My GMAT Experience

[SP]

Hi All,
Here is a blog that I posted on a different forum, Please go through it at your leisure.


Hello Everyone,

I just appeared for my GMAT yesterday, and scored a 770 (Q50, V47). Just as an early disclaimer, let me mention that this was my second attempt. My first was a 670 (Q50, V31, AWA 6) exactly 31 days back.

During my first attempt however, I was under the spell of a severe viral infection. I took some medication before going to the test center but by the time I started my Verbal, my energy level was near zero; I simply don’t remember anything from that session; and that is why you see an AWA of 6, and Q of 50 and then an abominable 31 on V (and btw, I think I did not finish in time).

Ironically, GMAT does not let you cancel your test in the last 3 days (as in it would still mention that you missed the test) and viral infections aren’t predictable 15 days prior to the event; so I went for the test nonetheless. The validity of my decision will come to light only as time passes. Anyway, I was dealt an unfavorable hand of cards, but then I couldn’t do much; so I just came out of the test (a bit shattered) but went ahead and scheduled another appointment the very first day I was eligible.

That test really drained me a lot and my infection relapsed. It took me some 10 days to get back to normal, but then I knew I had already prepared for my exam, and I dint have to do much. So I simply went through my regular routine of giving tests, gave a few, revised the topics again and without fretting a lot gave the exam.

I must say that my target was 750+, and I was happy to see the result.

I started preparing for the GMAT on the 4th of July I distinctly remember, for I stayed back home that weekend, rather that enjoying the warm California weather on a beach. I have never been the studious type, I did score a GPA of >3.5 but that was back then. I have been working for the past 8 years now, and am totally out of the studying game. I studied 2 hours a day on weekdays, and 4 hours on weekends (mostly, I also travel a lot (job) so I had to take in a few blackout days).

Here is a list of materials I used:

Study Materials:

OG/QR/VR: Nothing more important than a thorough review of these books. They should be renamed as the bibles for each one of these sections I must’ve gone through them atleast 4 times, and although this may sound a bit repetitive, I think you pick up subtle nuances each and every time you read the book (esp. in SC). You should plan on thoroughly reviewing this material at least two times.

MGMAT Guides: A lot has been said about the MGMAT SC guide, but I think they cater to all subjects very well. I just looked at the new edition (sneak peek available on their website); and it looks like they have taken the guides to the next level. You must get yourself a set of those guides, go through each of these topics and make sure you read them comprehensively.

GMAT 800: This is a book; I would recommend that you read only if you are aiming for a score beyond 700, and closer to 750. This is not a beginner’s guide, and can be ignored by those who are not in the 720 region. Then again this book will only prevent you from committing silly mistakes that might drag your score from a 720 to a 680; and will not help you go from 650 to 720. This book per me, is strictly recommended only for people who have studied their basics well, and are more interested in the advanced topics. I think the Verbal topics are much better covered in this book than the Quantitative.
Personally, I got this book from our library (I had read the reviews earlier, and knew I shouldn’t be buying this one for good ), and held it for 2 weeks; it is a good book, and it did help me a lot.

Mock Exams/Tests:

Sets: Going through the infamous Scoretop Sets was one of the best things I did during my prep. They reflect the GMAT very well. I went through each one of the 31 sets once, gave every exam as though I were at the center (I would diligently solve 2 sets on weekends, and 1 set every now and then.). These sets also boost your confidence level; I used to score pretty low earlier but then after I completed some of these sets, I was both confident and quick in solving the real GMAT problems.

MGMAT Tests: Again, MGMAT has a killer set of tests. It is a bit difficult to kickstart the whole testing process though. Their Q for example is much longer than the standard GMAT. i.e you will find it very hard to solve the test in time; but as I gave my first 2, I got used to the pace; and then started finishing the Q in time. The V is also good, and I think more closely reflects the actual GMAT.
You can get an access to these tests by buying any one of their books, and I think 6 tests for <$20 is a bargain. For people from China, India and other countries, where the currency ratio is unfavorable, I would still recommend that you buy these tests if possible. This is the best you could get.
In my first test (my first week of prep), I got a 650 but then improved to get 700, 730,730,750,760. The last test was ofcourse a sham MGMAT has a limited set of 1200 questions, and if you are consistently scoring ~700 in your first 5, it runs out of questions. But the good news is that they are enhancing their database. Again, this test set is highly recommended.

PowerPrep and GPrep: Best emulators of the actual tests. I gave the tests once, and then in the last 10 days I went through the GPrep once every other day. Although 90% of the questions were same, but the 10% of the new questions helped a lot.

Some other Material: I got some CDs (Barrons, PR ets) which had some of the mock tests as well; and while they were not very comprehensive, they did help a lot. This past week, through one of the posts on the TM forum, I went to a link which had a wonderful collection of prep material, including a "Cambridge GMAT Test" software. This one has the look and feel of the PowerPrep, but is very good. The questions are great, but unfortunately I don’t have the link to it. If anyone knows what I am talking about, please post out the link on this thread.

Forums:

TestMagic: By and far the most comprehensive collection of GMAT questions. I owe my score a lot to TM! I’ve seen the most wonderful, brilliant and awe inspiring people on this forum and I’ve never seen a question go unanswered.

MGMAT Forum: Great Forum, does not have the same fan following as TM, but has some very neat and innovative ways of solving most problems. MGMAT encourages their instructors to respond on this forum, and that is the real piece of meat there. Some of their instructors are very knowledgeable; and while TM’s strength is in collective intelligence, MGMAT’s is in the contribution from GMAT savvy people. Ron, Stacey and a few other instructors from MGMAT are phenomenal, I must say that I can surely attribute 20% performance gain (speed) to the shortcuts that they had earlier proposed via their posts.


Understanding the scoring Pattern:

I just wanted to add this as another item, I spent a few hours in understanding how the GMAT scores you. I really could not understand it a whole lot but here is what I found out:

Stress more on the verbal part: I tried various permutations and combinations on Google. Typed in something like "GMAT Q49 V38" or another combination of scores, and checked what the scores of other people who have already scored as much look like. Then I created a table of my ideal scores.
I would highly recommend that you all do the same. In my case, I knew that on a bad day I will get a 49 in Math, and on a good day 51, and if I really had someone VooDooing me, I would get 48.
So then when I prepared for my Verbal I knew I had to get a 38 if I had to cross the 700 barrier. Although people look at their performance in the mock tests from a total score perspective, I would highly recommend looking at the splits too. Please work on your verbal scores; Even if you score a 51 on Q and just a 33-34 in Verbal, you will just manage to touch the 700 mark), and even with the best prep, you are never guaranteed a 51 in Q.

Finally, IMHO, how you prepare and what you prepare are the two fundamental criteria which will define your final GMAT score. Everyone has access to the same GMAT material, and believe me; GMAT seldom goes out of the bounds that they have set themselves in the OG; and a thorough study of the material is bound to make you successful!

Cheers and Have a great time during the preps!

Thanks for all the help!

Ciao!!!

[sumi]

Wow!
Inspiring post and a fantastic score. Congratulations SP! All the best for your applications.

going V31 -> V47 even with the flu is mind boggling. I mean you must have nailed so many toughies!

You mentioned you had issues with performance problems with MGMAT quant section in the beginning. Did you by any chance experience the same with your verbal? Did you do anything to build your stamina for the exam? I have issues focusing towards the end of the exam especially in RC which a) wastes ALOT of time B) gets me a string of incorrect answers.

With a Q50 did you find yourself running into questions similar to GPrep, the OGs or more like the MGMAT's quant section?

Good luck with your apps mate!

Sumi

[StaceyKoprince]

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us, SP. I'm sure your post will be very valuable to a lot of people.

And congrats on the awesome score! Good luck with b-school apps!