Should I Retake GMAT Thread - Retaking GMAT Strategies

The GMAT is within ~30 points of your true ability, so I think it's scoring you correctly -- only take it again if you have time to study in a more in-depth manner this time around.

And just out of curiousity, which "top Ivys" have finance degrees? I know HYP don't, and isn't Wharton technically "Economics?"

IIT male with a 2.7 GPA? Unfortunately, you're going to need every point you can possibly get on the GMAT. And I'd give this advice to almost anybody: if you're pretty sure that you can increase your score by 20-30 extra points, it's probably worth doing it. With that 2.7, it's definitely worth it.

I hope this helps!

Hi,

I just took my GMAT exam and my Score is 690 (V-31,Q-50,IR-8).

I am an Engineer graduate from one of the very reputed college in India with GPA 4. I am working as Linux and VMware administrator with 7 years of experience.

I am targeting Chicago based universities, primarily Booth and Kellog.

Please suggest if I should try for round 2 with this GMAT score or Should I retake the exam?

Looking forward for your suggestions.
Thank you!!

Hi all,

I just took my first GMAT and have a VERY lopsided score (T 710, V48, Q40, IR6). I'm almost 90% that I should retake to try and rebalance the scores especially as I don't have a strong quant background, have not done maths since my first year of my undergrad and have until mid-March before the first round of applications is due for the schools I'm looking at.

Does everyone agreed that I should retake (I'm looking at INSEAD and IE in Europe for reference)? I have 5+ years international experience so think holistically I can make an attractive case but would be really keen to get feedback.

Secondly, if I did have to resit, what should be my approach to studying quant for the next month? Ironically, I spent 10% of the last 2.5 months studying verbal and the rest on quant. I would say I have strong problem solving skills generally but am getting flustered when working on quant questions to time as the overall maths is a bit rusty. I previously kept an error log and tried to focus on my weak points as much as possible but ultimate got thrown by a few tricky questions on test day.

Thanks in advance!

Whoa, congrats on that killer verbal score! Any chance you could bottle that up and send it to some of our suffering pals in the verbal forum?

And yeah, you'll almost certainly need to retake. Schools might be legitimately worried about your ability to handle the quantitative coursework with a 40Q, unfortunately. The 710 composite is probably fine, but they'll want some reassurance of quant skill.

If you only have a month to study, you might want to seriously consider hiring a tutor to help you jump-start the process. I also suspect that one of the titans of the GMAT Club quant forum have constructed a quant study plan for folks in your situation. (Bunuel or souvik101990, could I trouble one of you to point her in the right direction for a one-month quant crash course?)


Congrats on the killer quant score!

You just said two magic words: "engineer" and "India." Unless you walk on water, you'll need to score much higher than a 690 -- and if anybody tells you otherwise, check your wallet. Sorry for the bad news.

Plenty of determined GMAT Club members have made the leap on verbal, though. Check out this one for inspiration: https://gmatclub.com/forum/abhimahna-s- ... 49109.html

Good luck to you both!

Hi guys,

I wrote the GMAT for the first time 3 weeks ago and got a 700 (Q47, V38, IR8, AWA5). I only studied quant because diagnostic tests suggested it was my clear weakness, and that was on and off for 6 weeks in ad hoc fashion. Based on my ESR, SC is holding me back from getting a V43-45 (it's considerably lower than my CR and RC), and I believe that I can push my quant to at least 49 with a more disciplined study regimen.

I studied at a small Canadian school (commerce degree) and have a poor GPA, so I'm wondering if it's worth retaking the GMAT as a matter of improving the academic side of my applications. I begin full time work soon, so any applications would be for 2019 at the earliest.

Any advice would be highly appreciated!

Need Experts' advise or any body who can help!!

Please reply as soon as possible.

I gave Gmatprep test no. 2 today (18th Feb, 2018) and score was 510(V:21 & Q: 39) the low verbal score was because I got the "last ten questions wrong", As I had to rush through at the end of the verbal section.
In Gmatprep test 1(taken on 12th Feb, 2018) my score was 580 (V:28 & Q 42) (I got 3-4 repeat questions in each section quant and verbal)
My exam is scheduled on 7th march, 2018, I want to score at least above 600.
Please suggest will it be possible??
Need help how to dedicate my last 15 days.
I have 2 Gmatprep test left from the Exam pack 1 that I have not taken yet.

Thank you in advance.

Hi all,

Just want to get your thoughts on retaking the GMAT. I scored a 720 and I believe I can do better. I am contemplating rolling the dice and rescheduling it in 3 weeks. In particular, I was disappointed with my verbal score and I truly believe I can score a 42-45 if I tried again. In regards to the math section, I think the 49 scored reflects my best foot forward and I run the risk of scoring lower on a second attempt.

In summary, my personal assessment is that I have a decent shot in scoring in the 730-740 range and have a 10-20% shot of getting a 750+. Is the incremental 10-20 points worth rolling the dice for, the money spent, and the extra time or should I stick with a 720 and accept that the the score is simply 'good enough'?

For context, I am applying round one with my eyes set on the top ten business schools for entry fall 2019. Other quantifiable/relevant info include a 3.3 GPA at an Ivy League School and I work in the securities business at a major bank now.

It pains me to say this, because I think that the GMAT arms race is ridiculous, but... well, if you're pretty sure that you can improve your GMAT score, then you almost always should do it. There's no shortage of finance professionals applying to top business schools, so it's absolutely worth investing some more time and energy if you think you've left some points on the table.

Good luck with your studies and your applications, and let us know how it goes!

Great Information, Everbody here for help.

Hi Guys,

I have taken GMAT four times and my score of last one was 620 (Q:49, V:26). I have been studying for past one and half months. Below are my scores of mock tests. I am thinking to give the GMAT on 29th May 2018.

Verbal scores (for one and half months)

1. Kaplan - 41
2. Manhattan - 32
3. Veritas - 33
4. Veritas - 32
5. Veritas -33
6. Gmat pill - 35
7. Manhattan - 37
8. Manhattan - 36
9. Manhattan - 36
10. Veritas - 31
11. Veritas - 36
12. Manhattan - 41
13. Veritas - 35
14. Manhattan - 37
15. Gmat official mock 1 - 38
16. Gmat official mock 2 - 37
17. Gmat official mock 3 - 29
18. Gmat official mock 4 - 27
19. Gmat official mock 5 - 31

I am not sure what is happening and why is there a major dip in score now when I am so close to take the GMAT . I was hoping if the experts could provide some insight. Really appreciate your help on this. Thank you.

YG90, there's a TON of variability in those results, and obviously the over-reliance on non-official verbal tests is a big part of the issue... but there's more to the story than that. Take a look at this article, and see if anything rings a bell? https://gmatclub.com/forum/experts-topi ... 46658.html. My bet is that several of these things are playing a role in the results -- and hopefully you'll find some ways to remedy those issues before your next attempt.

Good luck with your studies!!

hi, guys i have got some information from jaro education website, many universities and b-schools are providing admission for MBA without asking for any entrance exam .

Hey,

I took the GMAT exam yesterday on 25th and got a 640 (Q47,V31)! I was dammed by the score cause I was aiming for something more in the 700's range. While doing the verbal section I was kinda having the feeling that it is not going as I planned it to be. There was this thing happened with me, I never used a sound isolating headphones ever while prepping for the exam or giving the mock tests, but during the real thing, I tried them at the start of both quant and verbal. I don;t know but that silence made me uncomfortable and difficult for me to concentrate, while quant went smoothly (according to me, but not very smoothly according to section score I got) but in verbal I struggled the most at the initial questions. The struggle was real I had to read each sentence (even the straightforward ones) to get the meaning out of them, It took me around 5-10 questions to get my pace back as by the end of the section I was feeling a lot smoother with my attempts.

So my doubts/questions are:

Could those headphones be really a reason for that downfall?
I am planning to go for a retake, is it a good idea as I have a month or two before the R1 rounds of applications starts?
How to go forward from here to 7__ score?

Mock Tests taken in 2 weeks time before the Actual GMAT:

Economist GMAT - 660 Q45 V35
Kaplan GMAT - 700 Q47 V39
GMAT Club (Seperate CAT) - Q49
GMAT Prep1 - 660 Q49 V31

Final GMAT Score - 640 Q47 V31


Thanks.

I took the GMAT for the first time last week and got V47, Q36, and IR7 for a total of 680. I was hoping for a 700+. I am leaning towards retaking it but am looking for second opinions! My score is really unbalanced, so if I do retake it I was thinking to just focus on math to try to up that score. For the first attempt I used Magoosh and prepped for about 8 weeks. My first practice test was 640, then 700, 720, 690, 680. Results have always been unbalanced with significantly higher scores on verbal.

So first, should I retake it? If yes, is three weeks enough time? I want to get it over with before 4th of July holiday so I can focus on the rest of my application.

If I retake in 3 weeks and just use Magoosh to review math and do more practice questions, would it be possible to improve to a 720? Are there other materials I should look at? I also have the 2016 OG Quant Review and a Kaplan book from 2015. I would like to avoid buying anything but if you think it would really help I am willing!

Thanks!!!

Hey guys,

I just got back from taking the GMAT for the first time and was fortunate enough to score a 760 (Q 50, V 44, IR 8). Although the score is very high and is probably good enough to get into the schools I am interested in (top 5 schools), I am considering retaking. My line of reasoning is that I have a few weeks of free time before I start work and I was scoring between 770 and 790 on GMATPrep. I also do not plan on applying for 3 years, so I am worried that the average scores at my target schools may move higher in that time.

What does the community suggest in this situation? I do not mind putting in another 2-3 weeks of prep in order to take a second swing at the exam, but would a 770-790 improve my odds at all? And could a retake after a 760 actually decrease my odds by making me look obsessed with the GMAT? Looking forward to the input.

Well, the MBA world lost its mind quite some time ago, and average scores can be pretty ridiculous these days. Would an extra 10 or 20 points help? Maybe, but unless you're from an incredibly common demographic (Indian males, for example), it's hard to imagine that those extra few points will matter. A 760 is enough to get admissions committees to pay attention to the rest of your profile, and the decisions will ultimately be based on how everything else looks besides the GMAT.

Here's a thread by somebody who canceled his 770: https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-770-and ... 21-20.html. The community response to it was pretty interesting, and you might find it useful -- or at least entertaining.

But without knowing anything else about your profile, it's hard to imagine that you really need to improve. If you have some spare time on your hands, it might not hurt to give it a shot, but I'm betting that you'll be fine without it.

Congratulations on that 760, and welcome to GMAT Club!