Should I give up the GMAT and switch to the GRE

Question

Hello everyone,

Like many people here, I joined this forum in the hopes of fulfilling my dream of getting a great GMAT score and using this score to get into my dream B-school to pursue an MBA. However, things haven't gone as planned yet.

I have taken the GMAT 4 times till date and have the following results :

1st attempt : 9th April 2019 - 530  (I wasnt prepared for the exam at all. I still dont know why I took it)
 2nd attempt: 20 Nov 2019 - 640  (this time I studied hard for it and had hoped for a better score based on my mock tests where I score 680, 660 and a 710)
 3rd attempt : 24 Sept 2020 - 610  CANCELED the score 
 (Was hoping to score closer to the 700 mark and had worked hard for it again. But this score disappointed me and hence I decided 
 to cancel this attempt and retake the GMAT in a few days. The mock tests I had taken before this test had given me a consistent 
 680 and 690)
 4th attempt - 14 Oct 2020 - 610  
 (scored the same as the last attempt. I retook the GMAT in such a short duration mainly to be able to submit my applications 
 to all the Bschools atleast for the second round for 2020. I still am not sure if this was a smart idea)

Present day: I have been working for 6 years now and really want to do an MBA. But with my above mentioned GMAT attempts (and scores), I am not so sure about getting into one of the top tier MBA programs anymore. I am now wondering if I should prepare again and retake the GMAT (which will be my 5th attempt at the exam) or drop the GMAT idea altogether and maybe look at GRE as an option?

I am really confused and was wondering if someone from the this forum could please shed some light on the options I might have? Is taking the GMAT for the 5th time a good idea? Would the number of attempts matter during the admission process? Could GRE be an option?

Thank you very much for your time in advance.

sanja8 · Answer

Hey, totally resonate with you. I realised that the format of the exam affected my focus and I was better of doing GRE. Also I found it better to understand and learn new words for GRE than focusing on CR (GMAT). Here are my attempts for gmat:

1) 1st Attempt (Practice) - Apr 2020 - 570
2) 2nd (Actual) - June 2020 - 630
3) 3rd (Actual) - Aug 2020 - 620
4) 4th (Actual) -Oct 2020 - 640
5) 5th (Actual) - Dec 2020 - 610 (Cancelled)

After that gave up and did a practice GRE test (timed) and got 310. With an aim for Columbia, NYU and Insead, I practiced for 2 months, First attempt - 320, then with an aim for 325, gave 2 more attempts and in the final one got 326. I made the verbal like a game where I played on words through Flashcards with my girlfriend every night which boosted Verbal. I was relatively fine with Quant since the beginning.

So try giving a practice test, maybe the format of 6 different short burst of sections are more suitable for you (they were for me!) good luck and never lose hope

Posted from my mobile device

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi ggnamita,

I'm happy to help. Before deciding whether to move to the GRE, I'd like to learn more about your situation with the GMAT.

-- for how long have you been studying?

-- what resources have you been using?

-- what are the dates and score breakdowns of your official practice exams?

Once I have that information, I can provide some additional advice.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ggnamita,

I'm sorry to hear that your latter 2 attempts did not turn out better. GMAC has publicly stated that the Official Score that you earn on Test Day is within +/- 30 points of actual ability. Your last 3 Official Scores show that you essentially performed the same each time (about 620 +/- a few points). You handle certain aspects of the GMAT consistently well, but you also make certain consistent mistakes. Considering how far back your studies go, it's possible that you developed some 'bad habits' early on that kept you from scoring higher. While you would likely find the GRE to an easier Exam, we have to consider that some of those bad habits might have stuck with you (and might impact your performance on the GRE as well). If you're interested in how you might perform on the GRE, then you can access two free practice GRE Tests (at https://www.gre.org). I'd suggest that you take just one of them (and save the 2nd for if you choose to switch your studies over to the GRE).

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on your prior studies and your goals:

Studies:
1) What were your Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores on each of your 4 Official GMATs?
2) How long did you study in total?
3) What study materials did you use over the course of ALL of your studies? What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used?
4) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

Goals:
5) What is your overall goal score?
6) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

If you took either of your last 2 Official GMATs at a Test Center, then you might also choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report. While the ESR doesn’t provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what went wrong on Test Day (and what you should work on to score higher). If you purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.

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

760+: What GMAT Assassins Do To Score at the Highest Levels

ggnamita · Answer

Hello EMPOWERgmatRichC / ScottTargetTestPrep,

First of all I would like to thank you for taking the time out to answer my query.
I really do appreciate any tips and suggestions that you might have.

Please find my answers to your questions below:

1) What were your Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores on each of your 4 Official GMATs?

14 October 2020 - 33(Verbal) 42(Quant) 610(Total) 6.0(AWA) 4(IR)
21 Sep 2020 - C(Verbal) C(Quant) C(Total) C(AWA) C(IR)
26 November 2019- 34(Verbal) 44(Quant) 640(Total) 5(AWA) 6(IR)
09 April 2019 - 30(Verbal) 32(Quant) 530(Total) 5.5(AWA) 5(IR)

2) How long did you study in total?
For all of the above mentioned exams I spent close to 3 months to study and prepared.

3) What study materials did you use over the course of ALL of your studies? What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used?
From the first time ever I started preparing for the GMAT, I have moved from studying on my own using the OG GMAT books followed by CrackVerbal study material and finally the last 2 exams using the Egmat study material and their scholaranium section. The mocks and CATs were from the GMAC, Crack verbal and the Egmat.

4) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?
I took the first of the mocks approximately 4 weeks before the exam and the second one 2 weeks before the exam. Unfortunately I don't remember the exact score distribution for the mocks here.

Goals:
5) What is your overall goal score?
I want to try and score a 700 (700+ would be a bonus of course)

6) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?
I want to apply to the Business schools in the summer semester of 2022. These are the following schools I want to apply to:
INSEAD, Indian School of Business, NYU, Cambridge Business school and Kellogg

I selected these business schools based on the programs that they offer and their locations.

Please let me know if you think you would need any more information. I have also attached my ESR report from my last attempt just in case it is insightful.
I would really like to understand if I still stand a chance with the GMAT or should switch to the GRE instead?

Thank you again for the help and suggestions.

P.S: My post editing skills arent really that great. So I am sorry if the table with my scores are a bit confusing.

RetaketheGMAT · Answer

Hi ggnamita,

When you get fluctuating and plateauing GMAT scores, a lot of the blame usually lies with your Test Taking Skills. In both quant and verbal, those skills create a ceiling for your performance regardless of your content study efforts.

Remember, the GMAT is a test of executive reasoning built on Quant and Verbal topics. If you don't focus on your reasoning skills (these are the GMAT test taking skills) then you're basically fighting the test.

We work almost exclusively on the GMAT side with retake clients who are struggling with a score ceiling or inconsistency (looks like you're facing both).

Happy to discuss in more detail on a call and set up a FREE Diagnostic session to identify your Test Taking Skill gaps and introduce to Testing Simulation -- our method for overcoming those gaps with the greatest impact on Test Day performance.

Arvind

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ggnamita,

To properly plan out the next phase of your studies, we should review your ESR first. Before you can include attachments with your posts/PMs, you need to have at least 5 posts in the forums (right now, you have just 4 posts). If you post just once more, then you should be able to include your ESR (and you can feel free to PM or email it to me directly if you would rather not post it publicly).

760+: What GMAT Assassins Do To Score at the Highest Levels

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

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

I have one more follow-up question. You said that you studied for about 3 months for each exam, which means you studied in total for about 9 months, correct? The question I have is did you study consistantly for 9 months or did you take sizeable breaks between each exam?

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

14 October 2020 - 33(Verbal) 42(Quant) 610(Total) 6.0(AWA) 4(IR)
21 Sep 2020 - C(Verbal) C(Quant) C(Total) C(AWA) C(IR)
26 November 2019- 34(Verbal) 44(Quant) 640(Total) 5(AWA) 6(IR)
09 April 2019 - 30(Verbal) 32(Quant) 530(Total) 5.5(AWA) 5(IR)

For Verbal this may bring some insight:

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https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-online- ... 68599.html

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Should I give up the GMAT and switch to the GRE

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