First attempt.

Question

Hi there,

I'm planning to give my first attempt on coming 29th(Tuesday). Till now I've given 4 CAT's following is my score:=

Veritas - 490 Q34V24
GMAT Prep1 - 500 Q35 V24
GMAT Prep2 - 470 Q36 V19
GMAT Prep2 (Repeat) - 570 Q38 V28
GMAT Prep3 - 500 Q29 V29 (today)

Since, there is no considerable improvement in my score I'm really skeptical about writing GMAT on 29th. Please3, suggest what should I do. Should I re-schedule it and give when I start getting satisfactory score in practice tests or should I go forward with the test and see how I perform on the real one.
Please advise.

Any suggestion will be much appreciated.

Thank you.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi manish verma,

What is your goal score? If these CAT scores are not 'close enough' to your goal score to make that result likely in 8 days' time, then you should absolutely pay the rescheduling fee and push back your Test Day. You have to make that choice at least 7 full days in advance though, so you'll need to decide really soon.

Beyond that immediate issue, I have a few other questions:

1) How long have you been studying?
2) What resources have you been using?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

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

KarishmaB · Answer

Yes, if you are far from your target score, it is highly unlikely that you will achieve it in 7 days.

Whether you should re-schedule depends on how you feel about the financial aspect of a retake. There has been a great recent development in the GMAT world - when you cancel your score, the schools do not get to see the canceled attempt. So this means that if you do take the test and do not get a satisfactory score, you can cancel it and no one will be the wiser (except you). You might wonder why you would take the test at all if you are expecting an unsatisfactory score? It's a brilliant practice run for the actual test. No matter how closely you try to replicate the actual exam conditions, you really never will be in the same mental state as that during the actual test. So if you already have a test date, you can still choose to go ahead and take the test. During the test, keep in mind the topics of the questions in which you face problems. This will help you prepare better for next time. It will also be a great test of your time management skills and performance under pressure. Of course, I will not suggest people to schedule the official test for practice but since you have already scheduled it, you can take a call whether you want to postpone it (and pay the rescheduling fee) or go ahead with it.

dabral · Answer

manish verma,

Yes, I would recommend postponing your test. Your official score will most likely be around 500, and the odds are very low of making a huge jump in a week. You should be hitting close to your target score before sitting for the official exam.

best wishes,
Dabral

bhamini1 · Answer

Dear GMAT experts,

I recently took the GMAT,my first attempt and scored a 580(37 in Quant and 33 in Verbal).My target score is 650 and I definitely want to go for the second attempt.The advise that I am seeking is how to pave the way forward to improve my Quant.My initial prep spanned 3 months.The quant prep included study material from Jamboree and loads of practice from gmat club.However,with this score of 37 that I need to pull upto atleast 44/45,I need your expert advise with what study material could I use to further enhance my quant performance.I want to retake the test soon again so that there is not much gap but this time all my practice tests are exhausted. Please advise how I must go ahead with the retake preparation for Quant.
Regards,
Bhamini

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Bhamini,

A 650 is closer to a 580 than you probably realize (and you could potentially pick up all of those 'missing points' in the Quant section). With a Q37, you have a few different 'issues' though. First, you likely don't know all of the content areas really well (math rules, formulas, the 'step-by-step' math work that's required on most questions, etc.), so some extra practice in those areas is probably necessary. Second, you missed out on a lot of 'strategy-based' points, so you would likely benefit a great deal from focusing on Tactics (especially for DS questions). Third, you would have likely made a number of silly/little mistakes and you might have had a pacing problem on Test Day; both of those issues require you to work on your 'precision' (note-taking, organization, etc.).

All of that having been said, you could potentially retake in a month and hit your goal; however, 1-2 months of consistent, guided study will probably be needed.

1) How many hours can you study during a typical week?
2) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

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

KarishmaB · Answer

Hey Bhamini, You might want to review your basics once. There are probably some gaps in concepts. If you know which ones you need to review, great. Else, run through everything once from a test prep material. Here is a link to some of our resources for you to try out: https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/ The video lesson discusses how to handle SC questions, the book download is our DS book and you get a free practice test. Also check out our blog for lots of useful Quant and Verbal discussions: https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/categor ... mat-quant/ https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/categor ... at-verbal/

bhamini1 · Answer

Thank You Rich for the encouraging first line in your response.

I agree with each and every point that you have outlined as one of the plausible gaps.I would be happy if you could kindly elaborate on the "strategy based points" a little more. I definitely have a pacing problem,I skipped three qsns between qsn 21 and 26 during the exam marking as a guess to save time for the subsequent qsns from 27 to 37. I was hoping if you could suggest good study material/links for filling the conceptual gaps on the following topics that I have trouble with: PS Type Questions : Arithmetic (Must be True types),Word problems,Overlapping sets,Geometry DS Type Questions: Inequalities & Absolute values,Word Problems,Percent & interest Word problems,Series and Sequences With a 6 day working schedule at the hospital,I will get maximum 2 hours on daily basis and probably I can stretch it to 5-6 hrs over the weekend. I am striving to give the test again soon without too much gap so that I can submit my applications by July end this year. Regards, Bhamini

bhamini1 · Answer

Dear Karishma,

Thank you for the links.I went through the SC video and it was quite an enriched learning.There is always room for valuable tips to step up the performance.
Also I have downloaded the DS book.Shall go through it and come back with the result.I just want to say one thing,from the time I have learnt and practiced the mixture problems from your theory and practice qsns,I have never done any mixture problem wrong.That is how I want to be for all other weak areas that I have highlighted above.Basically in word problems,reading,interpreting and then approaching the problem for the correct solution followed by solving without error is what takes me time in word problems and many a times I am unable to find the right approach in the limited time of 2 minutes if I have not done that type earlier.

Regards,
Bhamini

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Bhamini,

If you aren't applying to School until July, you have plenty of time to study and improve. While it's understandable that you'd prefer to improve your scores quickly, the reality is that you might need a more drawn-out study plan. That having been said, if you want to do some general "math practice", then I recommend that you set up an account at Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org). The site is completely free and makes the learning a bit more fun and 'game-like' (as opposed to the dry academic approach taken by most books). While the site is vast, you should limit your studies to basic Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry. After spending a little time re-building those skills, you can start your restart your GMAT studies. You would also likely benefit from investing in some new study materials.

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

KarishmaB · Answer

Hey Bhamini,

You should go through the DS book thoroughly. I promise you many enlightening moments! You will become very comfortable with the DS format. 
I have posts on my blog on almost all the weak areas you have listed out above. You should check them out. 
Word problems test you on concepts such as ratios, percentages, weighted averages, algebraic manipulations etc. If you work on these topics, your speed and accuracy in word problems will automatically go up.

First attempt.

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