Confused on GMAT Scores

[nandia885]

I am a student in the 9 week course and I have 2 weeks remaining in the class.

So far, I took three MGMAT test and one GPREP test, but I noticed a wide swing between the two CAT exams result.

My score on MGMAT cat (All under times conditions with both essays) are:
Test 1 - 680 - 47Q 35V
Test 2 - 690 - 49Q 34V
Test 3 - 740 - 47Q 45V

I took each of these test two weeks apart.

GPREP (I didn't do the essay)
Practice test 1 - 660 - 47Q 34V

I am very confused by the mixed result and I am not sure about my true performance for the exam. I took the GMAT test before and my scores were 540 and 580, so I do not want to have an inflated idea of my true ability. Also, I find that I get far more questions wrong on MGMAT that those on GPREP, yet my performance is better on MGMAT CATS. Is the scoring algorithm correct on the MGMAT CATS?

My goal is anywhere from 680-700, but, with the above mixed results, I am not sure whether I can hit my target on the real test date.

Could you shed any light about how I should view my performance?

Second question: On the MGMAT quant section, I find that I randomly guess on a number of questions, and I think I get those questions right more often than not. On average I guess on anywhere between 8-10 questions in quant per test. Is that normal?

Thanks in advance.

[StaceyKoprince]

Standardized tests actually have a fairly wide standard deviation. The standard deviation on the official test is about 30 points and the SD on our test is about 50 points. The scores you posted don't represent a wide swing (unless we were to look at only the highest and the lowest - but you've got those other 2 in the middle).

It is the case that luck can sometimes factor in - if you have a few extra lucky guesses, that can definitely make a difference. It's not unusual to have to make guesses on the test, especially on quant. Most people have to guess fairly randomly on between 4 and 6 questions in one section, and they will have additional educated guesses beyond that (those are questions on which you have narrowed down the answers somewhat before you guess).

Our test is based upon the same algorithmic theory as the real test. There are some differences (for example, the real test includes experimental questions that don't count toward your score, while on our test, every question counts - and this can alter some things with respect to number right vs. wrong), but the overall algorithm is consistent with the real test.

In terms of how to interpret this data, it looks like your score is in the mid to high 600s right now. The major difference on test 3 was a huge jump in your verbal score. You might want to take a look to see if you can figure out why it jumped so much. Did you get lucky on the questions on which you guessed? Then that score isn't something you could replicate very easily. Did you take that one last and really study verbal a lot before you took it? Then maybe your verbal has actually improved.

The safest bet, though, is to assume that T3 is an outlier and you are scoring in the 660 to 680 range right now. (This assumes, by the way, that you took the tests under full official conditions; it sounds like you did do that, but I just want to make sure. :)

It sounds like you've had 7 weeks of the course so far and have taken 4 tests in those 7 weeks. Is that correct? If so, what I would do now is not take another test for 2-3 weeks. You're not actually giving yourself enough time to do the necessary work to see a significant, and repeatable, boost in your score.

CAT exams are really good for (a) figuring out where you're scoring right now, (b) practicing stamina, and (c) analyzing your strengths and weaknesses. The actual act of just taking the exam is NOT so useful for improving. It's what you do with the test results / between tests that helps you to improve.

At the end of your course, you will have a chance to request a Post Course Assessment with your instructor. S/he will go through 3 of your exams and tell you what s/he thinks you should do between the end of the course and your exam date in order to have the best chance of hitting your target score. Make sure to request this - you typically have to make the request either at class 9 or via email just before. (Talk to your instructor to find out how s/he prefers doing things.)

Also, you may want to use this article to help you analyze your results so that you know where to concentrate your energies as you move forward:

http://www.beatthegmat.com/a/2009/09/23/evaluating-your-practice-tests

Finally, there are a bunch of different articles linked here that talk about how to study; you may want to take a look and see if anything is useful for you:

http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/03/22/the-best-of-beat-the-gmat-mgmat-how-to-study-list

[anthony29james]

..

[nandia885]

Stacy, so I took another test today and my score is as follows:

MGMAT - 48Q 38V - 710

My verbal dropped 7 points while my quant increased 1 point compared to the results of my last MGMATexam. Now I think that the 45v in the last exam is a fluke. I must say that this is the first MGMAT CAT that I didn't do the essays.

Again, on the quant i guessed on a bunch of questions, including 3 of the last 6 questions, which I got right. Now, comparing this score to the 660 on GPREP, I am not consistent at all. Have you worked with anyone who consistently performs better on the MGMAT CAT vs gprep or the real exam?

[StaceyKoprince]

You guessed on 3 of the last 6 but happened to get those right - that's pure luck. It's nice, but you can't count on being able to replicate that on the real test; you could just as easily get those wrong (and that's the more likely scenario of course).

So, probably, that test score is a little bit inflated compared to what you can reasonably expect to be able to replicate. You might be able to match that score on the real test if you get a bit of luck again, but you can't count on that.

(And, yes, it does sound like that one verbal score is a bit of an outlier.)

Given that, I would say your replicable score range is probably in the 660 to 690 range that your other practice tests taken under official conditions* have shown.

* Note, I am assuming here that, for the two earlier MGMAT tests, you did take those under strict official conditions. If you did not, then it's possible that those scores are inflated.

Have you worked with anyone who consistently performs better on the MGMAT CAT vs gprep or the real exam?

Yes, I have worked with people who consistently score better on practice tests than on the real exam. These people tend to have a few things in common:
- greater than typical nerves / anxiety when taking the real exam
- all or most practice tests not taken under strictly official conditions
- timing problems

You mentioned for several of your tests that you didn't do the essays. Please don't take practice tests under non-official conditions in future. If you're trying to get an accurate picture of your performance (which is the main reason to take a practice test), then you're not getting the full benefit of taking that practice test when you deviate from official test conditions.

So, here's my conclusion: assuming you did take at least 2 MGMATs under strict official conditions, you are probably in the mid-to-high 600s right now. If you did not take those tests under strict official conditions, then let me know how you deviated from official conditions (no matter how minor!), and we can discuss what kind of an impact that likely would have had on your score.

[nandia885]

Stacy,

With the exception of the last MGMAT CAT, all the other three exams were done under fully timed and exam conditions. The only thing I did differently was use scrap paper from a notepad rather than the official pad. In addition, my breaks were 4 mins and not the 8 minutes I could have used. On the last exam, I did not take any breaks and I did not do the essays. I believe that my stamina will not be an issue, especially since I have done 3 exams with the essays already.

You mentioned that my score range is 660 - 690. My follow up question is, how do I improve my score to 700+. I think a score in that range will make my application more competitve plus make up for my low GPA. The 9 weeks MGMAT course I was enrolled in is now over and I am studying on my own at this point. I am schedule to take the exam on May 24th.

I know I have only three weeks left, but could you help me to hone my skills so that I will have the best chance to score 700+. I am running out of ideas about how to do so at this point. If you need any additional information from me to help with the analysis, please do not hesitate to ask me. I am trying to be very efficient with my apporach at this point.

Thanks in advance.
l

[StaceyKoprince]

You're obviously very close to the 700 level. We do need some more data to figure out what's holding you back. Read this article and do the analysis described (thoroughly!). Then come back and post.

http://www.beatthegmat.com/a/2009/09/23/evaluating-your-practice-tests

Do this on your most recent exam BUT also look at the 3 on which you guessed and got lucky (at the end) and also calculate what would have happened if you'd gotten those wrong. (You can't figure out what your score would have been, but you can figure out what your percentage correct would have been for the categories into which those problems fit on the test reports.)

Then come back here and let us know what you found out; we'll help you figure out what to do from there.

[nandia885]

Stacey,

Thank you for replying to my queries.

So I took my final MGMAT CAT exam and scored a 700 (46q, 40V). My quant dropped 2 points but my verbal improved two points compared to my last exam. Once again, I took the exam under real like conditions, using correct allotted time, using the correct note pad, and completing the AWA portion of the test.

Just to summarize, my scores have been:
Test 1 - 680 - 47Q 35V
Test 2 - 690 - 49Q 34V
Test 3 - 740 - 47Q 45V
Test 4 - 710- 48Q 38V
Test 5 - 700 - 46Q 40V

As a side note......Since I took the Free MGMAT CAT test last year, I discounted that score.

GMAT PREP I - 660 (47Q 34V)

Observation about CAT V exam
I noticed that the last CAT was easier relative to th others. I received far fewer 700-800 level questions than those of previous exams. So, I am not sure how to interpret the result.

Performance Analysis
I recognize that timing is an issue for me. In some of my exams, by the 20-26th questions I am 4-5 questions behind where I should be. As a result, I move quicker through the remaining questions and I make a few mistakes in the process. I need to take a more discliple approach, not excedding 3 mins on any questions.

Quant
In CAT V, my worst performing section-Wordtranslation, my average correct time is 2:43 while my average wrong time is 1:56. When I look at my historical performance on all my CAT exams, its pretty much the same (2:24 correct, 1:37 incorrect), while my percentage correct is 44% overall and 50% on CAT V. I did recognize that my percentage correct is significantly dragged down because I am weak in prbability and combinations (33% and 25% correct respectively). I did not put much time into these topics because I was told that they do not appear much in the exam, so I figuered my time is best spent elsewhere. My slowest time is in inequalities & VIC questions....I am spending over 3 mins on the wrong answers and 2:50 mins on the correct answers for these topics. Nonetheless my percentage correct is good on VIC questions 83% and very poor in inequalities 29%. I know you still consider these weaknesses and I am trying to be discipline to let some of these questions go.

Also, I observe that I am weak in geometry, particularly with circles and cylinders (33% correct. However, the questions that I get wrong in this section are all 700-800 questions. I need to make sure that I have mastered the basics.

Verbal
Reading Comprension
I am very incosistent with verbal. I spend way too much time in Readin comprehension, taking as much as 4 mins to answer my first question. However, I get 67 % of the questions correct in the 630-700 range. I believe I am unproductive in my initial read of the passage. My approach to RC is to read the passage, take notes, and write out the main idea. I need to learn not to read for details and move through the questions quicker. I am finding very difficult to know what's important and what I should skim over. I also recognize that I struggle with specific detail and inference questions. I think I get nervous that I lose alot of time reading the passage and then I try to make up for the lost time by answering the questions very quickly.

Sentence Correction
I believe this is a make or break for me where verbal is concern. My average time correct is 1:10 but my avg time wrong is 1:30. My problem areas are comparisons and parallelism. Overall, i get 63% of SC questions correct, but in the 670-680 range. Sometimes, I find that I still rely on my ear, especially on long questions, when I cannot recognize a split or find the grammatical error in the questions. Over the last two weeks, I have been spending more time in this area, especially going over the OG questions and reviewing the MGMAT SC guide.

Critical reasoning
I like the T-diagram approach and I have used the approach in all my exam. This is my best performing section in verbal (70% correct in the 680-710 range. I do spend 1:59 on correct answers and 2:14 on incorrect ones. I find that some questions take a little more time to diagram than others so I go over my alloted time. I am trying to learn to diagram in under minute. I am currently averaging about 1:25 to diagram and 45sec-1min to answer the question.

I think I have said alot for you to digest. Please let me know if I am doing the analysis properly. I have two weeks to go and I am not sure whether I can make all the improvements necessary in such a short time period. Do you think I should reschedule?

[StaceyKoprince]

I noticed that the last CAT was easier relative to th others. I received far fewer 700-800 level questions than those of previous exams. So, I am not sure how to interpret the result.

Did this happen a bit more on quant than verbal? I'm just looking at your mix of scores - your quant score was pretty steady, while verbal fluctuated a bit more. That means that you were always pulling from the same general part of the pool on quant, so by the last test, you're going to start to run out of questions.

In some of my exams, by the 20-26th questions I am 4-5 questions behind where I should be.

Yes, this is definitely hurting your score and you're losing points on things you could be getting right. Part of fixing this is going to be showing yourself that it's not really helping you to spend 3, 4, 5! minutes on a single problem. You aren't getting more of those right, plus you're also costing yourself points later in the test. Go count out those problems and "prove" the hurt to yourself. That'll make it easier for you to let go when you need to let go.

My slowest time is in inequalities & VIC questions....I am spending over 3 mins on the wrong answers and 2:50 mins on the correct answers for these topics. Nonetheless my percentage correct is good on VIC questions 83% and very poor in inequalities 29%.

Goal #1: get the inequalities Qs wrong faster. (Seriously - you're not even getting them right anyway, so why spend the time?)

Goal #2: see whether you can learn to do those VIC questions in 2 to 2.5 min instead. Where are you losing time? Are you slow with the VIC technique? Are you trying to do algebra instead? Do you not know how to decide the best times to use algebra vs. VIC vs. a hybrid? Etc.

You're right that probability and combinatorics are not that common, so don't worry much about those. If you happen to get an easier one that you can do, do it. If you happen to get a harder one, know how to make an educated guess, make it, and move on. On geometry, you said that you really only miss the 700+ questions, so that area is of less concern right now.

Keep tabs on the kinds of questions on which you tend to spend too much time, so that you can already be alert and wary whenever that kind of question pops up. Know how to make an educated guess on that type of question.

I think you would also benefit from a timing exercise: learning about how long one minute is without looking at a watch or stopwatch. If you don't have one already, buy yourself a stopwatch with lap timing capability. When you go to do a set of problems, start the stopwatch but turn it over so you can't see the time. Every time you think one minute has gone by, push the lap button. When you're done, see how good you were - and whether you tend to over or underestimate. Get yourself to the point where you're within 15 seconds either way on a regular basis (that is, you can generally predict between 45 sec and 1min 15 sec). Note: at the same time that you are using the stopwatch to time this "1-minute" thing, also use the OG Stopwatch (in your student center) to track the total time spent on each question.

Now, how do you use that when doing problems? If you're not on track by one minute*, make an educated guess and move on. (The general idea is that if you're not on track by the halfway mark, you're unlikely to figure out what's holding you back AND have time to do the whole problem in the 1 min you have left.)

* For SC, 1min is well beyond the half-way mark (we're supposed to average about 1m15s here), but you can almost always eliminate at least some choices on SC in that timeframe. Once you've got that "I'm around the 1min mark and I'm struggling" feeling, go through any remaining choices ONCE more. Pick one. Move on.

When you talk about your RC timing - are you timing yourself separately for the 1st question? The test reports will show the amount of time you took to read PLUS the amount of time you took to answer the first question (because the computer, obviously, can't tell when you stopped reading and when you started trying to answer the first question). So if you are taking 2.5m on the initial read-through and 1.5m to answer the 1st Q, for a total of 4m, that's reasonable.

Here's an article about how to conduct the initial read-through:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/04/23/how-to-read-a-reading-comp-passage

On SC, you said "My average time correct is 1:10 but my avg time wrong is 1:30. " That's not too bad of a spread. You're going to tend to get the harder ones wrong, and the harder ones are actually harder, right? So you're going to spend a little more time on them too. It sounds like you've got a good plan here in terms of review; here's another article that might help:

http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/03/21/how-to-analyze-a-gmatprep-sc-question

Okay, now for the big question: should you reschedule your test?

You did a good job on your last practice test, but I'm a little worried that there might have been some inflation for the reasons discussed. I'm also worried about the timing problem you describe on quant - that's the kind of thing you definitely want to have fixed by test day.

Work on the above items and then, 5 to 7 days before the real thing, take your final practice test. If you haven't exhausted your GMATPrep tests yet, take one of those.

NOTE#1: TIME yourself on each question for that test. If you don't already have one, get a stopwatch with lap timing capability and learn how to use it before that test.

NOTE#2: Every time you have to guess, make a little star or some other mark on your scrap paper. When you're done, see how often you got lucky. If you narrowed to 50/50, you should expect to get lucky about half the time. If you didn't narrow at all, you should expect to get lucky about 20% of the time. If you guessed randomly 4 times and happened to get all 4 right, then you know that you got extraordinarily lucky and your score might be inflated.

NOTE#3: And, of course, take the test under full official conditions.

Then see how you do. Is your score 700+? Have you generally fixed the timing problem? Did you not get "too lucky" and inflate your score? If you feel comfortable with where you're at, keep your test date; if you don't, reschedule.

(Note: you have to reschedule at least 7 days in advance in order to pay only a rescheduling fee of $50; if you reschedule within 7 days, you will have to pay the whole $250 fee again.)

[nandia885]

Stacey,

I felt that the verbal from MGMAT CAT V was also easier than the previous verbal sections from other MGMAT test. I did not get nearly as many 700-800 questions. As result, I didn't get a chance to raise my score because I didn't the type of questions that would give me the needed bump.

Over the last week, I did some work on my timing and practiced more verbal. I am trying to pack a lot of information in a week to reach the true level of my ability for the test. I am wondering whether this is negatively impacting my performance as I am still making some of the same mistakes.

Also, I took my final GREP exam, and I am not very excited about my performance...

GPREP - 45Q......41V Score 700

This is the lowest quant score I have gotten to this point. I am starting to wonder whether I am experiencing diminishing returns from my studies.

I took the AWA, used the MGMAT notepad, and used exam like conditions for the GREP test. According to your previous post, the statistical deviation of one's actual GMAT performance and GMAT PREP is 30 points, meaning that my score range is 670-730. I am hoping on exam day that my score closer to 700. So far, most of my scores, except the 660 on GREP 1, are closer to 700.

Assessment of the GMAT PREP Result
I thought I was doing well in quant as there were a number of questions that made me really think about the solution. I guessed on about 4 questions and I felt that it was doing well. I know that number of questions wrong is no indication of my score, however, I did get 13 questions wrong. I had one string of 4 questions wrong towards the end of the exam (28-31) and another string of three wrong in the middle (14-16). The remaining 6 wrong answers were distributed througout the test. I did not feel press for time in the end but I did make some silly mistakes i.e. overlooking questions that explicitly states that x is an integer and another that x is positive. I know the string of 4 questions wrong dragged my score down.

As far as pacing, I was fell behind my timing bench mark of 2 min per questions about 2-3 times and I guessed on a couple probability and geometry questions to make up the time. I was no more than 2 questions behind my timing benchmark at any point during the exam.

On verbal, I got a number of sentence correction questions wrong, 7/16 wrong. In some of the answer choices, I felt that all the answer choices were wrong but I tried to narrow the answer choices to 2 answers, then guessed and moved on. I may have guessed on 3 questions, all sentence correction. I intend to redo the MGMAT SC book, continue to practice from OG, and revisit the MGMAT lab about spliting and respliting.

I didn't have any problems with RC and CR. I got 2 questions wrong in RC and 1 question wrong in CR. The only problem is that I recognized a few CR questions and one reading passage from OG. I did not cheat by answering the questions quickly and I got the questions correct during my practice, so I don't feel that I cheated.

I now have one more week to go and since I scored a 700 on the GREP practice test, I am still on the fence whether I should holdoff until I am consistently scoring north of 700. I would have been more confident if my score were 730+. What are your thoughts?

Also, since this my last week of preparation, what do you suggest that I focus on? I am looking for any insight that you can share at this point.

I am very concerned that my quant dropped to 45 and I have mixed feeling about my verbal. In your fair assessment thus far, do you really think I am performing at a 700 level?

Thanks for all your help.

[StaceyKoprince]

You should be at the end of your course now. Have you requested your Post Course Assessment (PCA) from your instructor? If not, you should do so right away. The instructor can take a look at your specific CAT results and advise you better than I can over the forums. :)

I felt that the verbal from MGMAT CAT V was also easier than the previous verbal sections from other MGMAT test. I did not get nearly as many 700-800 questions.

Look at your performance question-by-question. It's possible that you were periodically getting things wrong that were lower level, which would pull your score down - and then you wouldn't be offered the hardest questions.

I am trying to pack a lot of information in a week to reach the true level of my ability for the test. I am wondering whether this is negatively impacting my performance as I am still making some of the same mistakes.

It's really hard to "cram" for this test. When you're learning new things, or trying to fix old problems, it takes time to build good habits and new long-term memories.

Do you keep an error log? If not, you may want to do so. Use this article to help:
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/04/07/how-to-learn-from-your-errors

You took the GMATPrep exam under official conditions, so yes, your current level is in the 700 range (670 to 730, as you noted).

If you can, try to figure out why you hit that "rough patch" at the end of the quant section, where you got 4 wrong in a row. Were they all just out of your range? Or did you make a careless mistake on one or two? Use the "how to learn from your errors" article above to help figure out what to do about this.

RC and CR are great - nice work! Yes, your SC plan sounds good. Go back to those GPrep SC questions and, again, figure out WHY you got each one wrong. That will tell you what you need to study / practice moving forward. (And that may not just be about some rule you need to know. It may be that you knew the rule but didn't recognize that it was being tested, so you need to learn how to tell that some particular rule is being tested.)

You did the right thing in terms of how you handled the repeat questions - take the full time and get them right or wrong according to how you did in practice.

In terms of whether to take the test next week, that's really an individual choice at this point. Some people like to go for it with the understanding that they may have to take the test again to hit their goal. They view the first test experience as a "dry run," during which they can gain experience and practice, and it will help them for the next time.

Others would rather wait and get their practice scores a bit higher than their goal score - especially if they think they might lose confidence on a re-take if they don't get their goal score the first time.

(Though I do have to say: EVERYone should assume that they may have to take the test again. You never know what's going to happen - you could get sick in the middle of the test.)

At this point, you're in the range you want - it's really an issue of what makes you the most comfortable. If you want to take it next week, that's fine, and if you want to wait a few more weeks, that's fine too. (Though note that we always think we could use more time to study for this test, so don't delay indefinitely.)

Either way, when you do go in, don't assume that "this is it" and put too much pressure on yourself. This one can be practice and you can take it again if you want - the schools don't care if you take it multiple times.

Good luck - let us know what you decide!

[nandia885]

Stacey,

I did the test and I am very disappointed to say the least. I scored a 640 (45q 33v). I am not sure where to go from here and I am feeling a bit down right now. I intend to do the exam again, maybe in a month. I am still trying to understand why my actual performance is so different from my practice scores. As soon as I gather myself i will write a more detail review.

[StaceyKoprince]

I'm sorry that you had a disappointing test experience. The first thing you should do is contact the office to schedule a Post-Exam Assessment (PEA). This is a free service for our class and tutoring students; you will be paired with an instructor to debrief from your test experience and figure out a gameplan for taking the test again.

Contact the office (800.576.GMAT or studentservices@manhattangmat.com). They will ask you to fill out a form; please take the time to fill it out as thoroughly as possible. That will help the instructor to help you as much as s/he can.

Your quant score matched your last GMATPrep performance, but your verbal score dropped a lot, so we do want to try to figure out why verbal dropped significantly. Read the below article and do the analysis described for the verbal portion of the exam. Include any relevant parts of your analysis in the PEA form that the office sends to you.

http://www.beatthegmat.com/a/2009/10/26 ... went-wrong

[anthony29james]

..

[nandia885]

Stacey,

Here is my debrief...

he test started off smooth. I completed the AWA sections and I used all the time to make sure that I wrote good quality essays. Next came the quant section and the story was somwhat different. I completely got thrown of by the first question and I guessed and moved on after about 2 and 1/2 minutes. During the quant section, I felt that the questions were easier, especially when compared to MGMAT. I was very nervous because I didn't see any geometry questions or absolute value questions. I had that weird feeling that I was not doing well. I started second guessing myself and double checking my answers very quickly, in order to make sure that I was not making any careless mistakes. Towards the end...around question 28, I started to feel the time pressure and I picked up my pace a bit. Just to be clear, I still worked on the problems but I did not double check my answers. In the end I guessed on the last question and maybe 3-4 questions total in the quant section.

After the quant section, I was not sure what to think because I felt the test was much easier than my other practice test. Nonetheless, I completely forget about my quant performance, ate a granola bar, and refocused for the verbal section. I honestly do not know what happened in this section. The first question was a sentence correction and I thought it was not a difficult question. As I progressed through the test, I started to build my confidence and I felt I hit my stride so to speak. Throughout the test, there were a few curve ball questions but nothing out of the ordinary. The one thing Howver, I realized that my reading comprehension passages were very short and there was no science passage. I started to spend a little more time on the questions because I felt that the questions started to get a bit easy. Eventually, I did get some critical reasoning questions that made me thing a bit but nothing crazy. Towards the end of the test, I started running low on time and I received alot of crtitical reasoning question. I had to blindly guess on two or three critical reasoning questions towards the end so that I had enough time for the final question, a sentence correction question.

I used the strategies from the class, including diagram and and splitting the answer choices in sentence correction. Some of the strategy did use more time than normal, however, I felt that I was doing well throughout the verbal. As a result, I did not think the two or three questions that I guessed on would really kill my verbal score.

I have set an appointment for the Post Exam Assessment and I will try to incorporate any suggestions after the discussion. Since I intend to apply for the first round at most of the schools on my list, I will have to take the exam very soon, maybe Mid July early August. I will start my studies again today and hopefully the results will be very different the next time.

Thanks.