Want to retake GMAT, should I switch to GMAT Focus Edition? need help!

Question

Hello Everyone,

I wrote my GMAT exam on the 28th of August'23 and got a dismal score of 570. Q39, V30, IR 6, AWA 4. In the mock tests, the score ranged between 560-680. Now a little bit of background and future plans - I am a graduate from NIFT in Fashion Technology with a CGPA of 7.2/10, have a total of 13 years of work experience including 6 years of entrepreneurial experience. I've worked in startups and SMEs only during these 13 years, in various leadership roles, and led mid-sized teams 0f 10-15. Currently working as an E-commerce head for a women's apparel brand and driving revenues of 45 cr+ from marketplaces like Myntra, AJIO, Amazon, etc.

I am planning to go for 1-year full-time MBA program in India primarily to transition from SMEs to leadership roles in large startups or in corporates in the apparel and fashion industry. However, with a low GMAT score of 570, I don't think I'll be able to make it to any respectable program, so I am planning to take the GMAT again. Given the admissions will be closed max by Jan'24, I want to retake the GMAT ASAP and am now confused if I should go for the GMAT focus edition instead. Lessons from the preparation and GMAT given on 28th Aug:

1. Faced a lot of difficulty in SC, RC was okay for me and CR was the real strength in the Verbal section
2. I was confident of a respectable score in Quant as I got scores ranging from 44 to 48 in mocks, still not sure what went wrong in the real exam
3. I have a 6 days work week and a hectic work schedule, hence not being able to devote a lot of time to preparations. I prepared for 4 months before taking the GMAT and now feel that I needed much more questions practice than devoting time to refreshing concepts (passed 12th grade approximately 18 years ago)

Now some questions:
1. Should I go for the Focus edition in early November or give the Original edition once again?
2. Are two months going to be enough for prep if I am able to devote 4 hours per day? I feel I lack the practice, so the prep again will primarily be practicing more and more questions
3. Do I have any chance in any of the respected B-schools with a GMAT score of 570 and the profile I've described briefly?

Need guidance here. TIA

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

(In case you decide to attempt the current version again)

Quote:

I wrote my GMAT exam on the 28th of August'23 and got a dismal score of 570. Q39, V30, IR 6, AWA 4.

V31 to a V40 retake: https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-online- ... 68599.html

Although the person above took a bit of tutoring (6 hrs solving approach), they mention a variety of resources/tips you can check out. Seeing whether you can get some time off work or a reduced workload could also be helpful.

Quote:

2. I was confident of a respectable score in Quant as I got scores ranging from 44 to 48 in mocks, still not sure what went wrong in the real exam

Consider getting the ESR. If you share it here (after wiping any personal info), people may provide some specific suggestions as well.

-contact: gmatknight site | gmatclub dm

GMATinsight · Answer

Hi ravigupta000 I've taken a closer look at your GMAT scores, and I'd like to highlight a few areas where I believe there's room for significant improvement: Quantitative Score: Coming from an NIFT background, it's understandable that your quant score might not be on par with your impressive verbal score. However, I firmly believe that with a bit of guidance, there's ample potential for growth in your quant score. Given your current performance, I'm confident that you could enhance your quant score by at least 6-8 points, translating to a substantial boost of 50-70 points. Verbal Score: While your verbal score is commendable, there's still room for improvement. A modest gain of 5-10 points in your verbal score could result in a significant overall increase of 40-60 points. I'd refrain from making a recommendation for the Focus edition at this stage, as there's limited information available. However, it's a prudent idea to prepare for it, enabling you to make an informed decision when the time comes to book a slot. Considering your familiarity with the GMAT exam and its content, a two-month preparation period should be sufficient for you to make noteworthy improvements. In light of this, I would strongly advise against applying to schools with your current GMAT score without giving yourself another opportunity to enhance it. A higher score can significantly bolster your chances of admission to your desired institutions. Should you have any questions or require assistance in your GMAT preparation journey, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'm here to support you in achieving your goals. GMATinsight We offer the highest Quality GMAT Tutoring and Admission Consulting | Book Demo 1st Video solutions based Modular On-Demand QUANT Course: All Concepts | 2000+Qns | 20+ Tests | Two MUST join YouTube channels : GMATinsight (1000+ FREE Videos) and GMATclub

pintukr · Answer

If you have prepared and taken GMAT in the current edition, it's better to re-attempt in the same format.

All the Best.

KarishmaB · Answer

Here is a post that will help you in the GMAT vs GMAT Focus decision: https://anaprep.com/gmat-vs-gmat-focus- ... ld-i-take/ Also, you should get your ESR. That may provide important info on why you did not do well in Quant. That may provide you the right starting point for your next attempt.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ravigupta000,

To start, if you have a list of Schools that you plan to apply to, then you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. Those Experts should be able to answer your Admissions questions and help define the specific areas of your profile that could use some improvement (and the more time that you have to implement those suggestions, the better). There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

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

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. Before we discuss any of those potential issues though, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

1) What type of study routine were you following? How many hours did you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far? What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used?
3) On what dates (or approximate 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)?
4) What is your overall goal score?

If you took your Official GMAT at a Test Center, then you might also choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report. 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 what you should work on to score higher). If you purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.

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

Contact Rich at: [email protected]
www.empowergmat.com

ravigupta000 · Answer

Here's the ESR

Posted from my mobile device

ravigupta000 · Answer

ESR contd..

ravigupta000 · Answer

Due to some issue, can't attach all pages in one go. Here are the last pages

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi ravigupta000,

Since you plan to retake the GMAT in the next few months and since you have been preparing for the current version of the GMAT, I think the move is to retake the current version.

Want to retake GMAT, should I switch to GMAT Focus Edition? need help!

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