1420 GRE: 770Q, 650V (my second attempt)

[OilRedO]

Finally!!!!!!

I took my first GRE 2 weeks ago. Here is my first thread http://www.urch.com/forums/just-fini...q740-v420.html (Gre 1160: Q740 V420)

First time I got 740Q and 420V and was very upset with verbal score. I just got my first test's official score yesterday. It even upset me more because I was able to got a big bunch of question right, but my Verbal score was just 420. Last night, I was so dejected. I think I would just rest the second test on luck.

AWA :

I did it quite bad because I couldn't think of enough supporting ideas for Issue writing. Oh well...even if I will get 2 on AWA, I don't care anymore.

Verbal:

After the break, I just prayed and prayed and hope that I would have some luck this time. I prayed for not to get reading comprehension in the first 10 questions. It seemed like it was my day. reading comprehension came at 11th question (short reading comprehension) and long reading comprehension came at around 15th question. Last short reading comprehension came at 25th or so. This time, I was EXTREMELY careful with the first 10 questions (lesson learned!). I was confident with Analogy and Antonym and paid very close attention with SC (last time I only got half of SC's right). I paced myself quite well and finished the last question on time.

Quant:
I learned from the diagnostic service that I spent to much time (3-4 minutes) on 4 questions and I ran out of time in the end (7 or 8 minutes left for 10 questions). This time, when I couldn't find any answers in 40 seconds, I just guessed and move on to the next question. Anyway, I still ran out of time when the last question came, but I have enough time (5 seconds) to make sure that I marked the answer.

Verbal 2:
I got another Verbal part at after the math section. At first I was not sure which one was real and which was the research section. There were more words that were not in Barron's list in 4-5 Analogy and Antonym questions. I recognized that they were in Nova's. I also did not got any reading comprehension in the first 10 questions. I realized that this Verbal section was research because the last short reading comprehension (came at 25th-28th question) was too short, just 15 lines and it had one hight light in one word (like in TOEFL iBT exam) when that word was asked. I never see this highlight before, and I think ETS said they will or do put this feature after November 2007. Correct me if I am wrong.

So what did I study differently? nothing really. I just went over NOVA's word list once and memorized few new words vaguely. I recognized some of them in the second Verbal sections, but couldn't think of the meaning.

So at the end of the day, I got 770Q and 650V. I am VERY glad this ordeal is finally over. My goal was to get 750 in Math and 550 in Verbal and finally I did it. I hate this test more than any tests I took in my life and I do hate CAT. Now I can move on to improve other parts of the grad school application.

One thing I learned from this 140$ lesson. If your real score was VERY strange from your performance on Bigbook or Powerprep. Don't be scared to retake the test. It might happen that it was just not your day. I always got 550-650 in PowerPrep's and BigBook's verbal sections, thus 420 in my first real test was VERY odd to me. Also, I believe that you've gotta got some luck (besides hard work) to get good score.

Good luck to you all.

[mickgreen58]

Wow, congrats on the score.

[OilRedO]

Good luck for your next test, Mick.

[mickgreen58]

Originally Posted by OilRedO

Good luck for your next test, Mick.

Yep, gonna need it.

[Oldman]

Great job. I'm happy for you, I can't wait to get this test off my back. I pray I can achieve a similar score.

This helps confirm my belief that in order to get your best verbal score you may have to take the CAT a few times. To improve 200+ points in a month? You either were more at ease this time, or there is a lot of luck involved in the verbal section. I think it is probably a combo of both. I had the same thing happen with my powerprep, I missed like 4 verbal questions and got a 590. For verbal it's all about the first few questions. The reason is the first few questions seperate you from the top 50 to lower 50% quartiles. Theoretically, about half of test takers miss the early questions so if you miss them, the CAT lumps you in that category and it's nearly impossible to get out.

[OilRedO]

Oldman, I don't think I learned significant knowledge during the time between the 1st and 2nd test, but I earned huge difference between those scores. Everything stayed the same, only the order of the questions that changed. Maybe this is a trick from ETS to make people take GRE couple of times? I doubt it.

At my first test, I felt that I was comfortable with most of the questions beside reading comprehension. reading comprehension gave me a very difficult time because I was pretty hesitant to make choices. It always came down to 2 choices after POE. I think the second test's score was just also about luck. I still feel pretty unfair that at the first test, I answered 18 out of 20 last questions right, but it didn't help to pull my score up at all. I just don't like the way CAT operates, but nothing I can do, just have to accept it. I agree with you that it's all about first 10 questions. It sounds so scary, either you make it or lose it. I am very glad it is finally over.

[lifeisgood]

Great scores , this proves for the low scorers (like myself) its better to think again before accepting it , within a 16 days period you were able to increase both sections dramaticallyhats off, I will retake it in the first week of June ,

Good luck with school admissions

[OilRedO]

lifeisgood, before I took the first GRE, I had quite high expectation in myself that I would be able to get 550-600 in verbal. The first score was like a slap on my face and I was so discourage. I went to the second test with no expectation at all. Good luck with your second try.

[giddy]

@OilRedO: Congratulations. You just inspired me--thanks and good luck...

[Mervin2008]

Great score,Good luck with your applications