Need Help and Guidance

Question

I just gave my gmat prep mock test 1 and scored a 450 (Q33,V19) which is really very low after studying for 2 months after my diagnostic test of 320.

I started to panic as soon as the first DS in quant popped up and went wrong with it under the pressure.
if i had given time i could have got it right. and i feel i was going too fast cause of the pressure with time.

And Verbal i am facing issues with RC and SC , cr is still pretty ok. But the same again i am not able to pick the correct answer in SC and RC cause of the pressure with time , i tend to look at the clock more than think of an answer and then panic and try guessing and go ahead.
without time pressure i have a decent accuracy with the OG SC problems.

i was planning to give my gmat after two months from now but Feel Really Demotivated with this kind of performance and feel i should give up because i don't think i will be able to get my dream score of 700
and just waste hell out of money giving the test.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Viper1991,

First off, you've made some big improvements during your studies - improving 130 points is a significant accomplishment, so you shouldn't get too down on yourself. There are a number of things to consider as you continue to study, so I'm hoping that you can answer a few questions:

1) What resources have you been using during your studies?
2) What Business Schools are you planning to apply to? And when?

3) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT (including the Essay and IR sections)?
4) Did you have to guess on a bunch of questions at the end of a section just to finish? If so, then how many? Did you leave any questions unanswered?

A 700+ score represents the 90th percentile, which means that 90% of Test Takers either CAN'T or WON'T do what it takes to score at that level. While just about everyone *wants* a 700+ score, the truth is that it is NOT a requirement to receive an invitation to attend Business School. While you certainly want to earn the highest score that you can, you have to remember that the REAL goal is to get into your first choice Business School (or at the very least, one of your "backups"). The GMAT is just one piece of the application process and that process does NOT depend on you scoring 700+.

To take your GMAT scores to the next "level", you're likely going to need to invest in some specific resources - ones that will provide consistent professional guidance throughout the process. This might also require that you push your Test Date back, but again - you have to remember the REAL goal here. Thankfully, the GMAT is a predictable, standardized Exam so you CAN train to CRUSH it.

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

GMATPill · Answer

Before you continue doing what you've been doing, please make a mental note of the psychological aspects of the test. The GMAT is very much a mental marathon and your thoughts do indeed impact your ability to perform at your best level.

Time awareness is something that should be built through repetitive practice as you build confidence for yourself -- also pay attention to extreme positivity. Please see our blog post here for more insights:

https://www.gmatpill.com/about/studying- ... trategies/

viper1991 · Answer

Hi Rich,

I am using og 2015, all mgmat guides , and all the relevant material.
I am planning to apply in 2016 and targetting the top 50 schools as my past acedemic grades arent that good, so i was banking on a good gmat score.

yes this is my first mock test taking the entire one including essay and IR sections.

Yes i get to panic looking at the clock and guess half the questions rather than solving them and yes i guessed a stretch of 6 questions in the end all of them being wrong.

and i am not ready to entend my prep for more than 2 months from now because i have been told by many people here that extending prep for more than 4 to 5 months is counter productive and exhaustive.

Do i need to give practice more on full length tests these two months for building stamina and test taking strategies and get familiar and comfortable with full length tests?

but i have also heard giving too many mocks is a waste of time and experts dont suggest mocks.

KarishmaB · Answer

"If I am not the best, I won't even try" is hardly the attitude you want to have. Two months might not be enough time to get 700 but it is certainly enough to make another big jump in your score. Half hearted preparation will not help - if you have your mind set on MBA, work hard and don't look back. Take the test in 2 months, probably as a first attempt and to get a feel for the actual test. Try to make a mental note of the kind of questions you get and the areas in which you struggle. Then you can retake in another 2-3 months and you might even be able to break 700. If you have a different plan and it doesn't necessarily involve an MBA, then go ahead on that. Either ways - decide and then don't look back.

The problems areas - DS, RC and SC - are problem areas for most people. They recognize them as such and then put in extra effort in them. DS questions need strategy along with Math, RC questions need a lot of practice and SC questions need strategy as well as practice. There is enough help available in the market to suitably guide you on each topic.

viper1991 · Answer

Hi Karishma,

i have given another mock test today...FREE online practice test from VERITAS PREP and scored a 630.

my mock perfomances.

dec 28 th 450 - Q33 V19

jan 25 th 460 Q31 V23 definitely did improve my verbal but i dont know how i have come down in Quant from Q33 to Q31..overall not much improvement.

the above two tests are from GMAT PREP

and today i thought of giving a mock from another source , because i have only been giving gmat prep mocks and thought that i will keep them for the end.

feb 15 th VERITAS PREP

630 - Q
Quant 43 (of 60) 61% 59% 37 / 37 Review >

Verbal 34 (of 60) 69% 78% 41 / 41 Review >

Total
630

should i feel happy for the improvement or not bother much as it is not the from GMAT PREP?

i am CONFUSED!!!!!! AS ITS A FREEE DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH IS AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR FREE AND I FEEL THE QUESTIONS WERE PRETTY EASY.

IS VERITAS FREE ONLINE TEST ACCURATE ?

WHAT should i do to maintain this consistency and scoring a 630 and above and improving in my next mocks?

and eventually reach my goal of 700.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi viper1991,

Given your prior scores and your timeline, it's unlikely that you really raised your scores 170 points in 3 weeks. I'm not saying that it's impossible, but you haven't described anything in how you're approaching your studies, so we can't point to any reason why you might have improved. Have you come up with some new approaches, are you practicing new tactics, etc.? Without that type of supporting evidence, it's more likely that something about this CAT result is inaccurate.

To that end, here are some things to consider about this recent CAT:
1) Was it a FULL CAT (including the Essay and IR sections)?
2) Was it an adaptive CAT or a linear one?
3) Have you seen any of the questions before during your practice?
4) Have you taken this practice Test before?

Ultimately, the way to 'prove' if you're actually scoring at this new level is to take ANOTHER FULL CAT and see how you score. If the newer score is close to this one, then you could very well be testing at this new level; if the newer score is NOT close to this one, then this result is questionable.

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

viper1991 · Answer

hi Rich ,

1. Was it a full length CAT test ?
Ans : Yes , i always give full length CAT s including the AWA and IR sections.

2. Was it an adaptive CAT or a linear one?
Ans : Yes , it was an adaptive CAT..the free online test available on www.veritasprep.com

3. Have you seen any of the questions before during your practice?
Ans : No i havent seen any of the Questions before..they were all new..and the ones ( two or three) which i guessed to move on also i got them wrong.

4.Have you taken this practice Test before?
Ans: No, this is the first time i took this free online test on www.veritasprep.com.

i have been doing 5 times a week of verbal ( three hours a day for monday to friday)
and there days of quant ( that is weekends 6 hours on saturday and sunday)

I am done with OG DS and OG PS...
and i have been solving tougher questions.

And most importantly this time...i gave my veritas mock in a very relaxed state of mind..very calm without any panicking with good concentration..

unlike the ones i gave before i always used to panic and not answer the questions but keep looking at the time.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi viper1991,

With the additional information that you've provided, it is possible that you've hit a higher "level" of performance with this latest CAT. During this next week, you should continue to study as you have been. This next weekend, you should take another (non-Veritas) CAT, so we can have a basis for comparison.

You mentioned something in your post that's relevant - it's important to stay CALM during the Test (you use the word "relaxed", but it's essentially the same mind-set) - calm Test Takers don't get emotional about the process. They look for clues, take notes, take advantage of patterns, etc. Taking this approach/mentality during practice (and on Test Day) is helpful to overall performance.

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

viper1991 · Answer

Thanks Rich..

I would do the same for this week and give another mock test from a different source this weekend as well.

Hi Karishma ,

I would like your views on my performance in veritas prep test as well.

robzzz · Answer

Hi All, I would appreciate if any one present on this group could help me with following queries 1. I appeared for GMAT in Nov,2014 and scored a disaster 560

. I joined a class for same and scored 650 on GMAT PREP1/PREP 2. Was expecting atleast 650 on real GMAT ,but yes I was panicked like hell. Messed up right at the start with IR(3/8). Could not gather mysleft post IR. Lot of panic throughout. But, I did miss out some average level questions too. I am planning to re-apear in April/May. Could you please suggest how should i proceed with re-take like what courses should i start with, how should I plan out ? 2. I am BE in Computer Science and have 2.8 yrs of work exp. 1.5 years into IT operations and post that I took Pre-sale in IT. I would like to pursue MBA is Sales/Marketing. My 10th - 83% ,12th- 76% and BE - 74.5% . Also I have received scholarship from Maharashtra Government for 2 consecutive years. Apart from this no appealing aspects are there in my profile. How good is my profile? What should I do to improve as I have one more year to go ahead. 3. Which colleges should I target ? How do I ensure I am best candidate for scholarship ? Awaiting a positive response

Anything else

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi robzzz,

I'd like to know a bit more about how you studied before you took your GMAT and your Official GMAT:

1) What were your Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores on your Official GMAT?
2) How long did you study?
3) What resources did you use during your studies?
4) When you took your CATs, did you take the ENTIRE CAT (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?
5) What time of day did you take your CATs ad what time of day was your Official GMAT?
6) What is your goal score?

As far as your other questions, YOU really need to define what you want your MBA to do for you. Once you've done that, you should be able to research the various programs and find the ones that match your goals. As far as evaluating your profile (for possible scholarships and School acceptance), there's no way to really judge until you have a competitive GMAT score.

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

robzzz · Answer

Hi EMPOWERgmatRichC, 1. V-28 and Q-38 2. approx 5months. 3. I did OG11/12/13 and 14 full length tests that was provided by my classes. (These were not CAT) 4. Yes ,i took full test including AWA and IR to build up stamina. 14 tests with 4 GMAT Prep tests.() 5. Morning 9am. Yes, I took CAT for 5 consecutive days 9am. I was pretty sure with my preparation level. I panicked during D-Day

.Terribly panicked.... This happened with me when I gave other competitive exams too. 6. I would try for 740, because I feel without this score I wont have any credibility to get through. I was pretty sure I would get 650 atleast considering the score in GMAT Prep. But, I really don't how could I mess up so bad

My MBA should help me out in Sales/Marketing field. At present, I am in a small firm, wherein I have just started to build this profile. Earlier I was into pre-sales wherein I requested my boss to provide me an opportunity into sales. So ,I hope to build on this aspect.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi robzzz,

Based on the extra information that you've provided, I have an idea of some of the things that went wrong and a few follow-up questions about aspects of your study that seem "strange."

1) The OGs 11, 12 and 13 have so much overlapping material that you were either repeating lots of questions that you had already answered or "coasting" through material that you had already worked with. Either way, you would probably have benefitted by working with new questions. Did you use any other materials besides these books?

2) If the 14 full-length Tests that were provided were NOT CATs, then what were they? Were they pencil-and-paper Tests? Linear computer tests? By taking so many practice Exams that did NOT match the Official GMAT, you were training for a different experience than the one that you faced on Test Day.

3) Taking 5 CATs on 5 consecutive days was a BAD idea. If you did this close to Test Day, then you likely 'burned out' a bit and didn't even realize it.

4) If your goal is 740, but you never scored higher than 650 during practice, then why didn't you reschedule your GMAT so that you could continue studying?

Thankfully, the GMAT is a predictable, standardized Test, so you CAN train to score at a higher level. Using your 560 as a 'baseline' score though, you'll have to put in a lot of specific work to raise that to a 740.

When are you planning to apply to Business School?

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

robzzz · Answer

Hi EMPOWERgmatRichC,

1. There were no over lapping questions because this was provided by my private tutors and they cherry picked the questions mentioning these were OG11/12 questions(may be those questions were older OG(10/09 etc) questions, I do not exactly re-call) Besides these, I just brushed over MGMAT SC and Aristotle SC.

2. I guess ,I was not specific in my answer. I gave 10 non CAT tests(these were provided by my private tutors) and 5 CAT. 5 CAT involved GMAT Prep Tests.

3. Yes, I took consecutive tests and you may be right here. I did not realize that

4. Again you got me wrong. In my GMAT Prep I consistently got 650/640. I could not re-schedule because I exhausted my leaves before exam and post exam I would not have relaxing time that I had when I appeared.

I plan to apply in November 2015 i.e. for 2016 intake.

4. Again you got me wrong. In my GMAT Prep I consistently got 650/640. I could not re-schedule because I exhausted my leaves before exam and post exam I would not have relaxing time that I had when I appeared. I plan to apply in November 2015 i.e. for 2016 intake.

manyatpr · Answer

Hi robzzz,

Below are our suggestions to your queries above.

1. Keep taking mock tests in real test taking situations. However, more important than taking a mock test is to analyse your performance in the same. If you spend 2 hours on a mock test, spend 6 hours in analysing the same. Figure out ways by which you can continuously keep improving your score. Make sure you stay consistent with your schedule.

2. Take up more diverse responsibilities at work wherein you get to demonstrate your leadership ability. Try to get involved in activities outside of work as well which can help you demonstrate an all round personality.

3. Scholarships are largely merit based and are dependent on a lot of factors like GMAT score, years and quality of work experience, ECA’s etc. There are also external scholarships where you can apply but they are very competitive in nature and all the above factors count towards their decision as well.

Let us know in case you need any further guidance.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi robzzz,

It sounds like your tutors made a lot of choices for you, giving you specific questions to work on and non-adaptive CATs to take (and might bear some of the responsibility for what happened on Test Day).

The point that I was trying to make regarding your goal score (740+) and your maximum practice scores (650) is that it's NOT common for a Test Taker to see a 90 point improvement on the Official GMAT. As such, I'm not sure what you were expecting to happen beyond scoring around 650.

Using your past study experience as a gauge, you might need to take an entirely new approach to studying for the GMAT this time.

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

viper1991 · Answer

Hi Experts,

I need some advice.

As of now i have been scoring

630 Q43 V34 Veritas prep

570 Q40 V28 MGMAT

540 Q39 V27 MGMAT

i have been studying for 4 months now...from the beginning of november.

when i started in november i thought i will give my GMAT by feb end but when time passed i extented it to mid march or so.
but now i m planning to give in the second week of april but i really need to improve my score till 680 to 700.

i know thats quite a lot of points to improve. But as my prior academic performance is not good great , i need a good score to stand out.

and i really wanted to go for 2016 intake. but seeing these scores i dunno if i will be able to reach that score by arpril second week

when do you think is the best time i can give my GMAT looking at my current situation and still able to apply for 2016 intake and yes for the first round itself.

It gets really depressing thinking that i may not be able to apply this year for 2016 intake , as by now i should have given the REAL GMAT.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi viper1991,

From your prior posts, there was some discussion about whether you were truly scoring at a higher level or not. Have you taken any additional CATs since then? From your last post, it doesn't appear that you have (otherwise you probably would have mentioned it), so you might want to take another one sometime in the next week. Having that additional information will make it easier to recommend a Test Date.

You also mentioned in a prior post that you were planning to apply to Top50 Schools. If you do end up scoring 630 on the Official GMAT, then you would be in position to apply to many of those Schools. While it's understandable that you want to score higher than that, Business Schools know that not every applicant will score a 700+, which is why that score is NOT listed as a requirement on most School's websites. It might be that you don't end up scoring a 700+, but that's okay - the REAL goal is getting into a Business School of your choice.

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

viper1991 · Answer

HI Rich ,

Yes i have taken Manhattan tests since then.

one next week after a score of 630 Q43 V34 ..where i got a 570 Q40 V28

and one more after again a week ending up with 540 Q39 V27

Taking these scores into account , when is it possible for me to hit 650+....if not 700 , i atleast want to break the 650 mark ..do not want to compromise with anything less than that..

how much time should i invest more in order to achieve this goal and still not being late for the first round of applications 2016 intake.

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