Welp, beaten by GMAT

Question

Welp, just finished my test and scored 650 (Q47, V33). Extremely disappointed, this is much lower than my test scores. I scored a 710 on GMATPrep last week, and a 690 before that. I also had absolutely no issues with timing, I finished both sections with a lot of time to spare in the practice exams and the real one. No idea what went wrong.

Ordering my ESR for the time being, then I'll look at rewriting in 3-4 weeks. I was hoping I'd be able to put the GMAT behind me by today, guess it wasn't meant to be. Looks like I need to find a way to stay motivated.

Nothing went wrong at the Test Centre as far as I can tell, I felt good about both sections. I was seeing fairly hard questions in Quant and felt that I was able to identify the answers in Verbal pretty easily.

Let me know if anyone has any idea on how I can proceed, I feel so burnt out at the thought of doing anything GMAT related. Also, weird question, but can I cancel my score after getting my ESR?

Good luck to anyone else taking the test.

AjiteshArun · Answer

Yes, up to 72 hours after the test ($25). 3-4 weeks looks good from the point of view of a retake. Post your ESR here if you can.

rpicler · Answer

In the exam, did you do anything different from your practice tests?

For example, in my practices I found out that breathing exercises to relax and focus made me perform worst than when I didn't do them. On the other hand, some people get so nervous on the test centers that they need some routine to calm down a bit and perform well.

This is just one example!

https://gmatclub.com/static/posted_from.png     Posted from    GMAT ToolKit

lin11 · Answer

Couple questions for you.
1. Were your practice tests taking every section with correct timing in a similar environment?
2. Were any of your practices retakes?

If so, these could easily inflate your practice scores. Not trying to discourage you, just trying to let you know. How did you quant and verbal compare to previous practice tests?

best,
lin

Kelen · Answer

Hey,

It's fine, they're both fair questions.

1. Yes, I did it exactly like I wrote the exam.
2. Nope, both were completely fresh. The 690 was actually my 1st CAT since my initial diagnostic, so I had a few timing issues. The second CAT I finished with over 10 mins in both sections. The actual GMAT I actually finished with more than that. It didn't feel any different to me at all.

My practice scores were 690 (Q48, V37) and 710 (Q49, V38). My Verbal took a fairly big hit in the actual GMAT. Again, no idea why. Waiting on my ESR for the time being.

Kelen · Answer

Nope, nothing at all. I felt the same as I did during a practice question, didn't see a single question that was unfamiliar.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi AvalonQQ,

I'm sorry to hear that Test Day didn't go as well as hoped. Based on some of the things you described in this post:

gmat-prep-cat-222226.html#p1711613

...it looks like some of the issues that you were trying to work on impacted your performance on the Official GMAT. 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, your score results all revolve around 680 or so (with your CAT scores at the high end and your Official Score at the low end). A handful of little mistakes in each section is what led to the drop in score. Unfortunately, you continued to move through each section too quickly and (as a result) those little mistakes happened.

In theory, this is a pretty good 'problem' to have - most Test Takers have the opposite problem (they move too slowly and aren't able to properly attempt all of the questions). However, the fact that you weren't able to properly fix it during your studies means that you might need to invest in some additional resources that will force you to slow down and do the work properly. I suggest that you take the weekend 'off' and try to decompress from all of this. You're still remarkably close to your goal, and another 3-4 weeks of study could very easily be all that you need to hit a 700+.

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

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Welp, beaten by GMAT

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