ESR Analysis - 3 attempts - 610 each time

Question

Hi abaisla,

I'm sorry to hear how things have been going with your GMAT. Unfortunately, as I mentioned in your last post, it looks as though you need to improve in all aspects of verbal (in addition to CR). Do you want some general advice on how to do so?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi abaisla,

I'm sorry to hear that this 3rd attempt did not go as well as hoped. This 3rd result is remarkably similar to your first 2 Official Scores - so while coming back late from your first break by 2 minutes may have caused you some added stress in the Verbal section, we have to be careful about assuming that it's the only reason why you scored 610 again. 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. Since it's been about 10 months since we last discussed your studies, before we discuss any of the potential issues that are keeping you from performing better on Test Day, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying this year and your goals:

1) How much 'time off' did you take in 2020 before you restarted your studies in August? Since you restarted, how many hours did you typically study each week?
2) What are your current application plans - and what application deadlines are you facing?

You might also choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report for this 3rd attempt. 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 we can compare the data from this performance against the ESRs from your first two attempts). If you purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.

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

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi abaisla,

Could we get in touch over a zoom conference call so that we can analyze the ESR in a more better way. That would help us narrow down things quickly and make a proper study plan. I'll DM you the mail id to which you can send the ESR. You can get in touch with me using the below link.

Click here to schedule a call

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi abaisla,

I've sent you an analysis of your ESR and some additional questions.

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

CrackverbalGMAT · Answer

Hello abaisla,
Hard luck on the GMAT score. Having followed your progress during your preparation for the GMAT, I empathise with you and share your disappointment over this low score. However, all is not lost when you have the determination to get back to winning ways.

I had a look at your ESR and that reminded me of the conversation which we had had when you were a few weeks from taking the test. I remember distinctly that I had told you that you might end up with a 47 or 48 on the Quant section, which is what you have got here. So, I don’t see any inconsistency here. That’s one of the positives.

However, what did surprise me was the huge drop in your Verbal score from the high 40s to the mid-20s. That’s not very frequent, is it? Although we have our bad days and a score drop is expected on these days, it is not to this extent. Even if we start with the assumption that you were under duress owing to the fact that you came back late from the break and started the Verbal section in an unsettled state of mind, the score drop doesn’t tally at all. Stress couldn’t be the sole factor behind this dip in your performance.

Because you have let stress take hold of you and panicked, some ghosts (of the past) seem to have tumbled out of the closet. And I see that this pattern is not restricted to this attempt alone; unfortunately, it’s been a consistent feature especially on certain sections of Verbal and Quant.

Another detail that you mentioned about your mock tests is very relevant here – the point about some of your attempts on the official mocks not being your FIRST attempt. As such, these scores have ended up giving you a very superficial impression of your skills.

Let us get on a call for the analysis of your ESR and a structured plan for your retake.
Thanks,
Arvind

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Here are two perfect articles for you:

GMAT Reading Comprehension Tips: Top 8 DOs and DON’Ts

GMAT Sentence Correction: 8 Essential Tips

ESR Analysis - 3 attempts - 610 each time

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards