How NOT to take the GMAT

I attempted the GMAT for the third time today. I was hoping this would be my final attempt and I would be able to hit round 1 with a solid score in the 700s. I learned a few important lessons today.

• Do NOT run out of time on your essay. Even if there are small errors you notice with 10 seconds left on the timer. A score of 0 is far worse than a score of 4.
• Bring cough drops
• Practice pacing your answers, especially in quant. I finished with 37 seconds left and didn’t feel rushed at all. Practice really paid off.
• Do NOT sit next to someone taking an ISS (?) test or any test that requires a massive amount of books. Listening to someone shuffle through pages, slide their chair between two desks, and shuffle through more pages is distracting. OK, it’s VERY distracting.
• Be prepared for anything, just like in real life.

End result: 660. Quant: 46 Verbal: 35

Score cancelled.

The good news is that the quant has improved. I’ll take the credit for tanking the verbal section even though I spent half of the time taking my neighbor’s test with him. This goes to show that, like in the business world, things do not always go as planned.

It looks like all my round 1 applications are being pushed to round 2. I am not sure if I should risk round 1 with a 690 or take a chance on a smaller pool of open spots with a higher GMAT.

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GMAT Accommodations – Not Very Accommodating

This is one of those “I wish I knew this earlier” moments. I read on mbaapplicant.com that GMAC and Pearson are able to offer accommodations such as extra time, longer breaks, etc. I had already registered for the test so figured I would look into this later. After registering for my second attempt I reached out to the accommodations department to see if I could get extra time or extra breaks on the exam. I don’t disclose it often but I am a veteran diagnosed with PTSD and a few other physical disabilities. While I don’t let it define me, I know it’s there and something I live with. Taking a test in an enclosed room with no way out and uncomfortable chairs hunched over a computer screen definitely reminds me it’s there . So, after hearing about the accommodations I figured it was worth a shot.

I sent a request a couple weeks before my second attempt. I was hoping there was a way to get it done quickly because I didn’t know about it earlier. The accommodations department emailed me back stating that it usually takes 3-4 weeks and there is no expedited services available. I am on a time crunch so that news was unfortunate. My third attempt is on September 28 so I won’t be able to get accommodations for that either. The challenging part is that you have to submit the request, submit all documentation (they are very thorough), and submit payment information. They then schedule the test for you.

As I look back it might have been useful to request accommodations earlier. However, I can go into my MBA applications knowing that I earned whatever my score through hard work, not special treatment. There are people with serious disabilities who don’t know about the accommodations. Giving these people the chance to overcome their disabilities and not be defined by them seems to make sense. I will post some links below for the prosperity of future generations.

Official mba.com accommodations page – This page has the documentation guidelines and application.

Manhattan Prep accommodations discussion – Stacey Koprince’s post based on conversations with two official GMAT Accommodations officials and Tova Elberg, a clinical psychologist. Very useful.

Veritas Prep accommodation summary – Good overview and sage advice: Don’t wait until the last minute to apply for accommodations.

Official PDF guide and application for accommodations – Definitely get this after reading the mba.com link above.

 

 

 

 

 

GMAT Retake

GMAT Round 2

Yesterday was the big day. I practiced for 4-6 hours a day over the last month. I was sure I was going to improve my 610 from round 1. Data Sufficiency was still a struggle but I knew the basics and had  solid practice tests. I had geometry, probability, stats, coordinate geometry, and counting down. Then the exam happened.

Time management is still a problem. I got caught up on two problems that put me two minutes behind. I was able to make up some time on a question I had little idea how to answer. I finished within time even though I was rushed on a couple questions towards the end. Data Sufficiency was a pain but I went into the questions with a good mindset. It seems the GMAT is really good at honing in on where your weak points are and exploiting them. I didn’t have a single probability question and maybe 1 or 2 geometry questions. All in all I thought the effort was solid. Not 49 solid but at least 44 solid. As usual, verbal was easier for me. I did get caught dozing off on a couple reading comprehension questions. More coffee or granola bars next time!!

Final Results:

Overall: 690 (86th percentile, up from 63rd)

Quantitative: 41 (48th percentile, up from 29th)

Verbal: 42 (96th percentile, up from 91st)

Yes, it’s an improvement but I am not happy with the quant results. Damn those engineers and quant whizzes who skew the results 🙂

I am registering for one more shot before submitting my applications. My reach school, Columbia, is due October 7th for Early Decision. Most of the others are due by the end of September. My goal is to hit a 48 in quant and 45 in verbal. I have read that perfecting the GMAT is frowned upon but I have lots of room for improvement. If I can push into the low to mid-700s I will be happy. I always told myself I could do anything as long as I dedicate time to it and don’t give up. This is just another personal challenge.

Starting Late: GMAT

From what I have read the GMAT is the single most important piece in the application process.

Since I am starting late I will recap where I am so far. I took the GMAT a couple of weeks ago. Prior the the GMAT I had an intense 2 week study session where I thought I had a solid understanding of the requirements. I have always been decent at standardized tests so with a little review I figured I could do decent and gauge where I needed improvement.. First, I ran out of time on the math section. I have less than 5 minutes left with 6 questions to go. I read somewhere that it’s better to answer questions than to leave blanks. I guess on a couple and chose the best looking answer on the others. The results were an eye-opener. Verbal: 91st percentile, Math: 29th percentile. Overall score a sad 610. Not elite MBA results.

I am registered for August 28th and have time to study between now and then (small benefit of being between jobs). That gives me a month to get my quantitative in order and pick up a few points on the verbal. Most of the math covered makes sense to me so it’s just practicing and working on mastering data sufficiency. I have a realistic goal of 740. At least it’s realistic in my mind 🙂

Materials I will be using for GMAT study:

Manhattan Prep Quantitative Book Series (6 online practice tests)

Magoosh Online GMAT Prep (customized practice tests – at least 2)

Official GMAT Guide 2015 (of course) (2 practice tests with additional question banks available)

 

If I have time I will review each product. So far the Magoosh product has been the most useful.