GMAT 1 - 690, GMAT 2nd time- 660 Score Dropped.

[subbudrmz]

Hi, Two years back, I took my GMAT and scored 690. I wanted to take my GMAT for the second time as I was looking to cross 720. I was preparing on and off for the past 2 - 3 months. As I was very busy and stressed out at my office work, I was not able to give my full attention to GMAT though I prepared on weekends. Before my 2nd GMAT on 09/04/2012, I took 2 weeks off and dedicated my whole time to GMAT preparation. I took 3 MGMAT and 2 GMAT Prep test in these 2 weeks. I always scored around 690 in the MGMAT tests. I scored 710 in the final GMAT PREP that I took before the day of exam. I was very disappointed when I scored 660 in the actual exam. I am confused about the reason for this drop. Is it because I stretched too much on the last days of exam or is it because my preparation was always around 690. Now I badly want to appear for the 3rd time and cross 720 benchmark. But where to start is my problem. I have already done the GMAT book (13 edition) twice and I know most of the questions by now. Same with MGMAT and GMAT PREP exams. Now even if I practice these questions again, not sure if it will be of any help to cross the 720 mark. Please help.

[StaceyKoprince]

I'm sorry you had a disappointing test experience. It could be that you burned yourself out, yes - it's not a good idea to cram for this test. You could also have timing problems, you could have been suffering from mental fatigue, your practice test scores could have been inflated... there are all kinds of reasons why.

It's also the case that these tests have standard deviations - and your score drop is within the standard deviation expected for our own tests, though a little bit more than expected for GMATPrep.

Did you take your practice tests under 100% official conditions, including essay and IR? Did you do the essay and IR sections as seriously as you did on the real test? Did you limit yourself to two 8-minute breaks? Etc. If you gave yourself any leeway on practice tests that you don't get on the real test, then your practice scores might have been artificially inflated.

I have already done the GMAT book (13 edition) twice and I know most of the questions by now. Same with MGMAT and GMAT PREP exams.

As you'll learn if you read my posts around here, just because you've done the problems, and just because you know the answers, that doesn't mean you're necessarily done *studying* those problems.

Read this and pay particular attention to the How to Study portions of the second half:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... an-part-1/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... an-part-2/

Were you learning in that way? Or is there room for you to do better?

How was your timing? It's very difficult to score 720+ if you have even minor timing problems (and just finishing the sections on time does not mean that you don't have timing problems!). Read these:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... to-win-it/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... nt-part-1/

Take a look at this for other ideas about why your score may have dropped:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ent-wrong/

Then come back here and answer all of my questions above. Also, 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. (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!)

[shraddhey]

Hi Stacey,
Same happened with me.
last year on 8th Sep-11 I scored 690 (50,34). I thought I did not do well on verbal and wanted to re-take the exam. I had 2 other exams, and hence could not take GMAT date earlier than Oct-12. I fell sick 2 weeks before the exam. So, I postponed it by a month to 9-Nov-12. On GMATPrep, I scored 720 on 7th nov. And on MGMATs, my score range was 700-710. When I went to the center, I was rejected because there was a mismatch in the names on ID and on the appointment. I then took the next official test date - 3rd Dec-12.
I scored 730,720,710 (V38-40) on MGMATs (although these were repeats). 1 week before the exam I scored 770 (Q51, V44) on GMATPrep1 (re-installed, few repeats Qs) and on 1st Dec-12, I scored 750 (Q50, V40) on GMATPrep2 (few repeats Qs). I solved each question as I was looking at it for the first time. I took all the test with IR ( but without AWA). All tests were timed and I followed all break timings.

But, today when I took the Official GMAT, I scored 660 (Q49, V31). Throughout the test I thought that I was doing good but when I saw the score I was shocked. So shocked that I could not stop laughing for a min. RC was my weakness, and I thought I did ok on RC.
Now I have the same questions. I have exhausted the best resources/tests available in the market. Could you please help with some suggestions.

Thanks a lot in anticipation of your response.

[StaceyKoprince]

Hi, shraddhey, can you please start your own post so that we can discuss your case separately? It's too hard for me to have two different people in the same thread - I need to be able to separate out the history / things that you post over time.

In that post, please also include data on your verbal strengths and weaknesses from your recent practice tests. (Don't use data from tests that had repeated questions - those scores are artificially inflated.) This article will help you analyze your MGMAT CATs:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

I can already think of one thing that certainly didn't help you: you skipped the essay on your practice tests. Therefore, your practice tests were 30m shorter than the real thing. In other words, while you were doing the last half of verbal on the real test, you were normally already done on practice tests - so you weren't fully prepared for the mental stamina needed for the full length of the exam.