Retake with 710 (Q48, V40, IR5) ?

[batman08]

Hi all,

I finally got done with my GMAT this week. I got a 710 overall score (92 percentile) with 48 in Quant (74 percentile), 40 in Verbal (91 percentile) and 5 in IR (52 percentile). I am not terribly happy about my score due to the low percentiles in the Quant and IR sections. I am a Software Engineer and have an advanced degree in mathematics :( from a top US university.

I got the same overall score in the GMATPrep mocks (3-4 days before my test date) with scores between 48-50 in Quant and 35-40 in Verbal. In the GMATPrep 4 exam, I got a 50 in Quant with only 3 incorrect questions. Verbal didn't go so well due to timing issue.

My MGMAT scores were as follows: 650, 660, 520, 620. Timing in MGMAT Quant mocks was always an issue for me.

I found the Quant questions in the actual exam to be a bit trickier than what I had encountered during my preparation. Also, my AWA didn't go as well as I had wanted to. I was barely able to finish it before time ran out and this unsettled me a bit going into IR.

I have been studying for a long time for the test and rescheduled my appointment a couple of times in the hope of improving my score. I am wondering if this an ok score to apply to the top B schools in US or should I retake the exam ? Will the low percentiles in Quant and IR hinder my chances ? I want to apply for MBA programs this year and would ideally not like to give the exam again. Also, if I do think about applying again, can I realistically improve my score ? Please note that I have been studying for around 5 months. Would appreciate any advice.

p.s. - A big thanks to the Manhattan staff for their invaluable advice. Stacey's blog on timing was a big help. I wish I had seen it earlier and not a week before my exam. My Verbal skills improved a lot just by reading the SC/CR discussions here (Thank you Ron and Tim). I wish I could have done better in the other sections :(

[StaceyKoprince]

From everything I have heard from both admissions directors and admissions consultants, your quant scores are fine. Even the top schools are looking only for about Q47, and if someone already has a quant background, then they don't look at it as "oh, you should have scored higher." Rather, they look at it as, "oh, yeah, you can totally handle all of the accounting, finance, and stats stuff we'll be doing. No problem."

As of now, the schools are mostly using IR only as a "plus / minus" - someone scoring 7 or 8 gets a little plus and someone scoring 1 or 2 gets a little minus. Everyone in the middle gets a shrug. :)

So my general thought is: Great job! Get started on your applications!

But I also suggest that you talk to an admissions consultant because this is really their area of expertise, not mine. MBA Mission offers free half-hour phone consultations - I'd take them up on that offer!

(Also, just note: it would be in my business interest to tell people, yes, you have to study and take the test again! Sign up for my program! But I'm not actually saying that. In other words, I really am telling you what I believe to be in your best interests. :)

Thanks for the thanks - I'm glad we were able to help!