Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Apr 1612:00 PM EDT
-11:59 PM EDT
You’re first to know: Save $200 on GMAT prep starting tomorrow, 4/13. Get 6 official practice tests and study with real questions. Be ready to save!
Apr 2610:00 AM EDT
-11:00 AM EDT
The Target Test Prep course represents a quantum leap forward in GMAT preparation, a radical reinterpretation of the way that students should study. Try before you buy with a 5-day, full-access trial of the course for FREE!
Apr 2711:00 AM EDT
-12:00 PM EDT
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors
Apr 2808:00 AM PDT
-11:00 AM PDT
Whether you are just beginning your MBA journey or fine-tuning your path to a 700+ score, GMAT Day is designed to give you a competitive edge.
20 Nov 2024, 01:06
Kudos
Bookmarks
Today I'm excited to share my GMAT journey that led to a 120-point improvement. Here's a quick overview of my timeline:
With my job at the State Bank of India working 10+ hour days, managing prep was challenging.
My first GMAT attempt was quite humbling. Walking into the test center in February’24, I was largely unprepared and unclear about what the exam demanded. The resulting 565 was a wake-up call – I knew I needed to do something different to reach my target score and compete for top business schools.
So, what changed?
After researching various preparation methods, I enrolled in e-GMAT. What attracted me was their structured approach to preparation. With my limited study time of 30-60 minutes daily, I needed a program that could help me make the most of every study session.
The course's systematic progression from verbal to quant, and finally to data insights, aligned perfectly with my learning style. What I particularly appreciated was how each section built upon the previous one, creating a good learning experience.
Verbal (V72 → V82)
My verbal improvement from V72 to V82 required a complete transformation in how I approached GMAT questions. As an average reader, I initially relied too much on intuition and often found myself torn between answer choices.
The breakthrough came when I learned about conscious reading techniques in the Master Comprehension. One particularly helpful strategy was the pause-point method - taking strategic pauses after key sentences to ensure I truly grasped the content. This simple but effective technique helped me avoid the common trap of mindless reading.
In Critical Reasoning, my main challenge was jumping straight to the answer choices. Learning to pre-think before looking at options was a game-changer. Initially, this process felt time-consuming, but with practice, it became natural and actually saved time by helping me eliminate wrong answers confidently.
Reading Comprehension required the biggest mindset shift. I realized that GMAT passages weren't just about reading fast - they required reading between the lines. For instance, in complex passages about science or history, I learned to focus on understanding the author's perspective and argument structure rather than getting lost in technical details. This approach particularly helped with main point and inference questions, which had previously been my weakness.
The cementing process played a crucial role in my verbal improvement. Regular practice with medium and hard questions helped me internalize these strategies. More importantly, analyzing my mistakes showed that most of my errors came not from lack of knowledge, but from not applying the techniques consistently.
Quant (Q80+ → Q88)
While I started at a better place in quants as compared to verbal, I knew that if I wanted to improve it to the top score, I needed a different level of precision. Initially, I was overconfident about my mathematical abilities and thought minimal preparation would suffice. However, the practice quizzes quickly revealed that GMAT Quant wasn't just about mathematical knowledge - it was about process skills and application.
Through regular practice on Scholaranium, I discovered subtle gaps in my understanding. The variety of questions exposed me to different ways the same concept could be tested. For example, what appeared to be a straightforward rate problem often required integrated thinking with ratios or percentages. This realization led me to focus more on understanding the underlying connections between different topics.
Time management was another crucial aspect of my Quant improvement. Even though I could solve most questions correctly, I wasn't always doing it efficiently. The timed practice sessions helped me develop a better sense of when to use alternative solution methods. I learned that sometimes, testing numbers or working backward was more efficient than setting up complex equations.
The cementing process was particularly valuable here. By practicing systematically through topic-specific quizzes, I could isolate and improve specific areas. The detailed analytics helped me identify not just what questions I got wrong, but why I got them wrong. Often, it wasn't calculation errors but rather misreading constraints or rushing through the setup phase.
All this focused practice really helped me build my confidence and ability across all the sections and I was super-confident about getting a good quant score on the test:
Data Insights (D80)
The Data Insights section initially seemed daunting, but as I progressed through the course, I realized that it needed a mix of verbal and quant skills.
MSR questions initially posed the biggest challenge. I developed a strategy of quick preliminary scanning of all sources before diving into questions. This approach helped me understand information connections and answer questions more efficiently. This approach helped me improve my hard accuracy in MSR to 70%:
What I found most valuable about DI preparation was how it enhanced my overall GMAT performance. The verbal-style DI questions improved my logical reasoning, while quantitative questions sharpened my calculation speed. Through practice, I learned to quickly identify relevant data points and relationships in tables and graphs, rather than getting overwhelmed by information.
More importantly, the cross-functional nature of DI helped reinforce concepts from both Verbal and Quant sections, helping me revise and fine-tune my skills there.
Test Day experience and some key lessons:
When test day arrived, I felt prepared but naturally nervous. The pressure of needing a good score for business school admissions was significant. However, I found that breathing exercises helped manage my anxiety. Drawing confidence from my practice tests, I approached each section methodically.
Looking back, several factors were crucial to my success.
Stay focused on your goal, and don't let initial setbacks discourage you.
Best of luck with your GMAT preparation!
Regards,
Amit
- Initial score: 565 (February 2024)
- Preparation time: 6 months
- Final score: 685 (V82, Q88, D88)
With my job at the State Bank of India working 10+ hour days, managing prep was challenging.
My first GMAT attempt was quite humbling. Walking into the test center in February’24, I was largely unprepared and unclear about what the exam demanded. The resulting 565 was a wake-up call – I knew I needed to do something different to reach my target score and compete for top business schools.
So, what changed?
After researching various preparation methods, I enrolled in e-GMAT. What attracted me was their structured approach to preparation. With my limited study time of 30-60 minutes daily, I needed a program that could help me make the most of every study session.
The course's systematic progression from verbal to quant, and finally to data insights, aligned perfectly with my learning style. What I particularly appreciated was how each section built upon the previous one, creating a good learning experience.
Verbal (V72 → V82)
My verbal improvement from V72 to V82 required a complete transformation in how I approached GMAT questions. As an average reader, I initially relied too much on intuition and often found myself torn between answer choices.
The breakthrough came when I learned about conscious reading techniques in the Master Comprehension. One particularly helpful strategy was the pause-point method - taking strategic pauses after key sentences to ensure I truly grasped the content. This simple but effective technique helped me avoid the common trap of mindless reading.
In Critical Reasoning, my main challenge was jumping straight to the answer choices. Learning to pre-think before looking at options was a game-changer. Initially, this process felt time-consuming, but with practice, it became natural and actually saved time by helping me eliminate wrong answers confidently.
Reading Comprehension required the biggest mindset shift. I realized that GMAT passages weren't just about reading fast - they required reading between the lines. For instance, in complex passages about science or history, I learned to focus on understanding the author's perspective and argument structure rather than getting lost in technical details. This approach particularly helped with main point and inference questions, which had previously been my weakness.
The cementing process played a crucial role in my verbal improvement. Regular practice with medium and hard questions helped me internalize these strategies. More importantly, analyzing my mistakes showed that most of my errors came not from lack of knowledge, but from not applying the techniques consistently.
Quant (Q80+ → Q88)
While I started at a better place in quants as compared to verbal, I knew that if I wanted to improve it to the top score, I needed a different level of precision. Initially, I was overconfident about my mathematical abilities and thought minimal preparation would suffice. However, the practice quizzes quickly revealed that GMAT Quant wasn't just about mathematical knowledge - it was about process skills and application.
Through regular practice on Scholaranium, I discovered subtle gaps in my understanding. The variety of questions exposed me to different ways the same concept could be tested. For example, what appeared to be a straightforward rate problem often required integrated thinking with ratios or percentages. This realization led me to focus more on understanding the underlying connections between different topics.
Time management was another crucial aspect of my Quant improvement. Even though I could solve most questions correctly, I wasn't always doing it efficiently. The timed practice sessions helped me develop a better sense of when to use alternative solution methods. I learned that sometimes, testing numbers or working backward was more efficient than setting up complex equations.
The cementing process was particularly valuable here. By practicing systematically through topic-specific quizzes, I could isolate and improve specific areas. The detailed analytics helped me identify not just what questions I got wrong, but why I got them wrong. Often, it wasn't calculation errors but rather misreading constraints or rushing through the setup phase.
All this focused practice really helped me build my confidence and ability across all the sections and I was super-confident about getting a good quant score on the test:
Data Insights (D80)
The Data Insights section initially seemed daunting, but as I progressed through the course, I realized that it needed a mix of verbal and quant skills.
MSR questions initially posed the biggest challenge. I developed a strategy of quick preliminary scanning of all sources before diving into questions. This approach helped me understand information connections and answer questions more efficiently. This approach helped me improve my hard accuracy in MSR to 70%:
What I found most valuable about DI preparation was how it enhanced my overall GMAT performance. The verbal-style DI questions improved my logical reasoning, while quantitative questions sharpened my calculation speed. Through practice, I learned to quickly identify relevant data points and relationships in tables and graphs, rather than getting overwhelmed by information.
More importantly, the cross-functional nature of DI helped reinforce concepts from both Verbal and Quant sections, helping me revise and fine-tune my skills there.
Test Day experience and some key lessons:
When test day arrived, I felt prepared but naturally nervous. The pressure of needing a good score for business school admissions was significant. However, I found that breathing exercises helped manage my anxiety. Drawing confidence from my practice tests, I approached each section methodically.
Looking back, several factors were crucial to my success.
- Consistency in preparation mattered more than long study sessions. Even with just 30-60 minutes daily, I made steady progress by maintaining focus and following a structured plan.
- The cementing process played a vital role. It wasn't just about learning concepts but ensuring they stuck. Regular practice with varying question types helped build both confidence and competence.
- Managing test anxiety was crucial. The breathing techniques and confidence built through practice made a significant difference on test day.
Stay focused on your goal, and don't let initial setbacks discourage you.
Best of luck with your GMAT preparation!
Regards,
Amit
RishS94
Joined: 05 Jan 2020
Last visit: 27 Feb 2025
Posts: 266
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 118
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Sustainability
Schools: ISB '25 (D)
GMAT 1: 690 Q49 V35
GPA: 3.5
Products:
20 Nov 2024, 05:47
Kudos
Bookmarks
Kudos!! Inspiring journey. Did sigma-x predict accurate score?
20 Nov 2024, 09:31
Kudos
Bookmarks
Quote:
All the best going forward. Consider writing a profile-review.
