Took the GMAT today Q36V37 final score 610

Question

Hi guys,

Long time lurker here. Have been checking out the GMAT Club forums for a while now.

I'm actually an undergrad (turned 20 few months ago) and took the GMAT to enter the pre-master program of the RSM (Rotterdam, the Netherlands).

As the title mentions, I took the GMAT today and scored a 610 with Q36 and V37.

What I wanted to share with you guys, and perhaps receive some feedback on is the fact that I got Q45 and Q47 (and V34 and V28 respectively) on the GMATPrep diagnostic tests that I took before the actual exam. How did I bomb the Quant section on the real thing so hard?

Furthermore, as I was making the actual GMAT I felt rather good about the Quant section as it came to an end. In retrospect, my instincts obviously lied to me. Timing on the Quant section was a little off, I had 5 minutes left for the last 2 questions. On the Verbal section I cut it close with 25 seconds for the last question after spending about 1.5 minutes on the 40th Q (CR).

In the end, my target score was 600 >=. That's because that is the required score for the program. However, if anyone has any ideas about what happened with my score or has had a similar experience, please feel free to share/comment.

A little bit about my prep: MGMAT foundation guides + all specific strategy guides (except for all the Extra parts), Veritas Prep YT videos on Sentence Correction and 13th edition OG problems (did roughly 1/3rd of all problems).

- Rick
The Netherlands

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Rick,

When a significant score drop occurs on Test Day (such as the one that you described), it's usually due to one (or both) of the following:

A) Something about your studies was "unrealistic" relative to the Official GMAT
B) Something was "off" or "surprising" about Test Day and this difference muddled your performance.

Since you're focused on your prior CAT results, here are some thing to consider:

1) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT (including the Essay and IR sections)?
2) Did you take either of these CATs more than once?
3) Did you see any of the questions on these CATs before (such as in this Forum)?
4) Was there ANYTHING about how you took these CATs that did not match up with how the GMAT is administered?
5) What time of day did you take your CATs and what time of day was your GMAT?

There are also other things to consider:
6) How did you sleep the night before your GMAT?
7) How long is the ride to the Test Center from your home?
8) What did you do the week before your GMAT?
9) Were there any surprises or distractions at the Testing Center?

The fact that you had 5 minutes for the last 2 Quant questions means that you were moving fast through that section. That's usually a BAD sign - it implies that you're likely moving too quickly and making silly mistakes as a result.

Since you technically achieved your score goal, are you planning to retest?

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

janani28 · Answer

Hi Rick,

Similar situation from my end as well...Scored 610 (Q 39,V 34).... 
Though I scored 680,650,660 in MGMAT Cats ( No repeat here)
740,720 in GMAT Prep( Repeat) and
680 in Veritas Prep CAT(No repeat)

I took first attempt GMAT in the month of Sep'14 and scored only 550 (Q39,V26).

Horribly,Quans score was same both the times.How to improve quans score for a target score 730+.

ricklamers · Answer

Hi Rich, first off, thanks for your response.

Your exhaustive list of things that might have caused the difference in prep v.s. actual score really got me thinking.

Most of the things you mentioned were not the case though. I really tried to mimic the test settings (time of day, day before good night's rest, make all sections, limit to 8 minute breaks). Never took the CAT more then once, didn't do any other prep material from the GMATPrep tool either. Though, the second test I did was on a fresh install of the GMATPrep software. Even though I clicked Practice test 2 instead of Practice test 1 I did get some questions the second time around that I had seen before. Ironically, I got those few wrong (I remembered that when I saw the questions I recognized I freezed a litttle, thinking: **** this will inflate my score!, let's not get this one right just to make sure the score is accurate).

But the biggest things that I took away from your post is the fact that I might have rushed the Quant section and made silly errors. I remember feeling really good about the questions that I was getting after the first 5 or 6. After that I think I got a little too excited and in my excitement got overconfident and careless. If I can think of a single reason that made me bomb the Quant section than I think that was it.

If the GMAT fee wasn't about 250 euro I would have taken it again, but since my money and time are both limited. I don't think I'll be taking it again. Maybe someday in the future when I apply for an MBA program. But not anytime soon probably.

Thanks again for your insight.

- Rick

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi janani28,

To score 730+, you're going to have to improve BOTH your Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores.

A Q39 means that you're decent at "math" questions, but you're missing a bunch of points in DS and you're making some silly/little mistakes on other "gettable" questions. A V34 means that you probably have 1 strong Verbal category, but you're missing out on points in at least 2 of the major Verbal categories (SC, RC and CR). Learning some new tactics and what the common wrong answers "look like" is probably warranted. These scores also imply that you probably have a pacing problem of some kind in both sections, but there's no way to tell from this data what the specifics would be.

What resources have you been using during your studies?

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

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Rick,

The list of questions that I offered are the common issues/explanations for score drops. There are certainly other possible explanations - some Test Takers deal with situations that are far less common. With an approximate 10-point Scaled Score drop in Quant, the likely 'area' in which you lost the bulk of those points is DS. It's the only question type that doesn't come with a "safety net" - if you make even one little/silly mistake, then you get the question wrong without knowing it (and there are more potential little mistakes in DS than in any other question type).

All of that having been said, you DID hit you score goal. Does that mean that you'll be applying for the program that you mentioned?

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

ricklamers · Answer

janani28 Too bad you didn't achieve your target score. I don't have much to add to what Rich said. I'm likely not even qualified to give advice on how to score a 730

Rich, You're probably right. Unfortunately you don't get to see how you did on the different sections when you take the actual GMAT right? Or should I be able to find a score breakdown on mba com? About the application. I did achieve my desired score so I have applied. Fortunately all that's required from RSM for Dutch students is that you meet the requirements (GPA 7.5 (10 point scale), GMAT 600+, relevant Applied Science education bachelor degree with related courses). Since I now meet those I'm eligible for the pre-master program. Hence, I'm starting in September!

All the best, Rick

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Rick,

Unfortunately, GMAC doesn't offer that much information in the Official Score Report to really "nitpick" anyone's particular 'problem areas.' As complex as the scoring algorithm is, patterns still exist within it, so a big score drop can only come from a handful of possible scenarios (and since you CAN'T lose a lot of points by mishandling a RARE category, a big score drop comes from a bigger problem/area).

Regardless, congratulations on getting in to your Master's Program! All things being equal, it sounds like this whole experience has been a success.

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

janani28 · Answer

Hi Rich,

I used Manhattan books fully and solved problems available in OG,Grockit,GmatPrep collection... 
U r absolutely right...i have pacing problem...Suggest some ways to overcome that... I am preparing now with egmat and Kaplan books....

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi janani28,

Pacing problems don't exist on their own - they're the result of other problems. Since your studies sound like they have been "book-heavy", it's likely that "your way" of doing things is what's causing all of these problems. Test Takers who self-study with books usually get "stuck" at a particular scoring level, so continuing to study in this way is probably not going to provide the solution that you're looking for.

In my original post to Rick, I asked a series of questions. If you can answer those questions, then I'll be happy to advise.

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

janani28 · Answer

Hi Rich,

Please find my responses inline

1) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT (including the Essay and IR sections)?Yes.MGMAT 680,650.
2) Did you take either of these CATs more than once?GMAT Prep Twice
3) Did you see any of the questions on these CATs before (such as in this Forum)? 2-3 Questions of MGMAT CAT in this forum
4) Was there ANYTHING about how you took these CATs that did not match up with how the GMAT is administered? No.
5) What time of day did you take your CATs and what time of day was your GMAT? CATs 10.30 onwards,sometimes in the evenings and afternoon .GMAT 9.00 AM

There are also other things to consider:
6) How did you sleep the night before your GMAT?Slept well.
7) How long is the ride to the Test Center from your home? 1 hour drive
8) What did you do the week before your GMAT? Solving problems 
9) Were there any surprises or distractions at the Testing Center? Nothing

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi janani28,

Based on the information in your posts, it sounds like you did not take any of your CATs in a truly realistic way. On some CATs, you did not take the ENTIRE CAT. On certain CATs, you took the CAT more than once. And on certain CATs, you saw questions that you had already seen (and likely answered) in these Forums. This is all meant to say that most (if not all) of your CAT scores were artificially "inflated" because of how you took them. As a result, you never had a true sense of your strengths and weaknesses, so you weren't properly training for Test Day.

Taking your CATs at different times of day can also lead to varying results. It might be that you perform better at certain times of day than at others. It sounds like your Official GMAT was the first time you took any Test at 9am, which is problematic. Changing things on Test Day usually leads to some type of negative result (since you weren't technically ready for it).

To improve, your next round of studies MUST be geared towards the reality of Test Day. You have to train for THAT specific event in as realistic a way as possible.

When are you planning to retest?

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

janani28 · Answer

Hi Rich,

Thank you for the very helpful insight.I am planning to retake the test by April 2015.

Regards,
Janani Kumar

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi janani28,

An April Test Date gives you plenty of time to study, which is good. My immediate concern is that you've probably developed a bunch of "bad habits" during your past studies - and it will likely take some extra time and effort to get you out of those bad habits and into some new "good habits." Your new resources might help in this regard, but they might not.

We have to use your Official GMAT score (610/Q39/V34) as a baseline, since it's the only recent score that we can call 'realistic.' To score 730+, you're going to need to improve BOTH the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores. Since you're already using some GMAT resources, I think that you should study for a few weeks, then take a NEW, FULL-LENGTH CAT. Once we have those score results, we can decide if you've fixed the problems on your own (and are making progress) or if you need to change your approach.

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

janani28 · Answer

Hi Rich, I will definitely follow this idea and be in touch with you once i took my full length new CAT. Thank you so much for your time and advice.

Regards, Janani Kumar

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