So I am going to divide this debrief into three parts: GMAT online experience, GMAT preparation, and how to stay motivated throughout your prep.
I gave the GMAT on 17th October and experienced every possible thing that could go wrong.
I scored a 580. [Q39 V31]
GMAT Online experience :
So initially I had booked my GMAT on 15th October. The checking in process was smooth and everything was perfect. I waited for the proctor for 40 minutes and suddenly a pop up came” we can’t launch your exam, click here to reschedule or get help.” I was devastated. It took me around 1 hour to get in touch with the agent on their website and he asked me to relaunch the exam. And guess what similar pop up came after waiting for 30 mins but this time stating that “we can’t launch your exam and we will reschedule it for free”. I didn’t know what to do and there was no window where I could get in touch with the proctor. So I just waited and waited which made me impatient.
I waited for the agent which took around 50 minutes to connect. He said that there was some problem with the application and they would reschedule free of cost. Luckily there was one spot available on 17th Oct and I booked it. My mental energy was consumed in this process which went on for more than 3 hours.
I was anxious if the same thing would happen on the 17th. I ran system tests and speed tests a couple of times and it worked out okay. On 16th I just revised a couple of formulas and went through my
error log. On the 17th my check-in process was smooth and waited for around 20 mins for the exam to start. My exam started and my proctor got in touch and verified everything. Quants section was smooth, with no new surprises. When I reached the verbal section my exam suddenly stopped. I didn’t know what to do.
[Tip: Don’t even think of leaving your place you are still being recorded as I could see the white light next to my webcam which meant the camera is still running] After 20 mins I closed the exam browser and got in touch with the agent. He asked me to wait for some time saying that it will resume automatically. After 40 mins or so my exam started but I had lost my focus which is kind of important in the verbal section. Luckily, I didn’t lose any time but I couldn’t concentrate anymore. I tried to stay calm but I thought I was just guessing the answers and marking them on my intuition. Everything went normally after that.
I have mailed GMAC with the issues I faced and I am still awaiting their response. My advice is that go for the test center as anything can go wrong in GMAT online. It doesn’t matter how many system tests you have done, ANYTHING COULD GO WRONG on the test day.
Preparation :I gave around 5 hours a day. I maintained a study log which included no hours I put in every day and an
error log. Books I used:
OG 2020, Verbal Review 2020, and Quants Review 2020
Manhattan Prep [all guides] SC guide is priceless and Quant guides have a lot of tricks and shortcuts which will increase your speed and understanding of the concepts.
GMATNinja – Charles, you have helped a lot Verbal. I would recommend everyone go through his videos on the GMAT club youtube page and for the love of god please read his posts.
Bunuel – I never would have thought of the 10-second approaches if it were not for you. Thanks for helping everyone so much. You are a true giver to the community.[/quote]
A couple of youtube playlists I would recommend everyone to revise their concepts:
1)
Manhattan prep free hours
2)GMAT wizz youtube channel has really good videos on the algorithm and how to attempt the exam.
3)GMAT Ninja [you can’t afford to miss this]
4)Prep scholar GMAT for quick revision.
I first gained a basic understanding of all the concepts and built my foundation. I went through all
Manhattan prep guides in 15 days and made a note of important tricks and formulas. I went on to the
OG after that. I timed each question I did by using the stopwatch on my phone. And the most important thing you will learn is that you won’t feel that much after a while once you are used to the clock ticking. Maintain an
error log religiously which is going to help you a lot in the last leg of your prep.
Verbal :
CR was my strong area, I don’t know any particular reason but you just have to break the argument properly in premises and conclusion and you will be sorted. I didn’t use any book for CR other than the
OG but I have heard really good reviews about Powerscore CR bible. I also did a bunch of LSAT CRs which were pretty lengthy compared to the GMAT CR but definitely can be used to build stamina.
SC is something I enjoyed at the start but once I started doing difficult questions, the small technicalities and rules will mess you up. I used the
Manhattan Prep SC guide which is the best SC guide. Make notes and regularly revise them.
RC was my weakest area, there is no magic strategy that will work for you. You have to improve your reading skills. I never read newspapers, magazines, articles, or even books. But over the course of 5 months of prep, I used to read 3-5 articles a day from Guardian, The New Yorker, and other great sources and lastly I read 15 books one of which was on genes and how humans have evolved. This is the most difficult area to improve but you gotta keep at it. Consistency is the key.
Quants:
I didn’t face any issues in Quants because I had all the basics fresh as I am still doing my undergraduate degree and I have been decent in maths since childhood. DS was my strong area probably because you don’t get a proper answer and my lazy side was great at this game. I rarely faced any issues in this question type. Although in PS, one needs to keep in mind to find out the best approach to solve a question. Analyzing each option and checking for, shortcuts, back-solving and other ways to solve the problem will help you avoid traps. I joined GMAT busters group on https://gmatclub.com/chat which helped me out a lot to resolve my doubts and the discussions among the students were quite helpful.
Coming to my mocks:
GMAC PAPER BASED MOCKS [9 MOCKS] - Score - 550 - 700
(These mocks are good for practice and build stamina. I used these mock while doing
OG.)
GMAT Prep Mocks - 520 and 600
Manhattan prep free mock - 580
Veritas Prep free mock - 600
GMAT Club free mock - 600
E GMAT free mock - 600
Manhattan Prep and
E GMAT mocks have really good analysis features and will surely help you out to figure out the weak areas. Please make it a point to analyze the mocks and make a note of areas where you need to work on. After every mock, I made a priority list of the topics I had to work on and I stuck to that list which made me improve my accuracy in other areas.
HOW DID I STAY MOTIVATED THROUGHOUT THE PREP:1)Make sure to take a break every week for a day or two.
2)Workout, meditate, keep a check on your diet, and maintain your sleep cycle.
3)Make a list of shows and movies you want to watch on your break days.
4)Whenever you feel low or feel like not studying, read two debriefs on the GMAT club which will help you out and give you motivation.
5)Subscribe to the GMAT club youtube page and other test prep companies such as
manhattan prep, GMAT Wizz,
e-GMAT, prep scholar GMAT, etc. By subscribing to these pages you will get a lot of recommendations of GMAT related videos. This will get the content in front of you and you will get the initial momentum to start. [This point might sound kinda dumb but this works]
6)Make a study partner or have people to keep a check on you.
7)Whenever you feel like you don’t have what it takes or you are feeling vulnerable, you should watch a tour of your dream school on youtube or B-school acceptance reactions. This will make you feel very positive and give you a lot of motivation.
How do you feel about my score you ask?
I am not at all happy and will be giving a reattempt soon. These were some circumstances I never would have imagined and I think I could have easily touched 700.
That’s all from my side. I am sorry for such a long debrief. All the best!
Kudos appreciated