I took the real GMATS today after 2.5 months of studying. For me, this was an overacheivement since I quit my job in August and was just concentrating on this for the past couple months. Considering I am a relatively stupid test taker (2.9 undergrad GPA), I was hoping for 600-620, but I'll gladly take today's 660 (about 85% percentile).
Could have/Should have/Would have time managed better on the AWA...
I went off on a tangent trying to elaborate on a couple examples, which killed the clock. Also I typed an outline of what the argument essay question asked on the bottom of the essay in notes style, and left it there, forgetting to delete
.... It'll be interesting to see how they grade my AWA. I did type about 4 paragraphs worth of essays for each, but the part where I went a little too in depth on 1 or 2 examples, but failed to fully complete a conclusion paragraph and or proofread makes me nervous about the 3 week wait to get the AWA score.
As for the GMAT itself...
They put some really easy experimental questions in the middle of Math. There were about 2-3 questions that seemed so easy that I figured them out in less than 3 seconds. During the test I kind of panicked, thinking that there must be some tricks that I'm missing? The math questions that confounded me were the ones with variables and exponents combined and the ones asking for positive/negatives with variables.
There were some Math problems in which knowing the Venn Diagram and
the (A + B) + Neither - Both =Total really helped.
If you can learn to approximate, that helps save time...
Some fractions, percentages, and a 2 step probability problem.
The verbal presented some very lengthy and (hard to understand) reading comps. Some critical reasonings were really tough because of the length and difficult vocabulary they used. I think I took educated guesses on a few of those.
My suggestion for test takers:
1. Be ready to start typing when you start the AWA
2. Be prepared to hear alot of keyboard typing noises during the AWA
as other GMAT test takers are also frantically typing their AWAs
3. Take it one problem at a time
4. BE MINDFUL OF THE CLOCK
5. Expect the unexpected, there can be extremely easy problems popping
up in the middle, but don't panic, double check and move on the next
problem
6. On tough data sufficiencys, ABD are your best guesses according to
Veritas' "
project GMAT" book
7. On lengthy sentence corrections, break down answer choices, what's
different about them, isolate the sentence: subject/verb/tense/etc
8. Practice learning the basics, and what kinds of short cuts work for you
Study materials:
OG 11th Edition
Princeton Review Cracking
Kaplan Premium Program book w/4 CATs CD
Veritas project GMAT book
Sentence Correction Bible
Critical Reasoning Bible
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In retrospect, I should have also bought the OG Math and Verbal supplemental practice books as well retaken the GMATPrep CATs some more. Like most others on this site, I would agree that the OG and GMATPrep questions most resemble what you'll see on the actual GMAT.
Practices Tests
Princeton Review
460
570
590
600
610
GMAT Prep
530
620
Kaplan
540
340 (I gave up after the math section presented too many long questions)
530
610 (paper test)
So off to the application process, and looking forward to campus visit trips
All along I wanted to apply to avg 570-630 GMAT schools (Miami, Fordham, Pepperdine), the plan is still the same, but hopefully ALSO get some grant money now!
God Bless, Good Luck, and remember the best answer choice is ofthen the one that stinks the least (POE)...
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