GMAT score 600

Question

Hi all!

I scored a 600 (Q47/V25) on my actual GMAT exam. I was scoring between 660 and 690 in my GMAT Mock Tests so the actual score was definitely below my worst score. I am a bit disheartened as my lowest scores for Quant and Verbal were never below 49 and 31 respectively. Can anybody guide me as to after how many weeks should I re-take the exam?

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Mike03,

I'm glad you reached out and I'm happy to help. Before providing advice, it will be helpful to learn some more about you. I have some questions:

1)How many times have you taken the actual GMAT? Please list the dates on which you’ve taken the GMAT, the total scores, the quant, verbal, and IR scores, as well as how you were feeling while taking the tests. 
 
2) How many practice GMAT tests did you take? Please list the dates on which you’ve taken any practice GMATs, the total scores, the quant, verbal, and IR scores, as well as how you were feeling while taking the tests. Also, please tell me where these tests came from (ex: mba.com).
 
3) Please describe how you studied and what materials you used. How many hours a day did you study and for how many months?
 
4) I know you did not hit your target GMAT score in a previous attempt. Can you pinpoint why? What was missing?
 
5) To what programs will you be applying? What are the deadlines for these programs?
 
6) By when would you LIKE to take the GMAT? By when MUST you take the GMAT?
 
7) How many hours a day, on average, can you study between now and your next GMAT?
 
8) Have you ever had accommodations on any test? For example, extra time, a private room, or extra breaks? Do you have any medical diagnoses that could impact your studying or GMAT performance, such as ADHD, generalized anxiety, depression, or learning disabilities?
 
9) What is your desired GMAT score? 
 
10) In your opinion, how prepared were you for the GMAT? It's important that you answer this question as objectively as possible.
 
11) Is there anything else that I should know? Anything else you’d like to tell me?

Once you provide me with some more information, I can provide some more tailored advice.

Thanks!

rohan2345 · Answer

Hi Mike03, Welcome to GMATCLUB! You should dedicate around 2 months to improve your score. It's a good thing you have taken your GMAT once. You now know your weaknesses and can work on them. If you are willing to study dedicatedly for that period, you are sure to achieve your goal. I believe you may benefit from taking a GMATPREP course. I think you should focus on improving your Verbal. If you are willing, there are some great GMAT prep companies that can help you with your preparation. For verbal, I would highly encourage you to consider e-gmat verbal online or the e-gmat verbal live course. They are both amazing courses especially designed for non-natives. They offer almost 25% of their courses for free so you can try out their free trial to decide which one you want to go for. Plus the e-gmat Scholaranium which is included in both the courses is one of the best verbal practice tools in the market. You can easily track your progress in that you can identify your strengths and analyze and improve on your weak areas. You can also try out the MGMAT guides they are phenomenal and cover the entire syllabus really well. I must add that if you are particularly looking to discover and improve on your weak areas in Quant; a subscription to GMATCLUB tests is the best way to do that. They are indeed phenomenal and will not only pinpoint your weak areas but also help you improve on them. Please Note, that you should only do GMATCLUB tests once you have covered the base and looking to further enhance your concepts as GMATCLUB tests are a bit more difficult than the actual GMAT. Further taking multiple mocks might help. Apart from the GMATPREP, Manhattan GMAT tests and Veritas Prep Tests in my experience have good verbal and Quant section and will certainly help you point out and improve your weak areas. Further another advantage of taking many mocks is to build up your stamina. Apart from the GMATPREP tests, taking practise tests of any major GMATPREP company ought to do that. I would also encourage you to purchase the GMATPREP QP1 for some great additional practice. Here is a link that will help you with your decision. https://gmatclub.com/forum/best-gmat-ve ... ml?fl=menu Lastly, you can check out a very interesting article by Mike McGarry from Magoosh detailing a 3 month study plan https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/3-month-g ... -students/. You will find it very helpful as it gives out a study plan as per your needs. Hope this helps. All the best.

Mike03 · Answer

Hi ScottTargetTestPrep,

Please find below my response to your questions.

1)How many times have you taken the actual GMAT? Please list the dates on which you’ve taken the GMAT, the total scores, the quant, verbal, and IR scores, as well as how you were feeling while taking the tests. 
I have taken my actual GMAT only once on 25th June’18. I got a 600 score (Q47,V25, IR5). I was feeling a bit nervous on the exam day and was more in a defensive mode rather than an attacking mode (given the exam was from 9 AM). I was also re-checking my answers for silly mistakes and hence I think I fell short of time.

2) How many practice GMAT tests did you take? Please list the dates on which you’ve taken any practice GMATs, the total scores, the quant, verbal, and IR scores, as well as how you were feeling while taking the tests. Also, please tell me where these tests came from (ex: mba.com).
I gave economist test in February before starting my preparation and scored 620 (Q50/V25)
Then closer to my exam, I took 4 GMAT Prep Tests - 1, 2, 3, and 5 (all old format) and scored 
660 (Q49/V31/IR6) – 26th May, 
640 (Q50/V28/IR5) – 2nd June, 
690 (Q50/V33/IR6) – 17th June, and 
680 (Q50/V32/IR8) – 20th June respectively. 
I took 3 sectional tests too from a different source and for that I got only sectional raw scores (number of correct answers out of total number of questions) – 
Q29/V19 –20th May 
Q26/V21/IR5 – 29th May 
Q26/V27 – 3rd June 
I was relaxed on all mock test days. Was tackling questions with a calm attitude. Time was never a pressure as I finished all my sections in time.

3) Please describe how you studied and what materials you used. How many hours a day did you study and for how many months?
I studied from OG and other online sources. I searched for detailed solutions on gmat club. 
I started studying on & off from January (mostly grammar concepts). From March, I started solving OG and then from May started my dedicated preparation. I am a working professional so I was able to give 1-2 hours on weekdays but I used to stretch my study timings to >5 hours on weekends.

4) I know you did not hit your target GMAT score in a previous attempt. Can you pinpoint why? What was missing?
I figured out towards the end that I was getting nervous while solving CR & RC questions. Because in my mock tests, I was getting > 80% accuracy in SC but 50% in CR and RC. Also, I think in quant DS killed me in the last mocks and then the final exam. Maths was always my strong point so I didn’t dedicate much time to it as compared to Verbal, which is my weak point. In the last mock tests, I used to get 8 incorrect out of 37, of which 5-6 were from DS.

5) To what programs will you be applying? What are the deadlines for these programs?
I have 3 years of work experience and I was thinking of applying from Round 1. But after seeing my horrible GMAT score, I am thinking of first concentrating on getting a good 730+ GMAT score and then applying either in Round 2 or next year.

6) By when would you LIKE to take the GMAT? By when MUST you take the GMAT?
Since I have the momentum, I want to re-take the exam in 1-2 months’ time. But I am planning to take the date only after I will get a consistent 730+ in mocks. I don’t want to take any chances now.

7) How many hours a day, on average, can you study between now and your next GMAT?
On weekdays, I can dedicate maximum 2 hours but I can stretch myself on weekends.

8) Have you ever had accommodations on any test? For example, extra time, a private room, or extra breaks? Do you have any medical diagnoses that could impact your studying or GMAT performance, such as ADHD, generalized anxiety, depression, or learning disabilities?
I took GMAT Prep Test 3 & 4 in a nearby computer centre but rest all the other mock tests I gave in my room. I never timed myself for a 8 minute break. And yes, I have a few ADHD and generalized anxiety symptoms.

9) What is your desired GMAT score? 
I have a good academic background and I have 3 years of work experience in research and finance. Therefore, I am targeting a minimum GMAT score of 730.

10) In your opinion, how prepared were you for the GMAT? It's important that you answer this question as objectively as possible.
Not 100%. I was not crossing the 690 mark in mock tests and hence should have learnt from it that I won’t be able to score >730 in my actual GMAT.

11) Is there anything else that I should know? Anything else you’d like to tell me?
I think I have exam fear. Because my without preparation scores were also more than my actual GMAT score.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Mike03,

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. If you can answer a few questions, then we should be able to figure this out:

When you took your CATs:
1) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT each time (including the Essay and IR sections)?
2) Did you take them at home?
3) Did you take them at the same time of day as when you took your Official GMAT?
4) Did you ever do ANYTHING during your CATs that you couldn't do on Test Day (pause the CAT, skip sections, take longer breaks, etc.)? 
5) Did you ever take a CAT more than once? Had you seen any of the questions BEFORE (re: on a prior CAT, in an online forum or in a practice set)?

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

Mike03 · Answer