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06 Jun 2024, 23:27
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Hi everyone!
In March 2024 I took the GMAT focus and wanted to share my debrief of the test so hopefully someone can get helpful tidbits from it. I originally took the GMAT Classic in 2021 and got a 730 after mocking between 740-770 so was somewhat disappointed in the score but not enough to immediately retake it as I was not going to be applying to business school for at least another couple years. I got a 49/40 quant/verbal on this GMAT classic and overall found the verbal to be more challenging. I found there were a few passages about historical figures where I felt like I was reading them but just not grasping them well. Additionally i remember sentence correction feeling like a crapshoot at times.
Fast forward 2 years in 2023 and I hear the GMAT Focus is coming out and have the decision to wait for the GMAT FE or try to squeeze in the classic. I made the decision to wait for the FE for the following reasons:
1) the sentence correction was being removed from the GMAT with the FE.
2) the test became shorter allowing me to maintain focus better.
3) I was ok with the addition of the Data Insights section as I come from an engineering background.
So late 2023 I decided to start studying and went with Target Test Prep (TTP) as I wanted this to be final attempt and read many posts like this saying if you do the full TTP curriculum you are essentially guaranteed a top score because it is so thorough. I started doing following the lessons for 1-2 months and realized two things:
1) those posts were absolutely right.
2) this strategy of completing all the lessons (missions) wasn't going to work for me in my 5-10 hrs/wk of studying and hopes to take the GMAT FE in early 2023. There was just too much content on TTP for my self-imposed timeline.
After this realization, I pivoted my approach to using the thorough TTP lessons to fill in my gaps since I was starting from a fairly strong GMAT classic score. I found my gaps by looking over the TTP lessons topics and completing topics that were unfamiliar (especially quant and DI), taking the free official practice prep to see where I needed help, and taking the first mba dot com free official practice test. I then purchased the official practice tests 3 and 4 (on mba dot com, not TTP) and filled in my gaps while saving official practice tests 2, 3, and 4 for the last two weeks of my studying. I also used the custom practice tests you can make on TTP to practice learning how to take no longer than 2 minutes on a question and making an educated guess after that self-imposed limit.
For each practice test, I went back through and made sure I learned how to do everyone question I got wrong or guessed on. I even re-visited tests days later to see the question again and figure out if I remembered the keys to solving it. In total I got practice test scores of 645, 675, 675, and 685. I was feeling ok with these scores, but these were still fairly equivalent to my GMAT classic score. I decided to move forward with my planned test date anyway however.
The morning of the test I quickly reviewed the quant sections of practice test 4 and made sure I knew after reading each problem how I would solve it (note I didn't actually solve most of the problems). Then I cleared my head with a walk a couple hours before the test and went into the test in-person.
During the test I went in the order of Quant > Verbal > break > Data Insights as this is what I had practiced on the official practice tests. I found the quant section to feel easier than any practice test or TTP hard questions custom quizzes and even had 5+ minutes at the end to go back and check a couple questions I had guessed on. Verbal and Data Insights sections were as similar to the practice tests and felt I did well on them. But the score at the end of 735 caused my jaw to drop as it was quite a bit higher than practice test 4 I had taken just a few days prior. My break down was 86/86/87 quant/verbal/DI and I was elated. I had similar scored on different practice tests but had never put them together all in one test.
My tips for others woud be:
1) make practice tests in as realistic of a situation as possible (i.e. same break schedule, same test order, same time of day).
2) find the studying plan that works for you early on and follow through. For me this was using TTP to fill in my gaps as an expedited form of studying.
hope this debrief helps someone and best of luck!
In March 2024 I took the GMAT focus and wanted to share my debrief of the test so hopefully someone can get helpful tidbits from it. I originally took the GMAT Classic in 2021 and got a 730 after mocking between 740-770 so was somewhat disappointed in the score but not enough to immediately retake it as I was not going to be applying to business school for at least another couple years. I got a 49/40 quant/verbal on this GMAT classic and overall found the verbal to be more challenging. I found there were a few passages about historical figures where I felt like I was reading them but just not grasping them well. Additionally i remember sentence correction feeling like a crapshoot at times.
Fast forward 2 years in 2023 and I hear the GMAT Focus is coming out and have the decision to wait for the GMAT FE or try to squeeze in the classic. I made the decision to wait for the FE for the following reasons:
1) the sentence correction was being removed from the GMAT with the FE.
2) the test became shorter allowing me to maintain focus better.
3) I was ok with the addition of the Data Insights section as I come from an engineering background.
So late 2023 I decided to start studying and went with Target Test Prep (TTP) as I wanted this to be final attempt and read many posts like this saying if you do the full TTP curriculum you are essentially guaranteed a top score because it is so thorough. I started doing following the lessons for 1-2 months and realized two things:
1) those posts were absolutely right.
2) this strategy of completing all the lessons (missions) wasn't going to work for me in my 5-10 hrs/wk of studying and hopes to take the GMAT FE in early 2023. There was just too much content on TTP for my self-imposed timeline.
After this realization, I pivoted my approach to using the thorough TTP lessons to fill in my gaps since I was starting from a fairly strong GMAT classic score. I found my gaps by looking over the TTP lessons topics and completing topics that were unfamiliar (especially quant and DI), taking the free official practice prep to see where I needed help, and taking the first mba dot com free official practice test. I then purchased the official practice tests 3 and 4 (on mba dot com, not TTP) and filled in my gaps while saving official practice tests 2, 3, and 4 for the last two weeks of my studying. I also used the custom practice tests you can make on TTP to practice learning how to take no longer than 2 minutes on a question and making an educated guess after that self-imposed limit.
For each practice test, I went back through and made sure I learned how to do everyone question I got wrong or guessed on. I even re-visited tests days later to see the question again and figure out if I remembered the keys to solving it. In total I got practice test scores of 645, 675, 675, and 685. I was feeling ok with these scores, but these were still fairly equivalent to my GMAT classic score. I decided to move forward with my planned test date anyway however.
The morning of the test I quickly reviewed the quant sections of practice test 4 and made sure I knew after reading each problem how I would solve it (note I didn't actually solve most of the problems). Then I cleared my head with a walk a couple hours before the test and went into the test in-person.
During the test I went in the order of Quant > Verbal > break > Data Insights as this is what I had practiced on the official practice tests. I found the quant section to feel easier than any practice test or TTP hard questions custom quizzes and even had 5+ minutes at the end to go back and check a couple questions I had guessed on. Verbal and Data Insights sections were as similar to the practice tests and felt I did well on them. But the score at the end of 735 caused my jaw to drop as it was quite a bit higher than practice test 4 I had taken just a few days prior. My break down was 86/86/87 quant/verbal/DI and I was elated. I had similar scored on different practice tests but had never put them together all in one test.
My tips for others woud be:
1) make practice tests in as realistic of a situation as possible (i.e. same break schedule, same test order, same time of day).
2) find the studying plan that works for you early on and follow through. For me this was using TTP to fill in my gaps as an expedited form of studying.
hope this debrief helps someone and best of luck!
Archit3110
Major Poster
07 Jun 2024, 03:13
Kudos
Bookmarks
congratulations for score... all the best for applications
07 Jun 2024, 11:31
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi AspiringMBA2025,
Great job! Your score of 715 truly reflects your hard work, dedication, and intellectual abilities. Your debrief will inspire many others and showcase the transformative power of perseverance and determination.
We're thrilled to hear that you value the TTP course. Our team is passionate about providing students with a comprehensive curriculum that equips them with the tools and strategies needed for success.
Congratulations on your outstanding achievement, and may you continue to soar to new heights in the future!
Great job! Your score of 715 truly reflects your hard work, dedication, and intellectual abilities. Your debrief will inspire many others and showcase the transformative power of perseverance and determination.
We're thrilled to hear that you value the TTP course. Our team is passionate about providing students with a comprehensive curriculum that equips them with the tools and strategies needed for success.
Congratulations on your outstanding achievement, and may you continue to soar to new heights in the future!
