Yes you read it right!!
Hi, (Sorry for filling in late
)
It was my d-day: 18th August - 10.00 AM - Mumbai....
4 hours later my screen flashed: Q-48,
V-20, 560!
I was like "have I gone blind?" or has the "GMAC server crashed thanks to my fantabulous performance"....
This was my 2nd shot at GMAT because exactly 5.5 years back with just 1 year of work experience and no clue WHY I took it the 1st time. (Q-46, V-39, 710) Good ol'days I tell you
Why did I wait this long, you may ask? I climbed the rungs in the my Industry faster than my peers-for e.g. got double promoted as the Business Head of UAE for my Co. So, I NEVER paused and looked at my past or future; I was simply running! But in these competitive times how could I escape? In fact I was stirred up with the recent appraisal
So tried connecting the dots to the best of my ability and came up with a decent story line to answer Why MBA? I was ably helped by my partner & if she's reading this: "Thank you!"
So some time in the first week of July after reading wonderful debriefs I decided to test myself with GMAT Prep 1 (Q-47, V-34, 660). It was evident that my Verbal needed a HUGE push for my GMAT score to cross the 700 mark. Mid-July I bought myself the Bible-
Manhattan SC Guide and thus started my verbal preparation. For a decent non-native speaker and esp. with prior exp in taking the GMAT, I was overwhelmed and intimidated by the 'content' in the Bible! (The first time I studied entirely using my friend's notes and books) Now, when I look back that's where I lost the plot! I was confused-what ALL to focus and what ALL to leave? I was (~in fact am) targeting the 'triology' in R1. But still hung on and booked my date with the GMAT.
I took 4 of the
Manhattan CATS and my scores were as below:
1.
MGMAT 1 (Q-47, V-32, 640)
2.
MGMAT 2 (Q-48, V-39, 690)
3.
MGMAT 3 (Q-47, V-32, 640)
4.
MGMAT 4 (Q-48, V-36, 660)
But there was another shocker waiting for me: GMAT Prep 2-three days prior to exam (Q-49, V-26, 610).
After the Quant section I took the entire 8 min break...That's where I lost my plot!I kinda became nervous and my mind started playing games with me...I started to think about my GMAT Prep 2 verbal section instead of focusing on the 'present'..My instincts did not lie, before the final question I knew I messed it up!
I owe my experience to the following:
a) Last minute preparation- Rome was definitely not built in a day!
b) Old age
....I kept forgetting the rules!
c) Was focused more on reading debriefs, blogs, mailing ad-coms and working on my essays....Seems that multitasking just ain't my forte
d) Non-maintenance of Error Logs
Now, I begin the journey again...don't have a target score yet and haven't decided on the date either BUT yes it's going to be the BEST ONE EVER!
My views on the learning material: (Am I entitled to one in the 1st place?
)
A) GMAT Prep,
OG-11 &
OG-12: Undoubtedly the BEST and the TRUEST representation of the Actual GMAT! My ROCK SOLID ADVICE 'Do all the sections at least twice and then do the 300 different questions available in
OG-12' Same goes for GMAT Prep Tests 1&2 do them at least twice...if you do get qestions that you have solved earlier-simple-just wait for 2min if it's Q and 1.5min if it's V before you proceed and if you do plan to take it the third time around make sure that before you re-install the installed folder including the log files is deleted. Now reduce 30 points from your net score....this result would represent +-10 points of your Actual Score on the d-day!
B)
GMAT Club Tests: I simply loved them!!
I would say the Quant was just the right level of practice that is needed to crack the GMAT. Yes, the difficult ones are difficult but then focus on learning the concept from the question rather than worry about the percentile that reflects at the end of the test. Those 190+ questions are a steal...Do them again after a period of 2 weeks (i.e.if you have time) I unfortunately solved only 2 of the Quant tests & had no time for Verbal tests so not in a position to comment about the latter.
C)
Manhattan CATS: Again good stuff-do them! Yes, Quant is on the higher side as compared to the Actual GMAT but it gives you an idea and feel of having 15-18 higher level questions in a set of 37. If you are scoring above 44/45 you are doing good..period. Do spend a lot of time focusing on 'Y you could not solve the question/s during the test' that will give you an idea as to where/what level your mind stops functioning and then practice 20/30 of such problems...Coming to the Verbal section SURPRISINGLY I did not like the way the questions were asked i.e. it was more directly testing the concepts of what is given in the SC guide rather than being representative of the Actual GMAT Verbal Questions-I found the actual ones (including GMAT Prep ones) more tricky! Anyways, this is only opinion and given the "super" score I achieved....all the more reason not to! But my reasoning is that consistently is I have been scoring 32+ on the M-CATS I should have at least scored 35 confidently....or do you guys say it was my GMAT Prep 2 that did me in and not the M-CATS...may be...only time will tell.
D) Kaplan 800 & Kaplan Advanced: Though I didn't do much of these but I would say if you have the time and money..go ahead practice is going to do no harm!
E) 800 score tests: Never had time...but I will definitely do them before my next shot! So will update you then...
Overall, I would reiterate
OG & GMAT Prep give you the 'real sense' of the exam - 10/10
Manhattan SC Guide is truly the Bible! - 8/10
The free CATS is definitely to be done! - 6.5/10
GMAT Club Quant Tests - 8/10
GMAT Club Verbal Tests - yet to be tested.
Last but not the least; AWA! I blindly followed what 'chinese' suggested as on this forum!! The pointers were much much better than those available on other forums - was entirely logical and in the end I expect to score at least a 5.5....and this was the only time I did AWA...not once during practice tests did I do AWA. I know many of you wouldn't appreciate that but then in the end every one has his/her own strengths and I firmly believe that AWA helps one to focus prior to the Quant section...so it gives you sufficient time to get into 'the zone'....I hope am making some sense here!
So, here I am requesting all the readers to either throw brickbats or bouquets & if nothing else your '2 cents'....on my way forward....on any questions related to my preparation....on my verbal section(seriously guys, when I think of my score I yell!!!) Nevertheless Life Goes on and thats exactly what makes it beautiful.
We fail - We pass - We fall - We get up - We lose some - We win some...
I know for a few of 'us' GMAT and the B-School is a do-or-die thingy...But cmon! Get serious about life; Life's simple but just a little not so easy...
'When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."
(This isn't me but Erma Bombeck)...but yes if I fail to say so only then would I call myself a failure until then... Get up and Play Hard!!!!
Over to you my friends....
Cheers and Good Luck to everyone who has their GMAT tomorrow! Just Enjoy!!
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20 Aug 2010, 09:36
