630(Q:47;V:28) - Engineer non native speaker - My experience

Question

Hi mates,

I'd like to share with all of you my experience with the GMAT exam. Just a brief description of myself to better understand my score:

I'm spanish non native speaker. I have also a 6-year degree in Telecommunication Engineer in one of the most prestigious universities of Europe. And finally, I've been preparing for the GMAT for almost 1 year, taking it 3 times.

My results were:
1st Attempt: 580(Q:43; V:28)
2nd Attempt: 540 (Q:49; V:17)

Here you can see my experience of my second attempt (which was a huge error)
540-q-49-v-17-i-don-t-understand-anything-73315.html

After that, my proud was very hurt and I decided to do my best, so I spent 5 months more studying. Mates, I just can say I studied very hard at the same time I had to work... I passed those days with the hope I would score good. All the exams I did led me to think so:

GMAT Prep Test 1 - 690
McGraw Hill Test 3 - 660
Princeton review Test 3 - 620
Princeton Review Test 4 - 610
Princeton Review Test 1 - 630
Princeton Review Test 2 - 630
GMAT Test Paper 14 - Q: 31 good out of 37. V: 32 good out of 41
GMAT Test Paper 31 - Q: 35/37 V:33/41
GMAT Test Paper 55 - Q: 31/37 V:33/41
GMAT Prep Test 2 - 760
PowerPrep Test 1- 720
PowerPrep Test 2- 680
GMAT Prep Test 1 - 760
GMAT Prep Test 2 - 740

This progression was due to a deep study of the Manhattan SC guide, PowerPrep CR, taking part in the verbal forum and above all, spending time reviewing both the right answers and the wrong answers. For me, the last point was a key point.

So, I felt very confidence about the exam, although I knew that the real thing would be completely different.

However, now 630 seems to be very low upon the light of my practice exams and also taking into account that it is my 3rd attempt.

But mates, I have to say that this is my last stop in my GMAT journey. Now I'll start the preparation of my application package, starting by asking for a profile review in this forum.

And that's all folks, I just wanted to share my experience with you.

Any comment is of course welcome :-D

Thank you

Thank you

bigfernhead · Answer

Hey man, congratulations on getting it done.

You did have a huge variance between the actual test and practice tests (GMAT Prep Test).

What do you think was the cause of this?

JohnLewis1980 · Answer

good question, I've been thinking of it and I'm not pretty sure... I think it's a combination of that on each preparation test, around 5-10 questions were familiar to me (becuase they appear on the OG...) and that I felt very nervous during the exam :oops:

If in a practice test you do well in let's say 5 questions together, your score boosts... that's whay I didn't expect to score 700+, but 630 seems definitely low

bigfernhead · Answer

Sorry to hear man. Sometimes our nerves gets the best of us. It happens to me all the time. Good luck on your application!

bb · Answer

Congratulations on improvement and clearing a milestone!
You should celebrate. (I know that with your level of participation and dedication, everyone would have expected a higher score but verbal is hard to crack.)

I think you have a good strategy - dive into the applications. Your score is good enough for many great schools. You can submit your GMAT Scores for Round 1 and if you get the feedback from Profile Review that you need a higher score, you can retake (without auto-submit) and see how you do when you are a bit more relaxed. (my guess is that they may try to nudge you in that direction). You can get in with this score into MIT or Kellogg, but your overall application may need to be slightly stronger, though with average of 700 and plenty of 750+ people applying - you know that there are many people with 600's.

Good Luck with applications!

JohnLewis1980 · Answer

Thank you so much bb, I really appreciate your point of view

What you say it's exactly what I gonna do: review the profile review section and then, ask for my own review

Many thanks again

bb · Answer

Interesting - just checked amazon and there are quite a few new GMAT books coming out from Kaplan and Manhattan (probably reprints but still), so if you do decide to re-take the test, there are options out there. I think your score is good enough at this point. I would not stress.

bsd_lover · Answer

Hey JohnLewis that is a 90 point improvement from your last attempt. Its nothing to be sneered at. 630 I believe already puts you close to the 80th percentile bracket ? It should be respectable at many b-schools (my recommendor had 640 and she went to LBS). Also if you decide redo it and hit another 90 points you will be laughing ....

Good work.

Good work.

JohnLewis1980 · Answer

well 630 is almost 80%, it's in fact 75% nevertheless, thanks again guys btw bsd, I'm considering to do my MBA in Europe and LBS would be of course my priority

. And let me congratulate you on getting into LSB!!! :good

Cheers

bsd_lover · Answer

Thanks johnlewis - the very best of luck with your applications. Grab me on the LBS thread if you require any specific help.

chandru42 · Answer

congrats for LSB

MontrealLady · Answer

Do you guys think that B-schools are ok with an applicant who did the GMAT 3 times??

If I get in my thired attempt 620 and there is another applicant who got the same score from the first attempt, dont you thinki that b-schools would prefer him over me?
I already did the GMAT and got 330 and 410...aiming now for 600+, but scared that the first two tests will give a bad impression

Thanks,

Ruwshun · Answer

My congratulations, John! I wonder if a non-native speaker can really reach 700+, Math section is pretty much OK for me, but Verbal questions are often so confusing...

lunasea29 · Answer

Question, I am surprised that you said 640 is good enough for MIT or Kellogg, since the GMAT ranges between 670 and 750 for majority of the applicants. Am I missing something here?

Thanks.

Lucy

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630(Q:47;V:28) - Engineer non native speaker - My experience

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