600 (Q35 V 38) after a 640 - really devastated

Question

Just got a piece of %$%% 600 (Q35, V38)

I had a Q42 V35 last exam for a 640 and I didn't think I was as prepared as this time. I was even less stressed this time. 

My latest gmatprep was a 700, I don't know what went wrong on the quant. I thought I was doing better than last time and I am greeted with a 35. I had enough time on the quant which was a problem last time. 

I have exhausted both gmatprep tests, and OGs. I have done about 5 challenges. 

I may take it in a month without studying and see what happens. I don't think I have the energy to study for it again just to be smacked in the face.

nevergiveup · Answer

Don't be discouraged. I read someone took the GMAT 6 times. First 5 times all ended up with 650 and the final one 710. I have taken the GMAT several times myself and I have studied for about a year now, but I am not giving up until I hit that 700+. I know I could do it.

mediamindy · Answer

I feel ya.. I went from 530 to 410... oy!

But good news.. Schools take the highest score.. So shrug off that lower score and know you are building on top of the higher one for any retests after!

yash500 · Answer

Is real GMAT is very different or tougher than the OG questions and GMATPrep 2 tests? please share on this.

ishcabibble · Answer

For me, I thought that the OG and GMATPrep was pretty indicative of the actual test. The only difference I saw was that some of the RC passages seemed a bit harder on the real thing, but luckily verbal is my strong point.

I scored a 600 and 640 on the GMATPreps and a 620 (35Q, 40V) on the actual GMAT. I think that it is mostly nerves that get to people on test day. Hope this helps! PS: mediamindy , it's nice to see another TWoP person on these boards! :-D

combres · Answer

I am going to approach this 3rd gmat from a completely and maybe too daring of an angle. 

I attribute my lower score this time around to mental fatigue and overall gmat burnout. 

The first test, I had done the following to prepare. About 30 hours of pre-prep class preparation, took a 5 day prep course, studied for just over a month on my own using OG11 and the prep class problems to review. I only found this forum about 3 weeks before my sept. 20th test, so I did not have time to review Sc1000s, or Challenges, which I probably should have because I am certain I would have achieved a score of closer to 700. 

Honestly, I don't think I had prepared enough for my first exam. Gmatpreps I had never gotten over a 640.

After the first test, I was going to overprepare for the next test a little over a month later. I did sc1000 up to #500, did OG Verbal book and focused on verbal mostly. I did about 5 challenges and went over the OG11 Ds and PS throughly. I also did 2 gmatpreps and finally got a 700 on the last one. 

I started this gmat process July 15th, and really didn't stop until Nov1st, when my 2nd test was. I didn't have much "real" job work to do, so I basically studied for a couple hours a day and leading up to the 1st and 2nd test, studied 2 weekends in a row. 

My coworker saw this whole process take place, and said to me yest. "you burned out, this isn't a memorization test, and you should go cold turkey and take it in a month or two." He said he did a similar thing on his lsat. After a month off, everything he had studied had transfer to his subconscious, and when he took his test, he was well rested and could think much clearer. 

The gmat is more than just using a formula to get an answer. This is what I was worried about taking time off, forgetting a formula or how to calculate a 30-60-90 triangle, but I think that b/c i have put enough time in I will remember these things, and using formulas is only a small part of the test. 

So, I am going to do nothing gmat related for the next month and just work on my applications. I will review a few formulas and maybe do a a few OG problems before the test. We'll see what happens.

michaelny2001 · Answer

Hey guys,

i read your posts, and i am glad that mindy brought this up... how is it possible that with even more proactice and more work, the score gets lower??? I had the exact same problem, and i thought i was going nuts! Every time i took the gmat the score lowered, yet i felt most prepared. Weird. Do you think it's possible that since GMAC has us in the somputer would make the exam harder for us who took it before, assuming we are better prepared, and therefor what's a 600 level question for us, it would be 700 for a person who takes it for the very first time???

I am just throwing it out there is anybody might know something.... Please let us know!

Thanks,

combres · Answer

I wrote about this theory in the gmatblackbelt thread. I am not so sure that it is accurate though since I felt I was burnt out more than anything. 

I guess one of us should go to law school to sue GMAC and uncover the truth. Shouldn't their be a third party regulating these tests, so that we can be sure there is no foul play. 

Ever since I took the SAT, I still find it so amazing that colleges/universities rely on a monopolistic testing companies to qualify candidates. There has to be a better way.

michaelny2001 · Answer

I wish it was a better way Combres. Well, it is.... going to a school that doesn't need gmat, that way it'sa only your own ability to learn and keep up with the class. But then, once you graduate, nobody will be willing to hire you, or even give you an internship, if you graduate from a no name school such a s Devry for example, you'll be out of luck and money, which is worse than studying for the damn exam. 

You know combres, i took it 4 times, but i'll be damned if this will beat me. I just paid for the manhattan gmat course because simply buying the books and studying on my own didn't work. If you think that a course will help you, f it, pay and study even harder. If this exam would not sketch our futures, i woudn't even bother too much, but unfortunatelly it does, so we have to make the best of it. Just take a few weeks off, and then when you're ready go for a course. I really think it would help. If not, then try plan B, get a different job, go back for undergrad for a different degree, such as accounting, try taking the CPA, but honestly, i think that's much harder than our gmat.

Regardless, good luck in whatever you choose to do!

combres · Answer

Yeah, I wont' let the gmat beat me, it is just one part the application process.

As for manhattan gmat, what classes have you taken. I am thinking that these one day workshops in math look like they would be a good refresher. 

Have you or anyone else have had good experience with manhattan gmat one day workshops?

Thanks

michaelny2001 · Answer

I just signed up for manhattangmat yesterday for the fall Z class, which starts on the 27th of november until the 2nd of february. I have a friend who took it, and he is doing pretty well. I think it's what we need to push ourselves to get a better score. 

I didn't want to pay the 1440 before, but after my last disaster, money mean nothing now. I will beat the damn gmat, and i am sure that you're with me Combres, and many others that read this post. We'll beat it and achieve what we want, especially for those of us who come from a different country and english is hard. Whatever...we'll do it!

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600 (Q35 V 38) after a 640 - really devastated

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