become more skilled at clearly defining the differences between trap choices and correct answers. Otherwise, you will get stuck guessing between two choices or be surprised to find that you incorrectly answered questions that you thought you answered correctly. Becoming more skilled in this way takes carefully analyzing all of the answer choices to lots of verbal questions to develop an eye for the logical differences between the choices. In other words, you have to go beyond answering practice questions and reading explanations to doing deep analysis of questions to learn to see everything that is going on in them.

In order to follow the path described above, you may need some new quant and verbal materials, so take a look at the GMAT Club reviews for the  best quant  and  verbal courses .

You also may find it helpful to read the following articles:

how to score a 700+ on the GMAT

Why Was My GMAT Score Lower Than My Practice Test Scores?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi mpk777,

I've sent you a PM with some additional questions.

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

mpk777 · Answer

Thanks for the detailed response  AndrewN , this definitely helped me gain some direction regarding where I can take my prep going forward now. I truly felt lost and clueless after seeing my score. Looking forward to my next phase of prep and exam now. Really appreciate the help, thanks again!

MathRevolution · Answer

Hello mpk777,

Your current GMAT score is decent and you can surely achieve a target score of 720. Keep your motivation high.

Also with my GMAT tutoring, guidance, and counseling experience, we have to accept the fact with a pinch of salt that diagnostic/ mock test scores are above then what one should expect in a real test. There is often dropping in the score. Some students have even experienced a drop of 100+ pointers. It is one of the realities, and your preparation should not sideline this fact.

You can schedule a Free counseling session for 20 mins(https://calendly.com/mathrevolution/1-on-1-session) with one of our experts if you want detailed advice on your current study plans.

Also, make a note of various possible combinations to achieve a score of 700+. The possible scores will help you track your performance after taking the mock or practice test. It will also help you maintain balance in both the sections, and you will always be in a great position to allot the study hours to a specific area accordingly.

Possible score combinations: Q45/V41, Q46/V40, Q48/V38, Q50/V36

You can try our diagnostic test: https://www.mathrevolution.com/diagnost ... Memberfree] and receive a comprehensive study guide by topic. This test will help you understand your weak areas. You can also visit Math Revolution and get access to our 7-days on-demand course for free trial lessons and free videos.

To prepare for Verbal, you may refer to Aristotle Grail for sentence correction and GMAT power bank for CR question types. There are also many free materials available in GMAT Club.

Regular tests will reflect the positive change in the score, and hence, your confidence will boost up.

We appreciate your time and patience in reading this reply.
If we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

You can reach us at [email protected].

Success is within your reach.
Good luck!

Online GMAT score 640. Need help!!

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