Dear Stacy;

I am sorry if i do not know the protocol of writing in this forum, but since I have never really done much on a forum ever anyways, I am using the look and learn method; so here goes.

I have taken the GMAT atleast four times, the last three attempts, the most recent one yesterday, all having the magical or not so magical figure 640 ( Q 47 ; V 32). I would like to add that when I first sat for my GMAT i received a score of 620 with a Q49 V 24.

My issue is with the fact that regardless of the level of surety I have when i sit for the exam i end up surprised when the score pops up. Yesterday i was so sure i was going to get an amazing score, since after practicing both on the MGMAT tests, as well as the GMAT PREP exams I believed that i had a fair idea of how i was doing. With tough looking CR's bold faced, RC passages with questions about reasoning, undermining statements or views, I was sure I was doing atleast as well as I was in the GMAT Prep software. I had scored a 760 (Q 50 V 44) 2 days prior to my exam.

My last four MGMAT test results ranged from 670 to 720.
Regardless, its perplexing that despite the fact that I exactly remember the structure and main idea of the passage I sat for on my GMAT yesterday, I see my verbal score of 32 and I just dont know how to feel.

I have generally had a 80 to 90 % accuracy on CR's, RC's towards the end once i worked on a strategy ive been able to pinpoint correct answers right away, with a 80 % accuracy as well. The SC's have been mostly correct as well.

Its obvious, that since i have a dismal verbal score, the picture visible is that I am not good enough for the exam. But how to improve when the only issue that i can reasonably think of is my timing.

The only few questions I was not too sure off in my GMAT yesterday were the ones that followed number 33 to 41, I had 11 minutes on the clock, and a passage followed by consecutive 3 CR's. I am sure i got all of the CR's incorrect, because unless you read it, you cant solve it, thats a simple fact. Probably the comprehension of the last passage was not as well either. That sums up the verbal.
The quant, is even more perplexing. I felt i was getting each and every question correct, the answers popping out, in DS questions i picked up the trick of sufficiency in just one statement, and it was all a conscious effort. i was sure of every question till Q 32. The last five i probably had 3 incorrect, since the time ticked and I couldnt click. But that much of a penalty? 47? I was sure i had done enough of the hard questions correct to probably hit a 50.

I cant understand my hattrick with the 640 score. It is just stuck there. And i have nothing else to blame but myself. I am fed up yes, but i know, that i would only fail, if i stop trying.

I would appreciate if you could sort of guide me with all your experience, as to what possibly could i be doing wrong, especially since i dont feel i lack preparation at all.

Thanks & Regards

Ali

I'm sorry you're having a tough time with the test.

Re: your practice tests, did you take them under 100% official conditions? Essays, two 8-min breaks, holding yourself to official conditions as much as possible? Did you see any repeated questions - questions you'd seen before?

How's your timing? (Note: you can finish a section on time and still have timing problems.) How's the balance of timing between questions? Are you averaging about 1m15s on SC, 2m on CR, 2.5 to 3.5 minutes reading RC passages, 1m to 1.5m on questions? Are you not spending more than 30 seconds above those averages on any single question?

You can use this article to analyze your most recent MGMAT tests:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Ah, okay, I just got to the part of your write-up where you mentioned timing. So on the last 8 questions, you had 11 minutes left, and most of those questions were of the longer variety. Yes, that's a significant timing problem and likely caused a fairly significant drop in your score. If you missed all 8 questions, that could have caused something like a 15 to 30 percentile point drop in your score!

The penalty for getting multiple Qs wrong in a row can be quite large. There are variables, such as how many of those Qs happened to be experimental questions.

So timing is definitely pulling you down. I do also want to know whether you've been taking your practice CATs under 100% official conditions, because it's possible that your practice test scores were artifiically inflated.

Go analyze your tests and then come back here and post again.

_________________
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director of Online Community
ManhattanGMAT