750 to 770. Thoughts on reaching the 99%.

Hi y'all,

Long time lurker, first time poster. I wanted to share my experience with the GMAT and provide my own insights into what to do and not to do to reach the 770+ range.

Background:
I am a male from the US. I studied math and economics in undergrad at a top public school. I have been working with Teach for America for 1.5 years since I graduated. I have always been a strong tester, particularly in reading comprehension.

Tests:
CAT 1: 750, Q50, V41
CAT 2: 750, Q47, V 47
CAT 3: 770, Q51, V 45
CAT 4: 770, Q49, V 47

Official GMAT: 770, Q50 V47 IR 8.0 AWA 5.0

Prep:
I took my first GMAT practice test cold in mid-July in a coffee shop after reading about the exam structure. Needless to say, I was quite surprised and pleased with how I did.

After that, my study regiment consisted solely of doing OG practice questions for data sufficiency and sentence correction, 10 questions each, every day.

I took my second practice test a few weeks later. Transparently I took the test on a Saturday morning after very little sleep. I tried switching the order and doing Verbal first. By Quant I was exhausted which is why I think I went down.

I took September and October off from prep for work. I started back up with my practice question regiment at the beginning of November, but not as diligently. I also started being more wholistic and focusing a bit more on CR and PS. I took my last practice tests mid November and a week before my official exam at the beginning of December.

Exam Experience: I sat for the exam on a Monday evening after work. The exam center was quite calm. No horror stories of bad pens, computers or proctors to report.

Going into the exam my safe goal was a 760, but I new with a little luck a Q51 and 780 were in my reach.
Quant: I started with quant as I had on my previous two practice exams. The first questions went quickly and easily. By about halfway through I was averaging almost exactly 2:00 a question. I felt I had not missed a question through the first half and a Q51 was waiting for me. This cost me. About 3/4 of the way through I got a rate problem which I tunnel visioned a solution method for and lost me 3.5 minutes. The issue is that by the last 5 questions, every question I got was difficult. According to my ESR I went about 60/40 on this last part compared to being perfect through the first 3/4. The second to last question I took a ten second guess, and I left the last question unanswered.

Verbal: I had only missed 1 verbal question on each my previous two practice tests. However, I had no ambitions of a perfect verbal score because at this point I felt like it was just a random chance whether or not it happened. Verbal has never been a time issue for me. I believe I finished with about 15 minutes to spare. I missed one question SC question in the second quarter of the exam to earn me a V47.

IR and AWA: I had done very little prep for these. I took IR seriously my first practice test and got an 8.0 and never thought about it after. I never practiced AWA and it definitely showed. Also by this point in the exam I was completely exhausted, having been at work since 6 am and now testing in a dark room.

Reflections and Advice:

1. Quant programs are worth it if you want a Q51.

With my background I was almost always able to brute Force my way quickly through problems. However, I have no doubt that if I would have done TTP or something similar, I would have had a Q51. If you are looking for a Q51 there are two things I would keep in mind during the test: First, if you are "on pace" thought the first half, you are probably behind. I would aim to average 1:45 for the first half's easier questions so that you do not feel time pressured on the back half of the test. Second, do not...DO NOT let your ambitions cloud your judgement on time management. I obsessed over one question which cost me three questions later on.

2. Practice in the mental conditions you will be in when you take the test.

I work about 60-70 hours a week and I knew I would need to take the test after work, so most of my practice after hiatus I did first thing in the morning or right before bed when I was really tired. I wanted to replicate the mental fatigue I knew I'd have on test day, and I think this definitely helped me maintain confidence while I was tired.

3. Target your study, but don't obsess.

Before my hiatus, I was only practicing "hard" CR, SC, and DS questions in blocks of 20. This was exhausting. And any time I had a bad few questions I would feel demoralized. Throw in lower difficulty questions to remind yourself of your strengths and give yourself a boost when you are feeling down on your luck.

I realize my relationship with the GMAT is not the common experience, but hopefully this has provided some insight into how someone aiming for a top score thinks about the exam. If you all would like more details on how I approach different problem types I would be more than happy to share.

Thanks for taking the time to read and happy studying!

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