GMAT PREP : 720 ACTUAL GMAT : 640 - Help required

Question

Hello friends

I took my GMAT today and scored a 640 (Q49 V27). This is my lowest score in comparison to gmat prep. I have been preparing for the past 7 months consistently atleast for 2hrs everyday. But whatever happens life has to move on. kindly advice me what to do. I am completely clueless. My target is 700.

I have scheduled my second attempt on 18th August.

Preparation materials used: OG 12, OG 16, GMAT CLUB TESTS, MANHATTAN SC, GMAT CLUB COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTION OF ALL GMAT PREP QUESTIONS, Active member of GMAT CLUB Forums, E-gmat SC course.

My preparation strategy was to solve 20 questions from each section everyday and analyze the solutions thoroughly. I used to go through manhattan forums (Ron/Stacey) , Gmat club forums in case I find the solution unconvincing.

Mock test results: (all these tests were taken with IR and AWA) - 8 minute timed breaks - Exam like conditions

GMAT PREP 1 - 610 (Q49 V23) - During Jan 2016
GMAT PREP 2 - 650 (Q49 V28) - During Feb 2016

<<<Improvement phase>>

GMAT PREP 1 retake (April 2016) - 670 (Q49 V32)
GMAT PREP 2 retake (May 2016) - 660 (Q49 V31)
GMAT PREP 3 (Exam Pack) May 2016 - 670 (Q49 V32)
Manhattan cat 1 - 670 (Q45 V37)
GMAT PREP 4 - 650 (Q49 V30)

<<Final Phase>>

GMAT PREP 1 (june 2016) - 670 (Q49 V32)
GMAT PREP 2 (june 2016) - 700 (Q50 V35)
GMAT PREP 3 (june 2016) - 710 (Q50 V36)
GMAT PREP 4 (june 2016) - 720 (Q50 V38)

Actual GMAT (Today) - 640 (Q49 V27) IR 6

So that`s how this journey has happened so far. I am a non-native speaker of english.

EXAM :

The quant was pretty much similar to GMAT prep. Few geometry questions were really hard. Q49 (not much to complain here). GMAT club tests helped me a lot in particular.

The verbal part was quite different from what i have seen in gmat prep. The SC questions were completely (atleast 3 to 4 - my guess ) were based on idioms. Totally I got 3 bold faced CR questions (2 out of first 10 Q) and my 6th question was a 4 para scientific RC (i found it very difficult). But the end result is not so satisfying.

Having written several mocks, Time management was not a issue today. I guessed the last question in Quant and last question in verbal.

So, That`s my experience. I am feeling very tired and exhausted after seeing the results. Your advice on what must be done next will be highly useful for me to see 7XX.

Thanks

HiLine · Answer

Have you been able to view your enhanced score report?

Balajikarthick1990 · Answer

No why? Are they providing it nowadays?

HiLine · Answer

An enhanced score report would give you helpful insights into your performance and help you identify the areas of focus. I would suggest that you obtain this report, especially now that the details of the test are still fresh in your mind.

Balajikarthick1990 · Answer

Yes, Just now i have purchased this. But my scores are not yet updated in my account. I think i need to wait for some time.

Thanks

HiLine · Answer

While waiting for your enhanced score report, let's see how much more you can recall from your Verbal experience, before you forget or get influenced by the report.

About how many questions did you have to make an educated guess on?
About how many questions were you 100% confident about?
Which skill did you find the most difficult?
Which skill do you think you did the best on?
Where in the test did the most difficult questions tend to appear? (Beginning, middle, etc)
How do you feel you did in the first 10 questions?
How tired did you feel toward the end?
How did you use the breaks?
How was your experience at the test site?
What did you do the day before the test?

I realize this is a long list, but this is the only chance you can accurately answer many of these questions.

Balajikarthick1990 · Answer

Hi Hiline, I really appreciate the effort you are putting to help me out.

About how many questions did you have to make an educated guess on?

Quant - literally 1 or 2 Verbal - 3 to 4 questions especially in SC (idiom based questions-inspite of I don`t remember much here and RC (primary purpose)

About how many questions were you 100% confident about?

Quant - except 1 or 2 I was confident o most questions Verbal - I am not able to tell the number here (CR i was mostly confident, except for the 4 para complicated RC, remaining RC`s were smooth)

Which skill did you find the most difficult?

9 out of 10 times I am not to eliminate 3 out of 5 choices in verbal (all sections). Especially in SC, I am able to immediately eliminate 3 choices.

Tough RC`s and SC`s - I find a bit difficult. SC, My accuracy was very high during my gmat prep`s.

Which skill do you think you did the best on?

Quant completely and CR 
Where in the test did the most difficult questions tend to appear? (Beginning, middle, etc)

100% the first 10 questions. Verbal - 2 Bold faced CR and one 4-para convoluted RC and 1 line of reasoning CR and 3 moderate SC`s.

How do you feel you did in the first 10 questions?

I felt happy after seeing a tough RC and 2 Bold Faced CR`s

How tired did you feel toward the end?

Since I have written more than 10 mocks (exam like fashion with stipulated breaks and AWA/IR), I think my body got used to this.

How did you use the breaks?

Had a gatorade. Washed my face, stretched a bit. Came back. (i came back after 5 mins)

Had a Red Bull during my second break. ( I came back after 4 mins)

How was your experience at the test site?

Very comfortable. No issues. The proctors provided me with ample sheets and It was very smooth.

What did you do the day before the test?
Took a 1 week break from office. First 5 days went with practicing 30 questions per each session, reviewing error logs

Day 6 - Took a GMAT PREP -- Reviewed

Day Before the exam - Practised 10 questions per session, I have collected a huge tip note (more than 300 pages of tips that I have written. 7 months of work has been put in building this. Reviewed this for an hour. Slept at 11 Pm. Had a decent sleep.

Silviax · Answer

It looks like all your cat exams during your final phase were retakes. You even took test 1 and 2 three times? 
How can this be an accurate reflection of your current skill set when you saw questions on a test that you have seen before.
There had to be some repeated questions?

My advice is to also buy exam pack 2 with new questions.

Balajikarthick1990 · Answer

SUre thanks I will buy this. But we have no choice right?

Yes I had minimal repeats (4 to 5). I don`t think it is that inflated.

BSeasoned · Answer

Check your timing strategy. Even i faced similar problem. I scored 760 and 770 on gmat prep in my first attempt but ended up scoring 660 on the real thing. I changed my timing strategy and scored 760 on the retake a month later. Go through my post which i posted just a minute back. Not able to put the link here

Balajikarthick1990 · Answer

Thanks will check that out. Good luck for your applications.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Balajikarthick1990,

First off, a 640/Q49 is a strong score (it's right around the 80th percentile overall), so it could be enough to get you into your first-choice School. As such, a retest might not be necessary.

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 retaking CATs that you had already taken, you faced Tests that included repeat questions - as such, you were taking easier Exams that did not require the same amounts of work, endurance, etc. - so you ended up with score results that were 'inflated.' By extension, you didn't receive the necessary information that would have helped you to focus your studies and improve. All of this is meant to say that you weren't properly training for the FULL GMAT 'experience.' Your 640 actually makes perfect sense considering the results from the first time that you took each of those CATs.

1) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
2) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

Balajikarthick1990 · Answer

Hi Rich

I am planning to apply to ISB and SP Jain and Both these schools have a median score of 700. I have scheduled my retake on 18th August. I have ordered ESR report for this test. Please advice. I have time till october 15th (first round of application).

HiLine · Answer

My list of questions is on the Verbal section only. Notice how I said Verbal?

So, the day before the exam you practiced 50 questions? Timed or not? Where did the questions come from? How did you do? Posted from my mobile device

Balajikarthick1990 · Answer

Ya I missed that. Yes, I practiced questions from GMAT prep (comprehensive collection of everything official - All GMAT prep question collection).

Balajikarthick1990 · Answer

My list of questions is on the Verbal section only. Notice how I said Verbal?

So, the day before the exam you practiced 50 questions? Timed or not? Where did the questions come from? How did you do? Hi Please help me in understanding this ESR and where to concentrate: I have attached it. CR - 21 (FIrst time in my life i am scoring so low in CR

SC - 31 RC - 29 DS - 51 PS - 48

Balajikarthick1990 · Answer

(Hi) Line

Please find my answers to your questions - Verbal specific:

About how many questions did you have to make an educated guess on?
 Close calls in Sentence correction - 2/3 RC (1 primary purpose question) CR - 1/2
 
About how many questions were you 100% confident about?
 Can`t remember exactly. Don`t have an answer for this. Sorry.
 
Which skill did you find the most difficult?
 Eliminating the last 2 choices. Close calls especially in SC and RC. For CR, I mostly prethink and It paid me off well in GMAT prep (scoring above 37 everytime). But somehow lost in actuals.
 
Which skill do you think you did the best on?
 Prethinking for CR. SC pattern recognition (except for Idiom Based and Meaning Based questions). Most of the medium Level Rc`s.
 
Where in the test did the most difficult questions tend to appear? (Beginning, middle, etc)
 Definitely in the first ten 2 Bold faced CR, 1 Rc (scientific : 4 para rc with lot of jargons/terms to remember).Eventhough I jotted down, the questions were way difficult.
 
How do you feel you did in the first 10 questions?
 I have kind of happy. I think this has screwed me in the middle part.
 
How tired did you feel toward the end?
 Not much exhausted. had a Redbull and snicker before the start of verbal session.
 
How did you use the breaks?
 5 minutes of my time ,I had the beverage and stretched out a bit.washed my face and was confident that i did well in Math.
 
How was your experience at the test site?
 It was smooth. It`s a known place to me. Closer to where I live. Nothing to complain here.
 
What did you do the day before the test?
 Solved 20CR,20SC,4Rc (all from GMAT PREP .old collections), Revised my 300 pager notes ( i do this 2 weeks once when I travel or when I am free) .This is where I put in a lot of effort. Few sample tips
1. CR:
If a question states (conclusion: Sales should improve this season. Which of the following will weaken?
I immediately prethink and write a small note: Sales should not improve/constant/demand has dropped.

2. SC:
although But (redundant)
Like vs such as (example)
SV error (that has a verb but the subject doesn`t have a verb)
Indicate that he say (SUBJUNCTIVE)
Unlike Mr. jackson, Peter`s attitude (false comparison)
and atleast 100 more patterns are identified and jotted down

3. RC:
Primary purpose:
ex: 1 st para- states about a problem 
 2 nd para - states about 3 theories
 3rd para - states about a solution (best out of the 3 theories)

Choices:
a) Problem
b)solution
c)Compares theories on a problem and proposes a solution

BEWERE of extreme choices - ALL,NONE,MANY,SOME

I have made so much effort. But I strongly feel the result doesn`t reflect my true capability. I need to give a comeback. I don`t want to give up and let my 7 months sincere efforts to go in vain

Thanks

HanoiGMATtutor · Answer

Your performance in the 3rd quarter of the Verbal section was way under your average performance in Verbal. Do you recall what happened there? One difficult Reading Comprehension passage, perhaps? Loss of focus?

Balajikarthick1990 · Answer

Ya Honai,

I had a panic as well as some anxiety related issues. My first 10 questions consisted of 2 BOLD FACED CR and 4 question 4 para RC. I think these questions sucked my energy out and created an attack.

HanoiGMATtutor · Answer

Actually you did pretty well on the 2nd set of 9 questions. Your performance dipped only in the 3rd set. I suspect something else happened. Do you recall anything? Were you tired or hungry or distracted? Be honest with yourself.

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