Advice - Test in 6 Days (5 w/ 1 day off before test day)

[wallstreetcat]

Hello - I was looking to probably get some feedback from the pros on what my likelihood of hitting a 700+ is based on my progress so far. I'm taking the test this Saturday, May 4th, and would prefer to postpone if a 700+ is unrealistic at this stage.

Official gmat back in June 2012: 640, q45 v27. Here I got stuck on one math question - hadn't taken a course or anything - and it threw my timing off. I was so demoralized I guessed the remainder of the test. I gave my scratch pad back with only 1 page used up.

Decided to take a MGMAT course from January 20 to end of March.
Mgmat 1 (benchmarking): 660, q42 v38 timing on this one was way off and all over the place

Mgmat 2: 670, q44 v37
Mgmat 3: 660, q45 v35

Mgmat 4(1 week after course was over): 620, q42 v33. On this one, I forgot my benchmarking in the math section and guessed a few halfway into the exam thinking I was short of time. I think the realization after the quant section was over through me off the verbal rhythm too.

GMATPrep 2 (2 weeks ago): 740, q49, v42. I had taken this one over a year ago when I originally studied for the test. I think I maybe saw one or two repeat questions but I didn't know how to solve them anyway. Timing was a lot smoother than mgmat, especially on the quant, as the questions are shorter in length and I feel like they require less "steps" to complete

Mgmat 5 (last Sunday): 680, q44 v38

Still have a few weaknesses identified and I'm scoring about 40-50% on the Hard / devilish (og archer classification) questions in the OG 13 guide - whether by guessing or actual knowledge. I definitely use the backup strategies a lot more than I used to, especially when I'm stuck. I have yet to finish the entire book - most of the quant section is done (>60%) and close to 50% of the verbal. I have yet to touch the other two supplement guides.

I feel like I'm in purgatory - have yet to finish the guides but I know if I do, I run the risk of forgetting some of the strategies etc. For the past 3 months I've spent 1-1.5 hours a weekday studying and 3-4 hours every Saturday and Sunday. Still finding weaknesses: coordinate geometry, ratios, digits and decimals could be better. I just did the OG 13 guide problems for these but I'm clearly not there on these. I've exhausted the sets for these weaknesses so I don't know how else to improve but with a few days left, I don't even know if I can. I'm in that place where I just don't feel truly ready. But does this point ever exist?[url][/url]

Anyway, knowing all of the above, I'd like to get some feedback on the likelihood of getting a 700+.

Thank you.

[StaceyKoprince]

Hi, I'm sorry I'm just seeing this now. As you've probably guessed by now, the forums are not the place to come when you need feedback right away - we're only in each folder once or twice a week. For future, if you need help right away, please contact our office directly.

If those last two practice tests you took were both taken under 100% official conditions (with essay and IR, no extra time, no use of the pause button, no extra breaks or extra-long breaks, etc), then you're in that general range (but of course I can't say for sure that you will break 700).

If you gave yourself a "break" on anything (skipping essay or IR, taking a longer break than allowed, etc), then your score might be inflated. That would decrease the likelihood that you'd hit that same score on the real thing.

I can totally empathize with your feeling that this thing is never really done - and you're right that you'll never know everything 100%. I've been doing this for more than 15 years and still get things wrong. :)

You're not trying to learn absolutely everything though - you don't actually have to know this stuff once you get to b-school. You're just trying to get enough to get the score you want. You know you're probably there* when practice tests taken under 100% official conditions are in the score range that you want on the real test.

*There's always this "anxiety" wildcard on the real test. You know the practice ones don't count and you know the real one does. But there's nothing we can do about that - we just have to get in there and take it.

If you took it, let us know how it went. If you postponed and want some help figuring out what / how to keep studying, then give us some more detailed data on your strengths and weaknesses in order to advise you. Use the below to analyze your most recent MGMAT CAT(s):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Then come back here and tell us the results of your analysis and what you think you should do based on that analysis. We'll tell you whether we agree and advise you further. (Note: do share an analysis with us, not just the raw data. Part of getting better is developing your ability to analyze your results - figure out what they mean and what you think you should do about them!)

If you took it and don't like your score, you're eligible for a free Post-Exam Assessment (because you took our class). This is a phone call with an instructor to debrief and come up with a plan to re-take the test. If this applies to you, please send an email to studentservices@manhattangmat.com and request the Post-Exam Assessment.