slick045

a) This sentence means that the company's business will surely improve next quarter. b) This sentence means that the company's business might improve next quarter (likely, but not certain) c) This sentence is completely in the past. It means that the company forecasted an improvement to business in the future relative to when the announcement was made, but in the past relative to the present. Soooo, the "next quarter" in sentence 'c' is actually already in the past. Like google saying that it's stock would make millionaires of many of it's employees in 2004. Would is future, but happened in the past. I hope this is a little bit clearer than mud now :)

You guys are arguing a point that is moot in terms of GMAT prep. Don't expect the questions to be this convoluted.

Stormgal, I got a 7+ because I worked for it. Back in the day I also did quite well in the SAT and ACT because I worked for those too. Maybe you're not getting it because you're not working for it. Now you must understand, I don't mean that you are not working hard. But maybe you just aren't working "smart" enough. 2-3 months is more than enough time to study if done correctly. As for cheating, give me a break. I'll just write that comment off as a release of frustration. And don't cry to me that you work full time. I'm in the military, so I've been working my ass off for quite some time now. You might want to consider writing with less emotion and more thought. You keep missing my point. There is no point in complaining that the "test is not an accurate representation" or anything else. You obviously have to take the test...so take it. Don't whine, cry, or moan about it. You can attack me all you want, but it won't help you. I am trying to get you to see that maybe you need to take a step back and reevaluate how you are studying. Say what you want. I'm done. :2cents:

Stormgal, You missed the point. I was not arguing for the other side, rather I was showing you how your comment was misguided. Maybe you can succeed in business school. I am not talking about that. What I am saying is that as much as you may disagree, every school is not going to read EVERY application. There must be a modus operandi for sorting these application....it's called the GMAT. It is not a perfect system, but it is the most efficient and perhaps most effective one at this time. And while you might think that the test has gotten into my head a bit too much, I was only illustrating what should be clear to you. You need to get the GMAT in your head to get the score you want. Hemming and hawwing about how unfair and unrealistic the test and application process are will not get you your desired results. You sound like you are intelligent, I only suggest that you focus your being into this test. Maybe you think you are, but like I said earlier, "Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect." So no, I don't need to "wake up", you do. My test is done, and I am working apps now. I've seen you on this forum for quite some time and I think you are just focusing too much energy in the wrong place. Good Luck.

Stormgal, you "met 2 people who have scored 99th percentile on the GMAT and who've done horrible during their first year of business school." It seems to me that the sample from which you are pulling your "Assumption" is not representative of all people who have scored 99th percentile on the GMAT. This is why your assumption is not valid. Had you provided more evidence, such as the results of all people who have scored 99th percentile on the GMAT that showed that most do poorly in their first year of business school, perhaps (and only perhaps) your argument may have been more convincing. All I can say for everyone who is struggling out there is, "Practice does NOT make perfect. Perfect Practice makes perfect." You must all realize what your weakness are and how to overcome them. Continually beating your head against the wall won't do anything but give you a headache. From my experience, I have seen many people do numerous problems without truly understanding why they got their answers right or wrong. This is a test of strategy, memorization, and speed. The test CAN be defeated, but brute force is not the answer.

Jax, Great score. Only you can decide if you should retake. I also had a 690 the first time I took the test. I knew that I had not performed to my capabilities, so I scheduled the test for exactly 2 weeks later. Fortunately, I was correct in my assessment and scored 70 points higher. My wife was worried that I wasn't giving myself enough time in between tests and that I wasn't spending enough time actually practicing. I knew how ready I was and what I need to do. So, if you really think that 690 doesn't accurately reflect you potential, take it again. Best of luck!

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From the students that I have talked to, it seems that the overall entrance requirements for part-time programs are less stringent than the full-time programs. How much less is dependent on the school. Also, let's not forget that with the economy improving, getting into a B-school should be a tad easier. Stormgal, I don't think that age is a factor, only experience. Oh, and by the way, Happy Birthday!

Actually, you do not have to wait 30 days. You may retake the following CALENDAR month, which would be July 1st. I know because I took it the first time APR 22 and the second MAY 6. Good Luck. I wouldn't wait too long. Practice, practice, practice. Just work on getting faster.

Do you practice the way that you test? You shouldn't allow yourself any food or drink while practicing. Also, I would recommend dividing your study into timed practice sets with around 2 mins a problem. This will help you feel the time crunch. And of course, the more practice tests you take, the better. When you take these practice test, don't give yourself any extra time or breaks and don't eat or drink. You need to develop a stamina so that you won't be distracted at any point in the test. Remember, it IS within your grasp, you just have to go and get it. Good Luck!

I want to second what cocoray said. I took a practice test the day before (but not all in one sitting) and I also did some problems before heading over to the test center.

mohican, I say that depends on you. I have never really liked to study a lot, through high school and college I NEVER pulled all-nighter. But, for the GMAT I knew that I needed some structure. I knew that if I spent $1300 on a course I would actually study. In my opinion, Kaplan does NOT prepare people to score 700+ on the GMAT. I felt that many of their explanations were not specific enough (especially sentence correction). What they did do, was teach me a few strategies on how to attack certain problems. So, all in all, I don't regret taking the course. I studied hard like I needed to (I work full time, married, new house, lots of distractions to keep me from studying), and ended up doing well. So, you have to decide why you want to take the course. Part of it depends on where you stand now in your preparation. I have a friend who took the same course and was doing about as well I as was on the CATs (Kaplans are not representative of GMAT difficulty, they're harder), but nervousness got the best of him and he scored below 500...the day before my test. This obviously worried me and I think this is why I got a 690 the first time around. He retook the same day I did and scored a 650. I think that he could possibly score above 700 if he took it again, but I think this illustrates my point that it's the person, not the class, that earns the score. We took the exact same class and had very different scores. So, hope this clears things up a bit...at least I got a subscription to the Wall Street Journal included with the class :D

Soooooo, are you going to take it again so that you can get a higher Verbal score? :D Just kidding, great score. But I still don't think that it will make a difference in the long run. Just my :2cents:

Shilpi, I started with a 590 when I took the Kaplan courseroom diagnostic and ended up with a 700+ in 2.5 months while working full time. Like you I found myself plagued by careless errors. Concentration was an issue at first, so I studied the way I would test - in a quiet room with no food or drink and minimal breaks. It didn't take long for me to develop an unshakable concentration. I believe that this is very important. You can't think about anything else while you are trying to finish the verbal section, you need all of you concentration. If you're interested in my :2cents:, in terms of verbal, you can check out my debriefing at: My debriefing Good Luck!!

what does the rest of your app look like? Experience, GPA, undergrad school, etc... Remember the GMAT is only one part...if you have a strong package overall, I think that you should have a shot with a 670. 670 is a great score as I'm sure Stormgal would agree, and unless you really feel as though you didn't perform to your potential, I'm not sure you should retake. Good luck!!

610 is a low score if your intended school's average is above 700. That's just common sense. And yes, I'm sure that there are people who score well below the average, but I am willing to guess that the standard deviation is pretty small. ;)

Yeah, but lets be realistic. If someone doesn't have a great GPA or anything else that is less than ideal in their app, they should not also have a lower GMAT. It only works against them. So it is all relative. 610 is great for some, but not for others. I don't feel like I would have a shot at the schools I am planning on applying to if I had a 610. But that is because I know what the rest of my app looks like. It may still be possible to get in to a top school with that score, but why start the race with a handicap? A low GMAT will NOT help you, whereas a high GMAT MAY help but certainly won't hurt you. Anyhow, just my :2cents:

Congrats on your great results. You've surely earned it. I think that your story of perserverence and triumph will prove more motivational than any of the so-called "high scores" posted here. Congrats again and good luck with your apps.

To say that you want to retake after a 750 is completely myopic. The GMAT is only ONE part of your application. Joining the top 1% means that your GMAT is no longer a factor. If you do retake, it is only for personal reasons. You have a great score, you need to realize that. Now you must concentrate on the other parts of your application. Good Luck.

Had a typo in my previous post and for some reason editing is not available.

I agree with piyusht. 'B' is wrong because of the misplaced modifier "after passing through a red giant phase".

Let me preface this by saying that I took the Kaplan classroom course and the Kaplan online CATs (not CD). I also did not use the [tooltip=Official Guide]OG[/tooltip]. I found that my early failures in math were mostly due to poor time management and careless mistakes. Kaplan Diagnostic 590 (Q34, V38) Feb 22 Kaplan CAT 1 540 (Q28, V31) Mar 6 Kaplan CAT 2 540 (Q28, V33) Mar 12 Kaplan CAT 3 580 (Q37, V33) Mar 14 Kaplan CAT 4 560(Q33, V33 Mar 21 Kaplan CAT 5 560 (Q34, V34) Apr 8 Powerprep1 700 (Q47, V38) Apr 18 Powerprep2 720 (Q48, V41) Apr 20 Real GMAT - 690 (Q42, V42) AWA 5.0- Apr 22 Real GMAT - 750 (Q50, V42) AWA 5.0- May 6 (After discovery of Testmagic and use of Kaplan 800 book)

Twin, You are right!!:eek: Effective immediately I irrevocably and unabashedly retract any statement that is in any way shape or form contradictory to GMATros. He is the "Chosen One":ninja: , we must learn to see things through this truly mystifying and .... who am I kidding....I'll just pick what's behind door number two...what do you know... 1/6 So you see, GMATros, it can't be 1/7; 1/6 was behind number two, and therefore your logic is all wrong. [dance] [dance] [dance]

Congrats on your score. Don't forget that your work experience and essays are significant parts of your application. You've done well and should be proud of yourself. [clap] [clap] [clap]

Another (albeit more convoluted) way to look at this: Possible comb of fresh/soph: 2*2 = 4 Total comb possible: 8C2 = 28 Numb. of comb where students are in the same grade: 4 (fresh/fresh, soph/soph, etc) Actual comb allowed by rules: 28 - 4 = 24 Prob of fresh/soph comb: 4/24 = 1/6