Hi Everybody!
I took the GMAT recently and secured a 720 with Q49 V40.
I wanted to take a few moments to share my journey with you all. I hope my experience can add value to your GMAT prep and help you make better decisions.
It all started from my quest for growth in my career. I have around 8 years of experience in the metro rail signalling domain and I was contemplating transforming my career path as, a project manager, a program manager or a techno-manager. I wished to upskill myself to achieve excellence in these roles. Upskilling for professional growth was almost non-negotiable for me.
However, my awareness of what courses or certifications could help me was limited. I didn’t know much about the 1-year full-time executive programs by the IIMs and my first challenge was to wrap my head around questions like - if it was the right fit; if it was worth it; and if it could even help me with my long-term goals.
So, I spent a lot of time researching this. Once convinced that this program was the right fit for my objectives, the next challenge was GMAT, to initiate my admission process.
To prepare for the GMAT, I found an overwhelming number of free resources on the internet and I could sense that not everything available for free was reliable and relevant. I had to reduce the effect of this outpouring information load and hence I started looking out for test prep companies with a high trust quotient that fit my requirement. After a lot of research and consideration, I decided to go with Crackverbal.
I connected with a course advisor, Ankit in Jan 2022. Considering that I was confident in both Quant and Verbal and needed the fine-tuning of strategies, I realized that the value-add from live classes would probably not be a lot. So, I chose the self-paced program for my GMAT prep.
The GMAT preparation period was quite challenging with a demanding full-time job and a toddler to take care of! With ample family support and strict adherence to study schedules, I prepared for a good 4 months. I practiced the official questions on my learning system. There was a set of recorded videos for Quant and Verbal and the official questions were explained with video solutions for each question, as well. The dashboard served as excellent feedback to track my progress and I followed the study plan, kept a note of my errors and analyzed them thoroughly and continuously.
I took the GMAT in May 2022 and secured a 680 (Q48 V35). It was a decent score and I had a word with Ankit and Shreekala about the chances of admission to the top IIMs. Though the score seemed good for my career profile, I still wanted to give the GMAT another shot. I just wanted to close the GMAT cycle this year and knew deep down that this year had to be the one!
My colleges were clear to me- IIM- A, IIM-B or ISB. So, keeping that belief and faith in mind, I planned my second attempt in June 2022.
I rebooted and fine-tuned all the gaps that needed any fixes. I assessed myself with official mocks and scored between 720-730 consistently. However, on the day of the test, I found my nerves going against me and felt quite shaky.
Composure and calmness are your true ammo on the GMAT and since that was not in place, I again ended up with a 680 (Q47 V36)!
I retained the score since I had improved my IR performance.
After this attempt, I spoke to the Crackverbal team again knowing that I was capable of breaching the 700-mark. I had done that in the official mock. Why am I unable to replicate it on the real test? I kept on asking these questions to me and after rethinking it, I knew that the only way to convince myself and secure a better score was to retake the test without a big gap.
So, I prepared myself for it again. I decided to not discuss this with family or friends and only my husband was aware of my third attempt. My very own secret mission! This actually helped me to ease my nerves and create composure around the results. I did not prepare much on accuracy but focused more on speed as this was my major issue in my last two attempts. I spent almost a month working on my timing issues.
This time I went into the test with a very cool mind and knew that no hopes were pinned on me. I concentrated more on my speed instead of doubting my accuracy. I decided on my answers quickly and chose not to waste time rechecking. My attempt was strategic with a very calm mindset this time.
When I finished the test, I let out a sigh of relief after I saw a 720 with a Q49 V40 on my screen! Phewww!!
My belief in myself and perseverance had finally borne sweet fruit.
However, I know this is just the beginning and there is a lot more I want to accomplish moving ahead.