Score drop : Need advice : Tutoring help ?

Hi spetznaz,

From the information in your last post, there were a couple of 'red flags' in terms of how you took your CATs. Before we discuss those issues though, I have a few additional questions about the lead-up to Test Day and Test Day itself:

1) What did you do in the 3 days before your GMAT?
2) How did you sleep the night before your Test?
3) How long was the ride to the Test Center from your home?
4) Were there any distractions at the facility or during the Test?
5) What did you do during the two 8-minute breaks?
6) Did you finish any sections early?
7) Did you have to rush to finish any sections (and guess on questions just to finish on time)?

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

Thanks for the reply EMPOWERgmatRichC.

1) What did you do in the 3 days before your GMAT?

My test was on Wednesday ; I took sectional tests on Sunday, and I revised during the last two days. I kept the last two days very light.

2) How did you sleep the night before your Test?

Slept pretty well

3) How long was the ride to the Test Center from your home?

Around an hour

4) Were there any distractions at the facility or during the Test?

No , not at all.

5) What did you do during the two 8-minute breaks?

Drank some water , took some dates , and went for loo.

6) Did you finish any sections early?

Yes. Q section - 10 min before, and V - 3min before.

7) Did you have to rush to finish any sections (and guess on questions just to finish on time)?

I didn't guess consciously though, but I kind of have a "ticking timer" in my mind , one that keeps telling me to move on.

Hi spetznaz,

Test Day is a rather specific 'event' - the details are specific and they matter, so you have to train as best as you can for all of them. The more realistic you can make your CATs, the more likely the score results are to be accurate. The more you deviate, the more "inflated" your scores can become - and that's what happened here. By taking the CATs at home, taking them at different time of day, occasionally seeing 'repeat' questions, etc., you weren't properly training for the FULL GMAT 'experience.' Beyond those issues, the 1-hour travel time to the Test Center is a factor that you probably didn't account for when you took your practice CATs. Also, finishing the Quant section 10 minutes early almost certainly means that you rushed through some questions and made some little mistakes that cost you points.

Thankfully, this is a relatively easy set of problems to fix. The big question now is "how long will it take you to properly get 'used to' taking the full GMAT?" You'll certainly need a new set of practice CATs to work with and you have to put in the necessary time to train your brain (and body) for the FULL GMAT 'event.' You might also need to invest in some new GMAT training materials.

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

Hi EMPOWERgmatRichC,

Thanks for your valuable advice. Since most of my preparation was centered around 6 GMAC tests and official material, what do you suggest I must do ?

Hi spetznaz,

Assuming that your score goal is 700+, and using your Official GMAT score as reference, there are two things to focus on:

1) The bulk of the missing points that you're after are going to be found in the Verbal section, so you need to learn/practice some new Tactics for that section.
2) You're going to need some new practice CATs. Since you've already used all of the GMAC CATS, you shouldn't take those again. Any of the 'blocks' of CATs available from Kaplan, MGMAT or Veritas should be fine though.

Depending on the amount of time that you have available to study, you could conceivably be ready to retest in a month (or less). In that way, you could still potentially apply to Business School via a late Round 2 or Round 3 application deadline.

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

Hi EMPOWERgmatRichC,

Thanks a lot for your tips

Hello!

Thanks for the post. I am in a very similar position. I took the GMAT on the 23rd and scored a 640 (Q47 V35) but had been scoring higher on previous prep tests. I am looking for some advice going forward to tackle a retake.

Hi Chibusiness10,

I suggest that you start your own thread (instead of piggy-backing on this thread) - in that way, we can keep the discussion focused on the specifics of your particular situation. We can also discuss everything via PM if you'd prefer.

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