Significant Score Difference Between Mocks and Official GMAT

Question

My mock scores prior to taking the official gmat were the following:

Official GMAT Mock 1 7/15 :  680  (35V | 48Q | 5 IR)
 Princeton Review Mock 1 7/23:   650  (37V | 43Q | 5 IR) 
 Official GMAT Mock 2 7/29:   670  (36V | 45Q | 8 IR) 
 Official GMAT Mock 3 8/5:   710  (38V | 49Q | 8 IR)
 e-GMAT Mock 8/6:   720  (42V | 46Q)
 Official GMAT Mock 4 8/12:   710  (41V | 46Q | 8 IR)
 Manhattan Prep 1 8/20:   690  (41V | 42Q | 6 IR)
 Official GMAT Mock 5 8/26:   700  (38V | 48Q | 7 IR)

Official GMAT 8/29: 570 (29V | 39Q | 7 IR)

I'm usually quite strong in Verbal, so I'm shocked by the 29V score. However, it's important to note that by the time I was on the 21st question, I had less than 15 minutes left, so I rushed to answer the remaining 15 questions. Perhaps since I mostly guessed / relied on my 'gut feeling' on the last 15 questions, my score was much lower than it should have been?

In this exam, I took advice that I should spend 25-30 minutes on the first 10 questions, but I'm not sure if that was necessarily helpful to my score given that I rushed to answer the last half of the questions on both sections. In my mocks, I spent 15-20 minutes on the first 10 questions, but I was under the assumption that the first 10 questions of the official GMAT essentially determined my score, so I spent 1.5-2x longer on the first 10 questions.

My prep going into the exam was practicing approximately 20Q questions on Magoosh daily and 10V questions on OG daily. I took a practice exam nearly every weekend.

Any guidance on how I should approach my GMAT prep would be helpful! Thank you!

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Consider getting the ESR. For time management, using question/time markers may be helpful as well. There's also some myth vs. fact info in the beginning of the Official-Guide (you can get e-versions of the different guides from the MBA website) you may find interesting.

How to get a V40 or higher on the GMAT? What about a V51?

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi factsfollow,

I have two very important articles for you to check out:

Why Was My GMAT Score Lower Than My Practice Test Scores?

How to Improve Your GMAT Score

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi factsfollow,

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:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied in total? How many hours did you typically study each week?
2) What specific study materials have you used so far? What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used?
3) 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)?

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score?
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

If you took your Official GMAT at a Test Center, then you might also choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report. While the ESR doesn’t provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what went wrong on Test Day (and what you should 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

Contact Rich at: [email protected]
www.empowergmat.com

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi factsfollow,

We may need to be flexible with our  time targets , especially if we get a long passage or 2 RCs in the first quarter. That said, always spending 25-30 minutes on the first 10 questions doesn't seem to be a good strategy. Do you know the reasoning behind the advice you received?

factsfollow · Answer

I took a course with Princeton Review, and the instructor claimed that the first 10 questions determine the final score, so it's crucial to spend at least 25 minutes on the first 10 questions to maximize one's chances of answering those questions correctly and ultimately getting a 700+ score. After taking the exam and using that advice, I realized how incorrect that advice was.

akshayagg691 · Answer

I can help, scored 770 with 3 months of prep

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