I took the test yesterday for the second time. My first attempt was a 680 (Q47, V36), and I was disappointed afterwards. I had spent a lot of time preparing for the first exam (roughly 10-15 hrs a week for 3 months) and felt like I was running in circles with my prep. My average CAT score going into the first attempt was a 710, and I was targeting a 720. After the disappointment of my first test, I analyzed my preparation process and came up with a new plan of attack.
The most important aspect of the preparation for my second test was my physical preparation. I ran 3-4 times a week for exercise, started eating better, and got my body used to going to bed at 1015pm and waking up at 615am. I felt that fatigue played a huge role in my first attempt. I started practicing the writing section with the CATs, which increased my endurance and test taking abilities.
I needed a good resource to study from, and I chose the 8 book
MGMAT series. I think these books are amazing for math and SC, but I also used the Powerscore CR bible.
The CR bible and the MGMAT number properties books are vital to the success of any study program. I looked thru the advanced section of the number properties book one last time two days before the exam, and there were no less than 6 difficult quant problems that I was able to crack quickly on the exam itself because this book prepares you for success.
I also used the GMAT club quant tests. I did 20 of them, and found them very useful. If you want to get a good math score, take advantage of these tests!
My CATs going into the second test were:
MGMAT1 750 (Q 48 V 45)
MGMAT2 740 (Q 47 V 46)
MGMAT3 730 (Q 47 V 44)
GMAT PREP1 700 (Q 49 V 36) <-- I completely messed up my timing on Verbal and got last 10 wrong
GMAT PREP2 750 (Q 47 V 46)
I only did 2 of the CATS during the 3-month study period, and was pleased to see that I was doing much better in practice. It was also nice to see the concepts that I was learning from the
MGMAT guides being applied during the CATs.
I did 3 cats on days 4,3,and 2 until the test. I wanted to get my mind in the zone and make sure I wasn't going to feel fatigued going into the exam. My physical preparation plan worked out well - I felt a lot of energy throughout the final three CATS. I accurately replicated the testing environment down to the detail of my 8 minute breaks and the food I would consume (water, Gatorade, and bananas)
On test day, I did not feel nervous at all. I was much more relaxed, and was anticipating a Q47-48 and a V42-44. I felt completely prepared for the exam. I blitzed through the writing portion and completed my first break. I was calm walking back to the computer to start my quant section.
In the quant section, I could tell I was doing well because the questions kept getting harder. I knew exactly how to approach each question because of the great amount of study I had completed, and I didn't dwell too much on problems that created a roadblock - I would make an educated guess and move on. I will reiterate, an understanding of number properties was vital to my success in the quant section. I slowed down during the final 10 questions. I was way ahead of my pace. I ended up with 4 minutes to spare. Easily the best I have felt on a math section.
After my break, I was ready for verbal. My goals were to get out to a quick start, and ensure that I allotted enough time to get through longer RC passages. I thought that the initial questions were all pretty easy, and the initial CR questions started to go up a little in difficulty. I was doing well. I thought I was picking the correct answer on each question, I was rarely stuck between two possible choices. As I started to get to question 30 or so, I noticed that the questions were ridiculously easy. Maybee I was being tricked, but i really though that I was getting a majority of these questions correct. I finished the Verbal section on my pace.
When I got my score, I was relieved to know that I did well on Quant, but felt like I really missed out on Verbal. On my first crack at the test, I knew i was starting to do well on verbal because the questions quickly became impossible. I did not face any of these types of verbal questions this time.
Now I need to figure out if it is worth doing a third shot at this exam. I want to go to Stanford, or other top US schools, and I know that I will be able to get into a few of them based off my work experience, but I really wanted to get a WOW GMAT score to help me get into Stanford. Now I will have to research the ramifications of taking a 3rd GMAT, and if so, I will have to get ready for the new section.