from 590 to 670((Q49,V34)

Question

Hi Guys,

Here few words from my office. I'll post later my prep scores and few points about my preparation, which was a torture. 

Yesterday, I wrote my exam for the second time and scored a 670(Q49-90%, v34-71%). See below my experience 6 months ago(update 3,5 AWA!!! - TOEFL 108)
Before I attended the test, I was pretty confident to score above 700, but during the verbal part, I got the feeling that I was too often unsure between 2 answers, especially on RC. These were pretty hard and didn't deal with science topics, the one I prefer. Morevover, I didn't want to make mistakes, so I spent a lot of time on the 20 first questions, and had to rush toward the end, missing completly one RC. I just read the 1st sentences of each paragraph to get an idea about the subject and guessed. I really started to worry, and wasn't sure anymore whether I would at least score above 650. Yet I answered every question and prayed while the computer was computing the score. So it was a relief when I saw the score but I had the feeling I just did half way of the road.

Anyway, I think it's over now, I am fed up with the GMAT preparation which took the greatest part of my life. People, especially my girlfriend, started to hate the gmat for that reason. I'm satisfied with the score and will have to focus on the application....

BUT I have a question. I couldn't refrain from comparing my score with other's and I'm a bit surprised.

On this forum, everyone who scored 670, with the same Q, scored 2 points lower than I did in V.
With even a V33 or V34, all have a 680.

So why do I have a 670? Should I complain ? I know there were discussions about the percentile, which I agree can vary, but the overall score should be consistent with the beakdown, isn't it?

Finally, thanks to all of you who have struggled or are struggling to master that ... exam. This is a long quest and I am amazed how I(I never thought to study again after I graduated 7 years ago) and so many people can involve themselves for few hundred points!

Good luck for the ones who are still preparing and the ones who postone the exam dates lacking in confidence!

Fig · Answer

Ahhhh :D

... Congratulations

U have done it :D

.... I'm very glad for u

..... So now, the next steps ! :D

Good Luck :D :D

Joyeux Noel en mÃªme temps !

Mishari · Answer

GOOD JOB !!!

You'll definitely get into INSEAD

trivikram · Answer

Congrats Kalfurt.....670 isnt bad at all.

Good luck with application process

SimaQ · Answer

A very good score.

What concerns your V score and overall score, i do not think you can compare much with what the others had on their previous exams. Neither do i think you can do much to change it know, on the other hand, why you should worry to get an extra +10 when you already have a good score... i think a normal deviation of the test score is 20 points or so, so adcoms will treat your score in a range of 670-690....

Congrats once again, now go party with your girlfriend

Sumithra · Answer

FÃ©licitations et meilleurs voeux!

u2lover · Answer

Congrats!!! I am happy with ya :wink:

Good luck!

karlfurt · Answer

Thanks guys and Joyeux Noel also! I sent an email to ask if I could get 10 points more

. But as SimaQ said, I should not dream too much about it. And there is a life after the GMAT, otherwise it can become a maniac disease. I will use my hollydays to find inspiration and write beautiful tales about myself. :roll:

mbagal1 · Answer

Congrats!

Viperace · Answer

Congrats!! you are now free from the GMAT plague :lol:

... Time to relax

bhaarat · Answer

Karl,
Good job!! 680 is a good score to get into INSEAD. Best of luck.
From where did you get MGMT SC Book? How do you access 1000 SC,1000 RC,and 1000 CR questions?

Thanks,

Bhaarat

tennis1ball · Answer

finally, you've done it, Karlfurt. :-D

don't worry about it if it is already enough to get to the school you want. Insead? u can come here if you visit the Singapore campus. lol.. from all the threads posted and my own experience, I discovered that girlfriends don't like the Gmat at all. :shock:

dips · Answer

Congrats mate !

GMATT73 · Answer

Congrats Karl! an 80 point improvement over six months is very good. Consider yourself in the ballpark at most top programs. Now go out and nail those essays. Good Luck!

ps_dahiya · Answer

Excellent!!!!!
I knew you will do it.

kidderek · Answer

A highly respectable score, congrats!!!!

karlfurt · Answer

Thanks!

After 2 weeks of well deserved holidays I come back to tell you a little more about my preparation. Update : AWA 4,5 which is the same score as the one I got the first time(I made a mistake; it was 4,5 instead of 3,5) As I already explained, I was very disappointed by my former score but decided to write the gmat again. Like many of you, I focused on my obvious weakness which was verbal and decided to commit myself on this only topic for the following months. However, I took summer holidays and just studied passively, ie read only English newspapers. I also subscribed to free PDA news(Washington post, NY Times etc) which I could synchronize daily. In addition, instead of taking my car to go to the office, I took the bus, allowing me to read, read and read. Meanwhile, I ordered the well known SC and RC mgmat. I almost ignored the latter one. Manhattan SC is really well written and all the tested areas are clearly explained. For two months, I impregnated myself with English words, idioms, literature and participated to the Verbal forum. I took also my last log and did the wrong SC from SC1000. I had planned to take the exam in October but finally signed up only 2 weeks before the test on the 20 th December. I started to actively study beginning of October and took one week free. During that week, I completed the OG 11 for a 2nd time(the 1st was for my first preparation) and analyzed my mistakes. Concerning the SC, I started to get the pattern. It was the time when I really improved my SC. Concerning the RC and CR, I just practiced and practiced. Then I completed the OG10 Verbal, while slowly starting the Quants. I think it was a mistake to have waited for so many weeks because I forgot a lot and had to struggle again with that topic, even though I got an engineering education. But since I graduated I never used maths again, having been involved only in project management. Itâ€™s really a torture to make the brain work again at its full capacity, especially if you are 32 years old. After I completed all these basics I gradually practiced full tests, in the evening after the work. At the end I was completely exhaustedâ€¦. Some remarks : MGMAT CATs are over scored in Verbal but their SC are nice. The CRs donâ€™t reflect the real ones but might be useful though. Kaplan are underscored, but that is not a scoop! And gmatprep are the most identical to the real test but might be over scored. I was very happy with my first score(770) because I had forgotten the questions of my first preparation. However some of OG11 can appear. Concerning the quant, I never remember the answers after 2 weeks so the test is still a good preparation in Quant even if you see many repeats. Finally, the real test was easier in Quant than expected, ant the verbal of the same difficulty level with some crazy question!!!! V, Q, Total test55 39 40 660 test52 36 50 710 test48 38 48 680 test42 39 46 660 CAT1 ETS 51 48 770 CAT Kaplan 2006 1 31 41 630 mgmat Test1 35 40 620 mgmat Test2 35 26 520 mba center diag 720 crack gmat diag 20 54 640 gmat prep 1 44 50 770 mgmat cat1 41 43 700 mgmat test3 42 46 720 kaplan online test diag 44 44 730 mgmat cat2 40 49 730 kaplan 2003 CAT4 580 mgmat cat3 51 43 740 gmat prep 2 40 49 720 CAT Kaplan 2006 2 36 40 640 mgmat cat4 51 45 750 mgmat cat5 51 45 750 PR online diag 40 47 700 mgmat cat5 51 43 740 gmat prep 1 2 ? ? ? gmat prep 2 2 47 46 740 Prep Material 2nd attempt: OG 11, good but quant maybe too easy OG 10, good , did only few quants. Kaplan 800 : didnâ€™t find it so useful, good only if you want to train quant and verbal. But donâ€™t rely on them too much. SC Manhattan : good RC CR Manhattan : useless SC1000 : good, but there are lots of SC which donâ€™t represent whatâ€™s required on the real gmat. Manhattan CATS and Question bank : Maths too difficult, think we should not bother so much with unsolvable question in 2mns. However quality of the explanations both in V and Q is excellent. LSAT RC and CR paper tests: too hard for the allowed time!!!!!! But interesting. LSAT CR bible: very well written and every concept of the CR is explained very well. I read it entirely even though there are points which are not tested in the GMAT. I dont' think it is necessary for the gmat preparation, but for someone who wants to improve his english and has time, it cannot be bad! To conclude, the gmat was a struggle especially if you are not excellent in English. I think people like me have to invest several months(>6) in the preparation to get the sufficient English level. During that period, I read only quality articles as much as I could, even in the evening in my bed before sleeping. I really wanted to increased my reading speed and comprehension rate. Studying became a second nature on the expense of other activities like social ones:( . Every free time I had was used to read or make some verbal exercises. I did the wrong SC I got as many times as I needed to have them finally right. Of course during my preparation I always timed myself. I know that my biggest mistake is to have waited so many years after my studies to make the gmat, though I had lots of opportunities to study during periods of lower work pressure. The more you wait, the harder it is to study and to get back the necessary intellectual agility. Last word : I am glad to have commit myself so far, what was unbelievable years ago when I was not serious neither at school nor at the university. And thanks to the forum. I will stay around. Now I have to focus on the application. Cheers.

Fig · Answer

Well deserved holidays :D

.... Back and ready to apply to INSEAD

karlfurt · Answer

Bonne annee a toi aussi et bonne chance!

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from 590 to 670((Q49,V34)

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