Messed my GMAT.Just got a 550 after 4 months of dedicated efforts

manotswati

Hi,
I took the GMAT on 17th September,07, but I messed it.
Got a 42 in Quant and just 23 in Verbal.My total score was just 550 !
I am really dissapointed and dejected.
I have been putting dedicated efforts since the past 4 months.
My scores in the Prep tests were in the range of 640-700.
My analysis after the final GMAT was:-
-My time management was poor.I ran short of time in the Verbal section, as a result of which, I had to guess in a lot of places in the Verbal section.Even in THe Qaunt section, my time management was not that good, but was definately better tahn Verbal.
-My performane in the Quant Section was also below average. i have been scoring in the range of 48-49 in the preparatory tests.
-I did a few of silly mistakes in Quant and lacked patience.

-I was also not very confident while answering the Verbal questions.
From my score, it is quite evident that I need to concentrate more on improving my Verbal skills.
Please suggest me ways to improve my score. I desperately need help an d would really appreciate positive criticism and suggestions.
Also, by how many points in the score anticiapted to improve in roughly 5-6 weeks.
Planning to retake the GMAT by October end or November first week.
Thanks & Regards,
Swati

padfoot

"Shi* happens"

Same thing happened with me, after 4 months of preparations and a score of 720 plus in my mocks and a max of 770 i too screwed it up !! Chalta hai , dont worry improve and work on your mistakes !!!

manotswati · 11:40 PM

Please suggest me ways in which I can improve on my time management part.Other suggestions are also welcome.I would like to know a good strategy that may be helpful for me.
Thanks,
Swati

ASHISH MISHRA

Swati,
Looking into my mock scores,I am afraid that i am at all the person who should be suggesting anybody but from my own experience i would like to share one thing:

I havent been much oriented about the accuracy along with the intelligent guess work .which i think should also be worked upon once any candidate is through with the basic prep
As for me i know that these are the two things that ineed to work upon in order to improve my scores a bit if not in any leaps

I hope you can also come up with some shortcoming but yes after a good relaxation & then a retrospection .

Best Of luck and keep the faith in yourself
Remember ..... No body but you can help yourself.

Punk

Hey,

This is what even I faced in the GMAT. My scores in practice tests were in the range of 680-700 and finally ended up getting a sad 610. Funnily i found the level of questions a bit higher than the prac. tests. And believe me I just coudn't eliminate incorrect options in Verbal. They all looked same. Planning a retake after month. Still to get over the shock

sachin_h · 12:22 PM

Hi,

Hard luck guys....
I took GMAT on 12th of this month and scored 680..(I was expecting 700+)....

I think practice tests like Princeton, 800Score.com are way too easy than the actual GMAT....So those scores are not indicative...Take these tests only for practice...

I found Maths to be tougher than any other practice questions i had done....
Sometimes DS questions might seem to be easy, but don't be impatient and mark the answer immediately..verify it by considering all the scenarios....

For time management, I wud advice that u should not waste a lot of time on any question....I was stuck up at question no 9 & 10 in maths and wasted a lot of time on these 2 questions and so ended guessing 4-5 questions in end...& all these questions were formula based questions, but i didn't had time to solve them....

For verbal i wud advise to use Manhattan SC ed 2003....
Also, Kaplan 800 SC questions are good...read all the strategies and try to use these strategies in all practice questions....

One more thing, I think that the OG questions for both verbal & quant are quite easy...Only the last 50 questions in the OG for each sections are the difficult ones...
All other questions are of the 500-550 level mark...

Also, while taking practice tests at home...be sure to take the entire tests in one sitting including 2 essays....I had taken some 5 tests this way..but still when i took the actaul GMAT..i was pretty exhausted after quant section and got a headache....
Looking at the computer screen for 4 hrs is no easy task....

All the Best to all of you....

Chak De....

manotswati

Hi Sachin,
Which tests do you suggest to take ? The GMAT Prep tests have repetition, if I download and reinstall the software.Other than Princeton tests, there is no other choice left, I guess !
Swati

sachin_h · 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manotswati

Hi Sachin,
Which tests do you suggest to take ? The GMAT Prep tests have repetition, if I download and reinstall the software.Other than Princeton tests, there is no other choice left, I guess !
Swati

I believe it will be the same case with all other tests..the questions will repeat....This is catch 22 situation....But i will still advise to take GMATPrep tests..Try to get maximum questions right....I agree that the scores will be inflated in case u know the questions....
did u take kaplan tests...but even they show too less scores....

I am not sure abt other tests like Nova, IMS, Big CD....

One more thing, which i forgot to put in last post....
U can try OG Verbal review and kaplan verbal questions...Kaplan verbal questions r of GMAT level and r good for practice...
Also, i would not advise to use the 1000SCs, for the simple reason that they don't provide answer explanations...
At the same time i wud like to tell that questions in 1000SC are from OG 10/11, OG verbal review, kaplan 800, kaplan verbal books..so its better using these books rather than 1000SCs

Punk

Hey Sachin,

Are you planning to take the GMAT again or gonna apply with this score itself.

taurushimmat

Hii...
I think i am on the same boat as most of my friends here in this thread..
Got abysmal 550 score...but wont apply with this score..would go for retake..
friends if u could help me...Does any one have IMS tests..in soft..i would be grateful to u..if any one could post me.......
All the best and yes!@@!! do post ur individual strategies also..to tackle this D-Mat...it is Demon Mat..for me...
regards..