by: Bubbasch
26 mins
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
I took my first on Jun 18. Goal is >700, but ended up with 670 48Q/34V. Realized that verbal is my weakness, I decided to focus majority of my attention on verbal the second time around.
But today, I got a heart shattering 680 48Q/35V, I really feel like this is not truly reflective of my potential, but right I'm just so deflated.
First Gmat:
Materials Used:
1) MGMAT Guides: I bought SC, RC, CR, Numbers properties, Word translations.
2) Kaplan Premier 2010: Used it just for the online test banks and CAT
3) OG 12, OG Verbal 2nd edition, OG Quant 2nd edition.
4) GmatClub Tests
I started preparing for Gmat in January, steadily working through the OG questions up until March-ish. Then comes the final exam week, I had to ignore my Gmat preparation from March til end of April. I started back up in mid-May and focused mainly on Verbal, then took my Gmat on June 28th.
MGMAT CAT 1 650 Q42/V37 <--- Untimed
MGMAT CAT 2 620 Q38/V36 <--- Untimed
MGMAT CAT 3 530 Q33/V30 <--- Timed
MGMAT CAT 4 710 Q45/V41 <--- Untimed
MGMAT CAT 5 650 Q45/V34 <--- Timed
MGMAT CAT 6 600 Q44/V30 <--- Timed (two weeks prior to my actual Gmat)
Gmatprep #1 550 <-- At the beginning of my preparation and I didn't finish in time.
Gmatprep #2 low 600 <--- Second time was in March, got low 600s my second time.
Actual GMAT 670 Q48/V34
Second Gmat:
After my first attempt, I felt burnt out, so I took two weeks off, not even think about Gmat the entire time. Then on July 2nd, I started my prep for my 2nd attempt.
I realized that I need to work on Verbal, I ordered Powerscore CR and went through my Manhattan guide on SC again, more carefully. In the mean time, I also ordered MGMAT Advanced Quant guide, hoping to either improve or maintain my quant score. I worked through all the SC questions in OG12, most CR questions in OG12, and maybe 10 RC passages in the OG.
After I went through the SC again, this time, doing practice problems recommended in each section. I took the MGMAT CAT #1 again, don't remember too many repeat questions, even the repeat ones, I don't even remember the correct answers from my first attempt.
Score was very encouraging, I then focused on the CR bible, again, doing the problems along after each section. Then 4 days before my actual Gmat, I took MGMAT CAT #2, same scenario, don't remember too many repeat questions, even the repeat ones, I don't even remember the correct answers from my first attempt.
MGMAT CAT 1 ATTEMPT #2: 730 Q45/V44
MGMAT CAT 2 ATTEMPT #2: 700 Q46/V39
ACTUAL GMAT: 680 Q48/V34
So, What happened? I really don't want to give up, and I need my Verbal can be improved. How should I go about attempting for the 3rd try, or should I even bother?
But today, I got a heart shattering 680 48Q/35V, I really feel like this is not truly reflective of my potential, but right I'm just so deflated.
First Gmat:
Materials Used:
1) MGMAT Guides: I bought SC, RC, CR, Numbers properties, Word translations.
2) Kaplan Premier 2010: Used it just for the online test banks and CAT
3) OG 12, OG Verbal 2nd edition, OG Quant 2nd edition.
4) GmatClub Tests
I started preparing for Gmat in January, steadily working through the OG questions up until March-ish. Then comes the final exam week, I had to ignore my Gmat preparation from March til end of April. I started back up in mid-May and focused mainly on Verbal, then took my Gmat on June 28th.
MGMAT CAT 1 650 Q42/V37 <--- Untimed
MGMAT CAT 2 620 Q38/V36 <--- Untimed
MGMAT CAT 3 530 Q33/V30 <--- Timed
MGMAT CAT 4 710 Q45/V41 <--- Untimed
MGMAT CAT 5 650 Q45/V34 <--- Timed
MGMAT CAT 6 600 Q44/V30 <--- Timed (two weeks prior to my actual Gmat)
Gmatprep #1 550 <-- At the beginning of my preparation and I didn't finish in time.
Gmatprep #2 low 600 <--- Second time was in March, got low 600s my second time.
Actual GMAT 670 Q48/V34
Second Gmat:
After my first attempt, I felt burnt out, so I took two weeks off, not even think about Gmat the entire time. Then on July 2nd, I started my prep for my 2nd attempt.
I realized that I need to work on Verbal, I ordered Powerscore CR and went through my Manhattan guide on SC again, more carefully. In the mean time, I also ordered MGMAT Advanced Quant guide, hoping to either improve or maintain my quant score. I worked through all the SC questions in OG12, most CR questions in OG12, and maybe 10 RC passages in the OG.
After I went through the SC again, this time, doing practice problems recommended in each section. I took the MGMAT CAT #1 again, don't remember too many repeat questions, even the repeat ones, I don't even remember the correct answers from my first attempt.
Score was very encouraging, I then focused on the CR bible, again, doing the problems along after each section. Then 4 days before my actual Gmat, I took MGMAT CAT #2, same scenario, don't remember too many repeat questions, even the repeat ones, I don't even remember the correct answers from my first attempt.
MGMAT CAT 1 ATTEMPT #2: 730 Q45/V44
MGMAT CAT 2 ATTEMPT #2: 700 Q46/V39
ACTUAL GMAT: 680 Q48/V34
So, What happened? I really don't want to give up, and I need my Verbal can be improved. How should I go about attempting for the 3rd try, or should I even bother?
680 is a great score man. It will all come down to your profile and gpa. If your gpa is not as great then perhaps you should take the gmat again to mitigate the gpa.
Also, uninstall gmat prep right now and download it again as they will have newer questions and a much better reflection of your current score. By the way, With an MGMAT score of 700, you can expect +/- 40 points in the real GMAT.
Take the gmat prep again and see what type of questions you keep getting wrong. (modifier, parallelism, pronoun, etc. or assumption CR quesitons or specific RC type questions).
Just keep practicing more questions. I think you have gotten all of the concepts and I think with enough practice you will master each section. As you may know, gmat questions are very structured and you just need to get used to the pattern of each question type to master it. Download the gmat prep SC, CR and RC documents from this forum for more practice and also exhaust OG12 Review and Verbal and Quant reviews for additional practice.
Also, uninstall gmat prep right now and download it again as they will have newer questions and a much better reflection of your current score. By the way, With an MGMAT score of 700, you can expect +/- 40 points in the real GMAT.
Take the gmat prep again and see what type of questions you keep getting wrong. (modifier, parallelism, pronoun, etc. or assumption CR quesitons or specific RC type questions).
Just keep practicing more questions. I think you have gotten all of the concepts and I think with enough practice you will master each section. As you may know, gmat questions are very structured and you just need to get used to the pattern of each question type to master it. Download the gmat prep SC, CR and RC documents from this forum for more practice and also exhaust OG12 Review and Verbal and Quant reviews for additional practice.
Mahtab
Thanks for the encouraging words Mahtab. Unlike most of the gmatclubber, I am a college senior looking to enroll in an MSF program after graduation. So, profile-wise, I think the only consideration factors to the adcom are GMAT and GPA, my GPA currently stands at 3.5, upward trending after a rough start in college (first semester GPA was a 2.7).
The fact that I am using Mac Os X prevents me from utilizing GmatPrep, the two times I took it was using my university library's computer. But between my first attempt and my second, the library updated all operating system to window 7, so I was out of luck on installing Gmatprep.
So do you suggest that I should take the Gmatprep and see what questions I'm getting wrong now? Or should I somehow read over more (maybe the same) strategy guides before taking the Gmatprep?
At 680, I am pretty sure you have concrete understanding of most concepts. I have Windows 7 and downloaded gmat prep on it. Also download powerprep (old gmatprep test...a lot of the questions are from OG10). It is best to exhaust retired GMAT questions. Whether it be from powerprep, OG's, gmatprep test or even gmat paper tests that you can download off of torrentz.com. Practicing these will definitely higher your chances of a better score.
But first and foremost, do a gmatprep and a full analysis and tackle your weaknesses. Keep an error log and revisit the error log twice a week.
But first and foremost, do a gmatprep and a full analysis and tackle your weaknesses. Keep an error log and revisit the error log twice a week.
You have no excuse not to use GMATprep. You're in college!!! Borrow a friend's laptop for the love of god.
By now you should know from your practice CATs where you are weakest at. Be it SC / CR / RC. Focus on the areas you are weak in. There are step by step guides posted in gmatclub on how to improve each section. Use the search field.
Also use the Verbal sections in Veritas and Knewton's free sample CATs to gauge your performance as well. Don't care about the score as their algos are screwy according to others. But check how many questions you got wrong and what type of questions.
By now you should know from your practice CATs where you are weakest at. Be it SC / CR / RC. Focus on the areas you are weak in. There are step by step guides posted in gmatclub on how to improve each section. Use the search field.
Also use the Verbal sections in Veritas and Knewton's free sample CATs to gauge your performance as well. Don't care about the score as their algos are screwy according to others. But check how many questions you got wrong and what type of questions.
Announcements
Monday, Sep 14, 2026
11:30am NY / 3:30pm London / 9pm Mumbai
Subscribe to GMAT Club for New Podcast Episodes, Debriefs, & Insightful Sessions on GMAT Preparation
Tuck at Dartmouth
AI at Dartmouth Tuck: How the School Is Preparing Leaders for the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Inside the courses, research, and hands-on learning defining wise, decisive leadership in an AI-driven world.
Read More
Inside the courses, research, and hands-on learning defining wise, decisive leadership in an AI-driven world.
Read More
Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos
Success stories and strategies from high-scoring candidates.