GMAT Debrief (Indian IT Male): 610(Q48 V26) to 760(Q50 V42)

Congrats!!! Very inspiring article... Good luck with your applications

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Hi ankitkp4056,

A 760/Q50 is an outstanding Score - and with it, you can comfortably apply to any Business Schools that interest you! What Schools are you planning to apply to and when are you planning to apply?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Hello Everyone,
I took the GMAT last Monday (07 December - 2020). The journey has been a great experience, full of ups and downs but most importantly an eye-opener that has reinstated my belief that "Everything is possible if you have a plan (and hopefully a forum like gmatclub )". And if there was one person to whom I could give all the credit, it would be GMATNinja. But of course, my family was extremely supportive too throughout this phase and without their sacrifices, it wouldn't have been possible. I'd try to keep the debrief as chronological as possible to let the reader enjoy the ride as I did .
Disclaimer: This is not a guide to scoring 760 by any means. I'm only putting my experience into words. Also, you won't get any substantial information on the quant side here because I didn't prepare much for it.

Background Info (for context)

Indian - IT - Male. I guess that already sums up a lot. I was done with college in May-2020 and was supposed to join a reputed IT firm in Bangalore by July but then COVID happened. My joining was delayed to January-2021 and I was left with 7 months of "Nothing to do". Now honestly, I had never really planned to get an MBA but I did know about GMAT and that the scores are valid for 5 years so "why not". I searched around the internet and figured that I'd need 2-3 months for the prep and procrastinating as always, I planned to do it between September - December. But if you are ever in such a situation, plan your prep for 2-3 months and take the test as soon as possible.

The Basics

I know everybody has read it somewhere but I can't stress this enough -- part of any good plan is "Keeping a Record". And this applies to GMAT too. I kept records of everything - mocks, error logs (wish I had started sooner), daily study plans, etc. I kept a diary specifically for this purpose. My monthly plan looked something like this:
Week-1: MGMAT SC
Week-2: Powerscore CR
Week-3: MGMAT RC
Week-4: Some Practice and Mock

The idea is to not get lost in making a detailed mess but still be able to have a clear outline for your prep. Also, jotting down your plan (however trivial it may be) definitely helps in keeping yourself motivated. I also used to keep a daily plan. My daily plan looked something like this:
Planning Execution
1000-1300: MGMAT SC (ch-3,4) 1030-1300: MGMAT SC (ch-3)
1500-1700: Powerscore CR (ch-5) 1600-1800: MGMAT SC (ch-4)

I did not start practicing problems before finishing up these 3 books (MGMAT SC, Powerscore CR, MGMAT RC). My daily plan, later on, started looking something like this:
Planning Execution
1000-1200: OG SC (10 Ques) + OG CR (10 Ques) 1100-1200: OG SC (10 Ques)
1500-1700: OG RC (4 passages) 1500-1700: OG RC (4 passages)

Again, you do what suits you best but keep a record. I also kept an error log (more on that below).

The Journey

13-09-20 eGMAT Mock - free (610: Q48 V26)
I gave this one without studying ANYTHING. I wasn't even aware of the diagnostic test in OG so this was me right out of college but boy, was I devastated! I was expecting Q50s (naive me ) and V30s. Anyway, so from the perspective of an Indian male engineer, GMAT Quant was easy for me, but it was the first time in my life that I saw DS questions and they shook me off a bit. Having prepared for the JEE exam (Indian admission exam for IITs) earlier, I only needed to refresh my number system skills since that's something I hadn't touched since childhood.
Coming to verbal, it was tougher than expected, partly because it was all new (I had never taken any test, other than school exams, for English) and partly because I hadn't read one book in the last 5 years. I had basic grammar skills but nothing near the GMAT SC requirements. The shock of getting a V26 made me realize I had clearly overestimated my verbal skills. I set out to search the internet for a comprehensive plan and stumbled upon some amazing gmatclub posts about study plans by bb and GMATNinja:
Definitive GMAT Study Plan: https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-study-plan-217827.html
GMAT SC Beginner's Guide: https://gmatclub.com/forum/ultimate-sc-guide-for-beginners-gmat-ninja-244623.html
GMAT CR Beginner's Guide: https://gmatclub.com/forum/experts-topic-of-the-week-6-19-17-ultimate-cr-guide-for-beginners-243170.html
GMAT RC Beginner's Guide: https://gmatclub.com/forum/experts-topic-of-the-week-5-22-17-ultimate-rc-guide-for-beginners-241004.html

I narrowed down to 3 books: MGMAT SC, Powerscore CR, MGMAT RC. It took me approximately a month to finish up the 3 books (I like to make really detailed notes, so detailed that I wouldn't need to open the books ever again. If you can read and retain things easily, you can finish the books in 15 days easily). MGMAT SC was the main thing for me. Had to spend a lot of time on it. It's really a very comprehensive book. Although, I would admit that it can be overwhelming too. There were a lot of subtleties that I couldn't grasp in the first go but made a lot of sense after a month of practice.
After getting done with the books, I practiced some questions on gmatclub and I loved the timer functionality but I wanted to practice questions in a test-like bunch so I searched for question banks and found the SC_oldy_but_goldy_Question_Bank (https://gmatclub.com/forum/sentence-correction-oldy-but-goldy-question-banks-212199.html#p1634093) by carcass. It's a great resource with the only downside that it contains some questions from GMATPrep (the official GMAT mocks). So if you have issues with that, you should directly hit the Official Guides for practice. I didn't start the OG yet because I wanted to see how much had I improved based on just the 3 books and some practice. I didn't finish this Question Bank, just did some SC practice to apply what I had learned till now to gain some confidence. For RC and CR practice, I used the LSAT resources. Again, just practiced for a few days to apply my knowledge and gain confidence.

01-11-20 MGMAT Mock - free (620: Q41 V34)
So I took the MGMAT free mock and scored 620 (Q41 V34). My overall score didn't change much but I was happy with the verbal score. I wasn't worried about the Quant anyway because I hadn't started the Quant prep yet so no improvement was expected. Also, online reviews by others told me that MGMAT maths is way more tough than required and that's true. By this time, I had acquired the required foundational knowledge and as most of the GMAT takers would agree, you do not need more than one book per section. Once you are done with the theory books (the 3 mentioned above are more than sufficient). I knew now I had to focus more on applying that knowledge.

So, I hit the OG and started practicing by making my own test bunch (15 SC + 15 CR + 4 RC passages) of around 90min. I also started maintaining an error log. There are plenty of posts on error log and all of them will tell you one thing: "Wish I had started it sooner". And yes, I wish I had started it sooner. Do not go in practice mode without an error log. I was done with the OG in about two weeks (completed verbal 100% and Quant 50%) and took the Veritas Free Mock Test. I was really expecting a stellar verbal score this time because, on the OG, I was getting great accuracy(greater than 90% in CR and RC and 85% in SC).

19-11-20 Veritas Mock 1 - free (700: Q50 V36)
I did like the score (700s is obviously a cool place to be) but I was also disheartened. I had already spent a month on theory books and then a month practicing questions from the OG. So, at this point, I was really clueless as to what more do I need to do to get that stellar verbal score. It's worthwhile to note that I had made it a habit to analyze each mock on the same day that I attempted it and based on my analysis for the last 3 mocks, it was clear to me that I needed to do something about my SC. My error log also attested to this fact. I was taking around 2min/question in SC and this left me with little time for CR and RC. And even though I wasn't giving a stellar performance in RC and CR, it was clear to me that I can't rush up with my reading speed (that never works btw!), and the only way to increase my performance was to do SC faster while maintaining the accuracy.

Once again the gmatclub forum came to my rescue. I scanned through every post GMATNinja has ever written for SC and added it to notes-collection. I also realized that most of the high scorers were keeping their SC timing well within 1min/ques (with 1.5min for the 700+ level questions). I had already exhausted the OG so I hit the Verbal Review this time. I tried to balance my accuracy and pace:
SC: 15Questions - 20 min
CR: 15 Questions - 22-25 min
RC: 4 passages - 2min/Question

To my surprise, my SC performance did not fall much. In fact, I realized that earlier I was wasting time by over-analyzing even the 500-600 level questions on SC.
Took the official GMATPrep Test-1 on 25-11-20 and scored a 750 (Q50 V41). This was the point where I was finally relieved. Now, I just needed to maintain this performance. My actual GMAT was scheduled for 07-11-20. So, till then, I decided to not start anything new and planned to finish all my remaining GMATPrep tests with some revision in between.

Here's what my test trajectory looked like throughout my preparation:
13-09-20 eGMAT test-1 (free) 610 (V26 Q48)
01-11-20 MGMAT test-1 (free) 620 (V34 Q41)
19-11-20 Veritas Prep test-1 (free) 700 (V36 Q50)
25-11-20 GMATPrep test-1 (free) 750 (V41 Q50)
27-11-20 Veritas Prep test-2 (free) 720 (V38 Q51) [Harder then GMATPrep]
29-11-20 GMATPrep test-2 (free) 710 (V34 Q50) [Tried to save too much time for the end but ended up screwing my accuracy in first 10 (got 5 wrong)]
03-12-20 GMATPrep test-3 760 (V41 Q51)
04-12-20 GMATPrep test-4 770 (V46 Q51)
06-12-20 GMATPrep test-5 750 (V41 Q50)
07-12-20 Actual GMAT 760 (V42 Q50)

Test Day

My test was scheduled for 7-Dec. I didn't study anything new in the preceding week, only revised some verbal SC from my notes and gave GMATPrep mocks on alternate days. I did fall sick for 3 days but recovered in time. On the test day, I was a bit nervous like anybody should be. The appointment was scheduled for 11:30 am. I reached the Pearson Vue center (Noida 16A, India) around 09:45. The guy at the reception told me that the process would begin at 11:00 am. I waited outside on the couch and was called in exactly at 11:00 am. Got my locker keys and put my stuff inside. Only the passport and locker key was allowed inside the testing area. I got two marker pens and one 8-page laminated booklet. The booklet size was close to A3 paper size. The markers were thicker than normal pens but not so thick that it would create any problem in writing down your RC summary or the Quant equations. The 8-page booklet is enough for any individual section(Verbal, Quant or IR+AWA). I took both the breaks and in every break I asked the guy in-charge to replace the booklet. You can ask for a new booklet any time but doing so in between the test might affect your flow. My sequence was Quant - Verbal - IR+AWA. I was shocked to see how the level of Quant questions was much better than the GMATPrep test. And I knew answers to all those questions but I hadn't practiced my tests in this manner. I was accustomed to doing easy questions fast. Anyway, I tried not to lose my calm. But I knew I had screwed it up. All through my first break, I had to try really hard to get the Quant shock out of my mind. Also, make sure you do not spend more than 4 minutes roaming outside. I spent around 5 minutes outside and when I came back, I had to wait for 2 other people on the palm scanning machine. I was late for my verbal section by 7 seconds (even though I was out for only 5 minutes). Next was the verbal section. Fortunately, Quant did not haunt me too much but I did spend some extra time on the first 15 questions, naturally followed by rushing, in the end, to make up for it. Took the break again, a short one this time. Went back to IR+AWA. Nothing unusual there. 760 flashed on my screen (Q50 V42 IR8). Took the unofficial score report and booked a cab home. Ordered some pizza.

When I look back, I do feel that 780 was possible(on an ideal test day) and who knows I might give it another shot someday, but for now, I am content and would be focusing on building a decent profile.

tldr;

SC
Studied from MGMAT SC (free pdf).
Practiced from OG-2018 and Verbal Review-2018 (free pdf).
Frequently looked for gmatclub expert solutions to OG Questions.

CR
Studied from Powerscore CR (free pdf).
Practiced from OG-2018 and Verbal Review-2018 (free pdf).
Frequently looked for gmatclub expert solutions to OG Questions.

RC
Studied from MGMAT RC (free pdf).
Practiced from OG-2018 and Verbal Review-2018 (free pdf).

Quant
No Study
Practiced from OG-2018 and from the mocks that I gave.

IR
No Study
Practiced through mocks alone.

AWA
Bryan Tong Youtube Video (He has done a live AWA walkthrough) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDAjWSlzbKc)
AWA template by CrackVerbal (https://gmatclub.com/forum/awa-compilations-109-analysis-of-argument-essays-86274.html#p2356202)
AWA template by chineseburned is great too but I found it too comprehensive. Also, I did my AWA prep in the last 2 days so needed something simpler.

Things to Note

1) However great you are at quant, be sure to spend some time practicing it on platforms other than GMATPrep. Quant in GMATPrep tests is way easier than what is expected in actual GMAT. I was scoring Q50-51 with 15-20 mins to spare on GMATPrep practice tests but on the actual GMAT, the questions were a lot tougher. I could have done all of them if I had more time but I was running till the last minute. Even if you are a math prodigy, just take some GMATClub Quant tests and try to score Q50-51 a few times.
2) Choose an error log that also records the time for each question. This way you can work on your pacing too. I'd recommend the "error log by spoilt" (https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-error-log-86232.html#p646420).
3) The optional break says 8 minutes but do not spend more than 4 minutes roaming around.
4) I got the GMATPrep test 3,4,5,6 for $43. Register for a trial account on magoosh. Go to the resources section.
5) Ping me in case you face difficulty finding any of the resources mentioned above or if you need any help.
6) Enjoy the Ride!

[Update] [11-Dec] Got my official score report today. [Q50 V42 IR8 AWA6]

Hi ankitkp4056,

Focusing on your GMAT now - far in advance of when you will actually "need" it - was a really smart choice. In that same way, you can start to 'map out' the type of career plans you might want to follow to put together the strong OVERALL application that Top Schools tend to look for. While you might not know exactly what direction you want your career to go in just yet (or the specific type of MBA that you'll apply for in the future), you might want to take some time to think about it - then reach out to the Admissions Experts on GMAT Club. They should be able to offer some suggestions as to how you might best build-up your profile in the coming few years so that it is properly 'complete' and satisfies what Admissions Committees at the Top Schools are looking for.

There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Hi ankitkp4056,

Congratulations on scoring a 760 in the first attempt. Can you share the pdfs of Powerscore and manhattan SC (Free pdfs) that you mention in the blog.You mention that you got the GMAT prep 3-6 in 43 $ after registering with magoosh trail account ??


All the best for your applications.

Regards,
Aakash

Hey Ankit!

Many congratulations on getting a stellar score. Thanks for sharing your journey.

What advice would you like to give to someone who wishes to score a Q51?

Wishing you all the very best for your admissions.

Thanks CAMANISHPARMAR, I would answer it from the Indian perspective.
In general, Q50s are easy for Indian demography. No extra study required except for some topics that have never been touched again since school days. No need to go for too much practice but some practice of adaptive quant tests from some good source is a must. GMATPrep official tests have easier quant than what you can expect on your actual GMAT exam so I'd recommend GMATClub Quant tests. A consistent performance of Q50 on GMATClub would be a good indication for Q51 on the actual GMAT.

Tier-1,2 Engineer College: Q51 is easy. Refresh Number System. Hit the GMATClub Quant tests and try to get Q50 consistently a few times.
Others: Q51 is achievable for you too but a little extra effort might be required. You may have to brush up on some concepts (Fractions Decimals Percentages, Time-Work, etc.). Do not memorize any formulae. GMAT Quant will NEVER test you on that. Practice from OG and focus more on the DS questions. Hit GMATClub Quant tests and try to get Q50 consistently a few times.

Disclaimer: It is still possible to miss a Q51 even when you are fully prepared and have been scoring Q51 consistently. A lot of it is also dependent on your luck and the mental state that you are in on the test day. GMAT quant is a high accuracy game. For Q51 you can miss at most 2 questions. Sometimes even 2 wrong questions can push you to Q50.

I scanned through every post GMATNinja has ever written for SC and added it to notes-collection.

That's a lot of posts. Featuring some very crazed ramblings.

Congratulations again, and best of luck with your applications. Let us know where you land!

ankitkp4056

Thanks very much for sharing your experience and congratulations for achieving an amazing score. When i was reading your debrief i was about to ask about your suggestions to achieve Q50 and then i found out that you have already answered it while scrolling down the page

All the very best