I scored a 460-q29, v23 on my official gmat !! NEED ADVICE Desperately

Question

I had started my preparation back in 2020 september, i started with with mock score of 340, q17, v19

but after looking at different prep courses, i have finally taken up TTP, and been preparing with it since march 2021,

by june had finished 4 modules and gave 2nd mock score 420 v17 q29, i was soo happy my quant score was improving.

i have covered all the content for quant and tests of ttp, by December was finally able to score upto mock 2- reset 550 v28,q36.

for verbal i was using cr bible, SC from (manhattan, ttp sc, Wiley's sc grail) and regularly practiced sc/cr/rc questions from in here on gmat club.
then after 14 days i took mock 3 and scored 530 q34, v28.( i focused here more on verbal so practiced less of quant)
finally after a week, i took a mock 4 scored a 580 q41 and v 28) since there are some college deadlines in hope of scoring 550-600 i booked my test to be on jan 16th, and it was yesterday i gave my exam, but i scored soo low, how can i get a massive drop of 100+ points.

I have to admit that i had given mock in same test environment as my online GMAT exam was, also i took full length without any breaks, i dont understand that i could covert the same level in my actual exam, for 1 year or so i have done everything from practicing regularly to using only og questions.

I feel blank at this point, i don't know way forward, i tried my best, had an error log, all possible things that i learned from in here GMAT club, but still failed miserably.
i would humbly ask what is that i could do to improve my score not 700, not 650 but least to least at least 600. sometimes i feel nothing is just enough or i still don't understand what is enough. i used the best source available for quant and verbal, i do understand they are not magic wands, but i still have put my 110% for this exam, the score doesn't just justify my efforts at all.

I gave an online exam, -i had super connectivity issues, exam was loading over and over again, i was distracted, during the exam i felt like running away, i couldn't answer or properly solve any quant questions, i felt like my brain was stuck. i dint know what to do next, i want to finish it off once for all.

Please dear club members, share your best advice. i will definitely try to do better. in my another attempt.

I gave an online exam, -i had super connectivity issues, exam was loading over and over again, i was distracted, during the exam i felt like running away, i couldn't answer or properly solve any quant questions, i felt like my brain was stuck. i dint know what to do next, i want to finish it off once for all. Please dear club members, share your best advice. i will definitely try to do better. in my another attempt.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Praka,

I'm sorry to hear about how things went with your GMAT. Based on what you are describing here, I think that anxiety and nerves likely played a role in how things went on test day. I know that you have a call scheduled with someone on our team, so we will get things sorted out and get you on the right track. Feel free to reach out if you need any additional advice.

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

If time is a pressing issue, a bit of guidance from someone who has scored well looking over your issues or working with a study buddy may be helpful.

A blog with some general GMAT suggestions and tips

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Praka,

I'm sorry to hear that Test Day didn't go as well as planned. When these types of score drops occur, the two likely "causes" involve either something that was unrealistic during practice or something that was surprising (or not accounted for) on Test Day. Before we discuss any of those potential issues though, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

1) Back in late 2020, you noted that you were planning to take the At-home GMAT on December 16th. Did you end up taking the GMAT at that time (and if you did, then how did you score?)?
2) Over the last 3 months, how many hours did you typically study each week?
3) Since you started studying back in September, 2020, did you take any other CATs/mocks besides the ones that you listed?
4) Are you planning to apply for the next application Round (and if so, then when are the next deadline(s) for the Schools that you are interested in?)?

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

MathRevolution · Answer

Hello Praka,

GMAT club is one of the great platforms to get information about the GMAT official test, Study plan, Section wise instructions, and many more. You are recommended to visit various posts and utilize this forum in the best efficient way.

Your score is shaky. I fully understand your frustration. You were not probably on the right track or wrong direction in your study plans. Don't give up. You can surely do better.

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

A score of 460 reveals that both sections have to be taken care of simultaneously. To improve, you will require consistent learning and practice. Also, keep motivation high to learn.

Since we are a math expert, we will recommend you go through our post on the GMAT club, which gives a complete Breakdown of GMAT math questions and types: https://gmatclub.com/forum/overview-of-gmat-math-question-types-and-patterns-on-the-gmat-211809.html#p1641411

Also, make a note of various possible combinations to achieve your score. The possible scores will help you track your performance after taking the mock or practice test. It will also help you maintain balance in both the sections, and you will always be in a great position to allot the study hours to a specific area accordingly.

Solve as many questions as you can relate to different topics, and it is recommended that you try to connect with many proven experts. You can visit Math Revolution and get access to our 7-days on-demand course for free trial lessons.

While concept learning, try solving 600 level questions by topic and be habitual of creating the error log. Prepare a list of all the doubts you face during solving and practicing questions. This practice test will help you assess the topics in which you need more time to prepare. After solving as many questions as possible, take the 1st mock test and assess your performance. You may try our free diagnostic test once. Let some experts evaluate it to make you understand it better.

The entire mock test should be completed in a disciplinary manner. Since this is a bit long journey, 1-on -1 tutoring can also be helpful to shorten the study period if your study budget is affordable.

Regular tests will reflect the positive change in the score, and hence, your confidence will boost. Gradually, with the help of mock tests, you will be able to compete with time and hence will be able to learn time management.

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!

Praka · Answer

Hi Rich thanks for reaching out!

I'm sorry to hear that Test Day didn't go as well as planned. When these types of score drops occur, the two likely "causes" involve either something that was unrealistic during practice or something that was surprising (or not accounted for) on Test Day. Before we discuss any of those potential issues though, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

1) Back in late 2020, you noted that you were planning to take the At-home GMAT on December 16th. Did you end up taking the GMAT at that time (and if you did, then how did you score?)?
 -- thanks for bringing that up! yes so what had happened that time was after giving 2nd mock i improved to 340-410 only hence i cancelled my official exam.   because i felt the need to go through content for each section, since then i have tired and used best possible resource available at my disposal.(atleast this what i judged) based on the same i chose to follow certain course, but somehow inspite of my best efforts i was not able to tackle gmat level question, i have done alot of OG questions practices for verbal.

2) Over the last 3 months, how many hours did you typically study each week? 
 i spend about 8-9 hours both 70% on quant and 30% on verbal section.

3) Since you started studying back in September, 2020, did you take any other CATs/mocks besides the ones that you listed?
 none-the once i have taken i have mentioned them. 
4) Are you planning to apply for the next application Round (and if so, then when are the next deadline(s) for the Schools that you are interested in?)?
 well, i intend to be prepared by april with renewed score.

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

Praka · Answer

Hello,

thank you so much, for sharing your valuable input, the link shared is really helpful, i will reach out sooner.

RetaketheGMAT · Answer

Hi Praka,

Usually if you've been studying for a lot of hours over 6+ months, then there's an issue with your approach to prep. Remember, GMAT prep isn't one size fits all (although some programs try to be). We primarily work with people on retakes (hence the name) and a big part of what we focus on is the balance between Test Taking Skills and Concept Knowledge. Over-weighting concepts doesn't align your prep to the reality of the GMAT. It's a test of reasoning (not a typical Math or English test). The test rewards for strong test taking skills (like preprocessing and visualization in Quant and vertical reading and lawyer like reading in Verbal).

To get your prep on track and more efficient, you need some diagnostic work to figure out where your Test Taking Skill gaps are. We offer a FREE 90 minute diagnostic session -- let me know if you're interested.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Praka,

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

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

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi Praka,

Sorry about how things went with your GMAT. There could be a couple of reasons for the drop in the score. Please go through the article below to find out the probable reasons.

Scored well on mocks but failed miserably on the test?    
Having said that, it would be too early to conclude anything without knowing the actual reason.

The key to scoring well on GMAT is to focusing on the right aspects. If your score doesn't improve even after months of prep, then that means that there's something wrong with the preparation strategy. First let us understand the right way to prepare for GMAT.

How to prepare for GMAT in the right way?  
Before you start preparing for any test, it's important to understand the structure of the test, what is tested on it and then prepare accordingly. In this case, GMAT is a test which focuses on your application skills along with the conceptual knowledge. So, just learning the concepts and practicing questions without focusing on the right methodology will not do any good. So, I suggest you to first focus on the methodology to solve questions of a particular topic and only then move to practicing questions of that topic.

So, the right way to prepare would be to first
  learn the concepts of a topic,  
 learn the right methodology to solve questions of that topic 
 practice a few questions of that topic to solidify your learning and then move to the nest topic 
 Repeat the process for all the topics

And working on weak areas is equally important. You move to the next topic only if you get a decent accuracy in the previous topic. If not, you revisit the concepts, fill the conceptual gaps and then move to the next topic only when you are 100% confident. There are a couple of articles which you might find helpful.

How to effectively plan your studies for GMAT  
  How to start preparing for GMAT   
And you can go through the recording below to understand how to strategize your GMAT prep in an effective way.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65n8_LIbPIM

What might have gone wrong?  
As we have understood the right way to prepare, now let's analyze what could have gone wrong with your previous attempt. You must have learnt the concepts of the topics and you must have practiced questions as well.  But did you focus on the methodology part? Did you focus on working your weak areas?

These two could be the major reasons for you not scoring well on GMAT. So, this time make sure you do your prep in the right way by focusing on all the above parameters.

Important Tip   –  Don’t practice tons of questions directly. First focus on learning the right methods for each question. That plays a significant role in getting hard questions correct within 2 mins.

The importance of using a standard resource:  
The only method to make sure that you invest your time, money and effort in an effective way is to use a standard resource which teaches you the concepts, strategies and also helps you work on your weaker areas. Studying using OG or a few random resources might help you to solve GMAT like questions but I’m afraid that they won’t be able to help you much from a strategy perspective. OG may be a great source for solving GMAT like questions, but it doesn’t help you with the application of concepts while solving questions. Once you learn that art, the learning process becomes much simpler and easier as you tend to follow a systematic and methodological approach towards solving questions. Focus on improving the method you follow to solve questions because that's what stops people from scoring 700+.

And regarding how to proceed further and the study strategy, I think it would be better if we can get in touch over a call and discuss the same as I would like to ask a few questions about your current preparation strategy and your weak areas. You can use the below link to get in touch with me.
    Click here to schedule a call

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I scored a 460-q29, v23 on my official gmat !! NEED ADVICE Desperately

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