740, Will IR 5 and AWA 5 be an issue to go to MBA top 5 universities?

Question

Hi all,

I just took GMAT and got 740 Q50 V40 IR5 AWA5. I need expert opinion whether those AWA and IR scores will be an issue for me to apply to MBA top 5 schools. 
Personally, I don't want to retake, but if it has to, no choice then.

Thank you very much in advance for your kind help.

bb · Answer

Hi. You are above the average so potentially. The exact answer is more complicated. I would recommend trying out this tool and looking at the things such of over or under represented demographics:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/what-are-my- ... 09854.html

PS. You may also want to reach out to admissions consultants (not gmat experts) and get your profile evaluated.

Posted from my mobile device

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi kwanatk,

First off, a 740/Q50 is an outstanding Score (it's right around the 80th percentile overall), so you can comfortably apply to any Business Schools that interest you (and your IR and AWA Scores are fine). As such, a retest is almost certainly not necessary. Since you're interested in some highly-competitive Schools, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile. There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/

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

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi kwanatk,

740 is a great score! Since you scored Q50, I don’t think believe your IR score will be an issue. That said, I agree that you should reach out to some admissions consultants here on GMAT club to get some further opinions. If you end up needing to retake the GMAT, feel free to reach back out.

Good luck!

thomt · Answer

I will be applying for a masters in Finance in HEC ,LSE,Imperial ,Cass.I would please like to know if for these two universities and for that master (Msc Finance) the Quant/Verbal scores are enough or do i have to write the AWA/IR sections as well?
Thank you very much and good luck to everyone!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi thomt,

To start, you would likely receive more of a response if you started your own post-thread (instead of piggy-backing on this old one). Since you know which specific Programs interest you, you might find it helpful to reach out to each Program directly to ask your admissions questions. Many Business Schools have publicly stated that they don't use the IR score as part of the application process - and as long as your AWA is a 4.0 or higher (out of 6.0), you would likely be fine there. Of course, individual Programs might have a specific way of viewing those two parts of your GMAT Score (and you're interested in a Master's Degree and not an MBA, so certain generalizations might not apply here). This is meant to say that you should not just 'skip' the IR and AWA sections on Test Day. You should try your best, but you should spend your available study time on the areas that matter the most (re: the Quant and Verbal sections).

Before I can offer you any additional advice for your studies, 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 so far? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) On what 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 take the GMAT?
6) When are you planning to apply to School? If it's sometime soon, then what specific application deadlines are you facing?

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

thomt · Answer

Hi Rich ,
First of all thank you for your answer and the info.
When the time comes , I will try my best and take all sections of the test ,just to be sure.
I have not yet begun my preparation as I am not planning to apply for a master this year.I just wanted to know in advance about the sections of the Exam.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi thomt,

Even if you do not choose to start studying for the GMAT right now, studying for the Exam far in advance of when you will actually "need" your Score would be a smart choice - as it would allow you to focus on the Exam (and work on the other aspects of your applications later on).

Once you are ready to begin your studies, you should start by taking a FULL-LENGTH practice CAT Test; you can access 2 for free at www.mba.com (and they come with some additional practice materials). If you want to do a little studying first, so that you can familiarize yourself with the basic content and question types, then that's okay - but you shouldn't wait too long into your studies before taking that initial CAT. That score will give us a good sense of your natural strengths and weaknesses and will help provide a basis for comparison as you continue to study. A FULL CAT takes about 3.5 hours to complete, so make sure that you've set aside enough time to take it in one sitting. Once you have that Score, you can feel free to PM me directly and we can discuss the results and how you might best proceed with your studies.

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

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