Urgent Help Needed: Retaking GMAT in 15 days.

Hi bobthebuilder14,

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 practice scores can become - and that's likely what happened here. From what you described, you took your CATs in a way that did not consistently 'match up' with the details of your Official Test Date (especially by taking CATs at different times of day and seeing 'repeat' questions), so you were not properly training for the FULL GMAT 'experience.' By extension, your practice CAT scores were not necessarily accurate.

GMAC has publicly stated that the Official Score that you earn on Test Day is within +/- 30 points of actual ability. Assuming a similar 'swing' in how your CATs function - and that those scores were more accurate than not - your various score results show that you essentially performed the same each time (710 +/- a few points). Thus, you might have just been at the 'low end' of your range (and the 'upper end' would be around a 740). However, if most/all of your CAT scores were inflated, then it might be that your current ability level is in the high-600s; if that's the case, then you would likely need at least another month of proper study before you would actually be scoring in the mid-700s.

Have you purchased the Enhanced Score Report for this Exam? While the ESR doesn't provide much information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to pinpoint what you need to 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

Hello Rich,

I have attached my Quant and Verbal ESR screenshots. They have disabled the "Download PDF" button, so I had to get screenshots. Please let me know if you need more information. I hope you can share some insights based on the ESR.

Thank you.

Without knowing anything else about you beyond what you've posted here, I would be inclined to blame fatigue. That would be more likely to cause a drop in Verbal than a drop in Quant, if you did Verbal last. When you took your official test, were they letting you choose the order of your sections yet? Are you considering using a different ordering next time?

Hi bobthebuilder14,

While it would have helped to see the FULL ESR, the information that you provided does point to a few areas that you could improve on. I've sent you a PM with some notes/suggestions.

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

Hello ccooley,

They were letting us choose the order. I went with the default (AWA/IR-Quant-Verbal) because that's the only one I'd practiced with. I did not want to change that on the actual test since I didn't have any experience with it. I am definitely considering taking Quant-Verbal-AWA/IR the next time.

I know my strengths and weaknesses in Quant fairly well but I don't have much of an idea about Verbal. I thought I was alright at it, but the GMAT seems to think otherwise.