Yeah folks, as you may have guessed from the Subject line of this post, that is my GMAT experience in a nutshell. ( I put in the bit about Tokyo & my Knee to make it sound a bit Tragic!
)
Taking the GMAT has been one hell of an experience, one which was full off twists and ups & downs. Though at times it did get frustrating, but I did learn a thing or too about keeping my nerves and as they say all is well that end's well.
My first attempt in the May of 2011 - 680 (Q-49, V-34), AWA-5.5 - was a slap on my face and a rude reminder that I had been over-confident.
Reasons for my failure are plenty, but the main reason was lack of practice and a complete understanding of the GMAT format (read the verbal section/I just gave 4 practice exams (2 GMAT preps & 2 MG-MAT)). I was at fault for ignoring that GMAT verbal section is American English, whereas in India we are more versed in the British English (colonial legacy i guess!!). Secondly, I never came to grip with Critical reasoning. My attempts in the Critical reasoning section was always very superficial, I never tried to imbibe the essence of different questions (Assumption, Weaken, Strengthen etc.) and almost always faltered when C.R questions were from the 700-800 range. I deserved the nip in the butt and although came out scarred from this attempt, I had learnt my lesson.
Following the debacle, my company stationed me in Tokyo for around 2 months. Although the break was welcome, it was tough keeping up with some of the hardest working people on the planet. The Japanese people are amazing for many reasons: Commitment, Patience & absolute honesty towards whatever they do. The two months went by working 14-15 hours a day on weekdays & exploring Japan on the weekends (the Japanese for obvious reasons have the lowest number of public holidays in the world!!). Nevertheless I came back from Tokyo both tired & refreshed!
Two weeks after my return disaster struck, I had a excruciating ligament injury while playing football (one of the few football fans in a cricket crazy country) and had a surgery done. Total recovery took me around 4-5 months. The injury along with work pressure kept me completely away from GMAT, but i was still raring for another bite at the apple.
Finally mid November I began my preparation and took an exam date on December last week. I was completely focused on the section which resulted in my downfall last time that is the verbal section. I knew I needed material which would help in this cause and I selected the following:
1. PowerScore Bible for C.R. (This book is an excellent dissection of the GMAT C.R. and gives readers a completely different perspective on how to approach a C.R. questions. I loved the book as it has a chapter dedicated to all different question types tested in GMAT. Also instead of providing short cuts to solve questions, readers are encouraged to adopt a holistic approach to tackle these questions head on. After going through this book instead of being on the defense against 700-800 level C.R. question, I went Rambo on them! This book also helps to tackle some R.C questions as well)
2.
Manhattan Sentence Correction: Excellent read for all Non-Natives. Many times what we say doesn't normally agree with written rules of English, and this book helps us to banish all the misconceptions which we normally have. I felt I was committing errors particularly in the usage of modifiers & verbs, and the material provided in the book help me to tackle these question types. 10 stars for this book.
Practice Test:
MGMAT CAT-1: 670 (Q-43, V-38) - Made the cardinal mistake of NOT ANSWERING the last question in Quant.
MGMAT CAT-2: 700 (Q-50, V35)
MGMAT CAT-3: 680 (Q-50, V34)
MGMAT CAT-4: 720 (Q-50, V37)
GMAT Prep
Gmat Prep - 1: 720 (Sorry don't remember the break up)
Gmat Prep - 2: 730 (Sorry don't remember the break up)
Again none of the scores are exceptional, and on average I was making at least 8-9 mistakes in the verbal section. I stuck to my guns and concentrated on my errors and made notes, which were priceless to say the least when i got down to final revision. My advise to all, never dwell too much on these scores or never mourn over a bad score. Remember that these tests are just a stepping stone towards your final goal. The best thing you can do is learn from your mistakes and try not repeat them.
I also developed a habit of studying everyday from 9 am in the morning for at least 2-3 hours daily (when i took a break from office a week before the final test). This was the same time as my GMAT appointment & conditioning like this can do wonders for you when you are finally attempting the GMAT.
Exam DayNormally I don't sleep very well before an exam, but I went to bed early and coaxed myself into a deep sleep. Got up at 6:00 AM & had a hearty breakfast (never go empty stomach, I did on my first attempt). For the breaks between the exam i took a couple of Red bulls & a chocolate bar for energy (these proved priceless to say the least).
One thing like love about GMAT test experience are the centers. The sense of professionalism shown by the invigilators is amazing (Center - Pearson, Yusuf Sarai, Delhi) Again the registration went without a glitch and right before the exam started I gulped down a red bull.
AWA: This section was glitch free. Before I wrote down my response, I took a minimum of 5-7 minutes to gather my thoughts and take notes (very important, many students at the center started to type immediately. It can be a bit unnerving, but If you have a plan of assessing the topics completely and then typing in your response, then stick to it). I finished each section with enough time to re-assess my response for any obvious grammatical or structural mistakes, again very important to do.
Quant: Again this section was OK, I finished the section with 2 minutes to go. I was expecting a 51, but I'll live with what I got
Verbal: I knew this is the section will define my final score, so I was very careful to start with. I took around 20-22 minutes to answer the first 10 questions & then eventually picked up speed. I could feel the level of questions going up & my confidence increased. I was left with 8 questions in the final 15 minutes and I took my time. I finished with 2 minutes to go.
Took the survey & submitted the scores. Was relieved to see what I got & was satisfied with my effort. I say satisfied, because 740 is not an exceptional score, The sectional scores (Q-50, V-40) are a bit lopsided, but having said that V-40 was like my Everest! And yeah, I'm still waiting for AWA scores
I know with more time and application i can beat this core, but I guess it is time to keep my ego aside & concentrate on the next step, which is much much much more harder then taking the GMAT, that is the application process!
As you guys would have noticed this my first post on this forum, I felt I had an obligation to give something back because many debriefs on this forum helped me become more aware of the GMAT format & resources which could be used to do well.
I thank people who started this forum for providing such an amazing platform for sharing knowledge & experience, Kudos to you all.
That's about it guys, and please feel free to ask me any questions.
Warm Regards!
And Best of luck to all (A merry Christmas & A Happy New year as well
)
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great score . congrats 
