1st GMAT 650 (Q49 V29 IR7). Analysis and guidance required.

Question

Hi everyone,

I had my first GMAT exam today. Well, 650 is below average score. I must say that I completely bombed the verbal section. I don't know what happened. I knew that verbal is my achilles heel. But, V29 is devastating.

I prepared sparingly for 1 month and in a full fledged manner for 3 months.

My mocks test scores were:
GMATPrep 1: 630 Q48 V28 IR7
Veritas Prep 1: 630 Q46 V31 IR5
MGMAT 1: 640 Q47 V31 IR6
GMATPrep 2: 710 Q51 V34 IR7

Technically, this was my second appointment. I couldn't take my first attempt due to some passport issue that I have described elsewhere. 
I've already spent $500 on GMAT and because I'm targeting second round admissions for MiM program next year, I'm not sure whether I should re-take it (deadlines are approaching and will I improve is the question). Honestly, my overall morale has reduced after the above.

My original shortlist was:
HEC Paris
ESCP
ESSEC
Erasmus
Trinity
McGill
UToronto

French schools are pretty much out of scope with a 650. 
What chance do I have with others? 
I'm also looking at HEC Montreal MBA now (Honestly, I don't know if this school is good or not. It's cheap and provides decent ROI. But, they say that MBA is all about who your peers are. I'm not sure about the quality at this school)

My profile is as follows:
Male 23Y
Mechanical engineer - Manipal Uni, India - 9.12 CGPA
12th - 93.2%
10th - 86.2%
1 yr work ex at Bosch
6 months at eMobility startup
Some positions of responsibility at college and decent extra-curriculars.

Any help will be highly appreciated.

Posted from my mobile device

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi gaganpreet94

First off, a 650/Q49 is a solid score (it's right around the 80th percentile overall), so it could be enough to get you into School (but referring to this Score as 'below average' is not correct). You've named some highly competitive Schools, so retesting would make a certain amount of sense. Before you jump back into your studies though, we need to better define this performance. As such, you might 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 (and what you should work on to score higher). If you purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.

Beyond that, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) On what dates did you take each of these CATs/mocks? Did you take the FULL CAT each time (including the Essay and IR sections)?

Goals:
4) What is your goal score?
5) What are the exact application deadlines for the Schools that you listed?

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

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi gaganpree94,

I’m sorry to hear how things went with your GMAT. Looking at your verbal scores on practice tests (ranging from 28 to 34), I would not consider your score of 29 a total disaster. That being said, to get a better idea of whether a retake is necessary for your current list of schools, I recommend reaching out to one of the many admissions consultants here on GMAT Club to get some further advice. If you do determine that a retake is necessary, please reach back out here, and I’d be happy to provide some further advice on how to move forward with your prep.

Hang in there, my friend. We’ll get this all sorted out!

EducationAisle · Answer

Hi Gaganpreet, as Scott has pointed out, your final score does seem to be  largely  in line with the scores you were getting on the mocks (except for the second GMATPrep test).

Which  specific section in Verbal is bothering you the most?

gaganpreet94 · Answer

EMPOWERgmatRichC  Thank you for your reply.

1. I started my prep in July. I studied a little in July and started serious prep August on wards. So, that's 3 months of dedicated study.

2. The list of resources used by me were: 
 a. GMAT OG 2015
 b. GMAT Quant Guide 
 c. GMAT Verbal Guide (Solved CR and few questions from SC)
 d. Manhattan SC
 e. Powerscore CR

3. GMATPrep 1 28 Aug
 VeritasPrep 1 16 Sept
 MGMAT 1 Oct
 GMATPrep 2 15 Oct

4. My target score is 720+

5. French schools: 1st week of Jan (2nd round)
 Erasmus: Rolling admission
 Trinity: 12 Jan (2nd round)
 UToronto: 22 Nov (1st round)
 Stockholm: 15 Nov (1st round)

The most pressing question is whether a retake is required. I'm sure it's required for French schools with an average GMAT 690. Any idea about the others? I couldn't find any details.

ScottTargetTestPrep : Thanks for your reply. I think that's a nice idea. I will consult some admission counselors to get an idea.

EducationAisle : According to my analysis, SC was my weakest point. I tried to improve on it. But, does poor performance on just one section hurt the overall score so much? 
Btw, there was one recurring problem that I could never solve. I observed this in my mock tests. I couldn't answer all the verbal questions within time limit. In the exam as well, I guessed (not left) the last 7-8 questions. Could that be the reason for poor score?  ScottTargetTestPrep   EMPOWERgmatRichC

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi gaganpreet94

GMAC has publicly stated that the Official Score that you earn on Test Day is within +/- 30 points of actual ability. Assuming a similar 'swing' in how your CATs function, 3 of your 4 CAT score results - along with your Official Score - show that you essentially performed the same each time (about 650 +/- a few points). The 710 is an outlier relative to these other performances, so it's not safe to assume that that is your current ability level. You handle certain aspects of the GMAT consistently well, but you also make certain consistent mistakes.

From what you describe, your studies so far have been 'book heavy'; unfortunately, many Test Takers who use a book heavy study approach end up getting 'stuck' at a particular score level - and it's possible that this has happened to you. Even the best books are limited in what they can teach you; they also can't force you to approach questions in a certain way and their explanations are often one-sided. To score at a consistently higher level, you will likely need to invest in some new, non-book resources and focus on learning and practicing the proper Tactics. You will likely need at least another month of consistent, guided study to get to the point that you're consistently scoring 700+.

1) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week?

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

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1st GMAT 650 (Q49 V29 IR7). Analysis and guidance required.

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