GMAT score dropped dramatically from GMATPrep Practice Exams

[confusedgmatashley]

Hi,

I've been studying for the GMAT constantly for the last 8 months (at least 25+ hrs per week).

As context, I took the GMAT back in 2010 and scored a 650 (46 Quant, 34 Verbal). When I got this score, I just graduated college and only used Kaplan to study for 3 weeks (which I didn't like)

I started studying again late 2013 and finished the course in January 2014 (in person, 9-week course). I had the goal of getting a 700+

Here's the breakdown of how my scores evolved over the 8 month period:

12/2/2013 Manhattan CAT 2 - 590 (Q42, V31) - [just began course]
1/24/2014 Manhattan CAT 3 - 600 (Q45, V29) [2 classes remaining]
2/8/2014 Manhattan CAT 4 - 660 (Q44, V36) [finished course]
3/2/2014 Manhattan CAT 5 - 610 (Q40, V34) [finished course]
4/26/24 Manhattan CAT 6 - 660 (Q45, V35) [finished course, begin some tutoring]

Then I spent 20+ hrs with personal in-person Manhattan GMAT Tutoring

Took 2 MBA.com prep exams and scored
Practice MBA.com #1 5/15/2014 - 690 (Q47, V38)
Practice MBA.com #2 6/1/2014 - 690 (Q47, V38)

Took the Actual Exam and didn't finish verbal section
Official Exam: 6/14/2014 - 610 (Q44, V29)

Took a couple weeks off and then focused on only verbal. Bought an the extra MBA.com GMAT exams.
Scored
Practice MBA.com #3 7/14/14 - 720 (Q48, V40)

After finally breaking 700 before the exam, I was so relieved and it had confirmed to me that my official GMAT score was probably factored by something else.

I just took the exam again today. Finished all sections. Finished verbal 8 minutes early. Felt confident that I was going to score 650+ before I finished
Cancelled my score after I saw it -
620 (Q44, V32)

How is it possible that 4 days before the exam I scored 100 pts higher?

I feel so defeated because I am going to probably end up using my score from 2010 to apply for schools. I feel like I just wasted over $5K in tutoring, courses, advanced workshops and 8 months of time for nothing. I spoke to my Manhattan GMAT tutor about it too and he is also not sure and assumes its anxiety driven. I just don't understand how I could end this long journey this way.

Should I re-take the exam or just focus on my applications at this point? What would you suggest? Also if I am never going to reach a 650+ score, because of my experience, is there any refund I can even apply for?

So sad and confused.

[StaceyKoprince]

I'm sorry you've had such a rough test experience. We'll get to the bottom of it - we're just going to have to dig into the data to figure it out.

First, have you done a Post-Exam Assessment? This is a phone call with an instructor to figure out what happened on test day and come up with a plan to re-take the test. Since you took our course / did tutoring, you're eligible - if you haven't already, please send an email to gmat@manhattanprep.com to request the Post-Exam Assessment.

I also have some questions for you. Regarding the GMATPrep test you took on July 14th (test #3), did you take that test under 100% official conditions, including the essay and IR sections, number and duration of breaks, etc?

I'm trying to figure out whether that test score was a valid predictor or whether there might be reasons that it was artificially inflated. Skipping an earlier section or taking longer breaks would give you more mental energy later on - energy that you won't get on the real test - so that could be one factor.

Second, I think timing was likely a factor on the third test as well (the one you canceled). You mentioned running out of time on verbal on the 2nd test, which would of course have pulled your score down. Then you mentioned finishing 8 minutes early on the 3rd test - that's early enough that you almost certainly made careless mistakes due to rushing.

This happens sometimes, unfortunately, when people are struggling with timing - they sometimes go too far in the opposite direction at first. If you were struggling to finish before, then you go too quickly for a while until you swing back towards the middle and find the happy medium. (And when you go too quickly, usually you think you're doing just fine, because you don't realize that you're making careless mistakes.)

You did pick up some points - finishing early is better than not finishing at all - but your performance likely still suffered from the timing.

It's also likely that nerves are playing into this as well. Everyone's more nervous when taking the real thing than when taking a practice test, of course. Those nerves can also exaggerate any problematic areas - where you might go only a little too fast (or too slow) in practice, you may go even faster (or slower) on the real thing.

Can you take a look at this article to see whether you think any of the circumstances described here apply to you?
https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/inde ... t-wrong-2/

And I have one more question for you: what did you do in the final 5 days before your last exam? You mentioned taking a practice test 4 days before. I'm wondering whether you may have burned yourself out a bit in the last few days, which would again go along with the idea that you finished early and thought things were fine. (That also tends to happen when we're burned out mentally.)

Finally, I'd like to take a look at your verbal CAT data in our system but I don't want you to post identifying information here. Can you send an email to gmat@manhattanprep.com and ask that the email be forwarded to me? Tell them that I asked you to do this. Include a link to this forum thread as well as the name and email address used on your MGMAT account.