630 to 730: My GMAT Journey

Hello, everyone!

Here is a detailed analysis of my GMAT experience.

1st Attempt, Nov 2014: 630 (V37, Q39)
I took the exam after putting in about 20 days of study. I was aiming to apply to ISB for their last round of admissions for that particular year, and therefore, thought of giving it a shot without much preparation. I focused more on Verbal as that was the considered to be tougher of the two sections. I managed to get a decent score in Verbal, but my score in Quants was not at all up to the mark. My GMAT prep test scores ranged from 620-650.

Mistakes:
•I hurried through the topics and also skipped a few. I did not give myself ample time to prepare.
•I did not care to make a study plan. I was just picking up topics and doing them randomly.
•I did not even complete the OG. Big mistake!

All in all, it was a hush-hush effort.

2nd Attempt, Sept 2015: 640 (V31, Q47)
This time around, I went through a lot of GMAT experiences, debrief, suggestions on prep materials, on all GMAT forums and also took advice from friends who had taken the GMAT. After searching through the various options available for GMAT prep courses, I zeroed in on CrackVerbal and took their pre-recorded online classes. This enabled me to go through the classes at my own pace. I had to work on improving my quants score by a huge margin if I had to score 700+. The quants classes by Arun Jagannathan (founder of CrackVerbal) helped me a lot! I was fairly comfortable with the verbal section.

I focused on getting the basics right first. I did the questions in the OG, VR, and QR topic wise. The CrackVerbal study guides have a list of topic-wise questions from the official books and thus it was easy to complete the verbal and quants sections topic wise. Also, another thing that helped me a lot was the comprehensive study plan provided by CrackVerbal. Making a note of how you fared on each of the OG, VR, and QR questions will help you to find patterns and your strengths and weaknesses.

After I was satisfied with my preparation, I booked the date for the GMAT. My GMAT prep test scores were ranging from 720-750 and I was pretty confident with my preparation. However, I screwed up on exam day and scored a 640. This time around, my verbal score took a big hit. The exam pressure got to me and I ended up getting a disappointing score!

Utterly disappointed, I had almost given up at this point. However, my father persisted and convinced me to go for it just one more time. I cannot thank him enough.

3rd Attempt, Oct 2015: 730 (V42, Q48)
Finally, my efforts bore fruit. My GMAT prep test scores again ranged from 720-750. The only difference between my 2nd and 3rd attempt at the GMAT was my attitude towards the exam. I did not take any burden or exam pressure whatsoever, answered each question on its merit, and was calm throughout the exam. The GMAT is not only a test of your verbal and quantitative aptitude but a battle of nerves as well.

My Technique for RC:
You will find advocates for a lot of different approaches, but at the end of the day, it is up to you to follow the approach that suits you best! In my initial approach for RC, I used to go quickly through the passage once and then used to re-read it a second time trying to remember key points. When I used to go to the questions, I found out that I ended up reading major portions of the passage again. I changed my approach and went with the method advised by CrackVerbal (Thank you, Arun!). This new method involved skimming through the passage once and then directly jumping on the questions. This saved a lot of time and made me more accurate since I was able to focus on the particular question without worrying about the thing that I have already spent so much time in reading the passage.

Study Material Used:
•OG, QR, and VR
•Manhattan Guide for SC (I got 7 MGMAT prep tests along with this book!)
•Crack Verbal Study Guides and Online Classes
•GMAT Prep tests
•GMAT Exam Pack 1 (the official tests are the closest you can get to the real thing!)

Key Takeaways:
•Have a study plan and try to find your weak and strong areas. This will help you in strategizing for the exam and will also help in timing.
•Complete the Official GMAT study guides first. The GMAT prep tests are the closest you can get to the real deal.
•Review your techniques for various sections and topics. Time yourself and decide which one suits you best.
•During the exam, take each question on its own merit. Do not think about how you fared in the previous question(s).
•Never give up!