Hi, I've been studying and getting ready for the GMAT for a while. I took the test two days ago and my score is just a big nightmare. Actual test 08/29/2007 470 ( 20V 35Q ). I took the six MGMAT tests:
1 - 08/03/2007 - 590 - 31V 42Q
2 - 08/07/2007 - 630 - 33V 43Q
3 - 08/14/2007 - 550 - 31V 35Q (terrible day, the only test I stopped in the middle of Q and took a break, it was very early in the morning)
4 - 08/17/2007 - 590 - 32V 39Q
5 - 08/20/2007 - 600 - 31V 43Q
6 - 08/22/2007 - 620 - 34V 41Q
GMATPrep 1 - 560 - 26V 42Q - 08/24/2007
GMATPrep 2 - 580 - 25V 44Q - 08/27/2007
My first language is Portuguese. I’ve scheduled a new appointment 10/17/2007. My goal on the first attempt was somewhere around 600 (580,590,600,610), that would be enough for my apps need.
All tests were timed and I tried to mimic the real exam as much as I could, always without the essays, including actual test.
I was already disappointed with verbal in the GMATPrep tests, imagine my shock when I saw the 470. I always read MGMAT CAT's were pretty accurate. My questions are: Is my level really 470 or something different happened? I wasn't that nervous. Do the first 5 or 10 questions in each part really play a huge difference in the final score? I would appreciate if any of you gave me a little hint. I've already started to study for verbal in a different way, but I need all the extra help I can get to hit my goal in October. I decided to take my test based on the scores I was getting, guess my failure is related to the wrong impressions I was receiving from the scores I got. Anyway
Thanks,
Rodrigo
GMAT Forum
4 postsPage 1 of 1
- cunha79
- StaceyKoprince
- ManhattanGMAT Staff
- Posts: 9360
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:05 am
- Location: Montreal
I would need some more information about what happened on your actual test to help you figure out what happened. The first 5 to 10 questions are NOT weighted more heavily than other questions on the test - your performance there is no more important than your performance over the entire section.
How was your pacing? Did you answer all of the questions comfortably or did you get behind on time and have to rush or guess on a lot of questions towards the end? That's typically the most common reason that people score much lower on the real thing than they did in practice. There is a huge penalty for running out of time and not answering all of the questions, and we're also penalized more for getting lower level questions wrong than higher level questions, so if you have to rush and make careless mistakes on easier problems, your score will go down a lot.
How did you feel in general - did you feel okay or did you feel nervous? Were you so nervous that it made it tough to concentrate?
You said "I tried to mimic the real exam as much as I could, always without the essays, including actual test. " Did you mean to say "without" or did you want to say "with"? If "without" why didn't you do the essays on the real test?
You look like you were doing well on your practice tests, so we have to figure out what went wrong on the real test. Write down EVERYthing you can remember about that test, good and bad, and post again.
How was your pacing? Did you answer all of the questions comfortably or did you get behind on time and have to rush or guess on a lot of questions towards the end? That's typically the most common reason that people score much lower on the real thing than they did in practice. There is a huge penalty for running out of time and not answering all of the questions, and we're also penalized more for getting lower level questions wrong than higher level questions, so if you have to rush and make careless mistakes on easier problems, your score will go down a lot.
How did you feel in general - did you feel okay or did you feel nervous? Were you so nervous that it made it tough to concentrate?
You said "I tried to mimic the real exam as much as I could, always without the essays, including actual test. " Did you mean to say "without" or did you want to say "with"? If "without" why didn't you do the essays on the real test?
You look like you were doing well on your practice tests, so we have to figure out what went wrong on the real test. Write down EVERYthing you can remember about that test, good and bad, and post again.
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
- cunha79
Stacey, thanks for the help.
I have to say that I was probably a little nervous due to the importance of the test, but nothing that in my opinion would be the reason for that score. I started quant that way (a little nervous), but felt pretty comfortable as the test went on. I have to tell you that when I finished Q and took the break I felt like my performance on that was better than any practice test. (and as you saw I was getting 42,43,44 almost always), so that's something I can tell you I actually got a 35 thinking my performance would be better than the Cat’s I took before even after I finished Q in the real thing....weird huh? Pacing is always perfect for me....I don't know if that's a problem, but I don't spend much time on questions I don't know or those that I know but would take me more time than I have. So pacing was just as I have planned. I've read in some forum that sometimes it's a good strategy to make sure you get the first ten right even if you have to make wild guesses by the end.
Verbal was tough, harder than MGMAT and GMATPrep. Couldn't really see the right answers specially on SC. RC (probably my weakest part) also very challenging. One thing that puzzled me was the difference in my V scores from MGMAT and GMATPrep, that just came up a few days before the test and really made me think. Anyway, I started V thinking "If I don't screw V I'll be just fine" which wasn't true. I hope this helps......I didn't think that huge difference would happen with me, I've seen some people that take GMATPrep many times, knowing all the questions, getting a 730 and thinking they would get the same score in the real test. I didn't fool myself like that, but something happened that I don't know how to explain.
About the essays: The program I'm going to (hopefully) does not take the AWA in consideration, so I just didn't and won't do them, I always just skip that part, even in the real test. Thank you Stacey, I've read some of your answers to some other posters and I want to congratulate you for the professional and caring replies you give, it doesn’t seem like "Oh I have other 25 stupid questions to answer let me just get it done with" Thank you very much. I'm sure the replies are always appreciated for those getting their concerns solved......If you need anything else, let me know.........I'm trying to convince myself that it was just one of those days things were not suppose to happen my way..........But I'm trying to get more of the concepts more deeply to don't be surprised once again......later....Rodrigo
I have to say that I was probably a little nervous due to the importance of the test, but nothing that in my opinion would be the reason for that score. I started quant that way (a little nervous), but felt pretty comfortable as the test went on. I have to tell you that when I finished Q and took the break I felt like my performance on that was better than any practice test. (and as you saw I was getting 42,43,44 almost always), so that's something I can tell you I actually got a 35 thinking my performance would be better than the Cat’s I took before even after I finished Q in the real thing....weird huh? Pacing is always perfect for me....I don't know if that's a problem, but I don't spend much time on questions I don't know or those that I know but would take me more time than I have. So pacing was just as I have planned. I've read in some forum that sometimes it's a good strategy to make sure you get the first ten right even if you have to make wild guesses by the end.
Verbal was tough, harder than MGMAT and GMATPrep. Couldn't really see the right answers specially on SC. RC (probably my weakest part) also very challenging. One thing that puzzled me was the difference in my V scores from MGMAT and GMATPrep, that just came up a few days before the test and really made me think. Anyway, I started V thinking "If I don't screw V I'll be just fine" which wasn't true. I hope this helps......I didn't think that huge difference would happen with me, I've seen some people that take GMATPrep many times, knowing all the questions, getting a 730 and thinking they would get the same score in the real test. I didn't fool myself like that, but something happened that I don't know how to explain.
About the essays: The program I'm going to (hopefully) does not take the AWA in consideration, so I just didn't and won't do them, I always just skip that part, even in the real test. Thank you Stacey, I've read some of your answers to some other posters and I want to congratulate you for the professional and caring replies you give, it doesn’t seem like "Oh I have other 25 stupid questions to answer let me just get it done with" Thank you very much. I'm sure the replies are always appreciated for those getting their concerns solved......If you need anything else, let me know.........I'm trying to convince myself that it was just one of those days things were not suppose to happen my way..........But I'm trying to get more of the concepts more deeply to don't be surprised once again......later....Rodrigo
- StaceyKoprince
- ManhattanGMAT Staff
- Posts: 9360
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:05 am
- Location: Montreal
Sometimes we do just have "one of those days." Sorry not to reply until now; Monday (my other day I'm on) was a holiday here, so we weren't working that day. A couple of comments on your last post.
I know I've already said this, but it's so important that I want to make sure I'm clear: DO NOT do this. It is a terrible strategy and will bring your score down. It's a myth that this helps your score - a study was done a long time ago that someone misinterpreted by not bothering to read the methodology thoroughly and this myth was born and refuses to die. Essentially, that study did find that you could raise your score by getting the first 7 questions in a row right, but the methodology specifically assumed that you did not have to take any extra time to do this, and that you did not have to guess at the end as a result of running out of time. The study even showed, specifically, that if you have to guess on more than 3 questions at the end, your score will be even lower than it would have been if you didn't use this strategy at all.
You also mentioned that you thought the math went well - but that's actually a cause for concern, not a good thing. The better you do, the harder the test feels, because you are constantly working right at the edge of your ability level. Generally, if it feels easy, that means you're not doing as well as you normally do. Totally paradoxical, I know, but that's how the test works. Your problem with Quant may have been the initial nerves and not being warmed up properly. Did you do some questions in the waiting room before you went in to make sure you were ready to go when the test started? You don't want to warm up on the actual test.
Of course, just because it feels hard doesn't mean it's definitely going well, as you saw on the verbal section. You knew that you were struggling with this one and that knowledge, as you moved through the test, might have made it even harder for you to perform well - that is, you got more nervous as the section went on and that pulled down your performance. Ironically, there's a good chance that you were actually doing better at the beginning but, because you felt like you were struggling, it affected you mentally and brought your performance down. Next time, you need to remember that you want to feel like the test is really hard and it's challenging you.
Since you know that SC and RC gave you trouble, do make sure you review those areas intensively, of course. But more than anything, it does sound like you might have had a slow start and then been nervous, and that just brought you down. If you remember anything else from the test day that you think might be relevant, let me know!
I've read in some forum that sometimes it's a good strategy to make sure you get the first ten right even if you have to make wild guesses by the end.
I know I've already said this, but it's so important that I want to make sure I'm clear: DO NOT do this. It is a terrible strategy and will bring your score down. It's a myth that this helps your score - a study was done a long time ago that someone misinterpreted by not bothering to read the methodology thoroughly and this myth was born and refuses to die. Essentially, that study did find that you could raise your score by getting the first 7 questions in a row right, but the methodology specifically assumed that you did not have to take any extra time to do this, and that you did not have to guess at the end as a result of running out of time. The study even showed, specifically, that if you have to guess on more than 3 questions at the end, your score will be even lower than it would have been if you didn't use this strategy at all.
You also mentioned that you thought the math went well - but that's actually a cause for concern, not a good thing. The better you do, the harder the test feels, because you are constantly working right at the edge of your ability level. Generally, if it feels easy, that means you're not doing as well as you normally do. Totally paradoxical, I know, but that's how the test works. Your problem with Quant may have been the initial nerves and not being warmed up properly. Did you do some questions in the waiting room before you went in to make sure you were ready to go when the test started? You don't want to warm up on the actual test.
Of course, just because it feels hard doesn't mean it's definitely going well, as you saw on the verbal section. You knew that you were struggling with this one and that knowledge, as you moved through the test, might have made it even harder for you to perform well - that is, you got more nervous as the section went on and that pulled down your performance. Ironically, there's a good chance that you were actually doing better at the beginning but, because you felt like you were struggling, it affected you mentally and brought your performance down. Next time, you need to remember that you want to feel like the test is really hard and it's challenging you.
Since you know that SC and RC gave you trouble, do make sure you review those areas intensively, of course. But more than anything, it does sound like you might have had a slow start and then been nervous, and that just brought you down. If you remember anything else from the test day that you think might be relevant, let me know!
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
4 posts Page 1 of 1