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Mimster
Joined: 25 Jul 2015
Last visit: 23 Jan 2020
Posts: 104
Given Kudos: 52
Location: Thailand
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Marketing
Schools: Anderson '19 (A$) Marshall '19 (A$) McDonough '19 (A$) Sloan '19 (D) Kellogg 1YR '18 (A) Kellogg '19 (M)
GMAT 1: 550 Q37 V28
GMAT 2: 660 Q47 V34
GMAT 3: 650 Q44 V35
GMAT 4: 680 Q49 V32
GMAT 5: 740 Q49 V42
GPA: 3.33
Products:
Schools: Anderson '19 (A$) Marshall '19 (A$) McDonough '19 (A$) Sloan '19 (D) Kellogg 1YR '18 (A) Kellogg '19 (M)
GMAT 5: 740 Q49 V42
Posts: 104
28 Sep 2016, 08:36
Kudos
Bookmarks
My debrief for the first retake. I had the exam today and I have never fist pumped this hard when the 660 showed up on the screen. I was expecting for the score to be much lower.
Background
I quit my consulting job and immediately took the test the next day (July 28). I didn't have any expectations of what my scores were so when 550 popped up I was relieved. I thought I would have scored lower. I am from Thailand and my first language is not English.
First Exam Exp:
My experience with 550 was dreadful. I knocked off a minute during the quant section due to bathroom problems (I had to poop). My stamina was low. When I reached the verbal part I'm just guessing my way out of the last 15 questions.
After realizing my downsides, I split my studying time to be quant 80% and 20%. I hoped to score 600+ in the first retake.
Second Exam Exp:
My experience with 660 was so much better. Unfortunately, I had a minute knocked off my clock due to the fact that there was another person who had bathroom problems. My stamina was WAY better. I prepared so much chocolate and adrenaline that I was on high alert 85% of the time during the test.
Rich's suggestion about closing your eyes when you're swayed put my awareness back into place. Extreme focus on the quant part. Strangely for the verbal part, I had 5 minutes remaining on the last few questions. I think I might have been in too much of a hurry and did not use my time wisely.
Studying Strategy
I basically studied my ass off around 6 hours per day. 2 hours each period with 1 hour to 2 hour breaks in between for the first 4 weeks. I realized by doing that study regime, I was going to bed at around 12.00AM - 1:00AM which was not great for my brain. For the last 2 weeks, I changed my strategy and I studied 2 hours each period with 30 minute breaks in between, making sure that I would stop and drop every material by 10:00PM. I need to have my relax time and that really helped me. Exercising regularly also helped reduce exam anxiety.
For Quant:
After the exam, I jot down several things I noticed about myself that should be improved. I examined my own weaknesses and focused mainly on them. Unfortunately, my weakness was the ability to not do basic math. I horribly suck at division, subtraction, and addition. I am A-okay with multiplication.
I knew that I study best with visual aids and sounds (videos and in person tutoring are the best for me). As a result, I had my friend tutor me 5 days a week 2 hours each day for the whole 8 weeks in hopes of being able to math before d-day.
The key success factor for my 10 pt improvement for quant is:
I have access to Gmatclub tests and I cannot stress how great the quant section questions are. (I have not gone through the verbal portion in detail.) The questions are way harder and I can guarantee that learning from your mock test's stupid mistakes will IMPROVE your skills. Not only would it help you realize what you were doing wrong but how to approach it through the explanations.
I have to thank Empowergmat videos for the mentally to approach GMAT questions in general. GMAT deliberately tries to make you pick the nasty answers. They are punishments. If you want to do well, you must be able to identify them and kick it out of your possible answers. Another great point to Rich's video are how he approach the questions minimally, writing things down as you read the prompt. I think that was really helped me understand the question fully and answer the right thing.
My scores throughout 8 weeks:
(I was very disheartened by my Gmat club scores. Fortunately, I did better in the actual exam!)
For Verbal:
I have to admit, I did not focus on verbal practices that much as having the knowledge of "**** I can't do basic math" drove me to almost bath in math 24/7. On the first three weeks I focused mostly on sentence correction as it was one of the time saving questions and mastering them would allow me to have more time to much around with other parts.
My RC strategy was to read the whole passage carefully, note down the keywords and idea of each paragraph, and giving a funny sounding title to each paragraph. Even though it took 4-8 minutes to fully comprehend, it only took me 30 seconds - 1 minute to kill off the questions. This is a strategy that works really well for me. I took the tip of reading the prompts carefully from Max's video. I did not realize that by skimming, I missed so many valuable information that would me comprehend what was going.
My CR strategy... was crap. Most of the time I can narrow the choices down to 2 and failed at choosing the correct one. I still have trouble with identifying assumptions and the logical mishaps that happen. If I were to be able to do better at this I think my scores will definitely improve. I have empowergmat's video to go through and work with so I hope that will help improve my scores.
My SC strategy. I still feel that I do not have a strong grasp in relative clauses, appositives, and SVA. I was doing great the first 3 weeks but later, due to intense period of math, I didn't focus on them as much. I still feel that I am struggling with the concepts and I need more practice resources. The empowergmat video were quite small compared to other sections. I wish there were more to learn from. I have exhausted the OG 2016 so I will probably go through OG 2013 questions that are around gmatclub.
For AWA, the first time I got 6.0. This is the section that I am the most comfortable with. My strategy for AWA is very brief. Memorize the structure of a good AWA 6.0 and act as if I'm talking back to a person I hate. As I read the prompt, I simply just hack through every possible flaws it could have using MGMAT CAST system. The scores hasn't come out yet for the second exam.
For IR, I bombed the first one and got a 3. For this exam I got a 5. No strategy here as I did not have enough time to study this part in detail.
I aim to hit 700+ in a month or two. I have two exams schedule on November 11 (46 days and counting down) and December 7 (69 days and counting down).
Suggestions about improving the verbal score would be great!! Additionally, should I cancel this score and reinstate if my 700+ does not show up?
Background
I quit my consulting job and immediately took the test the next day (July 28). I didn't have any expectations of what my scores were so when 550 popped up I was relieved. I thought I would have scored lower. I am from Thailand and my first language is not English.
First Exam Exp:
My experience with 550 was dreadful. I knocked off a minute during the quant section due to bathroom problems (I had to poop). My stamina was low. When I reached the verbal part I'm just guessing my way out of the last 15 questions.
After realizing my downsides, I split my studying time to be quant 80% and 20%. I hoped to score 600+ in the first retake.
Second Exam Exp:
My experience with 660 was so much better. Unfortunately, I had a minute knocked off my clock due to the fact that there was another person who had bathroom problems. My stamina was WAY better. I prepared so much chocolate and adrenaline that I was on high alert 85% of the time during the test.
Rich's suggestion about closing your eyes when you're swayed put my awareness back into place. Extreme focus on the quant part. Strangely for the verbal part, I had 5 minutes remaining on the last few questions. I think I might have been in too much of a hurry and did not use my time wisely.
Studying Strategy
I basically studied my ass off around 6 hours per day. 2 hours each period with 1 hour to 2 hour breaks in between for the first 4 weeks. I realized by doing that study regime, I was going to bed at around 12.00AM - 1:00AM which was not great for my brain. For the last 2 weeks, I changed my strategy and I studied 2 hours each period with 30 minute breaks in between, making sure that I would stop and drop every material by 10:00PM. I need to have my relax time and that really helped me. Exercising regularly also helped reduce exam anxiety.
For Quant:
- - MGMAT Quant
- MGMAT Advanced Quant
- Some GMAT Prepnow Videos
- Kaplan math workbook
- Kaplan 800 (half of it)
- Empowergmat Quant (Rich's video on tackling problems!!)
- OG 2013 + 2013 Quant review
A friend who tutored me
After the exam, I jot down several things I noticed about myself that should be improved. I examined my own weaknesses and focused mainly on them. Unfortunately, my weakness was the ability to not do basic math. I horribly suck at division, subtraction, and addition. I am A-okay with multiplication.
I knew that I study best with visual aids and sounds (videos and in person tutoring are the best for me). As a result, I had my friend tutor me 5 days a week 2 hours each day for the whole 8 weeks in hopes of being able to math before d-day.
The key success factor for my 10 pt improvement for quant is:
- 1. A firm grasp of the concepts
2. Lots of practice questions
3. Timing yourself
4. Learning why you make errors and correcting them
I have access to Gmatclub tests and I cannot stress how great the quant section questions are. (I have not gone through the verbal portion in detail.) The questions are way harder and I can guarantee that learning from your mock test's stupid mistakes will IMPROVE your skills. Not only would it help you realize what you were doing wrong but how to approach it through the explanations.
I have to thank Empowergmat videos for the mentally to approach GMAT questions in general. GMAT deliberately tries to make you pick the nasty answers. They are punishments. If you want to do well, you must be able to identify them and kick it out of your possible answers. Another great point to Rich's video are how he approach the questions minimally, writing things down as you read the prompt. I think that was really helped me understand the question fully and answer the right thing.
My scores throughout 8 weeks:
- 1. Q37 - 1st Exam
2. Q47 - GmatPrep
3. Q31 - Gmat Club
4. Q37 - Gmat Club
(I was very disheartened by my Gmat club scores. Fortunately, I did better in the actual exam!)
For Verbal:
- - MGMAT SC, CR, RC
- OG 2016 (only SC)
- OG 2016 verbal review (SC, CR, and partially RC)
- GMAT club grammar book
- Empowergmat - only SC section and first section of RC
I have to admit, I did not focus on verbal practices that much as having the knowledge of "**** I can't do basic math" drove me to almost bath in math 24/7. On the first three weeks I focused mostly on sentence correction as it was one of the time saving questions and mastering them would allow me to have more time to much around with other parts.
My RC strategy was to read the whole passage carefully, note down the keywords and idea of each paragraph, and giving a funny sounding title to each paragraph. Even though it took 4-8 minutes to fully comprehend, it only took me 30 seconds - 1 minute to kill off the questions. This is a strategy that works really well for me. I took the tip of reading the prompts carefully from Max's video. I did not realize that by skimming, I missed so many valuable information that would me comprehend what was going.
My CR strategy... was crap. Most of the time I can narrow the choices down to 2 and failed at choosing the correct one. I still have trouble with identifying assumptions and the logical mishaps that happen. If I were to be able to do better at this I think my scores will definitely improve. I have empowergmat's video to go through and work with so I hope that will help improve my scores.
My SC strategy. I still feel that I do not have a strong grasp in relative clauses, appositives, and SVA. I was doing great the first 3 weeks but later, due to intense period of math, I didn't focus on them as much. I still feel that I am struggling with the concepts and I need more practice resources. The empowergmat video were quite small compared to other sections. I wish there were more to learn from. I have exhausted the OG 2016 so I will probably go through OG 2013 questions that are around gmatclub.
For AWA, the first time I got 6.0. This is the section that I am the most comfortable with. My strategy for AWA is very brief. Memorize the structure of a good AWA 6.0 and act as if I'm talking back to a person I hate. As I read the prompt, I simply just hack through every possible flaws it could have using MGMAT CAST system. The scores hasn't come out yet for the second exam.
For IR, I bombed the first one and got a 3. For this exam I got a 5. No strategy here as I did not have enough time to study this part in detail.
I aim to hit 700+ in a month or two. I have two exams schedule on November 11 (46 days and counting down) and December 7 (69 days and counting down).
Suggestions about improving the verbal score would be great!! Additionally, should I cancel this score and reinstate if my 700+ does not show up?
28 Sep 2016, 12:49
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi Mimster,
First off, a 660/Q47 is a strong score (it's just above the 80th percentile overall), so it could be enough to get you into your first-choice School. As such, a retest might not be necessary. Depending on the Schools that you plan to apply to, you might already have a strong-enough overall profile, so you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your profile and application plans. There's a Forum full of them here:
ask-admission-consultants-124/
Considering that you've been studying for a little less than 2 months, and you had to put in so much extra time to (re)learn math, your score improvement is fantastic! Many Test Takers spend 3 months (or more) of consistent study time before they hit their 'peak' scores, so it's likely that you will continue to improve as you continue studying. Given your focus on the Quant section, spending a bit more time in the Verbal section might be all that you need to hit 700+. By extension, you probably won't need both of your additional Test Dates and you probably wouldn't need the full 46 days to study and hit your score goal either.
1) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
2) What Schools are you planning to apply to?
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
First off, a 660/Q47 is a strong score (it's just above the 80th percentile overall), so it could be enough to get you into your first-choice School. As such, a retest might not be necessary. Depending on the Schools that you plan to apply to, you might already have a strong-enough overall profile, so you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your profile and application plans. There's a Forum full of them here:
ask-admission-consultants-124/
Considering that you've been studying for a little less than 2 months, and you had to put in so much extra time to (re)learn math, your score improvement is fantastic! Many Test Takers spend 3 months (or more) of consistent study time before they hit their 'peak' scores, so it's likely that you will continue to improve as you continue studying. Given your focus on the Quant section, spending a bit more time in the Verbal section might be all that you need to hit 700+. By extension, you probably won't need both of your additional Test Dates and you probably wouldn't need the full 46 days to study and hit your score goal either.
1) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
2) What Schools are you planning to apply to?
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Mimster
Joined: 25 Jul 2015
Last visit: 23 Jan 2020
Posts: 104
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 52
Location: Thailand
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Marketing
Schools: Anderson '19 (A$) Marshall '19 (A$) McDonough '19 (A$) Sloan '19 (D) Kellogg 1YR '18 (A) Kellogg '19 (M)
GMAT 1: 550 Q37 V28
GMAT 2: 660 Q47 V34
GMAT 3: 650 Q44 V35
GMAT 4: 680 Q49 V32
GMAT 5: 740 Q49 V42
GPA: 3.33
Products:
Schools: Anderson '19 (A$) Marshall '19 (A$) McDonough '19 (A$) Sloan '19 (D) Kellogg 1YR '18 (A) Kellogg '19 (M)
GMAT 5: 740 Q49 V42
Posts: 104
Kudos:
492
01 Oct 2016, 07:15
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi Rich!
Thank you for your kind words. Regarding the two questions you've posed:
1. I am planning to apply now until December (depending on the schools).
2. Given my profile that I might need evaluation from admission consultants, right now I'm aiming at USC's Global Supply Chain Specialized Masters as top choice. If my GMAT Score goes beyond 700, I would apply for UCLA MBA.
Should I purchase the ESR to see where I should focus on verbal or study the whole section for the given month I have left? I would want to be able to apply for UCLA given the better score.
Thank you for your kind words. Regarding the two questions you've posed:
1. I am planning to apply now until December (depending on the schools).
2. Given my profile that I might need evaluation from admission consultants, right now I'm aiming at USC's Global Supply Chain Specialized Masters as top choice. If my GMAT Score goes beyond 700, I would apply for UCLA MBA.
Should I purchase the ESR to see where I should focus on verbal or study the whole section for the given month I have left? I would want to be able to apply for UCLA given the better score.
