Seeking Retaking Advise - 730 in GMAT

Question

I took my GMAT yesterday and got a 730 (Q50, V39, IR 5). This was my first GMAT attempt. I prepared for 5 months (last 2 months were intense preparation). Not happy with my score, but wasn't expecting a miracle either. All the GMAT prep mocks I took were either 730 or 740. So at least I'm happy to know that I am consistent and dependable :-D

Although I'm a bit surprised with my IR score. I consistently had a 6-7 in the mocks, so wasn't expecting a 5 here. My profile Indian, Male, 26 years Hold a PGDM from one of the top 3 IIMs in India, Have a Bachelor's in Computer Engg. from a reputed regional college (Non IIT/NIT/BITS) Cleared CFA L1, pursuing CFA L2 (Next Year) Have 3.5 years of full time work experience (1 year in Software Development, 1 year 9 months in research and consulting and 9 months in investment banking. None of them are extremely well-known firms) Strong UG CGPA - 9.57/10 Strong Co-curricular activities (Case competitions, club activities, seminar arrangements etc.) No involvement in volunteering, NGOs or work-related extra curricular activities Reason for a 2nd business degree Not being able to find enough opportunities with tier-1 I-Banks in India. Searched a lot, there is very little chance that I can explore a career in the M&A team of a bulge bracket in India. They either hire directly from IIM campus or from other bulge brackets laterally. So, very limited opportunities for lateral individuals who are from unknown shops. Post MBA career Goals Join a bulge bracket investment bank in the US and eventually move to a top tier private equity fund focused on TMT. Schools I'll be Applying Wharton, Columbia, Booth, Kellogg, Stern Difficulty faced in GMAT My score has hit a plateau. I have been scoring 730-740 consistently in GMAT Prep, EP1 and EP2 mocks for over a month, but was never able to cross it. And I'm sure there are certain things I'm not doing right because of which I have not been able to enter the 760/770 bracket. I'm having certain financial limitations too, so can't invest a lot in expensive test preparation. My personal assessment of Mocks I'm reasonably good in quant. On a good day I hit 51, on a bad day I hit 50. My verbal performance ranged between 38-40. SC is my strongest section, RC next, I am very weak in CR. But this too varies. On some mocks I had a decent CR score of 40. I have found out a pattern in CR and RC. I somehow tend to get most of the inference questions wrong in both these sections. And I have not been able to resolve this deadlock. I also find the evaluate questions tough. May be I don't have the right approach for the questions. Advise needed I am looking for some scholarships/fellowships from the schools I want to apply to. I already took a huge loan to finance my IIM education. Paid off the loan just a few months ago. Now a second business degree at my target schools is going to be extremely expensive by the Indian standards. So, some scholarship money would definitely help. That's the reason I was targeting a 760-770 score. Steps Ahead I shall be applying to Columbia with my current score only. I am almost done with my essays and recommendation, so I don't want to delay that. For Booth and Kellogg too, I guess I will have to apply with my current score. But retaking the exam might help me in Wharton and Stern because their deadlines are towards the end of September and early October. Experts, any advise? Should I retake the test? Any help would be really appreciated. Thanks.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi shubhraghosh,

First off, a 730/Q50 is an outstanding score (it's well above the 90th percentile overall), so you should apply to any Business Schools that interest you. As such, a retest is probably not necessary. You're ultimately asking Admissions questions though, so you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile. There's a Forum full of them here:

ask-admission-consultants-124/

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

bfarooq · Answer

You should not re-take the exam as that would be a stupid decision. You will not get dinged for this score at all, rather your application materials. I advise you to concentrate on your applications as hard as you can.

AjiteshArun · Answer

You're super close to your target score of 760. You'll need a V44 (98%) with a Q50, or around 42 (96%) in verbal with a Q51. This is to say that you probably just need to keep doing what you're doing, no need for extensive test prep material.

If I were you, I would take the exam again. A 730 would be considered average for Indians applying to the schools you've mentioned, and you probably have a higher percentile than 96 on the CAT, which is a far more competitive exam. Just don't put all your time and energy into the retake.

shubhraghosh · Answer

Thanks, Ajitesh. I understand your point that 730 is average for the Indian pool. That's my worry too. Plus, considering that I'm interested in a bulge bracket investment bank post my MBA, I know I'll be stuck there too with my current GMAT score. This will definitely be a negative point and would cause them to raise eyebrows. About your point around CAT, yes, I had a 99.6 in CAT, but I also had over a year for my preparation and classroom assistance from some teachers. The point I'm struggling with in GMAT is, I don't know how to change my strategies for securing a higher score in Verbal. As I mentioned, I had been taking GMAT Prep tests at the 730-740 level consistently, and for over a month I couldn't change anything! I have been making the same mistakes when I'm under time pressure, and it seems, for some reason that I haven't been able to break the deadlock. I know my weaker areas and that I can get to a Q51 and IR 7-8 without any external assistance. But I'm in the need of some help in the CR and RC section to push myself to the V42-V43 level. And if I have to do that in the next one month, I definitely have to adopt a smart strategy. I also have to balance my essays and my job (I already took a long gap for my GMAT attempt, can't do that again

) Together they make the proposition of reaching the 760 mark even more difficult! Do you recommend any approach for pushing through the last 3-4 points in verbal given my situation? Thanks!

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi shubhraghosh,

Based on your desire for a scholarship and the results of your practice exams, I think a retake would be a good call. If you do retake, work hard on preparing for IR. I think you’ll want to try to get your IR score up, based on your career aspirations. You may find that some of your future employers will be interested in this score (as well as your overall GMAT score).

However, before providing specific advice, I have a few questions for you.

1) Did you get your enhanced score reports? If not, could you do so and share the score breakdown from your GMAT?

2) When you took the official practice tests, did you take them under realistic conditions (e.g. in a quiet environment, no extended breaks)? Did you complete the entire CAT, including the IR and Essay sections?
 
3) Describe your study routine. What resources have you been using to study? How many hours a day did you study and for how many total months?

shubhraghosh · Answer

Scott, I too feel so. I have sent you a PM containing answers to your questions.

Thanks.

Seeking Retaking Advise - 730 in GMAT

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