GMAT Score 630 Advice Needed

[lmgs]

Hi,

Total: 630
39Q (50th percentile - ouch I know)
38V (83 Percentile)

I just came back from taking the GMAT exam and, like many, I am disappointed with my score. I will say that my score was in line with what I was scoring (in total) on my latest GMAT Prep and MGMAT exams; however, the breakdown was significantly different which surprised me.

On both GMATPrep and MGMAT I was scoring around 70 percentile in Verbal, so it was nice to see my verbal score go up. My Quant on the actual test was horrible! Let me explain what happened. So I start out on the Quant section, and I know for a fact I got the first 2 questions right (they were almost exactly like 2 mid level questions I recognized in the OG guide). So for the first 7 to 9 questions all is going well. Then I get to about the 10th question, which was a geometry problem and it really baffled me. I spent about 4 or 5 mins on this one. So I finally select an answer and move on. The next question seemed deceptively easy so I stared at it about 3 mins then chose an answer. After these questions, I glance at the time and I start to get nervous (I have read horror stories about people not finishing and how it really affects their score). So at this point I tell myself to really pick up the pace. Thereafter, I start to fly (and I mean fly) through the questions, something that is evident with my 9:30seconds remaining after I submitted the 37th question. After that 10th question, the questions got easier and easier, which really discouraged me. I then proceeded to have an "if I don't know the answer within 30seconds, guess" type of attitude. Don't ask me why I told myself this (lol).

What is weird is that I scored around 70 something percentile in my MGMAT CAT Q (last one) then I moved on the the GMAC GMATPrep and scored (took it twice with 0 repeated questions surprisingly) exactly 43 and 42 on the Quant section (getting about 13-15 wrong in the section). I have read all the MGMAT math guides front to back. I know that with more work on verbal (barely studied because I knew it was a strength) and a better math strategy I can potentially crack 700.

1. Should I blindly schedule my exam in 45 days? (The busiest time of the quarter is approaching for my group and will last for about the next month or so) Or should I study more and take the MGMATs and GMATPrep exams again and then when I start to score in the 700 range on those, schedule my exam?

2. I want to switch up my study strategy this time around. I feel for the amount of time I studied (roughly 4 months) I didn't score as well as I should, especially considering I scored fairly well on the SAT with little to know studying.

Your professional advise is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[StaceyKoprince]

Okay, so you massively messed up your timing on quant. :) That's actually good news - because they've done studies on the people who tend to improve when taking the real test for the 2nd time (vs. those who don't), and timing is the #1 factor people who improve have in common. They mess up the timing the first time around, they fix it the second time around, and the score goes up. (Assuming you do fix it the second time around!)

So just fixing the timing along will raise your overall score. If you want to go for a 700, then yes, you'll also need to get better at the content.

See here for timing:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... anagement/

For content, use the below article to analyze your most recent MGMAT CATs and then come back here to tell us what you found out:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Your question about when to schedule is tough. Ordinarily, I'd say, no, don't schedule blindly. BUT. The GMAT is changing in early June. The last date that the current version will be given is 2 June. On 5 June, a new version will launch with a new section called Integrated Reasoning. So if you take it after 5 June, you'll also have to take this new section.

You still wouldn't necessarily have to schedule right now, but here's the thing: because the test is changing, EVERYbody's scheduling exams for May, and the test centers are starting to book up. So I would schedule something for later May just in case. If you decide you don't want to take it then, you can reschedule for the new test - but at least you'll have the option to take the old version if you feel you're ready.

Re: switching up your study strategy, I totally agree. Read this:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/a ... roblem.cfm

Were you doing that kind of analysis when studying practice problems? If not, you left a lot of learning on the table. You may have been more focused on getting through a certain number of assignments or problems - most people are - and, in doing so, didn't actually learn a lot of what you could have learned on all of those problems. Fewer problems, more analysis - switch it up. :)

You may also want to look at various resources in this article:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -the-gmat/