720 on my first attempt!

Hey guys, its been 2 days since i gave the GMAT for the first time, and I'm happy to share that I scored 720. My split was as follows:
Overall: 720 | AWA 6.0 | IR 6 | Quant 49 | Verbal 40.

Resources used:

• Magoosh Premium Course
• Official Guide 2016
• GMATPrep tests
• Manhattan Study guides for Sentence Correction and Number Properties+ MGMAT Tests
• GMAT Club tests for Quant
• GMATClub Math Book
• GMATPrep Question Pack 1

Prep Process/Strategy

As a non-native speaker reading GMAT experiences on the forum, I initially got the feeling that mastering the verbal section of the test was almost unmanageable for any non-native speaker, simply by virtue of being a non-native! As an avid reader throughout my life, I was determined to break this template and ensure I excelled on the verbal section on my first attempt itself! So for every non-native reading this,believe me; the apparently complex verbal section can indeed be mastered!
I started my prep in mid-July using a one-week free trial of the Economist GMAT Tutor. Though I liked the interface and the quality of the course, I felt it was a little too expensive, and I looked for an effective yet affordable alternative. I eventually picked the $99 Magoosh premium course. I am glad I made that decision, because the course was worth every penny, and was an important factor in my success.

The audio-visual lectures were informative, and the question bank was a decent approximation of the questions I saw on test day. The video explanations were concise and eye-opening. I diligently followed their 3 month study schedule for beginners, which helped streamline my studies. I would highly recommend the course to anyone who is looking for a value for money online course.
Firstly , I think an important thing to understand about the GMAT is what it actually tests. A lot of people get stuck up about formulae, grammar rules and methods on their GMAT prep journey. I realised in the first month of my studies that what the GMAT actually tests is HOW you think, rather than how much you know. This important realisation bore fruit on test day as well, when a lot of questions required logic rather than formulae/rules to solve. Further, though there is no substitute for hard work, improving pattern-matching skills and general logical thinking is crucial. On the advice of other test takers on the forum, I maintained an error log throughout my studies. More importantly, I reviewed my mistakes and problem areas on a fortnightly basis, rather than leaving everything for the last week. This regular analysis greatly helped me understand my mistake patterns, and I worked hard to minimise similar errors. One of my college professors had once told me that it is pointless to keep practising without understanding mistakes, because you will simply waste more time making the same mistakes. His words could have not have been more relevant for such an exam, where the test will surely exploit your weak spots in the pressure situation of test day.

Further, I cannot emphasise enough the importance of solving official questions. By all means, start with the OG questions, but ensure you leave enough time to complete the other official materials available. There is simply no substitute for the quality and consistency of these questions, and solving too many third-party questions could harm your score rather than improve it. I realised this fact after working my way through a few Manhattan mock tests. The breakup of my mock tests was as follows:

• MGMAT 1: 580 (Q37, V31) ( Taken cold, no prep)
• Economist Free test : 620(Q41, V34)
• MGMAT 2: 660 ( Q43, V37)
• MGMAT 3: 660 ( Q41, V39)
• MGMAT 4: 630 (Q 39, V 37)
• GMATPrep 1: 710 (Q47, V41)
• GMATPrep 2 : 690( Q46, V39)

Feedback on Test & Question Difficulty

The complexity of the quant section on the MGMAT tests, and the verbal section on the Economist test was well above anything I saw on the actual test . Regardless of the knowledge that these are only mock tests and scores don't matter, the crushing feeling of seeing a mid-650 score after sustained effort can be quite demoralising. Hence, I would highly recommend doing these tests with a pinch of salt, and focusing more on official material. After the 630 on MGMAT 4 just 3 weeks before my test, I was genuinely demoralised. At this juncture, I came across OG solutions by dabral, a GMAT Club member who is a master at breaking down official quant questions. His video explanations on OG questions convinced me that his approach was directed more at understanding 'how' to think about a particular question, rather than mechanically applying some complicated rules. I reached out to him, and he suggested buying QuestionPack 1 from mba.com to streamline my prep in the final month. This was an invaluable suggestion, because apart from the GMATPrep tests, the 404 questions bundled with QP1 were almost identical to the style of questions I saw on test day. Further, I would recommend skipping third party tests(unless you need to build stamina which is imperative on a 4 hour test) and spending $49 on Exam Pack 1, something I couldn't do because of lack of time. Further, after finishing the 2 free GMATPrep tests, download the remaining questions from the question pool which are available on the GMAT Club forum. These extra questions are also very similar to what you can expect to see on test day.

Specific takeaways:

AWA: Read and evaluate a few essays on the GC forum, and follow Chinese Burned's template. It is all you will need to get 6.0 on test day.

IR: Solve ONLY official questions, I found MGMAT questions much more complicated than the real thing, while Magoosh had really easy ones. Basically, this section is really new, and it'll take time for other companies to create questions of realistic difficulty. I got 8 in both my GMATPrep tests, but messed up my timing on test day so only got 6 in the actual test.

Quant: Follow Bunuel, dabral,and other math experts on the forum. The insights and methods they use to solve questions is eye-opening, and seeing these solutions every morning will gradually improve your proficiency. Further, the GMAT Club math book is a priceless document outlining strategies for almost all topics covered on the test, and is written by resident math experts from the forum. Study it , and consider solving GMATClub quant tests for further practice. Yes, I know I advised against solving too much third -party material, but the GMATClub quant tests vetted by Bunuel test the exact same concepts required for the exam, but don't require complex calculations. They require attention to detail and out of the box thinking,skills which will serve you well on test day.

Verbal: READ! Like i mentioned at the start of the post, the GMAT verbal can indeed be conquered. But , it is imperative to understand that it doesn't test grammar and vocabulary as much as it tests comprehension and meaning. Reading the Economist magazine throughout my prep ensured I was comfortable handling all the passages which came my way. For people who aren't fond of reading, try reading a couple of articles which interest you, and then venture outward into unfamiliar territory. Reading articles from the Economist greatly helped me with all 3 sections of the verbal, since each article has impeccable sentence structure, logical flow, and understanding the author's view helps break down CR questions on the test. Do not get bogged down trying to learn every rule in the Manhattan SC guide( a great book, but a bit of overkill in terms of the sheer volume of grammar concepts covered). Focus instead on understanding the meaning of sentences.

Final Tips

Ensure you take mock tests as realistically as possible. Do both the AWA and the IR section, and take 6-7 minute breaks. This will automatically train your mind and body to be alert till the very end of the test, without which it is easy to burn out and ruin your verbal score.

I know it has been a long post, but I wanted to ensure I can do my bit to help anybody reading this post. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have!