Took the exam today and scored a 760 (Q49, V44). I should be happier with my score but am not and here's why: After my AWA section, I raised my hand for a break. The moderator/observer guy, who was a bit overly friendly, said “alright, take your time!” Like a complete idiot, I assumed that Pearson would notify you when your 8 minute break was up. Unfortunately, this was NOT the case. What was the consequence? When I returned from my post-AWA break and started on the quant section, the time remaining had already been depleted to 71:03 . 4 minutes vanished into thin air. Psychologically, I was so in the zone that I was only briefly flustered. I simply told myself that I've trained too long and hard to let this ruin my test day and kept moving forward. In an attempt to stay on MGMAT’s timing schedule, I rushed through a few questions without thinking through them thoroughly. Got to the last question, which was a hard one, with about 1:45 remaining. Took me ~1:30 to finally think of the correct formula but with 15 seconds left, I did not have enough time to calculate it out. So what should have been a surefire Q50 / 770 and potential Q51 / 780 turned into a Q49 / 760. Would appreciate people's thoughts on me potentially retaking it. In the 3 months leading up to test day, I approached the GMAT with the intention of destroying it. It's really become a matter of pride at this point and the thought of such a stupid and avoidable mistake is driving me nuts. I would have been perfectly proud and happy of my 760 if it were not for this mistake. It’s like making it to the 100M sprint at the Olympics expecting to win gold and then getting silver because you heard the gunshot a half second after everyone else. Bit of background on me: 25 years old. Currently work in the corporate development department of a well-known Internet company. Prior to that, worked as an investment banking analyst. Anyhow, here is a breakdown of my study strategy: Class: Manhattan GMAT. Enrolled in the live class. Overall it was pretty useful but not so much because of the class as because of the materials and resources. Pros: Quant strategy guides are really good. SC guide is really good. Extremely detailed spreadsheets for answer/timing tracking on OG problems. Extremely detailed and focused study plan. And, most importantly, 30-minute office hours with their instructors. While my classroom instructor was great, a MGMAT instructor named Horacio Quiroga gave me some advice that was critical to my success. I met the guy through office hours in my last week of class and, if you look at the trajectory of my practice CAT scores after that week, you'll see the results. He acted like he had a vested interest in my GMAT score (offered to hold follow-up calls with me beyond the duration of the class, on his own time) and the advice/guidance he gave was tremendous. Cons: Unfortunately, because they need maximize their addressable market, class room lecture plans aren't really targeted to the students who are looking to get mid-high 700's. Based on my experience, most of the students are looking for mid-to-high 600's and the classroom is taught with that in mind. They have a separate series of 2-hour segments called "The Quest for 750" but I did not take them so I can't comment. While the class is really good for building fundamentals, if you're shooting for 760+, you'll probably need to do a lot of additional studying post-class. Study materials : 1. MGMAT Guides - Quant and SC are great. Tried the note taking strategies for both CR and RC and found they only slowed me down. 2. OG 12, Q and V books - Did most of the problems for all three books at first according to the MGMAT study plan. After I exhausted all of the MGMAT study plan HW problems, began to do only the later problems (anywhere from #50 to #90 and on, depending on book/question-type). 3. A set of 400 problems which I got by emailing the guy at this website: https://gmatquantproblems.blogspot.com/ . A friend of mine who had taken the test recently recommended the set to me. These problems were most representative of the actual test. $150 for 400 problems, all of which are at least as difficult as the hardest quartile of official guide problems. You should be scoring in the Q47/Q48+ range before purchasing. If you’re shooting for Q50, this is the set to get after you’ve exhausted the official guide. Warning: the guy is pretty flaky over email. He's apparently a GMAT tutor in Argentina, where customer service is low on the list of priorities. He takes Paypal or money order and physically mails you the questions (I know - old school). 4. Jeff Sackmann's Extreme Challenge - There are 2 guys on this forum who talk about this thing like it's GMAT quant salvation in a PDF. I suspect they might be related to Jeff Sackmann . Don't get me wrong, it's got some good, representative problems. But out of the 100 questions, 30-35 of them were probably combo/probs. How many combo/probs did I see on the test? 1. I did wipe it out quite quickly though, probably purely because of Sackmann's set. The set is split roughly 35/65 PS/DS. I wouldn’t recommend that anyone NOT purchase it but it’s not nearly as helpful as some people here claim. CAT & actual exam : MGMAT 1: 6/6/09 – 570: Q30 / V38 MGMAT 2: 7/21/09 – 660: Q44 / V36 MGMAT 3: 8/9/09 – 680: Q47 / V35 – MGMAT classes ended this week MGMAT 4 : 8/16/09 – 730 : Q48 / V41 MGMAT 5 : 8/23/09 – 750 : Q48 / V44 GMAT Prep 1 : 8/30/09 – 770 : Q50 / V45 GMAT Prep 2 : 9/13/09 – 780 : Q50 / V48 Actual Exam: 9/18/09 – 760: Q49 / V44 Key takeaways - Before anything else – *****DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I DID AND ASSUME THAT THEY WILL NOTIFY YOU WHEN YOUR 8-MINUTE BREAK IS UP***** . If you did not read my intro paragraph, this cost me 4 minutes in the quant section and turned a 770 into a 760. - SC: Exhaust all of the OG problems and make sure you read the official explanations for EVERY QUESTION, EVEN THE ONES YOU GET RIGHT. For the ones you get right, go through and read the official explanation for why every other answer choice is wrong. Every wrong answer choice typically has 2-3 errors and chances are you’re only able to identify 1 of them. By going through the official explanations for why each answer choice is wrong, you really train yourself to recognize errors, which is the key to SC. Even on the toughest SC problems, you can use error recognition and POE to arrive at an answer 95%+ of the time. This was the revelation that kicked my score up from a V36 to V41 in a single week. - CR/RC: you should approach studying for these the same way as you approach SC although you probably don’t need the same level of meticulousness. After a while it’s just pattern recognition. Stay as close to the text as possible, avoid extremisms, etc. etc. - Quant: Do problems and own the problems. I went from a Q30 to a consistent Q50 by doing somewhere around 800-1,000 quant problems. My history in math is a bit unique though and I can offer up more details if anyone is interested in how to move from a Q30 to Q50. - Study hard and consistently. I’m not sure I would have been able to make the gains I made by studying in broken intervals. I averaged 20-25 hours a week for 13 weeks straight. There were maybe only 3 days during which I did not study. - GMAT club is a great resource but try and filter out the noise (this applies to any other GMAT forum, including MGMAT's) . I found motivation through some really solid posts on here. Also found some gems of quant wisdom. But this is a free-for-all forum and not every post is made of gold. There were a few times when questions totally unrepresentative of the exam were posted and proceeded to drive me crazy because I couldn't figure them out. Also, there are some posters who provide wrong answers with such a high degree of confidence that it can be dangerous. GMATclub is a great resource with some amazing contributors, but be careful of how deeply you read into certain posts. - Don’t use any CATs until you’ve done a decent portion of the OG problems in timed conditions. - MGMAT CATs are 10-20% harder than the real exam. It’s a pretty good proxy for the real test but GMAT Prep is (obviously) by far the best. - In my personal experience, the real GMAT was a bit harder than GMAT Prep. Quant section was a tad bit more difficult and verbal was definitely more difficult. I missed 0 SC in my last 2 practice CATs (both GMAT Prep) but probably missed 2 or 3 on the real exam based on my V44 score and my feelings about the RC/CR questions. - If you’re a native English speaker and you’re in the mid-to-high 30’s in verbal, you can probably get away with not taking any notes in CR and RC. - Embrace the AWA! I’m actually really glad they make you do this first. It really helps you to ease into the test and overcome any initial anxiety you might have. An hour in the actual testing environment will calm the nerves, especially since you know you're working on the part of the exam that doesn't really count for much. So that's my story. Happy to provide more insight or answer any questions if people have them.

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570 (Q30, V38) to 760 (Q49, V44) in 3 months (long)

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aj1545

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29 Sep 2009, 22:22

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understudy

Would appreciate people's thoughts on me potentially retaking it. In the 3 months leading up to test day, I approached the GMAT with the intention of destroying it. It's really become a matter of pride at this point and the thought of such a stupid and avoidable mistake is driving me nuts. I would have been perfectly proud and happy of my 760 if it were not for this mistake. It’s like making it to the 100M sprint at the Olympics expecting to win gold and then getting silver because you heard the gunshot a half second after everyone else.

Definitely not worth retaking. You are no worse a candidate with a 760 and, to the contra-positive, no better a candidate with a 770. Either way you are in the top 1%ile.

On a side note... comparing the jump from 770-760 is hardly comparable to going from gold medal to silver. Silver means first loser. 760 means good enough to get in anywhere that a 770 can.

Congrats on the good test scores. I hope to do the same on Oct. 10. Time to get to work. I have to finish 190 PS OG12 probs before I go to bed.

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29 Sep 2009, 22:26

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Very inspiring story and good suggestions......but one problem is the 20-25 hrs study a week you mentioned for 13 straight week!! Its quite a hard work to do...shows how passionate you were!!! Congrats...

shalva

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30 Sep 2009, 02:33

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Nice post!

As I see everything comes down to these 3 words: Practice, Practice, Practice

pinkball

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30 Sep 2009, 03:13

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Congrats understudy!

Now, RD is my big problem. Could you share your strategies to crack it in short time? thanks :-D

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30 Sep 2009, 06:07

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hiiii
today's post was really nice.
i want more information for verbal section.
this section is difficult for me.
can anyone give me more suggestion on CR,SC,RC.
plz post me tip on verbal.

Acc3ss

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30 Sep 2009, 21:25

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Great .. Congratulations !!

understudy

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Updated on: 30 Sep 2009, 21:40

Originally posted by understudy on 30 Sep 2009, 21:32.
Last edited by understudy on 30 Sep 2009, 21:40, edited 1 time in total.

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vicksikand

I need some help with the CR questions, my problem is two-pronged:
1.My speed is not up to the mark(I typically take 2-3 minutes per problem).
2.Also, my accuracy isnt that great(I score around 7/10 on practice questions in the Powerscore GMAT Bible).
Any suggestions? how to attack these problems - my test date is about a month and 10 days away.
Also when do I start with the full-length tests? I haven't taken any till now.

if your test is a month and 10 days away i'd take a practice test every weekend up until the test. not sure what to do about speed as the first practice test I ever took (took it cold-turkey without any studying) i finished the verbal section 15 minutes early. one thing that might help is creating a process of elimination grid for your problems. also, like i mentioned in my post, read the official explanation for every single problem you do (even the ones you get right) and make sure you understand why every wrong answer choice is wrong. process of elimination was critical to my verbal strategy. CR is hard to teach but if you do enough problems (i.e. approx 300+) in a timed environment you should eventually begin to recognize the patterns, which will cut your time spent dramatically.

understudy

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30 Sep 2009, 21:37

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vram80

Hi. Your thoughts are indeed quite helpful.

If you could explain a little on what inputs you received from that gentleman , it would help. Also if you could explain on the quants strategy it would help. Am exactly at your initial score and would want to move somewhere near your final score in less than 8 weeks.

Thanks.

Ram.

all of the advice i received from him is incorporated in my original post or one of my responses. check out my response to yesiwill for how i approached studying for quant. let me know if you have any specific questions. basic idea is doing tons of problems and then going back and making sure you understand each and every one inside out.

understudy

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30 Sep 2009, 21:50

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thanks to everyone for all the positive comments - a high GMAT score is doable for just about anyone, it's really a matter of how badly you want it and, moreover, how much you're willing to work for it.

20 - 25 hours a week, 13 weeks straight. if you do that, you will be working harder than 99% of the other people out there. if you possess at least average intelligence, theoretically, you should be able to score higher than 99% of the other other people out there.

aj1545

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30 Sep 2009, 22:01

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understudy

vicksikand

I would also advise that you "pre-phrase" your answers. Know what you want the answer to be before you read the answer. This not only helps with speed but, also, forces you to really think about the logic behind the answer rather than getting tricked into the sound (yet inapplicable) alternative answer choices.

-AJ

profstephens

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02 Oct 2009, 11:45

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Excellent suggestions!

I scored 530 on the GMAT prep. Seeking 700+ for PHD program entry.

meangmatclub

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05 Oct 2009, 00:47

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I have a question. After I exhaust all Verbal problems in the OG, where can I find those "Verbal SETS" you referred to in your message? Thank you very much.

dmetla

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06 Oct 2009, 09:17

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Great Congrats....

understudy

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06 Oct 2009, 09:29

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meangmatclub

I have a question. After I exhaust all Verbal problems in the OG, where can I find those "Verbal SETS" you referred to in your message? Thank you very much.

You can find them on random torrent sites. If you just google for GMAT SETS something, you should be able to find a site or newsgroup where you can get them within the first 5 pages of results. They were from Scoretop I believe, which is now out of business.

DestinyChild

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06 Oct 2009, 11:52

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Understudy,

Very inspring!
I'm sure this turn around is a life long motivation for you to keep coming back from failures... of which life is full of it.
... And likewise for us.

Keep up with the good work.

DC

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12 Oct 2009, 15:33

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Understudy, how did you significantly improve you verbal score from a 35 to a 41 in just a week? I noticed a significant difference between your 3rd and 4th exam in just a week. I have also recently completed the Manhattan Gmat course, and im trying to significantly improve my verbal as well.

understudy

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13 Oct 2009, 15:25

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burnttwinky

SC: Exhaust all of the OG problems and make sure you read the official explanations for EVERY QUESTION, EVEN THE ONES YOU GET RIGHT. For the ones you get right, go through and read the official explanation for why every other answer choice is wrong. Every wrong answer choice typically has 2-3 errors and chances are you’re only able to identify 1 of them. By going through the official explanations for why each answer choice is wrong, you really train yourself to recognize errors, which is the key to SC. Even on the toughest SC problems, you can use error recognition and POE to arrive at an answer 95%+ of the time. This was the revelation that kicked my score up from a V36 to V41 in a single week.

- CR/RC: you should approach studying for these the same way as you approach SC although you probably don’t need the same level of meticulousness. After a while it’s just pattern recognition. Stay as close to the text as possible, avoid extremisms, etc. etc.

srini123

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13 Oct 2009, 18:32

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Congratulations on a great score...

Thanks for providing the schedule tip, I was struggling to devise a schedule with time remaining, this came as a ready-made perfect schedule.

I think you definitely dont need to retake the exam, I know that mistake bites u for ever,if u think about it..But if u look at the real big picture, the possible 10-40 more points would do any more good that what u already have.. so save those $250 bucks and effort for the next steps

:).

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28 Oct 2009, 15:30

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Understudy, great story man. Do you mind if I ask you what kind of advice Horacio gave you because it appears that the advice that he gave you really helped. I will be speaking with Haracio soon as well regarding on what steps that i will be taking now that the MGMAT course has been over. I am trying to see what kind of questions would beneficial to ask him to help me with my score. I am only scoring a 650 on the gmat (43 quant 36 verbal), which is far from my target. I would like a score of 48+ math and 40+ verbal.

kairoshan

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04 Nov 2009, 09:25

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Nice post

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570 (Q30, V38) to 760 (Q49, V44) in 3 months (long)

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