Hi
sole95! I'd be happy to give you a few of my thoughts on your situation!
First of all, some serious kudos to your dedication so far! Now, as far as whether or not to retake the test - I'd take some time to consider who you are as an applicant, and think about where your time is best invested. That said, it sounds like bridging the gap into the 700s is feasible given some adjustments to your outlook and study so far!
Here are a few things I'd suggest:
1) It certainly sounds like your mentality may have been working against you these past few go-arounds. Trying to create some structure you have control over can help you to more naturally transition your performance in practice tests into how you perform on test day. So, steps like creating a "reset process" question to question when the last question didn't quite go your way can be helpful - even steps as simple as taking a deep breath/stretching in your seat, and running through the first couple of steps you should be keeping in mind on the question at hand (Start broad and ask yourself: what question type are you looking at/what is it asking in simplest terms/what tools or resources might you apply/etc.) Basically, the more we can set processes in place for the test that we are in control of, the less swayed we'll be by the things we can't control - the questions themselves! So, check in on pacing at regularly-scheduled intervals, and develop processes to "reset" when momentum isn't quite going your way so you can clear your head for the next question at hand. The more you take control of the test - the less the test takes control of you!
2) Try as much as you can to mirror the test environment in your practice. So, try to take practice tests around the same time of day as the real thing, mimic the morning of with a hearty breakfast, the same level of caffeine you normally take in in the morning, and the same routine. There's a lot of science to back the idea that a bit of exercise before you sit for a 3.5 hour test can be a really good thing - so consider a brisk walk/jog to clear your head and relax - but definitely don't overdo it! Take a look at 3-5 "batting practice" questions on the section you plan to start with. In terms of the test environment itself - try to take a practice test or two in a less "comfortable" environment (for instance, in a public library with harsh overhead lights and a different computer screen than your home computer) and - if you're going to wear noise-cancelling headphones on test day - mirror that in your practice tests! A lack of ambient noise can be jarring at times too! Overall, the more you can know what to expect and have experienced what to expect, the more natural the transition into the real thing will be!
3) It sounds like your pacing was pretty focused on a question by question benchmark. This could be causing you some undue stress, and may actually have been a bit counterproductive to your goal. Keep in mind, not all questions are designed to take precisely the same amount of time, and your goal is to treat the time you have in each section as a resource. So, if you can shift the mentality away from "giving up" on questions and toward "applying as much time as possible on questions that have the potential to be value-add," it should help build your confidence and allow you to better invest your time across the section. I talk a bit more about pacing/benchmarking strategies in
this post in case you'd like to check it out!
4) This one's going to sound super cheesy, but make sure you're focusing on quality over quantity at this point, and looking to find any and all qualitative feedback you can from your practice at this point. There's a good chance with your dedication and practice so far that your mistakes are often due to strategy driven errors rather than exclusively content-driven qualms. There's a big difference between missing a Quant Geometry question because you weren't comfortable with properties of right triangles vs. being perfectly comfortable with right triangles, but not recognizing to draw *that* particular right triangle on a question. So, I'd definitely suggest picking up error logging if you aren't already, and focusing on identifying patterns, not just on commonly missed content areas, but also on qualitative takeaways. Did you miss the question because you made a calculative mistake? Did you pursue an overly-algebraic path when there was a better-suited alternate path to take? You can even go so far as to "bucket" errors into types in an effort to find patterns. You'd be surprised to find how often students have common themes/weaknesses driving their missed questions, even when those questions are missed across different content areas/question types! With that in mind, I'd also suggest making sure you aren't overlooking those potential opportunities for improvement in Verbal as well - even with the comparatively higher percentile score. Too often, students will shift all or most of their attention to Quant improvement because they become alarmed by the lower percentile score, and will leave points on the table in Verbal that could be quicker or more consistent fixes. Just be sure to attribute time to seeking opportunities for improvement in both areas as you jump back into preparations!
5) If you tend to find you perform consistently well in untimed conditions, but struggle with the pressure of test day, you may want to consider "stepping" into timed conditions in your practice. Basically, taking time to firm up your foundations in untimed (but time-conscious) practice, then seeing if you can translate that confidence and approach into timed practice wherein you apply pacing strategies/benchmarks/etc., then into a full-fledged practice test. This approach should allow you to carry what you do well in untimed practice into test conditions, while allowing you to prepare for the structure and pressure of the real thing.
Overall, I think an adjustment to your practice approach should put you in a position to stop seeing the GMAT as "the enemy" and, dare I say it, even enjoy the process! (Even if you don't find the content to be the most interesting thing in the world!)
Let me know if you have any questions! I hope this helps you kick-start your final steps toward achieving your 700+ goal!
Happy studying! You've got this!
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17 Feb 2020, 15:58
