***470 - Beyond Distraught***

[m.campanella]

Hello all,

The GMAT took me for an absolute hellride this morning. Like so many others, I felt extremely well prepared going into it. I took a tutorial class that my university offerred. I purchased the Princeton Review "Cracking the GMAT," the "Official guide to GMAT review," and "Bob Miller's Math for the GMAT." I felt comfortable with most topics. I did one practice test on GMAT prep and scored a 590, before actually studying and taking the class. I was aiming at at least 650, with my school's mean GMAT score at around 640. I figured "Well, if I got a 590 without studying, now that I've studied, I should get at least 600, right?"

Wrong.

How terribly, terribly wrong.

The Business School gatekeepers at ACT completely pwned me with today's gmat. On Verbal, which I considered my forte' prior to today, I scored a mediocre:
Scaled Percentile
Verbal 33 66

What brought my score down, as I feared it would, was my math score. I knew that the questions were weighted "heavy up top" so I took my time with the first questions. I took like 4 minutes on the first question. Then to make sure that I kept going in the right direction I took almost another 4 minutes on the second question. I kept getting questions on material that I find most difficult, like Positive/Negative numbers, Even/Odd numbers, complicated roots and exponents. Number properties really kill me. Anyway, I ended up having only half the questions done with time winding down fast. I had to guess for about half of the questions without even reading the question. To tell you how bad it was, I didn't even have time to finish GUESSING at all the questions, I didn't have time to GUESS at the last two. That's how much of a total FAIL I was.

Needless, to say the score, and my psyche, were decimated. I ended up scoring an abysmal, pathetic, ludicrous:
Scaled Percentile
Quantitative 22 11

11th percentile. Eleventh percentile. Once. Undici. XI. 10+1. 99/9 percentile.

To make up a grand total of (Drum roll please, ladies and germs,):

Q 22 11
V 33 66
T 470 29

I am going to take the test again, before April 30th, my school deadline. Any words of encouragment, studying tips or advice as to how to figure out:

1) Pos/Neg questions
2) Even/Odd
3) Square Roots
4) Exponents

is greatly appreciated.


Thanks,
Matt C.
"Down but not out!!!"

[rickflava]

dont feel too distraught..wotchu need now is an intense study plan, even engineers fumble on the quant section too, take heart....xxx

[missy_enna]

"Down but not out!!!"

This is a good word... you can do it!! Good luck

[m.campanella]

Thank you Rick and Missy!!

Rick, any ideas on how to approach that intense study plan? I extend this question to anyone who may be reading.

[IVY MBA]

Hey man, sorry to hear what happened. The best thing I can recommend for you is doing TIMED practice tests. Hopefully you have already bought the Official Guide for quant review.

There are free timed practice tests.

DO THESE FOR SURE:

- TWO tests on GmatPrep Free GMATPrep® Test Preparation Software
(personally, the second test predicted my real score exactly)

-Manhattan GMAT has a free CAT if you just set up an account with them (takes two minutes)

-Princeton Review has an online test that is a CAT

-Download PowerPrep software (just google it and you'll find a link) there are two tests with this software

Remember to review your answers to see what you did wrong. Review your right and wrong answers because you may have got some right that you just guessed on.

[m.campanella]

Thanks a ton IVY, great advice. I'm doing a GMAT a day.


Any advice on even/odd questions and prime number questions?

[IVY MBA]

Thanks a ton IVY, great advice. I'm doing a GMAT a day.


Any advice on even/odd questions and prime number questions?

Not exactly sure what you mean. If you give me some examples I'll try my best to help.

[mitzi]

Until you throw a towel the game is not over.

Rest and focus on your training. you will get it!
Wish you all the best!

Mitzi

[asif2311]

hey mate do not worry at all, i scored a 460 after scoring a 550 in gmat prep in nov i gave the real gmat, needed just over 500 couldnt do it and u know i never felt so distrought and lonely. I gave the test on nov13th and found testmagic the next day, u can see my post of my horrible experience. I tell u the positives u have -
1 u have gone through the real stuff so be sure u wunt be as nervous as u would have been that day, i was shivering at the entrence, i know u were confident before the test but the whole experience is overwhelming for a debutant.
2 am sure thy putting in that extra yard which Gmat requires, as for me i thought the gmat would not be realy tough but it demands clarity of thought and concepts from the test taker and am sure u must have realised it by now.
3 You would be reasonably calm and confident. I assure you a 50 point increase in score even if u wouldnt have studied a single word till your next test, just on the sheer fact of thy experience of the test.

so be calm and confident and u will master the test. btw am gonna give a second shot on may 26th so as you beat me by 10 points last time around I will be looking forward to your score this time...good luck and do not worry GMAT is not the end of the world

[nehakhatree]

i have known many aspirants who have got a jump of 100-180 in their second GMAT attempt. So dont worry.

Unless u give up, u dont loose. Just focus on your weak areas and you will be through. A good score in GMAT is not a goldmine which only few in history get.

Cheers
Neha