PrequelI started my GMAT studying about 6 months ago. I was always good at school, testing, math, etc. I was a history major at a top ten school in the US and thought my writing/verbal skills would be up to par. Honestly, I wasn’t worried. I should have been worried!!!! I have been out of school for a little over 2 years and just thought why not try this out now? My work schedule is pretty chill as I work in advertising/marketing.
I took my first CAT test and scored 550. I had no idea what that even meant yet, but was convinced by myself I could just get my score up to the mid-600s or higher. I studied causally with the
OG 2018 just going through the book….and nada, hardly any improvement in score.
Act II began to panic when I realized how much work my verbal needed. I decided I needed to get a tutor. From June-August I had a tutor about every week, around 15 times total. I used the
OG guide 13th edition and his material. It helped and I was getting into the high 600s.. I thought if I just got my math score to a good level I would be fine, but I was still really struggling with both sections. My math score was all over the place on the MBA official CATs. I got up to the 80’s in percentile in verbal, but wasn’t getting above 50’s in quant percentile. I finally got a 700 in a CAT and decided to schedule my GMAT for the end of August.
Test 1 was a disaster. I was always a good tester and as the test progressed I didn’t think I was struggling. I got my score…610. I was SO upset. I got lower in math than I ever had before looking at all my official CATs. I really bombed. Verbal I got 86th percentile so that was ok, but no way I was keeping this score. I was so angry I had spent money on a tutor that did almost nothing.
IntermissionI took about a month break and had to get surgery. I wanted to reset and figure out my new plan.
Act II and the FINAL ActI started doing some research on what online program/tutoring to do going forward as I wasn’t going back to spending 150 plus on a tutoring session. I landed on EmpowerGMAT. Fast forward to Oct 1. I made my game plan, an attack strategy of sorts. I was going to follow Empower’s one-month guide to studying and take the test Oct 30th.
I am not going to lie and say I just did it causally and everything worked out, I straight up GRINDED for four weeks everyday. I spent hours day in and day out working through all of their lessons. It was 100 dollars for the month and seriously the best money I have ever spent. I learned so much more from those videos than I ever did with any other material/tactic. They had advice and guidance I had never come across before and it was working. My CAT’s and practice problems were showing the results I wanted. I scored a 730 on my next CAT about 2 weeks into the month. I felt on fire *fire emoji here.* I knew I was almost ready for test day as if I had any choice, but I felt stronger than ever answering every type of question. You know in school when you finally understand a subject or piece of material and then afterwards you could nail it every time? That’s how I finally felt; it was all clicking. Yesterday, I took my second (and final!!) test. I scored a 710 and couldn’t be happier.
I attribute so much of my success to EmpowerGMAT. If you are willing to do the lessons and take the time, it will improve your score—no DOUBT.
• Things I wish I knew- it doesn’t matter if you were good at these subjects in school, it’s a test you have to learn and you have to work hard
• Things I have learned- the GMAT doesn’t mean anything about you or your intelligence, just learn it, get it done, move on
• Things I wasted my time on- an expensive tutor, just going through the
OG with no plan
• Things to spend the money and time on- EmpowerGMAT!
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31 Oct 2018, 18:19
So happy I used empower!
