Hey everyone,
I finally managed to get the monkey off my back and scored a 750(Q-49, V-42, IR-5, AWA-6.0) on the GMAT, putting an end to my GMAT journey, which took almost 3 years and 3 attempts. At this point I'd like to thank a lot of people through this forum who helped me get here - bb, bunnuel, walker,
e-gmat, and Veritas prep. Also a big thank you to all the members who have contributed on these forums in the form of advice, debriefs, and solutions to different quant and verbal problems.
My debrief will draw a lot of analogies & stories from sports, movies & pro-wrestling, which I am big fan of (in case you didn't figure that out from the title itself
). Just a heads up in case you start seeing quotes and punchlines that sound too dramatic!
BackgroundI am 28 year old, Indian engineer working in a retail analytics firm for the past 5 years. I graduated from Delhi University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. I have a decent score in my undergrads, though nothing spectacular(I still don't have the exact scale to convert my marks into a 4.0 scale). I have good resume in terms of extra curricular activities- i have won quite a few national inter-collegiate trivia quiz competitions, and had a handful of leadership roles during my undergrad days. Although I am a non-native speaker I never considered English as my weaker hand, since I had worked in the capacity of an editor of different publications during my school and undergrad days.
Take 1, August 2011, 680(Q49, V34):- Know Your Opponent & Respect Your OpponentMy GMAT journey began in the summer of 2011. I approached the GMAT with near indifference and smugness - quant is too easy and I am good at English. Notice that I didn't say 'Verbal' but "English' here. This is an important nugget as it will become the key to my eventual success. I saw my flatmate and a couple of his friends take the GMAT in 2010 , and all of them came out with 700+ scores without too much trouble. All of them told me just 2 things- quant is very easy for somebody with your background, and just practice SC really well. They probably didn't tell me the whole story of their trials and tribulations and hence I assumed that getting a 700+ score will be as easy as taking a candy from a baby. With this frame of mind, I started to prepare for the exam from the month of May with the intended idea to take the test by the end of August. During this take, I used the following material:-
1.)
OG 12
2.) MANHATTAN SC GUIDE
3.) MANHATTAN CATs
As you can see from the list of preparatory materials, I was not carrying adequate ammunition to deal with the GMAT. Even while preparing, I barely touched the MANHTTAN SC Guide and I used it more as a way to get the practice CATs for free. I simply solved the
OG without paying too much attention to the questions and their detailed solutions. I focused only on getting as many questions correct as possible without ever sitting back and analyzing why I got a problem right or wrong. On Verbal, I was relying a lot on my ear to solve the questions rather than figuring out what made an answer choice correct or incorrect. I thought that by doing the
OG and then simply taking the practice tests, I am doing enough to do well on the GMAT. A big reason for this blind side was the way I approached the CATs. I did one Official GMAT Prep CAT, in the middle of my preparation and got a 700 on it. I believed I was heading in the right direction. While doing the
MGMAT CATs, I used to take the Quant section without timing it, and eventually end up with an inflated score. Also for some reason, the Verbal score on the MGMATs are totally weird on all the tests except for the first free one. It might have changed now, but in 2011, I remember taking a
MGMAT CAT and scoring a 45 on the Verbal. Needless to say I never realized what i was doing right or wrong.
My big reality check came right before the exam day, when I attempted the second Official GMAT Prep Test. I bombed the test, getting something like Q49, V33 for a 680. I was in total shock and lost all confidence going into the exam. I was nervous as hell, and from the moment the bell rang all I could think of was how to finish the test and go home. I did alright on the Quant, but I remember feeling breathless on Verbal section as if I was being put in a choke hold on every question that appeared on the screen. Finally my trauma ended and when the screen flashed a 680, I was just relieved that my misery for the day was over. I'll have to fight the GMAT some other day, some other time.
Take 2, December 2012, 700(Q49, V35, IR5, AWA6.0):- Don't Give Undue Respect To Your OpponentAfter the shock of the first take, I took time off from the GMAT and focused on my work. I used to lurk around on the forums reading debriefs and understanding where I could have done better. I not only read debriefs of people who got great scores, but also of those who had had a tough time against the exam. Somewhere in my subconscious, I developed the notion that I am not good enough to get a high score on this exam. It grew on me, and I didn't even realize that it's there inside me.
In September of 2012, I decided to prepare for my retake. I gave myself close to 3 months this time. The material that I used included:-
1.) OG13 - it came out between my first and second take and having heard good reviews about it I bought it.
2.) Verbal Review 2nd Edition
3.) MANHATTAN SC Guide
As I mentioned earlier, I had started to become afraid of the exam. I thought that I should aim for a 720 (which is a great score in itself, btw) and that if I did that I'd probably get close to a 700/710, which would make me happy. I solved all the OG13 problems, this time paying attention to the reasons why i was getting a question wrong. I practiced Quant and Verbal on the GMAT CLUB free platform as well. I took the first of the Official GMAT Prep CATs after 1.5 months of prep and scored a 720(Q49, V39). I actually ran out of time on the Verbal section, but I ignored this an aberration and assumed that it was because I was rusty on my exam temperament. One key thing that I would like to mention is that I didn't follow a schedule at all. My study hours were totally erratic, and there were 1 or 2 weeks that I didn't study at all. This was because I was only concerned about solving OG13 questions and hitting a decent accuracy rate on them. I had flipped through a few pages of the MANHATTAN SC Guide, but while solving SC questions if I used to get stuck, I still relied on what sounded 'right' . I used the same approach on CR as well - I used to select that answer choice which felt 'right' and had little idea of the exact or entire argument structure. Before the exam day, I took the remaining GMAT Prep Official CAT and scored a 720 again. This time also I didn't pay too much attention to the fact that I ran out of time on the Verbal section. I didn't practice much for the IR either, however, I did go through chineseburned's AWA template.
On the exam day, I did a good job on the AWA, but when IR started, I felt a bit out of my depth. I struggled to finish the section - i think I solved only 8-9 questions. Worst of all I carried the bad aftertaste of the section in the following sections as well. In Quant I was actually doing alright, but I had a nagging feeling at the back of my head that I was screwing up this section. And I carried this feeling in the Verbal section. - I became extra cautious while attempting the questions and with my preparation lacking, I started taking 3-4 minutes per question. I distinctly recall looking up at the clock to find 15 minutes and 12 questions remaining. I was panic struck and in the last 5 minutes I answered the last 10 questions without having any clue as to what was being asked.
With a heavy heart I pressed the button to report my score and was relieved to see a 700 (Q49, V35, IR5). Maybe this was the best that I could ever do on this exam...
Take 3, September 2014, 750, (Q49, V42, IR5, AWA6.0):- Knocking Out A Familiar FoeI kept trying to justify myself that I can't do better than this on the GMAT, and that I should focus on other aspects of my application. In reality, I was just too overwhelmed with the GMAT to think of another retake. I was even planning to apply for courses starting in the Fall of 2014. Even though I knew that GMAT score is just one component of the application, I at times felt that my score is in some ways inhibiting me to apply to the schools that I really, really wanted. In fact, my score did not inspire confidence even in me. Eventually, i ended up applying nowhere...
As days went by and the year changed, I saw almost all of my close friends make big and inspired career changes - they achieved the goals that they had set for themselves. One of them cracked the Civil Services exam( probably one of the 3 toughest exams in India), one of them completed her MBA from Olin and started working in Philly, and one of them got through ISB. I kept wondering if at all I am destined to have that 'one big moment' in my life. It was then that I realized that ever since I graduated from college, there is not one thing that I had set my eyes on and had worked really hard for it. I had let life go by making excuses for my failures, and had kept justifying my procrastination over proactive determination. In short I hadn't done enough to deserve that 'one big moment' that I expected life to throw at me.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”-Marianne WilliamsonThese are the famous lines which you may or may not recall from the movie 'Coach Carter'. They resonated so strongly with me that I decided that I am going to take another shot at this beast, and put it to sleep. This has to be my best shot; I won't have a reason to regret even if I come up short. I can not live with the idea that I never really gave my best shot at the GMAT and allowed my fear to get the better of me. With that in mind, it was time for Take 3.
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."- Albert EinsteinThis take had to be different if I wanted different results. I realized that there is a fundamental flaw in all the aspects in my past 2 attempts- be it the mental aspect, the preparation aspect or the approach to the exam aspect. I had to change everything.
"I hate this idea that you’re the best. Because you’re not. I’m the best. I’m the best in the world." - CM Punk in his Pipe Bomb PromoThe first thing I changed was my target score- I don't want a 700, or a 720 , I want a 760. I believed that if shoot for the stars, I will end up on the moon. So yes, this attempt wasn't going to be about incremental gains; this will be about bringing a significant change to what had transpired so far. I told myself that if I put in my best, I can get that 760 on this exam.
I also understood that the GMAT Verbal is not a test of English proficiency, but of logic and clear, concise communication. I needed to un-learn my approach towards the section; I researched for a good verbal course that would not only help me un-learn and learn, but also ensure I stick to a regiment. I had tried the Economist GMAT Tutor course, and realized that that course wasn't for me.I had actually bought that course but I could never get going on it. I watched the videos from GMAT Pill and
e-gmat and decided to stick with
e-gmat as I found their approach more suited to my learning needs. i still don't think that it's a native v/s non-native debate when selecting the right course. What might work for somebody, might not work for another. I recommend that one go through the free/trial videos and then come to a decision. I signed up for the
e-gmat Verbal Live Prep course. The good thing was that the course/videos/live sessions are valid for 6 months, you can stick to a prescribed timetable and you get the
GMATCLUB Tests for free as part of the package.
For Quant, I decided that my biggest issue was rushing through the problems. Although I had scored a 49 on both my attempts, I wanted to breach the '50 barrier'. After reading up a lot of debriefs, I decided to stick with the new
GMATCLUB Tests.
One other thing that I realized was that unofficial questions from unverified sources, specially from the Verbal Section, on gmat forums create a lot of unnecessary chaos and dent one's confidence. I decided to stick to official questions only, and hence purchased the GMAT PREP SOFTWARE Collection (Exam Pack 1 + Question Pack 1). Further since i got good reviews from the club members on the new Veritas CATS as well, I got them as well for additional practice.
The Preparation:-Now that I have set the context for my final retake, i'd like to take you through the final part of my GMAT journey. Below is the summary of all the material I used for this take:-
1.) OG12
2.) OG13
3.) Verbal Review 2nd Edition
4.)
e-gmat Verbal Live course
5.) GMAT PREP Software collection
6.) GMAT CLUB Quant Tests
7.) Veritas CATS
8.) Economist GMAT Tutor CATs
Quant:-I felt confident that at my worst I am going to get a 49 on the quant. I need to figure out a way to get past 49. I downloaded the GMAT CLUB Quant book and printed it out.
I started by going through all the chapters to get a firm hold on the theoretical aspect. Then I went through all the free tests that I took in my second attempt on the old GMAT CLUB platform. Having done that, i started taking full tests on the new platform. I took two tests untimed with the intention of getting as many questions right as possible. I realized that the questions that I was getting wrong, were either:-
1.) because I made a silly calculation mistake in PS or ignored the boundary cases in DS (example:- x is a
number, x is a
positive integer, checking the value at -1,0,1 etc.)
2.) because they were too tough for me to solve (these were slightly rare)
After this I started doing the tests in a timed environment and was scoring between 47 & 51. I also realized that I needed to learn to let go of the questions when I had spent more than 2 minutes on them as I was answering them incorrectly anyways. I felt confident about my Quant, specially DS after taking about 5-6
GMAT CLUB Tests in 2 months' time.
Verbal:-This was the deal breaker on my previous 2 retakes. I decided to change my approach towards the section. I started using the
e-gmat material and found it really helpful. The course builds your foundation by introducing simple building block elements and then builds on this foundation. I used their SC and CR part of the material as RC was never an area of concern for me.
1.)
SC:- I used the
e-gmat course and solved the OG12 and OG13 completely. I then attacked the Verbal Review.
e-gmat says that one should focus on the meaning of the sentence. However what really helped me improve my strike rate were the rules and the boundaries in which the GMAT tests English. Language as such is free flowing and it can take any form or shape because in essence its purpose is to convey information. However GMAT tests you within certain boundaries and those boundaries are governed by a few rules. So I combined the meaning approach along with the concept of boundaries and rules for SC. Also I stuck to official questions only.
2.)
CR:- I realized within a month of my preparation that more than SC, CR was my Achilles' heel. I figured that my lack of understanding of basic concepts like 'premise', 'assumption', 'argument' etc. was a big factor for my <50% accuracy. I found the
e-gmat course really helpful. The way it breaks down these concepts is amazing. I spent most of my time using the
e-gmat course on improving my CR ability. The key for me was to understand the premise, assumption & conclusion in any argument. I learned that using the "pre-thinking" actually works in reducing the answer time on almost all the CR questions. Again I stuck to official questions only for practice.
3.)
RC:- As I mentioned before, I never had a problem with RC. I am a voracious reader, and have read the works of Kafka, Camus & Murakami and have actually at some level 'understood' their works as well. I am also a regular reader of editorial section of The Hindu, one of the best newspapers in India. I only tried to improve my reading speed on this section.
MOCK TESTS:- Practice tests are really important for gauging your progress and identifying weak spots. I used the 4 GMAT Prep Official test, 2 Economist GMAT Tutor CATS (i had access to the course, even though I did not use it much), and Veritas CATS. Following is the summary of my results in chronological order:-
1.) Economist CAT 1 - 710 (Q49, V40)
2.) Economist CAT 2 - 650 (Q49, V32) - For some reason I didn't take this result too seriously. there was something funny about the questions and scoring algo.
3.) GMAT Prep 3 - 740(Q49, V41)
4.) Veritas CAT 1 - 720(Q49, V40)
5.) Veritas CAT 2 - 740(Q50, V41) - At this point i decided to book my date for the GMAT, for the week after.
6.) GMAT Prep 4 - 730(Q48, V41)
6.) GMAT Prep 2 - 760(Q50, V44) - I reset the tests as I had used them in my prep for the first retake
All tests where taken with IR & AWA sections wherever available.
I would spend at least 2-3 hours figuring where/why I went wrong. I also took time to understand the questions I got right - does my logic match with the official answer? is there a shorter way to reach the same answer? This really helped me believe in my methods and abilities. I took a note of topics where I had made mistakes in multiple tests and revised them again. I made sure that I practice the tests in exactly the same time slot as I intended to take the actual test. I also trained my body & mind to get used to the idea of using Red Bull and chocolates as a source of energy.
I took one day off from work just before the G-day. I revised a few topics that I had made a note of during my test reviews. In the evening I went out for a beer and a few dimsums to an oriental restaurant and allowed myself to relax. I came home, revised a few topics for an hour and dozed off.
The G-Day:-
I woke up before my alarm went off. I took a long slow stroll to the ATM machine to withdraw some cash, bought 2 cans of Red Bull, chocolate bars and a pack of biscuits. I made myself a nice cup of tea and read the newspaper. I got ready while listening to 'Cult Of Personality' by Living Color and left for the test center. I took the metro and during my ride I read chinesburned's AWA template 3-4 times.
I reached the test center an hour and a half before my scheduled appointment. I bought some light snacks and a bottle of water and finished them off. This was my breakfast
While waiting outside I listened to some songs that get me pumped up. Half an hour before my appointment, I moved inside the test center. After completing my formalities, I was directed to my terminal. After choosing my five schools, I read the instructions and calmed myself down. Few More clicks and I was on with the AWA. Stuck to chineseburned's template and shredded the argument to pieces. Then came IR. Although I had practiced this section on my mock CATs, i really wasn't much bothered about it, since schools are not really reading into the scores for now. I got a few easy questions and then there were some which just took up a lot of my time. All i wanted was to finish this and take my break. I knew that I didn't do as well as I would have liked to but I had trained myself to not get bothered by this section.
Once done, I simply took my break. Generally when your break time is about to end the proctors give a heads up. Strangely they didn't do it for me. As a result i lost 15 seconds on my Quant section. This totally put me off!! I felt a little panic setting off in one corner of my mind and couldn't concentrate on the very first problem. I took 5 minutes to solve the first question, although it was a very easy question. Thankfully the next few questions did not take too much time, and I was able to catch up. At around the 20th question i got geometry PS, which I couldn't make head or tail of. I guessed and moved on, and finished the section with 1.5 minutes to spare.
Took the break, drank Red Bull, one more chocolate bar and this time I came back 2 minutes before my break got over. Started with a few SCs that were easy to solve, then 1-2 CRs and then one RC. I realized that by question 13, the questions were becoming a bit trickier. I took my time for Q13- Q20 as in my mock CATs this was the zone where I used to make mistakes in a cluster. I did lose time and was behind the clock, but I kept going on. for the last 10 questions, I had about 16-17 minutes. I knew that I would get my last RC somewhere here and that I would be able to solve the RC questions quickly - I did get my RC as expected. Last 6 questions and I was left with 8-9 minutes - a few SCs which i was able to solve quickly. Still for the last 2 questions I just had 1.5 minutes - I guessed on both of them and was relieved to be done with the exam. I didn't have any good or bad feeling, just a sense of satisfaction. I quickly filled in my details and then clicked to see my score:-
IR 5 (52nd percentile)
Q 49 (79th percentile)
V 42 (96th percentile)
TOTAL 750 (98th percentile)
I almost screamed out of joy.I pressed the button to report my score and was numb for a second or two after that. If they ever revisit the video recording of my take, they would see a guy fist pumping and murmuring what not while staring at the screen!! I raised my hand and pressed the button to end my exam, collected my belongings, took my score report and ran out!!
"The only thing that’s real is me and the fact that day in and day out, for almost six years, I have proved to everybody in the world that I am the best on this microphone, in that ring, even in commentary! Nobody can touch me!" - CM Punk in his Pipe Bomb Promo Reflecting on my score I did feel that I didn't manage to get that 50 on Quant. Also my IR score is at the 52nd percentile. But hey, I'll take this 750 anytime over a lesser overall score with Q50 and IR8 :D
Things I could have done better:-1.) Practiced a bit more for IR
2.) Avoided some of my silly mistakes on Quant
3.) Managed my time better on the Verbal. I am not sure by how much it affected my final Verbal score.
4.) Took a few more of the Veritas CATs
The last 3 points mentioned above might have got me a 760.
Final Few Tips :-1.) If you are retaking the exam, make sure you first analyze why you didn't get the score you had expected. A good place to start is the GMAT Prep Official CATs that you would have taken. Trust me when I tell you - if you make a mistake in the practice CATs and haven't worked on that topic/area, you'll make the same mistake again.
2.) People panic in a high stakes exams. Even I did at a few junctures. When you panic you go back to your comfort zone, which may lead you to commit the same mistakes. Make sure you prepare so well that your 'new' comfort zone is well above your natural comfort zone. Simulate the test environment as closely as possible.
3.) Understand why you got a question wrong. But also understand, why you got a question right as well.
4.) Practice on Official Questions only. They are the closest to what you will be served in the real GMAT
5.) If you are a citizen of any country in the Indian subcontinent, please take nothing but your passport as the proof of identity. Nothing else is accepted. I saw the proctors send back a few people who didn't get their passports.
6.) Believe that you are the best in the world! You don't need a GMAT score to tell you that!
It's a long debrief, but I hope it is helpful for those preparing to write the exam. Thanks for reading!
Off to applying to schools in R1 and R2!
Cheers,
solerenegade
P.S.- please excuse a few typos that might have happened here & there! been a long post to type for me as well!
Hey great and inspiring de-brief.....thanks for taking time to share.
close
Updated on: 24 Dec 2014, 22:22
