710 to 770 (50Q/45V/8IR/6AWA): GMAT Study Tips, Resources & Strategies

Question

Intro

After finally wrapping up the GMAT last week, going from a 710 (46Q/41V/6IR/6AWA) on my first attempt before COVID struck to a 770 (50Q/45V/8IR/6AWA) on my second and final attempt, I thought I'd share some advice on studying for the test. After having two retake attempts cancelled in March/May because of COVID and driving to PA from NJ to take the exam (closest open test center, but still had to wear a mask throughout the exam due to COVID), I am glad to be done.

Below I’m including all the resources I used while studying for the GMAT, my personal experience with the test, and general tips I wish I knew from the beginning. I've also uploaded my 100+ pages of study notes here: https://gmatclub.com/forum/yerbamate2020-s-gmat-notes-for-327623.html

I hope that this information is able to help others study for the test! A bit busy getting ready for our first puppy and for work, but I am happy to answer any questions that people may have. GMAT Club has been a boon for me during my prep, so I want to give back to the community (and to anyone else preparing for the GMAT). Want to give a huge shout out specifically to:

GMATNinja - verbal expert + very engaging tutor to watch, his free YouTube videos were super helpful and made a big difference for me, especially for the Verbal section, and even more so for SC
Bunuel - quant explanations are second to none

Included in this Post

- Quick Thoughts on the GMAT
- Books & Materials Used
- Timeline of Tests
- My Experience
- General Thoughts on Each Section (Quant, Each Part of Verbal, IR, and AWA)

Quick Thoughts on the GMAT

Just my two cents!

- Only use official problems: Stick to official GMAT questions (there are plenty of problems available); I’ve heard GMAT Club has great Quant/SC questions, but I can’t comment on those since I didn’t use them.
- Timing: During the early stages of your studying, you should be focused on learning the concepts, not on timing. It will be difficult to finish many difficult Quant questions in under 2 minutes, but don’t worry about that at the beginning. Towards the middle of your studies, however, you should definitely start thinking about timing for each section.
- Quality > Quantity: If you spend 2-3 minutes doing a problem and get it wrong, you should be spending more time reviewing the problem and learning from your mistakes (and you should flag it for review so you can redo it later). The quality of study is much more important than the quantity of problems.
- Error log: Maintain an error log using whatever system works best for you (I had an Excel sheet); keep track of all the answers you completed and got wrong (so you can go back and redo them 2x). I even flagged problems which I got right, but which took me more time than usual to solve (e.g. if I got a Quant problem right but it took me 3+ minutes). Write down notes and takeaways from every single problem you got wrong (so you don’t get them wrong again). I think its important to make your own system for an error log rather than use someone elses Excel sheet (or whatever someone else uses). I tried using my friend's Excel sheet for planning my schedule of problems and it made no sense to me. Make it yourself and keep it simple/easy to use and understand. My personal Error log system had 2 parts. First, An Excel Sheet for tracking which problems I did and which problems I got wrong (so I could go back and review them) - I will attach a screenshot of what mine looked like below. Second, my error log system included a Notes Sheet (word/google doc) to write down all my takeaways from all the problems I got wrong or struggled with - my Error Log notes are included in the notes which are linked at the top of this post.
- A Note on MGMAT CAT’s: They are much more difficult than the actual GMAT and, while perhaps close, are not entirely representative of the actual test; if I could go back, I probably would have skipped them (the MGMAT guides are fantastic for learning, but I don’t think any test prep company can recreate an actual GMAC-created test). The MGMAT CATs did more for dampening my confidence than anything else.
- Practice with a Test Simulation Booklet + Wet Erase Marker: Typically overlooked (I did my first time); don’t let the exam be the first time you are using the test booklet and marker. Start practicing with this as early as possible (e.g. not just for practice exams, but even while doing practice problems).
- GMAT Club for Explanations: GMAT Club was basically my go to for every single question I got wrong (just google parts of the question and almost every question has a forum discussion on GMAT Club). I very rarely relied on the OG explanations, many of which were oversimplified, overly complex, or just insufficient. The great thing about GMAT Club is you get to read multiple different approaches to the same problem (lots of different people will weigh in on their approach and opinion). These problems don't have a "one size fits all" approach; different approaches make more sense to different people. If you are lucky enough to get an explanation from Bunuel on Quant, he explains things so simply and makes nearly every hard problem seem easy.
- Don’t underestimate the role luck plays: Once you get into the mid to high 700s, luck plays a pretty large role (1 question can make the difference between you wanting to retake or not!)
- No gimmicks: Particularly on RC (but also true in general), I wouldn’t rely on any shortcuts or gimmicky advice.
- Practice Hard = Real Thing Easier: I never really did the first 50% of each section in the OG books. When I started doing practice problems from the OG Bundle, I started from the last 50% problems of each section. This is just personal preference, and I have friends who did every single one of the OG problems. Towards the tail end of my prep, I would do timed sets of 40 Quant and 40 Verbal, but all “Advanced” (from OG Advanced bank) or all “Hard” (from OG Supplemental Questions #1 and #2). If I was running out of Hard problems, I would split up between Hard/Medium. While it was brutal at first, eventually I got used to doing full sets of all hard problems. This made the real test, which doesn’t consist of all 700+ level problems, more approachable.
- Have patience: It may feel like you are getting worse before you get better; this is natural. Once you hit a certain point in your studying, things will start to click.
- Shoot for the stars: I really believe that most people can get a high GMAT score. It just takes effort and persistence (not to mention a bit of luck).
- 100-200+ hours: Be prepared to put in the work if you want a high score. I studied while I was a second-semester college senior, so I had a ton of free time on my hands. For working professionals, this is a different scenario. Also, this varies per person; some people need more or less time depending on their starting point. Regardless, if you decide to study try to give 100% of your effort. It’s better to fully commit and put all your effort in for 2-3 months than letting it drag along.
- Senior year: Take the exam as a senior in college if you can. You will never have as much free time once work starts, and if you are on the fence about pursuing an MBA down the road, your future self will thank you for providing the optionality to apply to business school without having to study for the GMAT while working.

Recommended Books & Materials

PS: My study notes (link at top of this post) include notes/summaries of all of the YouTube videos I watched (GMAT Ninja, GMAT Club, Veritas Prep), the MGMAT Strategy Guide/Advanced Quant, Powerscore CR Bible, GMAT Club Quant + Verbal Guide, and takeaways from official practice problems (e.g. my personal Error Log).

Also, I also didn't use any prep courses so can't comment on those. However, I think these resources are more than sufficient!

Questions

High Priority
- OG Bundle
- GMAT Official Advanced Questions
If you run out of questions or are not hitting what you want on practice exams
- GMAT Official Practice Questions 1
- GMAT Official Practice Questions 2

Practice Tests

- GMAT Official Practice Exams 1-6

YouTube Videos (free)

- GMAT Ninja - YouTube Series
- GMAT Club - Quant Playlist
- GMAT Club - Verbal Playlist
- A bunch more that I found ad-hoc from searching and too many to list or remember (Veritas Prep has some great videos on YouTube, and Aditya Kumar from CrackVerbal has some phenomenal Quant videos)

Learning Material (Books/Guides)

Important:
- MGMAT - GMAT Strategy Guide Set - Great place to start your prep
- GMAT Club - Quant Guide (Free) - Read after MGMAT guides
- GMAT Club - Verbal Guide (Free) - Read after MGMAT guides
- MGMAT Test Simulation Booklet + Wet Erase Markers - Do practice problems and exams using a simulated booklet
- AWA Guide from chineseburned on GMAT Club (Free) - All you need for the AWA section of the GMAT

Nice to Have:

- Powerscore GMAT CR Bible - I found this decently helpful, but nothing groundbreaking
- MGMAT Advanced Quant - Least helpful, basically just some nice guessing strategies and a few helpful formulas that I hadn’t seen elsewhere

Timeline of Tests

- 12/22/2019 - OG CAT #1 (Baseline/Diagnostic Test) - 660 (38V / 42Q / 4IR)
- 1/19/2020 - Manhattan CAT #1 - 660 (36V / 44Q)
- 2/1/2020 - Manhattan CAT #2 - 640 (36V / 42Q)
- 2/6/2020 - Manhattan CAT #3 - 660 (38V / 42Q)
- 2/16/2020 - OG CAT #2 - 750 (46V / 47Q)
- 2/18/2020 - OG CAT #3 - 720 (41V / 48Q)
- 2/22/2020 - OG CAT #4 - 730 (40V / 49Q)
- 2/25/2020 - Real Test, Attempt #1 - 710 (41V / 46Q)
- 3/21/2020 - Real Test, Attempt #2 - Cancelled due to COVID
- 4/22/2020 - OG CAT #5 - 760 (47V / 49Q)
- 5/1/2020 - Real Test, Attempt #2 - Cancelled due to COVID
- 6/11/2020 - OG CAT #6 - 730 (40V / 49Q)
- 6/17/2020 - Real Test, Attempt #2 - 770 (45V / 50Q / 8IR)

My Experience

All things said, I put in around 12-14 weeks of solid studying (including on and off periods from tests being cancelled), although there were duplications of effort because of my tests being cancelled.

First Attempt (710: 46Q/41V/6IR/6AWA)

Resources Used:
- OG Bundle (Foundational)
- GMAT Ninja - YouTube Series (GMAT Ninja is the most enjoyable tutor I've watched, and super practical)
- GMAT Club - Quant Playlist (Some great videos and some not so great videos)
- GMAT Club - Verbal Playlist (Some great videos and some not so great videos)

I started studying seriously at the start of January. My OG Practice Exams before my first test were 750, 720 and 730 (in that order), so I felt I was leaving points on the table. I immediately signed up for a retake. Then, COVID happened...

Second Attempt (770: 50Q/45V/8IR/6AWA)

Resources Used:
- OG Bundle (Foundational)
- Powerscore GMAT CR Bible (Good if CR is not a strong point)
- MGMAT Advanced Quant (Not necessary imho)
- GMAT Official Advanced Questions (Fantastic resources)
- GMAT Official Practice Questions 1 (All Hard, some Medium questions)
- GMAT Official Practice Questions 2 (All Hard, some Medium questions)
- GMAT Ninja - YouTube Series (GMAT Ninja is the most enjoyable tutor I've watched, and super practical)
- GMAT Club - Quant Playlist (Some great videos and some not so great videos)
- GMAT Club - Verbal Playlist (Some great videos and some not so great videos)

First Attempt at Retake (March 19th, Cancelled due to COVID)

Second Attempt at Retake (May 1st, Cancelled due to COVID)

Finally, My Retake (June 17th, Test Center w/ COVID)

After my May exam was cancelled, I took all of May off to focus on my Deferred MBA applications. In early June, test centers started reopening near me. The closest center I could find was one in Pennsylvania, about an hour drive from my house in NJ. I registered for a June 17th test and resumed studying for about two weeks before taking the test.

Because of COVID-19, I (and all other test takers at the center) had to wear a face mask throughout the exam. If you are required to do so, I would just do a few sets of problems while wearing a mask so you are used to the feeling. This wasn’t really a big deal though.

General Thoughts on Each Section

Quant

- Learning: MGMAT Books, GMAT Math Guide, GMATClub YouTube videos
- Practice: OG Bundle, Advanced Questions, Official Practice Questions 1 and 2 (focus on “Hard” and “Medium” problems)

Verbal

- Learning: MGMAT Books, GMAT Verbal Guide, GMATClub YouTube videos (esp. GMAT Ninja), Powerscore CR Bible
- Practice: OG Bundle, Advanced Questions, Official Practice Questions 1 and 2 (focus on “Hard” and “Medium” problems)
- Consider using a “grid based” approach on your scratch pad. For my first attempt, I took absolutely zero notes and wrote nothing down on my scratch pad during the Verbal section. For my second attempt, I organized my Verbal section into a grid. During each problem, it was much easier to keep track of which answers I had already eliminated. Since Verbal is more about finding 4 wrong answers than finding the 1 right answer, this helped a ton. The notes for RC also helped me stay engaged with the passage.

SC

Resources
- The MGMAT SC book from the Strategy Guide is a great place to start
- The GMAT Club Verbal Guide is a great supplement
- GMAT Ninja’s SC YouTube series made a huge difference for me

Idioms matter, but not as much or as little as you think… there are some very common idioms of which at least 1-2 are nearly guaranteed to show up (which are included in my attached notes (link at top of post), but they are also on this Quizlet: https://quizlet.com/ie/510894029/gmat-sc-quant-flash-cards/) and are worth committing to memory, but when you do enough problems, you don’t really need to worry about memorization and it becomes second-nature (a few examples of common idioms below)
- Such as (not Like) for introducing examples
- Due to (caused by) vs. Because of (as a result of)
- Between (groups of 2) vs. Among (groups of 3)
- Consider (not Consider As, not Consider To Be)
- Whether X or Y (hint: “Whether or not” is always wrong on the GMAT)
- Countable vs. Uncountable nouns

CR

Resources
- VeritasPrep and GMAT Ninja’s CR videos on Youtube are helpful
- Powerscore CR Bible is also helpful

General
- CR is all about pattern recognition (which the above resources help you get better at)... after a while you’ll start to be able to identify what “correct” and “trap” answers look like
- One of the biggest takeaways from CR is attack the CONCLUSION, not the PREMISES

RC

General
- Reading skills matter
- Read for purpose (especially with scientific passages, the terminology does not really matter as much as why the author included information and main takeaways)
- Don’t trust any gimmicks (e.g. read only first/last sentence, skimming) → just read the passage
- Practice with hard, dense passages, especially in areas you are not comfortable in (e.g. science, literature, history)
- Try to take notes (for my first attempt, I wrote absolutely nothing for the entire Verbal section… for the second attempt, I started taking brief notes and I felt it helped me stay engaged with the passage)
- Taking notes does not waste time; it actually saves time since I found that it allowed me to answer questions faster
- I also took notes as I read, so I don’t think it increased the amount of time it took to finish a passage significantly at all

Before my first attempt, RC is one section I did not dedicate enough time to. I didn’t do enough passages and took the section for granted. On my first attempt, RC is the section that gave me the most headache.
For my second attempt, I did all the RC problems in the Advanced Problems + Official Practice Questions 1 & 2 (all the hard and medium ones).

Integrated Reasoning

Studying for Quant/Verbal helps prepare you for IR. My only experience with IR before my first attempt was during my diagnostic test. Without practicing IR, I was still able to score a 6/8 on my first attempt, which is not great but not bad either.
For the second attempt, about a week before the test, I did 2 sets of 12 IR problems (6 Hard/6 Medium), so 24 IR problems total (12 Hard/12 Medium), from the “GMAT Official Practice Questions”. I didn’t do that well on them, but I rigorously reviewed my mistakes and I believe this was enough experience to get used to the section. With these 2 sets in my pocket, I was able to score a 8/8 on my second attempt.

My advice to others would be not to spend too much time on this section, but to at least get some exposure to the section and to practice with medium-to-hard questions. Since the IR section is not computer-adaptive, practicing with harder content will likely make the real test seem a bit easier.

AWA

After scoring a 6 AWA on both attempts, I can confidently say that chineseburned’s guide is all you need to get a good score on AWA: https://gmatclub.com/forum/how-to-get-6-0-awa-my-guide-64327.html

If it makes you feel better, you can buy GMAT Write from the GMAT store for $30. It gives you 2 prompts and 4 attempts, as well as provides immediate scoring feedback using the same system as the GMAT. I did one mock AWA prompt using the GMAT Write software and scored a 6.0.

I wouldn’t think about the AWA section until 5-7 days before your exam. For me, I started practicing my template about a week before and just typed it out 2-3x a day during the days leading up to your test. I am generally a pretty fast typer so I had no problems with timing, but you may want to get used to answering the prompt within the allotted time frame.

Appendix

Appendix A: Example of How I Organized the Verbal Section on my Scratch Pad

Appendix B: Screenshot of an Error Log from when I first started

Screenshot of the excel component of my error log from when I first started. I highly encourage that you make your own system so that you understand it and that you keep the system simple.

Appendix C: Screenshot of an Error Log from June

Another screenshot that shows not so much an error log as how I kept track of what I was doing each day. This was all from the Online Question banks which keep track of which problems you get wrong for you (so it wasn't like I had to specifically write down which ones I got wrong, as opposed to with the OG Bundle/Books).

PS: https://www.reddit.com/r/MBA/comments/f ... tudy_tips/ . However, since the GMAT Club community made such a big difference for me, I also wanted to give back to this community directly by posting this here as well.

TheUltimateWinner · Answer

Thanks for the detailed debrief and thanks for the notes. All the best for your application.

yerbamate2020 · Answer

No problem, but just to clarify, I did not take the Online GMAT. I took it at a test center, albeit one that was over an hour long drive way! Everything was the same as normal test center procedures, except we all had to wear face masks because of COVID

Businessconquerer · Answer

I am adding this link to one of my most loved posts and redirecting those to you. 
Please do PM me, I would like to talk a little about your accomplishment. You have done a great work and I think people should see it.

GMATCoachBen · Answer

yerbamate2020  Congrats on the awesome score, and thanks for your detailed debrief. It's great to see your discipline, organization, and deliberate practice pay off!

P.S. great username, and thanks for the reminder to drink it more often -- yerba mate is awesome tea to boost your mental energy for focused GMAT training!

Mizar18 · Answer

yerbamate2020  Congratulations and thank you for your debrief and your notes!

Any timing strategy that you consider valuable to share?

bb · Answer

Congrats! You choose to take the gmat at the test center? You did not want to take a shot at it at home?

Posted from my mobile device

gmat1393 · Answer

Congratulations  yerbamate2020  on the Amazing score!

Very interesting debrief

SohGMAT2020 · Answer

Congratulation  yerbamate2020  and thanks for the debrief! It's great to see how you managed to get a 770 score with a great routine. All the best for your MBA applications

unraveled · Answer

Congratulations yerbamate2020..!! A great post and thank you for putting it in such an intricate manner. All the best with your apps. I am going to use your error log for the way you have put it.

Also, the notes you have shared in your other post is all what one needs to follow - some starting must start his/her GMAT journey using them.

yerbamate2020 · Answer

Thanks! I signed up for my test at a test center a few days before the GMAT started allowing physical whiteboards. As for the online whiteboard, I knew I wouldn't be putting my best foot forward and didn't mind waiting a bit longer for the test centers to re-open. As for test center vs. online with physical white board, I personally still preferred the test center.

- Physical white board = have to erase much more often than a scratch pad, which I was used to
- I like the test center environment (optimal level of nerves)
- I had come across too many stories of bad experiences with the online GMAT (software crashing, internet stop working, bad proctor experiences, etc...)

I think it's really personal preference. I have a few friends who are taking the at-home one now that physical whiteboards are allowed. To each their own!

Aniyo · Answer

yerbamate2020, first of all congratulations on such an awesome score. I studied your debrief and I wanted to particularly ask that how similar are the real GMAT questions to the official GMAT problems and OG questions. I am going to give my GMAT at the end of this Month, and I am on my final phase of prep. So I wanted to know whether I should just go through all the OG problems or keep practising tougher questions?

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