GMAT 640->620, but want 740...please advise

[daniel.che.yi.chu]

Hi all,

Last year, I've been trying to beat the GMAT diligently and at first, I got a 540 (Q:44, V:21).

I didn't give up and tried again in a month, then I got a 640 (Q:47, V:30).

Application deadline for round 2 was approaching so I was preping my apps while spending a few hours a week to study, I went back and got a 620 (Q:51, V:24).

That was January this year. But that also meant, I have taken the GMAT 3 times already...

My questions are:

1. Have I tried too many times already that the school is just going to discount my score anyway?
2. I've gone through the 3 official guides multiple times already. How do I prep for my GMAT now?
3. Do I still stand a chance to get a 740?

p.s., I am taking the MGMT 9-session online now. Do you think I am wasting my time or?

Thank you very much,

[StaceyKoprince]

First of all, wow, nice improvement from your first score!

Re: how the schools will view multiple tests, go and ask this same question in the "Ask an Admissions Consultant" folder. If you know which schools you're going to apply to, tell them that too, because reactions vary depending upon the school.

Re: having used OG already, I've said this before many times on the forum but I'll say it again here: if you don't have the score you want, then you didn't learn what you needed to learn from the official questions. There is no better source than the OG for "pure" practice problems - they are the real thing. The issue is not that you have "done" the questions multiple times. The issue is that you have not analyzed the questions appropriately to extract what you need to learn in order to tackle the new questions you'll see on the real test.

Re: a 740, it is incredibly difficult for anyone to score at that level, regardless of their history with the test. So, will your history prevent you from getting that score? No, not necessarily. But by definition, only 3% of all test-takers score 740 or higher. So the odds are not that great no matter who you are or how you study.

Finally, if you don't yet have the score that you want, then you are not wasting your time by taking a class. Just remember that you need to focus on HOW you are studying. Doing really well on this test (especially 740+!) requires extensive analysis of the structure of the questions, the way in which they present information, what kinds of reasoning they consider appropriate (on verbal especially), what the traps are and how to avoid them, how to guess, how to manage your time to your best avantage, etc. Your study is all about how to take the test, not just how to do the question sitting in front of you right now (you'll never see that question on the test anyway!).

Talk to your instructors about this and see what suggestions they can give you about how to study, particularly on the verbal. (Math is obviously your big strength, so just keep up your skills there.) Make sure to give them your testing history and point out that your verbal score dropped on your third test. If you have any theories as to why your verbal score dropped, tell them that too!

[daniel.che.yi.chu]

Thanks very much Stacey.

Thank you,

[JonathanSchneider]

: )