am i overreacting?

[anzsoldos]

i took the gmat on october 8th and got a 670 (Q42, V40). i had been scoring higher than that before i took the test (in the 710-720 range) and was disappointed with the result, especially the quant. i signed up again for the test on november 12 and didnt look at anything until october 24th. i reviewed some of the quant sections i had struggled with, and took a 800score test on the 27th. 740 (Q47, V45). 800score verbal is a joke though, so i took an mba.com test that saturday (oct. 31) and got a 730 (Q48, V44). i was feeling good, and then this past sunday i did the Q section of my second mba.com test (not terribly worried about verbal) and got a 42 again. tonight, i just did another 800score Q section and got a 43. i am taking the test on friday and dont want to postpone, but i feel like i peaked too early. that, or i'm trying to do too much.

does anyone have any advice? i'm ready to go into the test on friday without looking at this stuff anymore - i felt ready a week after the real test, 2 weeks after it, and did well on the practice tests i took 3 weeks post-test date without having really reviewed. i have a tendency to over-analyze (surprised?) but was just hoping someone could provide some advice. it's like everything was clear and easy a week ago and now it's cloudy and scary. i still feel like i need to do some limited review of WT's and percents, but just don't know if i have it in me. every time i miss a question i just get more and more discouraged, especially b/c i was doing so well a week ago. what should i do??

[sudhansu9dm]

For which academic session are you planning to apply to? If it is for the fall '11. You should go full steam ahead. If you are aiming for fall '12; then you have ample time, you should take some more time to prepare and gain more confidence before you appear for the exam.

[StaceyKoprince]

The last poster has some good advice. It sounds like your confidence has taken a hit, and that can make for a problematic test experience, even if you really are ready.

Did you take those practice tests under 100% official conditions, including the essays? two 8-minute breaks (and really more like 4-5min because during the real test, you have to get in and out of the room)? no pausing. nothing to eat or drink except on the break.

If you deviated significantly from official test conditions, then your practice scores might have been inflated. That's not great news, but you should know if that was the case so that you can do something about it. If that is the case, and you have time to postpone, you should postpone.

How was your timing on practice tests? On the official test? Do the analysis described in the below article on your most recent MGMAT test (or an 800score test if you don't have an MGMAT test - but you'll have to adapt the article because it's based on MGMAT score reports). Anything going on with timing?

http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/e ... -part1.cfm

The other wildcard here is that you know the real test does count while practice tests don't. Do you have any history of underperforming on official standardized tests or just very big tests (final exams)? Or are you usually fine - does the pressure not get to you usually?