EXTREMELY inconsistent quant scores

Question

Hi,

I have been studying for the GMAT since last fall. However, it's only during the last 3-4 months that I've studied for it really hard. I usually spend 3-4 hours per day studying for the GMAT. I did all 6 official practice exams and got scores 700+ during the last 2 of them. I decided to take the online GMAT and hoped to achieve a 700+ score. I only achieved 650 (Q45, V35) which made me very disappointed. I got back to studying directly after taking the test as I need a 700+ score. I have been using the gmatclub tests as an indicator for my quant scores. However, the results I get are EXTREMELY inconsistent. My scores over 10 tests vary from 27 to 49. The scores I have gotten during my last 10 tests are listed below.

28/7 - 39
28/7 - 47
30/7 - 49
31/7 - 44
2/8 - 36
2/8 - 39
5/8 - 46
8/8 - 37
9/8 - 47
10/8 - 27

I want to be sure that I am performing at a certain level before I take the gmat again as I can only take the online exam one more time. However, judging by my results it seems very hard to perform at a consistent level. Are the gmatclub test scores very unreliable or is it my performance that is extremely inconsistent?

sujoykrdatta · Answer

This usually happens when there are conceptual gaps in your learning. This results in huge fluctuations in your score. 
I strongly urge you to focus on your concepts from scratch before attempting any more mock tests.

Posted from my mobile device

Russ19 · Answer

Hi  Cruceuz ,

What other CATs did you try apart from official ones? Most people report that GC tests are pretty consistent. You can consider attempting veritas and manhattan prep CATs too.

Best Wishes!

Cruceuz · Answer

sjuniv32

Hi! I also did a CAT from manhattan prep, but I found that their verbal questions felt very different compared to official GMAT questions. I got Q43 on the manhattan prep test

MathRevolution · Answer

Hello Cruceuz,

Your current GMAT score of 650 is decent and you can surely achieve a target score of 700+. Keep your motivation high.

Also, I can fully understand your frustration because, with my GMAT tutoring, guidance, and counseling experience, we have to accept the fact with a pinch of salt that diagnostic/ mock test scores are above then what one should expect in a real test. There is often dropping in the score. Some students have even experienced a drop of 100+ pointers. It is one of the realities, and your preparation should not sideline this fact.

A couple of things that can be a noticeable barrier to your scores would be some or all of the below.

• No expert support (maybe) who can tutor, analyze, and guide you during your learning especially on hard level questions while stably hitting middle-level questions.
• Lack of many updated questions and practice in the recent exam trend
• Not well aligned with time to solve questions.

You can schedule a Free counseling session for 20 mins(https://calendly.com/mathrevolution/1-on-1-session) with one of our experts if you want detailed advice on your current study plans.

You can try our free diagnostic test(Quant only): https://www.mathrevolution.com/diagnost ... Memberfree] and receive a comprehensive study guide by topic. This test will help you understand your weak areas. You can also visit Math Revolution and get access to our 7-days on-demand course for free trial lessons and free videos.

Since we are a math expert, we will recommend you go through our post on the GMAT club: Breakdown of GMAT math questions and types: https://gmatclub.com/forum/overview-of- ... l#p1641411

Regular tests will reflect the positive change in the score, and hence, your confidence will boost up.

We appreciate your time and patience in reading this reply.
If we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

You can reach us at [email protected].

Success is within your reach.
Good luck!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Cruceuz,

First off, a 650/Q45 is a solid Score, so it could be enough to get you into your first-choice School. As such, a retest might not be necessary. With a 650, you are closer to a 700+ than you probably realize - so continuing to study makes a certain amount of sense. Depending on the Schools that you plan to apply to, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. Those Experts should be able to answer your Admissions questions and help define the specific areas of your profile that could use some improvement. There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/

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 how you've been studying and your goals:

1) What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used over the course of ALL of your studies?
2) 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)?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Cruceuz,

650 is not a bad start! In addition to the questions you have asked here, do you also want some general advice on how to improve your GMAT quant skills?

Cruceuz · Answer

EMPOWERgmatRichC

Hi Rich,

Thanks for your reply! I will answer your questions below.

1. I have used the 6 official GMAT tests for most of my "full" tests. Since I have used all 6 of the GMAT official tests, I have now moved on to the gmatclub tests for quant. I also did a free test at manhattan prep. 
2. 
 Official GMAT mocks 
1: 27/3 (590, Q42, V28)
2: 13/4 (690, Q46, V38)
3: 26/6 (620, Q40, V35)
4: 6/7 (640, Q43, V35)
5: 15/7 (700, Q42, V44)
6: 22/7 (710, Q47, V41)

Gmatclub tests 
28/7 - 39
28/7 - 47
30/7 - 49
31/7 - 44
2/8 - 36
2/8 - 39
5/8 - 46
8/8 - 37
9/8 - 47
10/8 - 27

Manhattan prep test 
9/8 (640, Q43, V34)

I felt that the manhattan prep test had some very weird RC/CR questions though which were not similar to GMAT at all.

3. I am planning to apply to business schools during the autumn and spring. I have not yet decided exactly which schools but I will for sure apply to Stockholm School of Economics. I might also apply to business schools in the UK such as LSE, LBS, Oxford, Cambridge etc.

Russ19 · Answer

I agree with you that manhattan prep quant is a bit harder and verbal questions are somewhat different. You can pay extra attention to easy and medium questions for quant.

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Might be worth trying to isolate which sub-topics are the ones you find most slippery (i.e. Ratios). You have a lot of data to work with that may be helpful.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Cruceuz,

I've sent you a PM with some additional questions.

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

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EXTREMELY inconsistent quant scores

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