Hey guys
This is probably the 1st time I am writing about anything closely related to studies, so this is dedicated to all u back-benchers out there! We too can crack the GMAT!
I am Jai Gandhi, from Kolkata, India.I hold an engineering degree in Biotechnology and work in my family-owned Pharmaceutical company.I took the GMAT yesterday i.e. 5th Jan.
I decided to start preparing for the GMAT back in July 2011.I started with with the usual research about what the exam is about, the different sections of the exam and the basic syllabus.In August 2011, I took the GMATprep exam and scored a 620.I immediately knew that verbal was my weakness and I gave myself 6 months to prepare for the my 1st attempt.
I also joined GMATclub here and BeattheGMAT and I cannot even imagine myself doing anything without these forums.Not a day has gone by without me reading articles posted by various people who wrote their GMAT experiences in detail and I think those narratives have taught me more than any other book or testprep software. A HUGE thank you to GMATClub.
I have taken the CAT before so I guess as far as Quant is concerned I was ok.I just had to refresh concepts.Most of my effort was towards Verbal.
Materials Used: Quant :
OG,
OG supplement each of them twice.
GMATclub diagnostic test.
6 Manhattan tests :After finishing the tests I redid the quant sections of all 6, since I found them extremely useful and the explanation to every Question, irrespective of whether I got it right or wrong, always taught me something new.So Hats off to the Manhattan Mocks
Verbal :
SC : Manhattan SC is god.'Nuf said!
OG,
OG Supplement each thrice: Although third time around I nearly remembered all the answers, it was important for me to understand why exactly the other answers were wrong and I guessed getting questions right boosted my confidence just before the exam.
CR: CR Bible, Manhattan : I was quite pathetic at CR initially and this book helped me loads.Also, all the CR questions in the Manhattan Mocks were very helpful.Initially I used to solve CR based on intuition, but after going through the bible and the mocks, my approach was more elimination-based.The Manhattan Mocks have great explanations for every option which is incorrect, and knowing which ones are most likely to be incorrect helped me a great deal.
RC : I felt that the problem was reading on screen as opposed to reading on paper, which is easier.So I searched up the resources here at GMATClub and found a word doc with all the passages from
OG,
OG Supplement and some additional ones too.I solved 4 passages everyday on a timed basis for nearly 30 days before the test.
Few things you may want to know:
I made an
error log quite late into my prep but nonetheless it helped me.I think everyone should have an
error log and should go through it a couple of days before the test.
To all my fellow engineers : Math on the GMAT is NOT easy.I was under this illusion till I took the Manhattan tests.In fact, DS can be quite tricky so PLEASE do not ignore Quant, even if you are good at it.
You MUST guess on the test.It is practically impossible to solve each and every question within the time frame.Just make sure you dont guess more than 1 question in a row.Leave your ego at home.You may know how to do it, but if u think its gonna take you more than 3 min,MAX 3.5-4 min, then leave it.You HAVE to reach the end of the test.I guessed on 6 questions in quant and I am glad I did.
Breaks are important.Take them.And eat chocolates or something rich in carbs during the two breaks.You'll feel good.
Maintain a consistent schedule.Make sure you select a time slot when you feel you perform best.For me its the morning.But can vary from person to person.And in the days leading up to the test, make sure you are studying in that very time slot.
Dont burn yourself out.Especially 3 days before the test, dont study for more than 2-3 hours.I think the fact that I didnt touch my books in the two days prior to the test allowed me to relax.
Scores :
GMATPrep 1 : 620
KaplanFree test : 660
Manhattan 1 : 690
Manhattan 2 : 700
Manhattan 3 : 680
Manhattan 4 : 730
Manhattan 5 : 760
Manhattan 6 : 760
GMATPrep 2 : 760
GMAT : 760
Please let me know if there's anything more anyone would want to know.These forums have helped me a lot and I really want to repay my debt.
Good Luck
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06 Jan 2012, 02:22
