Average 640/ Actual 590 Help!

[torofish2548]

Well, I was just beaten by the GMAT.
This is my second attempt.

The first one 38/28 560: 13/07/09
I had just took a break for half a year then studied again in 2010.
The second one 45/26 590

These are my scores from Manhattan Prep and OG.

1.) 43/34 640 March 01 Mhat
2.) ......... 620 March 21 gmat software
3.) 43/31 600 March 31 Mhat
4.) 46/34 660 May 11 Mhat
5.) 46/34 660 May 20 Mhat
6.) 45/27 590 June 4 gmat software
7.) 45/35 660 June 10 Mhat
8.) 45/34 650 June 7 Mhat

Sigh. I'm a little speechless. T_T

My target is 650. Now I think 600+ should be OK.

The problem is surely Verbal. I don't know why it could sink to that low.
During my test, I even felt discouraged for Quant because I kept getting extremely easy question such as (1/2+1/3)/1/4 = ?

For verbal, I guess my great weakness for RC is that I got confused every time with questions that underline the whole sentences and it shifts from

Torofish took the GMAT today
Today, Torofish took the GMAT.

I got this kind for 2-3 questions.

One more thing, I quite did not know what were being tested.

What should I do with verbal? T_T
Please guide me.

Is MHAT's verbal a little easier than gmat software? or its scoring is a little less strict?

When should I register for another test? This time 650 cannot reflect the real exam. Should I score higher before registering? Or should I be in the range of 620++ in GmatPrep before register?

[tim]

Hi Torofish,

In general, you should take the test again when you're ready. And please understand that practice tests at this point will NOT help you to know when you are ready, both because your actual test performance doesn't seem to match up with them but also because you have used up all the practice tests available to you..

Yes, it sounds like you need some work on verbal. You certainly need to work on identifying SC topics; I always recommend that students make an outline with the SC topics serving as top-level headings. Under each topic, indicate what the main rules are for that topic and (SUPER IMPORTANT) indicate how you will recognize that topic when you see it on the test. Then go back to old OG problems (ones you've done before) and practice categorizing each sentence by identifying the topics that are tested. Feel free to use the outline to start, and over time you'll realize you need it less and less because you've internalized the process..

As for CR and RC, make sure you go back and review each problem THOROUGHLY, which means studying each wrong answer choice and understanding why it's wrong and why the GMAT included it as a wrong answer. In other words, what was the trap they were trying to set and what type of student would fall for it? This will help you avoid traps on new questions..

Finally, there's only so much I can write here to help you without knowing more about your situation and watching how you approach problems. You need to contact Manhattan GMAT and ask for a Post-Exam Assessment. This will be an opportunity for you to talk to one of our instructors for about an hour to strategize for your next test. Good luck with everything..