Needing words of encouragement

Question

First of all just wanted to say thanks to everyone on this forum. This is an outstanding resource and I plan on continuing to be an active member for a long time. I just need some words of encouragement from you guys/gals right now as I'm really getting frustrated & down.

So I took the GMAT earlier this year (May 2010) and got a 530 (Q28 V35). I am very confused and frustrated as I'm not confused on the concepts tested. So in order to prepare for my second test I took an MGMAT course (9wk 3hrs a class), and have taken 5 CAT tests since this score, and here are the results (in order);

CAT 1. 590 (Q37, V34) - MGMAT (before the MGMAT class started, fresh off the actual GMAT test)
CAT 2. 560 (Q34, V34) - GMATPrep 10/24/2010
CAT 3. 530 (Q33, V31) - MGMAT 10/24/2010 (taken immediately after the GMAT prep test, same day)
CAT 4. 530 (Q31, V32) - MGMAT 10/31/2010 (very tired this day)
CAT 5. 530 (Q33, V30) - MGMAT 11/06/2010

So I've been trending down with additional study! I'm getting very frustrated, but I've been reading through quite a few posts on this forum, specifically in this area "GMAT Experience" about peope who've made amazing comebacks. Furthermore the people who have scored low initially, from the info the share here, have exceptional academic backgrounds, and work in challenging fields.

In my personal experiences I've found that some people are just naturally good at standardized test, and some aren't. Now of course there are arguments on both sides; 1. Good standardized test takers are just naturally very intelligent and 2. Bad test takers are just overly anxious, too methodical, and aren't good at recognizing shortcuts, or have a hard time choosing "best answers" rather than the 100% correct answer. I fall into category 2 for sure, and for those specific reasons.

So a bit about me & my plans now;

White Male
Age: 30
Technical undergrad degree (MIS) - Tier 2 state school, program was very quant heavy and very heavy on the technical side. As I understand it some MIS programs have little to no technical coursework required and are quite "lite" this program in comparison (after some research) was quite heavy.

Details of my program;
- 9 hours of OOD programming courses (heavy logic and quant), (A, A, B)
- 6 hours statistics (basic & advanced), (A, A) 
- Calculus I (A)
- 3hrs DB design (A)
- 6 hours of Systems Analysis & Design (not too quant heavy, but alot of logic exersises). (A, A)
- Additional standard busines courses (quant heavy);
 - 9hrs Accounting (A, A, B)
 - 6hrs Economics (C, C) - disliked econ :D
 - 6hrs Finance (A, A)

- Was also a Geometry/Algebra tutor in highschool (NHS)

Basic Job history;
- Programmer/Analyst
- Business Analyst
- Data analyst & BI Analytics
- Manager: Application Development & Business Intelligence

I was planning on taking the test on 11/17 and am going to move the test back and delay my application to b-school by one semester (next fall rather than spring). I think I would still have a chance at being accepted into the program I want (part-time at highly ranked school) due mainly to work experience, but I really want to put together the best app package I can, score, essays, etc.

So what I need the pep talk on is this; I get the concepts in the quant part of the GMAT, in fact, given my job and academic history. quant/logic focused jobs and problem solving has been my sweet spot. Why can't I get this quant thing down on the GMAT? It's not like the jobs I've held have been writing little scripts for the local church (although that is a very worthy and honorable endeavor)....I've been working at fortune 100 corporations.

This is really becoming a big drag on my confidence levels and making me think that maybe I'm not as smart as I thought I was (although I've never been someone who is over-confident, or feel like I'm smarter than other people, I've just been feeling good lately due to my successes in complex jobs). In other words these GMAT scores are making me feel dumb, my only solace is reading about people on here who are MUCH SMARTER than me who have had the same struggles.

I'm going to keep reading through the success stories but would really love to hear any words of encouragement from anyone who has has had or is having similar issues.

Group hug everyone :D

Thanks!!

Dreamy · Answer

This test is learn-able. You can analyze your MGMAT tests and identify the weaknesses and keep working on those sections. You score will start improving. Keep us updated.

cgl7780 · Answer

Thanks, today has been a rough day

+1 Kudos for responding I have alot of data on my OG problems (used the Manhattan GMAT OG tracker spreadsheet) and I have 4 of 8 of their practice CAT exams so I have quite a bit of data on my weak points and not so weak points (won't call them strong yet

)

walker · Answer

Hi cgl7780!

First of all, I want to wish you good luck in your journey! As you know there is a lot of success stories here and I'm sure you can find what fits you best.
I do like your positive mood! Keep it!
So, do you want to know my magic words?

Don't give up! Keep addressing your weak areas and practice, practice, practice....

runnergirl · Answer

One thing I found very helpful when studying was reviewing the timing on my MGMAT CATs. You might see patterns in your test taking, for example, spending a lot of time on a hard problem, then rushing through the next few problems. Review your CATs thoroughly to help devise test-taking strategies. Best of Luck!

rishiraj · Answer

I read your entire post and though the going is not good for you at present but there's something about your post that gives me the feeling that you're not only going to win this GMAT battle but you'll be immensely successful post MBA.

I agree with your statement that some people are naturally good at Standardized tests. These people usually will crack any exam they take because they have very high IQs . However, that doesn't mean that these people ,as a result, are necessarily more successful than people who don't score very high on the standardized tests.

I like your dogged persistence and am sure that you'll be able to achieve your desired score. However, for that not only will have to work hard, but you'll have to do really smart work. 
Here are my two questions before I can suggest you anything.
1. How much solid grasp do you have over the different concepts of Verbal and Quant ? You can gauge your comfort level easily by keeping a tab on yourself when you are not studying.Well , you may wonder what does that mean ? It means for eg,when you write emails,do you unconsciously make sure that you check for parallelism, modifiers,subject verb agreement etc. When you read any newspaper article , are you able to figure out the conclusion,are you able to see the flaw in a biased argument etc. How comfortable are you with topics outside the realm of your professional area? Are you into the habit of reading and if not what are you doing about it ?

2. If I were to ask you one psychological aspect which would help you improve you score,what would it be ? Do you lose concentration after attempting some questions, do you hasten up ,do you get anxious ? And whether you realize it or not,we all have some psychological weaknesses which we're not even aware of. For eg,the problem with me was that I used to lose concentration after doing 4-5 questions and the irony was that I used to keep pushing myself without even realizing that I am trying to "overwork" my mind. So if you're able to get rid of your these seemingly small weaknesses, I can guarantee that your score will jump by more than a 100 points

cgl7780 · Answer

rishiraj, great post, thank you very much for the words of encouragement and also for the data points to consider. + 1 kudos for a great response, I really appreciate it!

I'm digging in and not letting go, definitely not giving up. My study time has been chopped up quite a bit since my class (due mainly to work obligations) so I do feel that is one aspect of the downward trend in my scores. There are also some psychological hurdles I have to address (I think you're spot on rishiraj).

So, due to the huge gaps I had between study sessions I'm taking the marathon approach now rather than the sprint. Steady, consistent, quality study sessions at regular intervals. I do enjoy studying for the GMAT as I feel the knowledge tested is very practical and serves as a strong foundation to build upon in any area of study. I think the best approach is to think of this as an athlete who is training for a competition, if you were going to compete in a triathalon you wouldn't start training a month out would you? Same goes for the GMAT as it's almost like a triathalon; Essays, Quant, Verbal. All three areas demand different skillsets.

Yes I'm in a tough place psychologically, but reading through success stories and getting direct feedback from all of you on here definitely puts some more "wind in my sails" so to speak. Thank you everyone for the words of encouragement and advice, you've helped out an aspiring MBA quite a bit. :wink:

cgl7780 · Answer

Great pointers on writing emails or work documentation, applying the verbal rules to all written communications during my day to day work is a great piece of advice. In the same vein I've found myself trying to do complex arithmetic in my head (divisibility, mul, squaring etc.) as a mental excersise when not studying.

Again the concepts tested on the GMAT are not baffling to me, I need to focus on my timing and on recognizing patterns in the question types.

Thanks again everyone!

Again the concepts tested on the GMAT are not baffling to me, I need to focus on my timing and on recognizing patterns in the question types.

Thanks again everyone!

vwjetty · Answer

you need to focus on the math. from your scores it looks like you're missing a lot of the fundamentals.

rishiraj · Answer

I'm glad I could be of some help. Keep us posted about your progress here on this thread. It'd be great to see how your GMAT story unfolds

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