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Apr 2808:00 AM PDT
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Whether you are just beginning your MBA journey or fine-tuning your path to a 700+ score, GMAT Day is designed to give you a competitive edge.
Updated on: 04 Jun 2014, 21:58
JUST KIDDING. I am absolutely content with my score and am excited that the GMAT is out of the way. The 'Retake?' comment was in jest (and perhaps to be shamelessly attention grabbing), so I apologize if it causes any offense.
Now that I've had my fun, I'd like to share my experience and the techniques that seemed to work for me!
Background:
I was born outside of the US, but completed high school on the East coast. I studied mechanical engineering at a Midwest Public Ivy and now work as a crash safety engineer at a major automotive company. I'm hoping to pursue an MBA to expand my management skill set and ultimately work in tech/automotive/consulting.
Study Timeline:
Started studying: Mid-December 2013
Test Date: May 31, 2014 2PM (first attempt - earliest time that fit my schedule that wasn't at 8:00AM on a weekday)
General Study Method:
Sun-Fri - ~1-2 hours of practice problems/bookwork per night (~40-60 problems). Always did both Quant and Verbal to ensure I was used to switching topics.
Sat - ~4-5 hours for a practice test and review. Always did practice tests during scheduled time at 2PM (or 1PM before DST kicked in)
- I recorded overall time taken for each problem set and highlighted any that I got wrong or had trouble with (useful for final review before test).
- I recorded my practice sessions in a spreadsheet to track my timing and progress - in total I did ~3700 problems (includes repeats but does not include practice tests).
- I adopted a strict no music, no napping, high focus policy from 2-6pm (or 1-5pm before DST) every day to condition my body to achieve optimal focus.
- For practice tests, I did exactly what I was going to do on test day - same sleep schedule, same food for lunch, same bathroom schedule, same break routine. I even wore the same clothes (including boxers with colors of all the schools I'm applying to).
2 weeks prior to test date - I went back to redo/review all the highlighted problems I had gotten wrong or spent too long on (this was a great way to reinforce all my weaknesses)
Morning of test - Looked over answer explanations for my weakest problems in the OG
Books used:
The Official Guide for GMAT Review, 13th Edition
The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review, 2nd Edition
The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review, 2nd Edition
Manhattan GMAT Complete Strategy Guide Set, Fifth Edition
Kaplan GMAT 800, 9th Edition <- Would NOT recommend
GMATPrep software with extra questions and exams
Manhattan GMAT Online Practice CAT Exams & Question Banks (bundled with Challenge Problems)
The OG and MGMAT materials are the bread and butter, as so many others have testified on this forum. The MGMAT materials were particularly useful for teaching/refreshing combinatorics, prime factorization, overlapping sets, SC, and CR argument identification. The MGMAT challenge problems were, in my opinion, unreasonably difficult and limited in scope; I did not really use them.
I only got the Kaplan GMAT 800 book because I was running out of problems to do before the test. Most of the practice problems are not very difficult, but a handful of the sentence correction problems were very poorly written (too much focus on imperfect options, too many grammatically correct options, etc.). The Kaplan book actually caused my SC skills to REGRESS. I can't personally recommend this book.
Practice Tests:
Feb. 1 - GMATPrep #1 - 730 Q49/V40 <- No AWA
Feb. 1 - GMATPrep #2 - 780 Q50/V47 <- No AWA, took second test same day because I was on a roll
Feb. 15 - MGMAT #1 - 720 Q43/V45
Mar. 8 - MGMAT #2 - 730 Q51/V39
Mar. 29 - MGMAT #3 - 780 Q51/V45 <- would've run out of time for last 3 Q questions, but paused the test so I could finish (better to see more questions since I still had ~2 months until the real one)
Apr. 12 - MGMAT #4 - 750 Q48/V44
Apr. 19 - GMATPrep #1 - 780 Q51/V46 <- Retake just to gauge true score since MGMAT is so tough
Apr. 26 - MGMAT #5 - 740 Q47/V45
May. 10 - GMATPrep #3 - 770 Q50/V46
May. 17 - MGMAT #6 - 700 Q47/V39 <- Gotta admit, this score freaked me out
May. 24 - GMATPrep #4 - 770 Q51/V44 <- finished Q with 22min left and V with 15min left
May. 26 - GMATPrep #2 - 770 Q51/V45 <- retake because this particular test seemed to match several people's real scores most closely
May. 31 - Real GMAT - 780 Q50/V47 IR8 AWA4.5
Notes:
MGMAT CATs are HARD, but good preparation
GMATPrep #2 seemed to reflect real score most accurately
Test Day:
- Dreamed about doing practice problems, thank goodness this test is over with
- Woke up ~10:30am, first thought was 'DESTROY'
- Ate an omelet with mushrooms, onions, and green bell peppers (same as before my practice tests) with orange juice and an orange Gatorade
- Reviewed expanations for all highlighted OG problems that I had trouble with (nothing strenuous, just enough to warm up my mind)
- Made sure to use bathroom right before leaving for test (and simultaneously reviewed some AWA prompts from the OG)
- Arrived at test center ~1:45pm (it's literally 1/2 block from my condo)
- I suffered some writer's block on the AWA; I struggled more than usual to produce counter examples and ended up not writing as much for my conclusion paragraph as usual. I scored a 4.5, which I'm admittedly disappointed with, but I'm going to convince myself that it's adequate enough to not warrant a retake.
- IR no problem, though difficulty was somewhere between GMATPrep and MGMAT
- First break - couldn't get my locker open because key fits in both ways (WHY?), used bathroom, ate Blueberry Crisp Clif Bar and 1/2 orange Gatorade (same as during my practice tests)
- Quant - Felt I was doing well, was ~15min ahead of pace, then hit a problem that took 7 minutes. Finished Quant with ~6min remaining.
- Second break - Used bathroom, ate Sierra Trail Mix Clif Bar and 1/2 orange Gatorade. Proctor started talking to me about the Clif Bar and asking how much sugar it had (this really isn't a great time for casual conversation) and I ended up losing 33sec off the Verbal section because they kept mistyping their login...
- Verbal - Got a little fatigued towards the end, finished with ~90 seconds remaining
- I didn't expect them to palm scan me both going into and out of each section - plan for a reduced break during practice tests
- After Verbal, there's a timed info survey. The responses are generally filled out per your mba profile (I spent 2 minutes looking for my undergrad when it was actually already filled out)
- Chose to submit scores, saw the 780, collapsed onto desk in relief, then fist pumped in elation!
- Realized my score factors to 2^2 * 3 * 5 * 13, then concluded that it's probably best for my sanity that this test is over with...
Final Notes/Tips:
- OG and MGMAT are great resources
- Mark/highlight the most troublesome problems and review them in the couple weeks before the test. Reviewing all the toughest problems might feel like a regression, but it makes the real test seem easier
- For Verbal questions, Manhattan recommends writing "ABCDE" and crossing out answers as you eliminate them. I personally used my left hand (A = thumb, B = index, etc.) and folded fingers as I eliminated answers. This is much faster since you don't need to write anything and you can keep your eyes on the screen!
- Try to recreate testing conditions as much as possible for practice tests (for me this was sleep routine, bathroom schedule, food intake, noise cancelling headphones, no cell phone interaction, clothing worn <- especially underwear with the school colors, this is key)
- If possible, condition yourself to be focused during your test time (no naps, music, TV, etc.). The GMAT is as much about focus and stamina as it is about content, and this way you can prepare (in a way) even at work!
- Coming from an engineering background, I'm accustomed to finding a clear answer and often spent too much time on hard problems during my practice tests. You have the option of learning to identify/skip tough problems, or study until you're confident that you can handle anything. I chose the latter, hence my continued studying despite doing well on the practice CATs.
- Most of my final 2 months was spent maintaining my sharpness. Pay attention to your practice sets/tests to see if you've peaked and become complacent! Work hard to keep your progress from slipping!
- The keys to continued improvement are to establish solid fundamentals and to improve problem/solution recognition speed. Make sure you're always exposing yourself to new problems during the meat of your study!
Anyhow, that's my spiel. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. Best of luck, and DESTROY!
Now that I've had my fun, I'd like to share my experience and the techniques that seemed to work for me!
Background:
I was born outside of the US, but completed high school on the East coast. I studied mechanical engineering at a Midwest Public Ivy and now work as a crash safety engineer at a major automotive company. I'm hoping to pursue an MBA to expand my management skill set and ultimately work in tech/automotive/consulting.
Study Timeline:
Started studying: Mid-December 2013
Test Date: May 31, 2014 2PM (first attempt - earliest time that fit my schedule that wasn't at 8:00AM on a weekday)
General Study Method:
Sun-Fri - ~1-2 hours of practice problems/bookwork per night (~40-60 problems). Always did both Quant and Verbal to ensure I was used to switching topics.
Sat - ~4-5 hours for a practice test and review. Always did practice tests during scheduled time at 2PM (or 1PM before DST kicked in)
- I recorded overall time taken for each problem set and highlighted any that I got wrong or had trouble with (useful for final review before test).
- I recorded my practice sessions in a spreadsheet to track my timing and progress - in total I did ~3700 problems (includes repeats but does not include practice tests).
- I adopted a strict no music, no napping, high focus policy from 2-6pm (or 1-5pm before DST) every day to condition my body to achieve optimal focus.
- For practice tests, I did exactly what I was going to do on test day - same sleep schedule, same food for lunch, same bathroom schedule, same break routine. I even wore the same clothes (including boxers with colors of all the schools I'm applying to).
2 weeks prior to test date - I went back to redo/review all the highlighted problems I had gotten wrong or spent too long on (this was a great way to reinforce all my weaknesses)
Morning of test - Looked over answer explanations for my weakest problems in the OG
Books used:
The Official Guide for GMAT Review, 13th Edition
The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review, 2nd Edition
The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review, 2nd Edition
Manhattan GMAT Complete Strategy Guide Set, Fifth Edition
Kaplan GMAT 800, 9th Edition <- Would NOT recommend
GMATPrep software with extra questions and exams
Manhattan GMAT Online Practice CAT Exams & Question Banks (bundled with Challenge Problems)
The OG and MGMAT materials are the bread and butter, as so many others have testified on this forum. The MGMAT materials were particularly useful for teaching/refreshing combinatorics, prime factorization, overlapping sets, SC, and CR argument identification. The MGMAT challenge problems were, in my opinion, unreasonably difficult and limited in scope; I did not really use them.
I only got the Kaplan GMAT 800 book because I was running out of problems to do before the test. Most of the practice problems are not very difficult, but a handful of the sentence correction problems were very poorly written (too much focus on imperfect options, too many grammatically correct options, etc.). The Kaplan book actually caused my SC skills to REGRESS. I can't personally recommend this book.
Practice Tests:
Feb. 1 - GMATPrep #1 - 730 Q49/V40 <- No AWA
Feb. 1 - GMATPrep #2 - 780 Q50/V47 <- No AWA, took second test same day because I was on a roll
Feb. 15 - MGMAT #1 - 720 Q43/V45
Mar. 8 - MGMAT #2 - 730 Q51/V39
Mar. 29 - MGMAT #3 - 780 Q51/V45 <- would've run out of time for last 3 Q questions, but paused the test so I could finish (better to see more questions since I still had ~2 months until the real one)
Apr. 12 - MGMAT #4 - 750 Q48/V44
Apr. 19 - GMATPrep #1 - 780 Q51/V46 <- Retake just to gauge true score since MGMAT is so tough
Apr. 26 - MGMAT #5 - 740 Q47/V45
May. 10 - GMATPrep #3 - 770 Q50/V46
May. 17 - MGMAT #6 - 700 Q47/V39 <- Gotta admit, this score freaked me out
May. 24 - GMATPrep #4 - 770 Q51/V44 <- finished Q with 22min left and V with 15min left
May. 26 - GMATPrep #2 - 770 Q51/V45 <- retake because this particular test seemed to match several people's real scores most closely
May. 31 - Real GMAT - 780 Q50/V47 IR8 AWA4.5
Notes:
MGMAT CATs are HARD, but good preparation
GMATPrep #2 seemed to reflect real score most accurately
Test Day:
- Dreamed about doing practice problems, thank goodness this test is over with
- Woke up ~10:30am, first thought was 'DESTROY'
- Ate an omelet with mushrooms, onions, and green bell peppers (same as before my practice tests) with orange juice and an orange Gatorade
- Reviewed expanations for all highlighted OG problems that I had trouble with (nothing strenuous, just enough to warm up my mind)
- Made sure to use bathroom right before leaving for test (and simultaneously reviewed some AWA prompts from the OG)
- Arrived at test center ~1:45pm (it's literally 1/2 block from my condo)
- I suffered some writer's block on the AWA; I struggled more than usual to produce counter examples and ended up not writing as much for my conclusion paragraph as usual. I scored a 4.5, which I'm admittedly disappointed with, but I'm going to convince myself that it's adequate enough to not warrant a retake.
- IR no problem, though difficulty was somewhere between GMATPrep and MGMAT
- First break - couldn't get my locker open because key fits in both ways (WHY?), used bathroom, ate Blueberry Crisp Clif Bar and 1/2 orange Gatorade (same as during my practice tests)
- Quant - Felt I was doing well, was ~15min ahead of pace, then hit a problem that took 7 minutes. Finished Quant with ~6min remaining.
- Second break - Used bathroom, ate Sierra Trail Mix Clif Bar and 1/2 orange Gatorade. Proctor started talking to me about the Clif Bar and asking how much sugar it had (this really isn't a great time for casual conversation) and I ended up losing 33sec off the Verbal section because they kept mistyping their login...
- Verbal - Got a little fatigued towards the end, finished with ~90 seconds remaining
- I didn't expect them to palm scan me both going into and out of each section - plan for a reduced break during practice tests
- After Verbal, there's a timed info survey. The responses are generally filled out per your mba profile (I spent 2 minutes looking for my undergrad when it was actually already filled out)
- Chose to submit scores, saw the 780, collapsed onto desk in relief, then fist pumped in elation!
- Realized my score factors to 2^2 * 3 * 5 * 13, then concluded that it's probably best for my sanity that this test is over with...
Final Notes/Tips:
- OG and MGMAT are great resources
- Mark/highlight the most troublesome problems and review them in the couple weeks before the test. Reviewing all the toughest problems might feel like a regression, but it makes the real test seem easier
- For Verbal questions, Manhattan recommends writing "ABCDE" and crossing out answers as you eliminate them. I personally used my left hand (A = thumb, B = index, etc.) and folded fingers as I eliminated answers. This is much faster since you don't need to write anything and you can keep your eyes on the screen!
- Try to recreate testing conditions as much as possible for practice tests (for me this was sleep routine, bathroom schedule, food intake, noise cancelling headphones, no cell phone interaction, clothing worn <- especially underwear with the school colors, this is key)
- If possible, condition yourself to be focused during your test time (no naps, music, TV, etc.). The GMAT is as much about focus and stamina as it is about content, and this way you can prepare (in a way) even at work!
- Coming from an engineering background, I'm accustomed to finding a clear answer and often spent too much time on hard problems during my practice tests. You have the option of learning to identify/skip tough problems, or study until you're confident that you can handle anything. I chose the latter, hence my continued studying despite doing well on the practice CATs.
- Most of my final 2 months was spent maintaining my sharpness. Pay attention to your practice sets/tests to see if you've peaked and become complacent! Work hard to keep your progress from slipping!
- The keys to continued improvement are to establish solid fundamentals and to improve problem/solution recognition speed. Make sure you're always exposing yourself to new problems during the meat of your study!
Anyhow, that's my spiel. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. Best of luck, and DESTROY!
