C13GMAT wrote:
Hello GMAT Club -
I have been stalking you for about 4 months now and this is my first post. I just had a terrible day after getting home from the test center. I just got a 560!!!! I am so depressed and looking at an empty bottle of wine as I write this.
I took the Veritasprep course before this and expected to do a lot better to say the least. My first practice test was a 660 and I feel that is an accurate score without studying for me.
There were some issues prior to the test for me that definitely contributed to this result. I slept about 2 hours last night and away from my bed, not my fault if you are wondering. I also 'crammed' way too hard in my opinion the week before the test. I also missed the last 3 classes at veritasprep due to travel for work.
I have always been weak at Quant, but my first verbal on my first CAT was a 47 and that is usually the strong point in my score. I fell apart during the test, which is unlike me because I was a professional athlete for sometime and love 'competition' and tests of character and stamina...I was over analyzing everything and taking way to long.
I honestly don't have the numbers because I ripped them into pieces when I got the printout. So now I turn to this community...what do I do now? How long do you suggest someone in my situation rates for a retake. I know a lot of people inflate their scores on here, but honestly I am a 650 scorer on a bad day. I want to take it again as soon as possible and got the week before not look at anything related to the GMAT.
If you have any time please respond. I have a good job in many circumstances (pay, location, upward mobility) but I loathe it...and I believe I am looking to the GMAT for other options. Maybe the answer is forget it and keep my head down and work in my industry? But I think this is the right route for me.
Thanks GMAT Club!
First of all, one bad score is making you re-consider your life plans? I don't expect this from anybody, forget about professional athletes and people who know what it is to perform under pressure.
Secondly, not sleeping the night before the GMAT is a killer. Look, we have all done it in college - crammed for 6 straight hrs before the exam and then taken it to pass with flying colors. The thing about GMAT is that it is not a test of your cramming skills. You cannot perform if your mind is tired. Sometimes, late into the night, if I am not being able to sleep, I get up to study a bit. Needless to say, all I can do is read some stuff - I cannot retain, analyze or calculate. It just seems hard and cumbersome. The same things seem intuitive when handled with a fresh mind. GMAT is a test of higher order thinking. Your higher order thinking shuts down when you are tired. You cannot use logic and reasoning - when we make bad decisions, it's usually when our brains are addled (too drunk/too sleepy/too tired). There are very few people who would do well on GMAT without proper rest.
Next step would be to take a while off. If your scores are where you want them to be, take a GMAT date (perhaps 1 - 1.5 months away). Then review your concepts, (go through your Veritas books again to refresh), practice and plan the day before GMAT and GMAT Day meticulously. You can certainly afford to give two full days out of your life to GMAT - put friends, job, family everything on the side for these two days. Just try to relax your mind, have a good night's sleep, a nice, light breakfast/lunch before the test and some snacks during the breaks.