First GMAT AttemptMy first GMAT attempt was after 2 months of self-study and prep. I mostly used
Manhattan Prep's Quant & DI book and the Official Guide and question bank in order to prepare and practice. I found that my verbal section was solid enough from the very first diagnostic test, so I focused on Quant and DI for the most part. My mock tests seemed to vary a lot, and I was scoring between 615-725. Regardless, I was hoping to score on the higher end of that range on my actual test date.
Unfortunately, my weaknesses and bad habits in Quant took over on the test date. I scored a 625 on the test (Q78 V84 D81), with a 50th percentile score in Quant. I knew I could definitely do better than this, but I had to focus on Quant the hardest, as I was doing alright with verbal and DI.
Second GMAT AttemptDue to application deadlines and requirements, I had to schedule my next attempt within 19 days of my first attempt. I was determined to find a course that worked best for me, and after reading a lot of reviews and trying out trial plans I decided on going with TTP (
Target Test Prep). I used their accelerated study plan and was able to customize my study plan to focus only on the areas I wanted to - Quant and DI.
I found TTP's material to be very comprehensive, and their chapter tests really allowed me to drill down on the areas I was struggling with. Additionally, their emphasis on error review and logging my errors/guesses allowed me to go back and review my most common mistake areas and fix them. TTP also encouraged strategic thinking in terms of the test, and their study plan included reading their lessons on test day strategy and preparing myself mentally in the days leading up to the exam.
While I was confident leading up to the test date, I was hoping for a modest improvement in my Quant and overall score. However, my good habits and preparation paid off when I saw my final score of 735 (Q89 V87 D84). I definitely attribute this overall jump in score to TTP and their study plan content. While I expected an improvement in my Quant score, my other sections also saw an improvement due to developing better test day habits and strategies.
I would definitely recommend TTP for anyone else like looking to improve their Quant scores significantly!