ahh u lovely 7-SEX(T)Y GMAT :-D (Q50 V42)

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

Great job! All the best to you in your applications!

How representative was GMAT prep to the real test (difficulty level of questions)? Would you recommend studying advanced manhattan quant material or review OG questions if your test day is very soon and aiming 700+?

I'd really appreciate your insight. Congratulations again on your score!

Posted from my mobile device

congratulations on a great score. wishing you luck in your application process.

Hi leadout1

Thank u so mch for ur wishes.

The GMATPrep quant was quite similar to the actual test.But unfortunately too many verbal questions were simply lifted from OG.Hence they didnt offer mch of a challenge.

If ur aim is 700+ u must try to ensure that u cross 40 in verbal because I think the verbal has a high weightage in the overall score. To be honest I havent studied advanced Manhattan Quant material.But yes, I did review all the questions i got wrong on the Manhattan mocks..I think Manhattan mocks are very close to the real thing and each question on the mock is invaluable.
And yes, I did review OG questions just before the test, but that was more too boost my confidence than anything else.

On the whole if ur test day is soon, dont try to learn something absolutely new.focus on ur strengths and wat u know...And get urself into test mode by giving a few mocks..

Do let me know if there's anything else you wanna know and all the best for the test

Thanks a lot!

Thats Awesome! Congrats!

I am currently did 4 of the 6 Manhattan mocks and ranging 630-680 with my Q43-49 V33-36. Any sugguestions on getting more accuracy on RC's in general?

wow!!!! congrats buddy.....could you please link the doc with the passages you talked about. You said you found them here on gmatclub. Would really appreciate it. thanks

Hello dchow23.Thank u so mch for ur wishes

Yes even I used to make a lot of mistakes on the RC.However I found this resource here at GMATclub which had about a 100 passages with roughly 7-10 questions for each passage.I think this really helped me because it meant I had to take notes and understand the passage comprehensively.If you wish I could send you the document.

Secondly, I think that the 1st paragraph in RCs are absolutely vital as they often communicate the main point.So if u could maybe take notes for the 1st para, it might help you engage more effectively with the passage.Initially taking rough notes may seem time-consuming but its worth the effort coz u'll understand more and gradually ur speed too will increase!

Let me know if u have any other queries whatsoever.

Hello aisha12. Thanks a lot for ur wishes

I cant really find the document on the website.It was somewhere in the verbal questions forum.However, I could Email it to u.Let me know!