NO F'n WAY!!!!! 510 Q34 V27 WTF. Help!!!

Question

I am sooo stabby right now. Here is my story in short. (because I am still crying)

Took gmat last year: 560 Q30 V37
Did not even think about GMAT for 6 months after this try and focused on work.

This June I jumped back in and took the in-person Manhattan Gmat Class. Learned a ton! Thought it was a great help.

Practice tests:
MGMAT #1 620 Q43 V32 (Aug 7)
MGMAT #2 530 Q35 V29 (Aug 21) <--- super distracted during test, instructor and I thought is was more of a fluke
<Manhattan Gmat class ends on Aug 22>
MGMAT #3 630 Q41 V35 (Aug 25)
MGMAT #4 610 Q37 V36 (Aug 29)
GmatPrep #1 600 Q35 V35 (Sept 1)
MGMAT #5 620 Q42 V33 (Sept 3)
GmatPrep #2 650 Q39 V36 (Sept 5)

(I did the full essays w/each exam)

After each test I went over the wrong answers to see why exactly I got them wrong. I really focused on the incorrect on the gmatprep.. re-doing each that I got wrong step by step.

Test day was set to be great. Well rested.. well fed... no real distractions.. I was alert... comfortable.
I was prepared to possibly not get my dream score... but I wasn't prepared for this. I have no clue where to begin or what to do next.

Any advice or kind words.. because I am seriously upset right now and need some help to think this through.

Jivana · Answer

First of all, sorry to hear about your disappointment. Secondly, I will say don't give up hope.

Looking at your test scores, it seems to me you had a bad day. I say, take a break, relax a little bit, and then take another shot. You can do it!

mediamindy · Answer

Ugh.. so I woke up today and I still had the same score...so it wasn't an awful dream.

I feel like I have invested way too much time and money to give up now. Just need a solid plan for the next 30 days. Not sure how to go about it.

saruba · Answer

Hahaha

Do you have any thoughts upon why you scored that low? Did you find the actual test more difficult than practice CATs? Seems like you have to rise the quant a bit, have you tried GMAT Club Tests or Sackmann's challenges?

nink · Answer

Take a week off, and ask yourself whether you want to start your prep again for GMAT. If you are planning to apply this year, there's still R2 deadline and there is nothing wrong with targeting R2 rather than R1.

From my personal experience, it's the anxiety that kinda throws test takers off on the test day. After few questions, one can get nervous or start to question oneself, or even choose a slightly different approach to answer a question because he or she wants to do exceptionally well (compared to his or her practice exams).

For verbal, low verbal score for native English speaker probably means that he or she has a habit of identifying certain answers as correct choices because it just sounds right. (This is especially true in SC)

For quant, well.....I am in no position to give out any advice :-D

mediamindy · Answer

So, Manhattan Gmat offers a Post-Exam assessment for people that feel like the fell short. (or like me, way short)
I filled out the form they sent me and sent it back. Next step they will have a "Post-exam" expert call me for about an hour long session to come up with a game plan on how move forward.

I did have a friend that also took the Manhattan Gmat course and got a 560... then did the post-exam assessment and went again and got a 690. In fact, his story is exactly why I picked Manhattan Gmat for my prep class.

bb · Answer

Hurts to hear the story, and it does not make sense with the prep you put in.
I agree - take some time off and don't feel guilty about relaxing and living a little - you've worked hard and deserve it.
Life will be better next week - let's pick it up then.

mediamindy · Answer

I am doing the "Post-exam Assessment" on Saturday. The expert will call me while we are both logged into the virtual classroom thingy. Should be about an hour long conversation.

I will post how it goes... maybe it will be helpful for others in a like crap-tastic situation.

nink · Answer

Go watch a movie or something tonight and take your mind off GMAT while you can.

mediamindy · Answer

Yea I haven't touched any Gmat stuff since the test... I can't bring myself to do it just yet. Still too upset, in shock.

I feel like Nancy Kerrigan. "Whhhhhhhhhhyyyyy. Whhhhhhyyyyy"

bb · Answer

Hope you are having a good weekend. When you think you are ready to move on, check out the "Retake" thread - i just updated it with some more thoughts...
should-i-retake-gmat-thread-retaking-gmat-strategies-83339.html

mediamindy · Answer

Just finished my "Post-Exam Assessment" over the phone with MGMAT instructor John. Very cool!

His points:
- Looking at the MGMAT tests I took, it is pretty clear that I have the ability to get 700+ questions in both Q and V right, yet I am getting too many in the 600-700 wrong. He believes this most likely kept me away from getting out of the low level problems.
- My problems seem to mechanical type issues, not in over all concepts. So he suggests I stay away from going straight to the MGMAT strategy guides and focus more on drills.
- Do drills on one topic at a time. Gave me some ideas for drills beyond the OG books to help me out.
- Do only one or two practice tests as practice tests only tell you were you are at, they don't really teach you like doing drills would.
- For V, he suggested I focus less on what makes an answer right, but rather focus on what makes the answer wrong. When the questions get more difficult, it will be easier to pick the correct one this way.
- He said it is pretty obvious that 510 is hardly my true ability.

He wants me to shoot him an email in a couple weeks to see where I am.

I feel a bit better.. back to the study grind tomorrow.. tonight I drink!

orsang8 · Answer

sorry to hear. are you planning to re-take?

Shinki · Answer

Sorry to hear that .

n2739178 · Answer

Hi all,

Re: the drills - I have been working through the OG quesitons and I am realising most of my mistakes are simple ones in the 300-500 or 500-600 range, and like the guy said before, 600-700 and sometimes 700-800 are ok for me. So - > I need to do drills to nail these lower ranges properly otherwise I will never get given the higher range questions in the exams.

Any ideas on drills?

Thanks!

thevenus · Answer

I got 330 , then 420 last year, now taking the test again on 20th this month, need some motivation, i am well prepared this time unlike the last two attempts , 4GMAT Quants ,Manhattan SC , CR bible helped a lot,presently practicing from 4GMAT Quants,Kaplan Advanced & OG 12. Gmat club has motivated a lot with its ample resources. i get the cold sweat when i think about the past scores.please guide.

AmrithS · Answer

Awesome

Just hang in there man. It will all be worth it in the end. Ask me... I know... I took the test three times over the last 9 months to get the score which truly reflected my full potential. I just have this piece of advice: Never lose hope... Never lose sight of your target and always have faith in your ability! Good Luck... (I think I should change my name to Obi-wan-kenobi) :-D

thevenus · Answer

Hey thank you so much for your kind words!

PrashantPonde · Answer

Try again. I am sure you may succeed. Your CAT test scores during your practice are good. Dont loose hopes

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