EDIT (July'21): Heading to Wharton ('21-'23) with $$$ Including some pertinent links here: Link for notes & questions: https://goo.gl/forms/kF4zVpUaSl10R1p12 If you'd like 1-1 help, then please leave me a PM to book a slot! I work with people on a monthly basis with limited slots, so please do book your slot in advance. Alternatively you can DM me on IG with your details @samiyanasim. ---------------------------- Hey guys, I am extremely happy to be finally done with the GMAT, and wanted to share my experiences with the forum that has been so helpful in my journey. Warning: Long post ahead! Background: Indian Engineer, Female, 22. Recently joined as at a data analyst at one of the top consulting firms. Starting Off: (October 2017) I quit my job and moved back home to take a break for a few months to work on some other engagements. The GMAT was something that had been pending for a while, so I felt there was no better time to tackle the biggest fear I had. Despite being an Indian Engineer(Stereotype!), I was absolutely terrified about Quant. I've had a mental block against Math since school (bad teachers), and have never loved the subject since then. In fact, if you take me by surprise and throw simple arithmetic at me, my brain shuts down and refuses to process any numbers! So I decided to join classes because I felt classes would help me a bit more disciplined in my approach. Especially considering that I was at home for most of the day, classes helped me get out and have some human interaction. I also needed some help brushing up my basic Quant concepts. I joined the Jamboree Classes in Chennai, Nungambakkam after hearing good things about their Quant classes. The classes were a good Quant refresher, and the materials allowed me to get in some practice. I was getting in 2-3 hours per day (combining Quant + Verbal). I attended classes for about 6 weeks, until the end of November and booked my exam for the 29th of December. I started writing some Mock tests by the end of November. I occasionally struggled with Quant timing, but was finishing Verbal with 20-30mins to spare. In Quant, I tended to struggle with Data Sufficiency and silly mistakes in PS. In Verbal, I was pretty comfortable with RC's and to some extent CR. However, I really struggled with SC as my English was "colloquial" and more about the "feel" of the sentence. I attended a couple of EGmat webinars and their meaning based approach to the sentences really helped me turn a corner in my SC preparation. The EGmat Team was super helpful, and I bought their SC course. I did not have time to finish the entire course (Mid Dec already), but it helped me get some finer points right, such as the usage of "Like" vs "As". Honestly, the Webinar made the majority of the difference. Kudos to the team for having so many free webinars with such great content. Where it all went wrong: My GMAT Mock test scores were pretty encouraging as I only scored 750 or above. One would think that I was all set for the exam. Yet, I managed to completely psych myself out for my first attempt. Not being satisfied with the GMAT Mock scores, despite reading tons of reviews about its accuracy, I started trying to find reviews that told me that actual GMAT was a lot harder than the GMAT Prep Mocks. I managed to convince myself that all the scores in the mock tests were mere flukes, and that the actual test would be a lot harder. I was targeting a 750+ score, but at the same time, I framed anything below a 750, as an absolute failure. I had nightmares about scoring a 760 which converted to a 560 in front of my eyes. My first attempt: I was extremely anxious and fidgety prior to my first attempt. I was finding it difficult to focus on my preparation without absolutely psyching myself out. In my first attempt, I chose the order of sections as: Quant, Verbal, IR and AWA. I struggled in the Quant section, especially in the beginning. The timing was a struggle and I often caught myself making a lot of silly mistakes. The verbal section went fine. I scored a 740(Q49,V44). I know it's a great score, but because I had framed anything below a 750 as an "absolute abject failure" in my head, I was devastated after the exam. I had never scored below a Q50 in the mocks, and felt that the split was quite skewed. It felt as if all my fears about my Quant abilities were well founded. All in all, it was quite upsetting. More here: https://gmatclub.com/forum/retaking-a-7 ... l#p2004508 The Recovery: Immediately after the exam, I took a holiday and tried to forget all about this disaster. I was torn between writing the GMAT again immediately, or just forgetting about it till I absolutely needed a score. My mum suggested I write it again at the earliest, as she felt I had probably made a ton of silly mistakes in Quant as I was very stressed and anxious. She wasn't very familiar with the GMAT syllabus, but knew me well enough to make the assessment. The ESR I ordered only confirmed what she said (Mom's are always right!). I had a higher accuracy in DS, compared to PS which was completely contrary to all my Mock tests. I spoke to a couple of my mentors and chose to write the exam this weekend (Jan 27 2018, in 15 days), despite the fact that I had started my new job and would not have much time to study. The Comeback: This time, I kept myself occupied with my job, but managed to get in an hour a day for a week. I mostly focused on Quant, and tried to answer sets of 37 questions so that I could improve my timing. I still often caught myself spending 5 minutes on a question, refusing to give up on an "easy" question. In the final week, I felt I had made no improvements, and resigned myself to a "wasted GMAT attempt". I considered rescheduling, but it was too late. I still decided to at least try for the sake of the 250$. I would get in an hour or two before office in the morning, before revising the mistakes before I slept in the night. My exam was in the morning, so I wanted to teach my body to be "alert" during that time. D-Day: The exam day could not have been more dramatic. I could barely sleep the previous night thanks to nightmares about failing the GMAT again (a Q37 featured in there too). On the morning of the exam, I couldn't find my passport for a good hour, and had almost resigned myself to not writing the exam. However, by some miracle, I found the passport and made it to the center on time. Because my zen had gone for a toss thanks to all these events, my mom suggested I write Verbal first because it would give me a chance to calm myself down and get into "exam mode". I started with Verbal, but my brain was incredibly restless as I had never changed the order of sections before. I would catch myself reading the RC on auto pilot whilst my brain would be trying to remember Quant formulas. I only finished the exam with 1 minute to spare, unlike my usual attempts. The questions seemed harder as well, but I thought it was all in my head as I couldn't focus. In Quant, I was extremely careful about time, and wrote down the time when I started each question. It took me 2 seconds extra per question, but it allowed me to catch myself before spending 5minutes on a question. I also tried to work neatly, and make tables for DS questions. I finished the section with a minute to spare as well. All in all, I hadn't done Quant very badly. I finished IR and AWA in a blur, but somewhere I felt that this time I had flunked Verbal. When the score flashed on the screen, I couldn't believe it. A 780 with 48 in Verbal?! What? A Q50? REDEMPTION!! I was literally shaking when I came out of the exam hall and couldn't believe my score till I held the print out in my hand. I had never expected to score so well. Key Takeaways: - Do NOT psych yourself out. I honestly felt my "knowledge" didn't change even a bit between my first attempt and second. It was all about my mental approach to the exam. There is a fine line between doing research and becoming a nervous wreck. - Be aware of your flaws and choose your order of sections carefully. Yet at the same time, I would advise against trying a new order on D Day. - Attend classes if you need discipline, but the concepts of the GMAT aren't too hard. I had a small notebook that had all the Quant and SC concepts consolidated that I used for revision (About 70pages), and that's all I frankly needed. The quant section often has a lot tricks and traps that you need to be aware of. - Be calm before the exam and keep all your paperwork and ID ready. - It's good to set targets but not good to make your goals absolutely binary. 1- celebration; 0- absolute failure. - Have someone to study with. I often had Skype study sessions with a friend just to help me focus. He would do his work and I would do mine, but having someone around helped me. - Figure out a timing strategy that works for you, and use tables for DS. - Speak to someone who has done this before. It helps to discuss your fears and thoughts with someone who has walked this path before. I was lucky enough to have a mentor who was an absolute gem and was always around to try to calm me down. Well, that's it! I'm happy to share any material you guys want, or help in any other way I can. Link for notes & questions: https://goo.gl/forms/kF4zVpUaSl10R1p12 EDIT: PS. You'll receive within 24hours as it's an automated process. I don't logon very regularly, so this is the fastest method. EDIT1: Since I've received an influx of messages on different platforms, I've decided to keep editing the post to answer some key questions and have included my ESR in the post. 1. Resources used: - Official Guide, esp. for Verbal. Did it at least thrice. - Jamboree Classes, esp. for Quant. I also needed classes to help regulate my day since sometimes I can get a bit lazy. If you're one of those extremely self disciplined folks, classes are not a must. - EGmat - SC. Loved their Webinar. Would highly recommend. - Official OG tests - I did all 6 tests. Tried taking a couple of other tests but didn't enjoy the experience. 2. What do I mean by Tables for DS? Used for Yes/No questions. Put in the constraint in the columns, and the rows are S1, S2 & both. You can indicate whether or not you're able to get a definitive answer for each row. Nothing complex, but just helped me clear my thoughts and not get confused. 3. Time trick for Quant. Speak about in detail here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/ur ... 8809721856

congratulations... please share your notes at pknayak.igit@gmail.com Sent from my Redmi Note 4 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

Hi Samiya! Excellent score ... Good luck with your applications.. could you please share your notes with me too... Krutiparekh87@gmail.Com Appreciate your help! TIA Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum

Hi Samiya , Congratulations for a great score . I would love to receive your notes at sksksaurabh0@gmail.com Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

Congrats samiya! Can you please share your notes please at casinova98@gmail.com Sent from my Redmi Note 3 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

Hi Samiya! Congratulations Your 35 page notes will be really helpful for most of us. please share your notes to: saurabhbhrgv@gmail.com Regards Saurabh Sent from my GT-N7100 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

Congratulations! Could u please share them with me as well? Email - tnvlad@gmail.com Best regards Отправлено с моего iPad используя GMAT Club Forum

Congrats! You have a Stunning score. Thanks for the offering as well. Please email to lkimhui@gmail.com Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum

Last visit was: 20 May 2026, 07:58

It is currently 20 May 2026, 07:58

Toolkit

Share GMAT Experience

GMAT Club Daily Prep

Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.

Go to My Error Log Learn more

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel

May 20
Live Profile Evaluation Chat Session with ARINGO MBA admission consultants
08:00 AM PDT
-
08:30 AM PDT
What’s in it for you- Live Profile Evaluation Chat Session with Jenifer Turtschanow, CEO, ARINGO. Come with your details prepared and ARINGO will share insights! Pre-MBA Role/Industry, YOE, Exam Score, C/GPA, ECs Post-MBA Role/ Industry & School List.
Jun 10
MBA Spotlight Fair
06:00 AM PDT
-
06:15 PM PDT
Register for the GMAT Club Virtual MBA Spotlight Fair – the world’s premier event for serious MBA candidates. This is your chance to hear directly from Admissions Directors at nearly every Top 30 MBA program..

Back to Forum

Create Topic

780 (Q50, V48): 3Month prep; The Mental Strategy

1 2 3 4 5

PKN

Joined: 01 Oct 2017

Last visit: 11 Oct 2025

Posts: 809

Own Kudos:

1,642

Given Kudos: 41

Status:Learning stage

WE:Supply Chain Management (Energy)

Posts: 809

Kudos: 1,642

25 Feb 2018, 11:00

Kudos

Bookmarks

congratulations... please share your notes at [email protected]

Sent from my Redmi Note 4 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

krutiparekh

Joined: 08 Oct 2017

Last visit: 01 Dec 2021

Posts: 11

Own Kudos:

Posts: 11

Kudos: 1

25 Feb 2018, 11:31

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi Samiya! Excellent score ... Good luck with your applications.. could you please share your notes with me too...

[email protected]

Appreciate your help! TIA

Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum

BlacknYellow

Joined: 26 Apr 2015

Last visit: 25 Apr 2019

Posts: 12

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 19

Location: United States

Schools: Ross '21 (A$) Haas '21 (A$) CBS '21 (II) Duke '21 (A$) Wharton '21 (II)

GMAT 1: 680 Q47 V36 Verified score

GMAT 2: 700 Q48 V38 Verified score

GPA: 3.91

Products:

Schools: Ross '21 (A$) Haas '21 (A$) CBS '21 (II) Duke '21 (A$) Wharton '21 (II)

GMAT 2: 700 Q48 V38 Verified score

Posts: 12

Kudos: 43

25 Feb 2018, 19:42

Kudos

Bookmarks

Congrats on the great score. Could you (or someone else who has received them already) share the consolidated notes gtbullet12 at gmail? Thank you.

Leomav17

Joined: 20 Jan 2018

Last visit: 13 Apr 2022

Posts: 2

Given Kudos: 4

Posts: 2

Kudos: 0

26 Feb 2018, 03:25

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi Samiya ,
Congratulations for a great score .
I would love to receive your notes at [email protected]

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

dvishal387

Joined: 01 Jan 2018

Last visit: 12 Jan 2022

Posts: 62

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 26

Posts: 62

Kudos: 58

26 Feb 2018, 03:36

Kudos

Bookmarks

Congrats samiya! Can you please share your notes please at [email protected]

Sent from my Redmi Note 3 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

bae

Joined: 09 Apr 2017

Last visit: 11 Mar 2021

Posts: 43

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 368

GPA: 3.99

Posts: 43

Kudos: 43

01 Mar 2018, 17:22

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hey Samiya! Congrats

The entire 35 pages is gold for most of us. Could you please share them with me as well?
I will be most grateful !

Email ID - [email protected] at gmail

Posted from my mobile device

saurabhbhargava

Joined: 27 Jul 2017

Last visit: 04 Dec 2019

Posts: 17

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 61

Products:

Posts: 17

Kudos: 3

01 Mar 2018, 18:03

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi Samiya! Congratulations

Your 35 page notes will be really helpful for most of us. please share your notes to:
[email protected]

Regards
Saurabh

Sent from my GT-N7100 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

cska

Joined: 05 Mar 2018

Last visit: 03 Oct 2020

Posts: 3

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 3

Posts: 3

Kudos: 1

05 Mar 2018, 13:47

Kudos

Bookmarks

Congratulations!
Could u please share them with me as well?
Email - [email protected]
Best regards

Отправлено с моего iPad используя GMAT Club Forum

lkimhui86

Joined: 28 Jan 2018

Last visit: 14 Mar 2018

Posts: 1

Given Kudos: 49

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

06 Mar 2018, 07:56

Kudos

Bookmarks

Congrats! You have a Stunning score. Thanks for the offering as well.
Please email to [email protected]

Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum

JotheSonorous

Joined: 07 Mar 2018

Last visit: 24 Apr 2018

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

07 Mar 2018, 02:00

Kudos

Bookmarks

Has anyone received the notes?

Kindly share them with me at tpn.john@outlook(dotcom)

Thanks a lot!

ThisIsWater

Current Student

Joined: 27 Nov 2017

Last visit: 17 Aug 2022

Posts: 191

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 109

Location: India

Schools: Ross '24 (A) Kellogg '24 (D) Kenan-Flagler '24 (A) Tuck '24 (D) Fuqua '24 (WD) Darden '24 (WD) Wharton '24 (D) Anderson '24 (A$$) Sloan '24 (WL) LBS '24 (A) Harvard '24 (WA)

GRE 1: Q170 V161 Verified score

GRE 2: Q170 V161 Verified score

GPA: 4

Schools: Ross '24 (A) Kellogg '24 (D) Kenan-Flagler '24 (A) Tuck '24 (D) Fuqua '24 (WD) Darden '24 (WD) Wharton '24 (D) Anderson '24 (A$$) Sloan '24 (WL) LBS '24 (A) Harvard '24 (WA)

GRE 1: Q170 V161 Verified score

GRE 2: Q170 V161 Verified score

Posts: 191

Kudos: 73

07 Mar 2018, 04:35

Kudos

Bookmarks

Congratulations on ur stunning score, kindly share your notes at [email protected]

Sent from my Redmi Note 3 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

Gladiator59

Joined: 16 Sep 2016

Last visit: 18 Mar 2026

Posts: 839

Own Kudos:

2,726

Given Kudos: 269

Status:It always seems impossible until it's done.

GMAT 1: 740 Q50 V40 Verified score

GMAT 2: 770 Q51 V42 Verified score

Products:

GMAT 2: 770 Q51 V42 Verified score

Posts: 839

Kudos: 2,726

09 Mar 2018, 14:24

Kudos

Bookmarks

First and foremost... congrats on the great score.

And thanks for a detailed post on your prep!

I saw multiple people asking for the material that you want to share with the community here at Gmat club.

Can I request you to please make a downloadable file / g drive link for people to download it ( those who do not wish to share their personal email such as myself would benefit and I am sure would highly appreciate it! )

Please let me know if you need help setting a downloadable link / drive location.

Many thanks!

-------------------------------------------------
Edit - Not to mention it will reduce your burden of sending individual mails to many fellow users :D

coolnaren

Joined: 11 Apr 2014

Last visit: 26 Aug 2021

Posts: 17

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 37

Posts: 17

Kudos: 2

12 Mar 2018, 04:40

Kudos

Bookmarks

Samiya

egmat

Samiya – 780 is an amazing score and Kudos to your for setting such a high standard for yourself and for acing the test despite the chaotic morning prior to the test. FYI.. most of us have nightmares before the exam. Trust me – I still dream about sitting on the test, having no clue as to how to answer questions.

I am also glad that you embraced the meaning based approach in Sentence Correction. We absolutely love it. Good luck for your post GMAT journey. When/where do you plan to apply?

-Rajat

Haha, it's a relief to know I'm not alone. I hope to apply in the first round of intake for the class of 2020-21/22. I would have 3 years of experience at that point

Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

Hi Samiya,

Congrats on sucha great score. Please can you share your material on [email protected].

Thanks a ton.

Regards
Dinakar Hegde

Gladiator59

Joined: 16 Sep 2016

Last visit: 18 Mar 2026

Posts: 839

Own Kudos:

2,726

Given Kudos: 269

Status:It always seems impossible until it's done.

GMAT 1: 740 Q50 V40 Verified score

GMAT 2: 770 Q51 V42 Verified score

Products:

GMAT 2: 770 Q51 V42 Verified score

Posts: 839

Kudos: 2,726

12 Mar 2018, 07:02

Kudos

Bookmarks

coolnaren

Samiya

egmat

Hi Samiya,

Congrats on sucha great score. Please can you share your material on [email protected].

Thanks a ton.

Regards
Dinakar Hegde

Dinakar,

Wouldn't it be more efficient if we ask her to post the notes so that anyone can download it rather than her emailing it to individual recipients?

Best,
Gladi

Dfahart

Joined: 27 Nov 2017

Last visit: 08 May 2019

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

12 Mar 2018, 07:36

Kudos

Bookmarks

Congrats on the amazing score! Could you send me your notes: [email protected]

Nihilist666

Joined: 23 Aug 2015

Last visit: 14 Apr 2021

Posts: 2

Given Kudos: 18

Concentration: General Management, International Business

GMAT 1: 740 Q50 V40 Verified score

Posts: 2

Kudos: 0

01 Apr 2018, 08:01

Kudos

Bookmarks

Please share the notes at bsingh1337 @ gmaildotcom if possible

)

Posted from my mobile device

Posted from my mobile device

sandeep07

Joined: 29 Dec 2017

Last visit: 30 Jun 2018

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

01 Apr 2018, 11:57

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi Samiya,

Congratulations on getting 780 , it was great reading your approach, lots of useful insight.
It would be great if you can share the material summary which you wrote for review.
This is my email - sandy1007gmail

Thank you, i appreciate it.

iamgourav

Joined: 10 Feb 2018

Last visit: 07 Aug 2018

Posts: 12

Kudos: 0

02 Apr 2018, 04:28

Kudos

Bookmarks

Congratulations Samiya.... really a great score.... thanks for sharing your experience with us.
If possible please share your notes.
[email protected]

Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum

undergrad555

Joined: 27 Feb 2015

Last visit: 10 May 2018

Posts: 15

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 3

Posts: 15

Kudos: 2

05 Apr 2018, 12:43

Kudos

Bookmarks

Thanks for sharing your story.
Would be happy to have a look at your notes.
E-mail: [email protected]

Thanks!

manishred07

Joined: 14 Aug 2017

Last visit: 15 Feb 2022

Posts: 36

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 52

Location: India

Schools: ISB'22 (WL) Schulich Jan '23 (A) IIMC PGPEX'22 (A) IIMA PGPX'22 (A)

GMAT 1: 610 Q41 V34 Verified score

GMAT 2: 690 Q49 V33 Verified score

GPA: 3.69

Products:

Schools: ISB'22 (WL) Schulich Jan '23 (A) IIMC PGPEX'22 (A) IIMA PGPX'22 (A)

GMAT 2: 690 Q49 V33 Verified score

Posts: 36

Kudos: 48

06 Apr 2018, 20:02

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi Samiya, congratulations for a great score, may I request you to share your study material with me at [email protected]. Thank you

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

1 2 3 4 5

Moderator:

Founder

43297 posts

Prep Toolkit

Announcements

GMAT Ninja Wednesdays - Evaluate and Logical Flaw Questions

Wednesday, May 20, 2026
11:30am NY / 3:30pm London / 9pm Mumbai

AGSM at UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE

Top GMAT Focus Debriefs

An Emory MBA Powers Growth

Emory powers growth—professionally and personally. Built on a foundation of interdisciplinary learning, leadership development, and career readiness, our top-20 MBA program delivers a high return on investment with top-5 career outcomes.

Tuck at Dartmouth

Step Inside the Tuck Experience: Discover Tuck Events This Fall
Current Tuck MBA students and Discover Tuck co-chairs share advice for prospective students and reflect on why they chose Tuck for their MBA.

Read More

My Rewards

What are Rewards?

My Tier

(1 points)

HOT DEALS FOR MAY

	Target Test Prep - Save up to $599 $400 Discount + $99 Bonus GMAT Club Tests
	e-GMAT: 60% Off on GMAT Focus Get to 735+ from any starting point
	Magoosh increases your score, guaranteed - 15% off ALL Magoosh GMAT plans with code GMATCLUB15 + Free GMAT Club Tests.
	Manhattan Prep: $99 Bonus Score Higher on Your GMAT Exam. Guaranteed.
	Experts' Global - ~~$1720~~ $960 End-to-End GMAT Prep + App Support: 150+ Videos, 2000+ Questions, 15 FLTs +
	GMATWhiz - $299 ~~$499~~ Experience the course through a free trial.
	GMAT Club Tests - Free Included with every course purchase of $149+ View all deals

780 (Q50, V48): 3Month prep; The Mental Strategy

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards