GMAT section score higher but total score low?

Question

Hi folks,

Hope everyone is doing great.
I had a question regarding my observations about the Gmat section score and total scores.
I took Gmat(online) a few days back and got my official score of 700 (V38 and Q49).
Now when looked at an official mock score it showed 710 for (V37 and Q49), also I saw some interviews of other fellow students who recently got 710 for V36 and Q49 as official scores.

So my question is for a 2 points Verbal difference what can be the reasoning for my total score being lower by 10 points?

I have gone through the other posts discussing this topic such as "total-score-different-from-score-charts" (not allowed to share links yet so pasting the url slug)
But in all the replies the response mostly talked about rounding leading to the final points difference, but for the 2 full points difference in verbal, how can the final score be lower?

I am just curious to understand more, so please share your thoughts. Is there anything I can do such as raise a support ticket with MBA com or do I just need to accept that it was a bad flip of a coin and move on to just focusing on my next attempt?

Looking forward to hearing what everyone has to say.

Cheers!

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi vipuldivyanshu.

It's pretty common to score 700 with Q48 V 38.

So, basically, your Quant performance was high enough to get you to Q49, rather than Q48, but your combined Quant and Verbal performance was not high enough to get you to 710 rather than 700.

So, your score is not out of line of what can be expected with Q49 V38.

bb · Answer

Hi. Sorry about that. Your total score is calculated using a different algorithm than the raw sectional scores. So it is possible to have different combinations of scores.

Posted from my mobile device

indian_techie · Answer

Thanks for the quick reply Marty

, so what I understand is even V38 at times can add up to less than other V36 for the same Q49, depending on how the recent trend of other test takers' verbal performance. Got it! Will get back to the prepping then. Cheers!

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Actually, the outcome has nothing to do with other test-takers' performance, and I'm not sure how someone woudl score 710 with V36 and Q49, but your combined performance is what underlies your total score.

Here's a way to look at what occurred.

A range of Quant or Verbal performance can result in the same section score.

For someone to score 710, if doing so is even possible, with Q49 and V36, that test-taker would have to be scoring at the top of the range of performance represented by Q49 and at the top of the range of performance represented by V36.

If another test-taker's performance was not as strong for the Q49 and V36, that test-taker would score 690 with the same two section scores.

Similarly, Q49 and V38 can represent performance that gets you 720, 710 , or 700, with the same section scores, because those section scores represent ranges of performance.

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Two people may have the same section scores but different total scores. The Official MBA website mentions: "Score range: Verbal Reasoning scores range from 0 to 60. Scores below nine and above 44 for the Verbal Reasoning section are rare. The Verbal Reasoning score is a component of the Total Score."

All the best with the retake. If you feel your Verbal fundamentals are solid, consider working on your solving approach. May boost your score a bit. Had a 6-hr student who went from a V41 to a V45 in about 10 days. Perhaps work with a study buddy who is strong on the sub-sections (i.e. RC) you aren't. You could teach them Quant in exchange. (There's a study buddy thread on gmatclub you can check out/sign up to).

indian_techie · Answer

Thanks again Marty, for clarifying in such detail, really appreciate it. Thanks, GmatTutorKnight for the information, I was not aware of the details you mentioned. I will surely check out the thread you mentioned. I feel my weakness is mostly in SC where I consistently take 10-20sec longer on medium and hard questions than the average, which then leads me to rush and guess on the last 5-6 questions, thus leading my score to verbal reduce, not to mention increasing anxiety which affects other questions types. Yes, I am trying to working on my solving approach for SC using what I have learned till now, I still have not found one that I can comfortably apply at high speeds for all types of questions for my thinking and reading style. I do plan to continue to work on these shortcomings, so any other suggestions would be really helpful

.

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Sentence Correction tips

Hope these help. There's an idiom list on that site people can download as well. Have suggested Manhattan-prep's 6th Edition for SC to students.

All the best.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi vipuldivyanshu,

In addition to the advice provided by Marty, here is a helpful article you can check out:

How Is the GMAT Exam Scored?

indian_techie · Answer

Thanks, Scott, I will go through it

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GMAT section score higher but total score low?

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