10 things i had known before preparing for the GMAT1. Unaware of gmatclub : It was very difficult for me to get the details about GMAT related study materials such as books, courses, practice tests etc..Through GMAT club i got a clear idea about :
a) Books:- Best books with pros and cons along with the reviews of the real users are present ( rather than reading fake reviews of many people meant for promotion other websites)it cleared my dilemma of choosing the best books from a wide range of books available in the market and also to choose the ones about which i have not even aware.( Thanks to bb)
b) Free and the one of the best resources:- The free resources such as
Ultimate gmat grammar book ,
Ultimate gmat grammar book , plenty of questions available on forums and the explanations from the experts.
c) Motivation:-" Real test-takers with real GMAT prep stories has always inspired and motivated not only to prepare in a better way but also to overcome the depression during the preparation journey.
d) GMAT club tests :- They are just awesome !!! I redeemed my favorite kudos to get them and i believe that, the "feel" these tests give are the almost the same as the feel of real test.
e)Bunuel's OG Quants projects :- Prompt reply from bunuel and his "easy" and "more- than- one" way to approach quants teaches more than anything in the world
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(I can quote many more but oveall GMATCLUB was the one major thing i missed during the previous prep)2.Local coaching centers : Many local study centers have fake or maybe unreal data of candidates and promise you a good coaching which can be dicey .
Manhattan gmat is the one of its kind which keeps its instructors up-to-date by making them face the real exam every year.So, guys (specially in INDIA) don't get trapped in coaching classes with outdated or un-experienced/unqualified instructors, do some basic inquiry before joining.I joined one and have suffered a lot, it spoiled my time,money,and energy ! I wish i had known courses like
magoosh , veritas etc..
3.Unaware/considering on-line course a bad-idea:- I always considered the on-line prep courses a waste of time and got fooled by the local prep coaching center.After when i read the various reviews on gmatclub i chose
e-gmat for my verbal prep and i am very much satisfied. I tried Knewton and
magoosh and found them amazingly good, i wish i had enough time to join the full course.The prep companies which provide such online courses are very good( almost all, which are here remarked on gmatclub ) one should take the trail period for free and then decide the best according to him/her.
4.Ofiicial guides/materials :- OG bores us ? Trust me , without
OG it is very very difficult to ace the GMAT (i've read the debrief of many good students mentioning
OG in their prep)and im my opinion
OG gives the true sense of preparation, one should never miss the
OG 12/13,
OG for verbal and quants(seperate books) and the $24.99 stuff from GMAC . More than the questions, the explanations are important while studying the
OG. Rathar than figuring out the right answers one should thoroughly go through the explanations of wrong questions especially in the verbal.
5.Grockit :- This is fantastic !!! After you have brushed your basics just join grockit !!! you can customize your your test and learn lot more while taking the tests.
6.Mock tests :- Lastly i would like to add that , i never took sufficient mock tests to track my weakness. mock tests should be taken between the preparation not only to track the weakness but also to given the mind a mental stamina - This is a very important aspect of GMAT exam.
7. FUN: - Have enough fun to relax but don't exceed it because i found it difficult to focus for next few days after every party-night
8. Reading challenging English :- For non-native speakers of English it is very important to read 6 passages or more of competitive english articles NOT related to the area of interest .I thought that verbal is grammar and learning rules.Verbal is way beyond mere grammar and rules,its the overall comprehension, the application and stamina can only be developed with time , so reading good materials helps.
9. Thursdays with Ron :- Nothing can beat the live classes from one of the best guys known in the GMAT prep world.I started watching the recorded videos on the
Manhattan Gmat website and i found them of great use.
10.Continuity in preparation :- I used to take a break from work to visit the offsite workplace and holiday destinations with friends .Avoid such trips(at least for few months 1 or maybe 2 until you take the GMAT, you may end up ruining your prep.Or even if you have to go out of station then you must keep the gmatclub app on you android/i-phone to practice problems and brush up the theory part using the gmat club flash cards.