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I learned a lot from this site during my GMAT journey, and now that I’m done with the GMAT, I think it is time for me to give back to this community. In this post I want to share the lessons I learned, and the resources I used while preparing for the GMAT. This post is not for those of you that are just starting to prepare for the GMAT and are planning to take it in less than a month. Building yourself up for a good GMAT score takes time and dedication. So, if you are willing to put yourself through that struggle and build yourself up along the way, then this post is for you.
The way I’m breaking down this post is as follows:
1. First I’ll tell you a little bit about myself.
2. Second, I’ll share my list of GMAT resources.
3. Then I’ll tell you about my GMAT preparation.
4. Before ending I’ll share some overarching lessons.
5. I’ll end with my test day experience and GMAT scores
I came to the US as an international student and got my undergraduate degree in economics from a highly-ranked liberal arts college. I have been working in finance since I graduated from college and I have passed the first level of the CFA exam. English is not my first language, and that was actually one of the factors that made me decide to take the GMAT rather than the GRE. Now that I’m done with the GMAT, I plan to continue taking the CFA exams and grow my career for 2-3 more years before going to business school (I’m 24). I was initially thinking about going to business school much earlier, but my visa restrictions have changed and now I have a lot more time to dedicate to my career before going to school again.
When I first started studying for the GMAT, I had no idea of what the process would be like (you’re already avoiding this mistake by reading posts like this one). I have always had an instinct for the quantitative piece of it, but the verbal section really scared me. I remember back in the days when I was preparing for the SAT, I was able to do very well in the math section with relatively minor effort. However, I was stuck in the fixed mindset and felt hopeless about the verbal portion. So, my SAT verbal scores were average at best. Don’t fall into the fixed mindset mental trap. Know that the GMAT (and any standardized test) is very learnable, but, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, it is a journey that you must take. To that end, here is, in no specific order, a list of the resources I used while preparing for the GMAT. (For full disclosure, I have no affiliation with any of the companies or products that I mention in this post).
1. The Official Guide (2016 edition)
2. Google Spreadsheets (for keeping an error log) - free
3. Evernote (for taking learning notes) – free version
4. Magoosh GMAT prep
5. Magoosh GMAT blog – free
6. Magoosh IR eBook - free
7. Manhattan Quant Guides
8. Manhattan Sentence Correction book
9. The Critical Reasoning Bible
10. GMAT Club/Bunuel’s – Seven Samurai - free
11. Manhattan’s 6 practice exams – you only have to get one of the guides to get access to these exams
12. GMAT Prep’s 2 practice exams – 2 for free
13. GMAT Club’s AWA template
I understand that getting these resources is an investment of $300+ (depending on when you read this post), but that is pennies compared to the real cost that you have to be willing to pay when preparing for the GMAT – your time. If I had to absolutely prioritize in order to spend the least amount of money, I would still buy the Critical Reasoning Bible, Manhattan’s SC book (which would give you access to Manhattan’s 6 practice exams), and the Official Guide. I would also download Bunuel’s Quant Guide (it is free, and it’s available here in GMAT Club) as a replacement for Manhattan’s Quant guides. Although I think Bunuel’s Quant Guide is more comprehensive than Manhattan’s Quant Guides, I think Manhattan’s Quant Guides are easier to follow and do a better job at explaining the material.
As I mentioned above, at first I had no idea of how to study for the GMAT, but I did learn early on two things from reading different posts: (1) you have to keep an error log, and (2) you have to hold yourself to a high standard of study. Keeping an error log will help you maintain a high standard of study, but things don’t end there. As stated in a Magoosh blog post by Mike McGarry, if your standard is to never make the same mistake twice, you will improve with unparalleled speed. This idea is echoed by chess and tai chi master, Josh Waitzkin in his book “The Art of Learning”. You have to focus your time not only on doing practice questions every day, but also on reviewing the questions until you understand them deeply. Just reading the answer to a question does not suffice. You have to be able to explain the correct answer, and, if possible, see at least two ways of tackling the same question. A big part of doing well on the GMAT is not just knowing the right answer, but rather knowing the most efficient way to tackle each question.
I used google spreadsheets to maintain my error log. I had one tab to keep track of my GMAT practice test scores and a tab for each of the GMAT sections: PS, DS, SC, RC, and CR. In each tab, I typed a list of all the solutions (just the letter solution) to each of the Official Guide practice questions. These are provided at the end of each chapter. Typing these took me less than ten minutes per section, and doing this really paid off. I hid each list in order to prevent myself from accidentally looking at the solutions and then I added a column where I would type in my own answers as I practiced. Using a simple “IF” function, I was able to check whether my own answer was correct. I also had a column where I would type the lessons I learned from each question after my thorough review and another column to record the date that I did each question. Compared to some of the other error logs I’ve seen here in GMAT club, this is definitely on the simpler side. But that’s really all you need. Some experts claim that you should also use a timer and keep track of how long it took you to answer each question. I tend to disagree with that because although you do have to spend, for example, 2 minutes per quant question, that is just an average. You don’t need to answer every quant question in two minutes or less, but you must be able to answer 10 quant questions in 20 minutes or less. For that purpose, I timed myself during my study sessions just using my phone’s stop watch (put your phone in airplane mode while you study to avoid distractions).
In order to keep myself organized, I initially followed Magoosh’s 3-month study plan, which requires the OG. I also left about 2 months at the end to focus just on Manhattan’s guides, the CR bible and practice tests. Following Manhattan’s guides required me to go over the OG again. So, there you go, I already had an OG error log built and ready. I kept my notes from Magoosh’s videos and Manhattan’s guides in Evernote, which was very helpful because I could review my notes from anywhere. I think that this is a solid game plan that anyone could replicate given enough time to prepare.
If I had to do this again, I would start with just the CR bible. The CR bible will demystify and prepare you not only for the CR section, but also for the RC section. I did take a look at Manhattan’s CR book, but it contained information that was not useful. Manhattan suggests that you take notes in the CR section. Don’t do that. There is not that much information in the CR prompts to take notes of and there is no time to waste learning how to take succinct notes. You should focus on understanding the structure of the prompt (premise, counter-premise, conclusion, etc.) and the type of question that you are being asked (assumption, strengthen, etc.). When in doubt, spend more time trying to understand the prompt. Remember to (almost) always tackle the conclusion. Always pre-phrase the answer in your head before looking the answer choices.
The RC section is just an extended version of the CR section. You still have to focus on understanding the structure of the passage while not getting bogged down in the details. You still have to understand what the question is asking about (sometimes this is phrased in very odd ways). Always read the whole passage and understand the logical progression of the ideas presented. Do not despair if you find yourself spending 4 or even 5 minutes just reading and understanding the passage. If you have a clear understanding of the structure of the passage before you even look at the questions, you should be able to answer each RC question in less than thirty seconds. If you get a question that refers to a specific detail in the passage, re-read that portion of the passage (you should have a clear idea of where to find that) before answering the question.
The reason why I suggest that you start with the CR section is because both the CR and RC sections take time to master, but the concepts you learn are not easy to forget and will be helpful in your everyday life. So, if you then move onto the rest of the GMAT sections, you’re not suddenly going to forget everything you learned about CR and RC.
For sentence correction, Manhattan’s SC guide is just wonderful. However, there is a lot of information to digest, so try to give yourself enough time to go over it at least a couple of times. I also found that Magoosh’s SC explanation videos were very helpful, because you can hear and understand why each answer choice is right or wrong.
Manhattan’s quant guides are just the best to study for the quant section. There is not much more to say about this. Manhattan’s practice tests are very hard in the quant section, so don’t be discouraged if at first you score very low. Focus on reviewing questions and eliminating weaknesses. Magoosh’s quant question bank is also very good because you can target specific question types as you learn. Mike McGarry’s quant videos in the Magoosh platform are also a gem. If you are at all intimidated by the quant section, go through Magoosh’s quant videos before you do the Manhattan guides. Mike is an excellent teacher and I found that his videos were very helpful. But, to take your game to the next level you have to go through the Manhattan quant guides and review your Manhattan practice tests. If you’re ready for an even better challenge, make it a daily habit to go through a set of the Seven Samurai questions posted by Bunuel. Also, when reviewing posts in GMAT club, always look for the explanations from Bunuel or other experts.
For AWA, I literally followed the template found in a post titled “How to get 6.0 in AWA…” (or something like that) here in GMAT club and I also got a 6.0 in AWA. I downloaded the list of AWA prompts from GMAC’s website and practiced typing just the intro to the essay for about 5-10 different prompts. Following a template will help you reduce the mental effort you spend in the AWA section. Being comfortable writing the intro paragraph will set you up for writing a strong essay as well.
The cool thing about the IR section is that while you study for the verbal and quant sections, you’re also studying for the IR section. I think it is important to be familiar with each IR question type and to remember that sometimes you’re given a lot more information than you need to answer the question. So, be familiar with each IR question type (read Magoosh’s free IR eBook) and practice IR as you do your Manhattan practice tests. Don’t dwell on the IR section at the expense of the quant and verbal sections, which determine your GMAT score.
I wore comfortable clothes: sneakers, sweat pants, and a pullover. I brought the same food that I always ate during my practice tests: water, a chicken & avocado sandwich (food before quant), and chocolate covered almonds (food before verbal). This is the food that worked best for me, but you have to experiment and find what works best for you. This is one of the reasons why you should take several practice exams. Before going into the check-in area, I found the restroom and made sure I knew how to get there from the check-in area. After I checked in, I asked for a few more minutes to sit down and relax before walking into the test room. You should know that every time you walk into the test room, you have to show that your pockets are empty and that you’re not hiding anything under your wrists. I found this really annoying because it takes time away from your scheduled breaks, so rather than having 8 minutes you end up having about 5. You should practice accordingly.
Overall, aside from the time-consuming process of walking into the test room, my test day experience was very good. I didn’t have enough time to finish my “T” books that help me keep track of timing in the quant section, but that didn’t end up being a problem because I moved through that section quickly. (Side note: I read somewhere online that a good way to keep track of timing in the quant section is to spend part of your break time dividing each page, which is taller than a normal A4 size page, into four blocks and to write down in the lower-right corner of each page the time that you’re aiming to be finished at. I found it faster [and mentally simpler] to divide each page into five pieces by drawing an up-side-down “T” and a regular “T” on each page and decreasing the time you have available by 10 mins: 65, 55, 45, …).
Studying for the GMAT was a tremendously rewarding experience. I know that a lot of people would complain about how much they hate the GMAT. But the reality is that if you are going to spend so much time studying for this test, you have to learn to like it. You have to figure out a way to think of the test almost as if it were a game where you are just trying to score the most points. You also have to learn to take a step back along the way, and learn to appreciate and enjoy your improvement. Only with this mindset you will be able to stick to it until the end and get the GMAT score you desire.
MGMAT 630, Q-42, V-34 Diagnostic test before I went through any of MGMAT's books, but this was after I had already followed Magoosh's program
GMAT Prep 710, Q-48, V-40 There was about 1.5 months of intense verbal review between the last test and this one (CR Bible & Manhattan SC book)
MGMAT 650, Q-40, V-38
MGMAT 690, Q-41, V-42
GMAT Prep 720, Q-49, V-40
MGMAT 680, Q-41, V-42
MGMAT 690, Q-43, V-40
MGMAT 710, Q-46, V-41
MGMAT 760, Q-51, V-42 This score is a little inflated because I had already gone through all the MGMAT exams, so I saw some repeat questions especially in quant. My review of the previous 6 exams seemed to have really paid off.
ACTUAL SCORE: 740 (97 perc.), Q-49, V-42, IR-8, AWA-6.
The way I’m breaking down this post is as follows:
1. First I’ll tell you a little bit about myself.
2. Second, I’ll share my list of GMAT resources.
3. Then I’ll tell you about my GMAT preparation.
4. Before ending I’ll share some overarching lessons.
5. I’ll end with my test day experience and GMAT scores
A bit about myself
I came to the US as an international student and got my undergraduate degree in economics from a highly-ranked liberal arts college. I have been working in finance since I graduated from college and I have passed the first level of the CFA exam. English is not my first language, and that was actually one of the factors that made me decide to take the GMAT rather than the GRE. Now that I’m done with the GMAT, I plan to continue taking the CFA exams and grow my career for 2-3 more years before going to business school (I’m 24). I was initially thinking about going to business school much earlier, but my visa restrictions have changed and now I have a lot more time to dedicate to my career before going to school again.
GMAT Resources
When I first started studying for the GMAT, I had no idea of what the process would be like (you’re already avoiding this mistake by reading posts like this one). I have always had an instinct for the quantitative piece of it, but the verbal section really scared me. I remember back in the days when I was preparing for the SAT, I was able to do very well in the math section with relatively minor effort. However, I was stuck in the fixed mindset and felt hopeless about the verbal portion. So, my SAT verbal scores were average at best. Don’t fall into the fixed mindset mental trap. Know that the GMAT (and any standardized test) is very learnable, but, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, it is a journey that you must take. To that end, here is, in no specific order, a list of the resources I used while preparing for the GMAT. (For full disclosure, I have no affiliation with any of the companies or products that I mention in this post).
1. The Official Guide (2016 edition)
2. Google Spreadsheets (for keeping an error log) - free
3. Evernote (for taking learning notes) – free version
4. Magoosh GMAT prep
5. Magoosh GMAT blog – free
6. Magoosh IR eBook - free
7. Manhattan Quant Guides
8. Manhattan Sentence Correction book
9. The Critical Reasoning Bible
10. GMAT Club/Bunuel’s – Seven Samurai - free
11. Manhattan’s 6 practice exams – you only have to get one of the guides to get access to these exams
12. GMAT Prep’s 2 practice exams – 2 for free
13. GMAT Club’s AWA template
I understand that getting these resources is an investment of $300+ (depending on when you read this post), but that is pennies compared to the real cost that you have to be willing to pay when preparing for the GMAT – your time. If I had to absolutely prioritize in order to spend the least amount of money, I would still buy the Critical Reasoning Bible, Manhattan’s SC book (which would give you access to Manhattan’s 6 practice exams), and the Official Guide. I would also download Bunuel’s Quant Guide (it is free, and it’s available here in GMAT Club) as a replacement for Manhattan’s Quant guides. Although I think Bunuel’s Quant Guide is more comprehensive than Manhattan’s Quant Guides, I think Manhattan’s Quant Guides are easier to follow and do a better job at explaining the material.
GMAT preparation
As I mentioned above, at first I had no idea of how to study for the GMAT, but I did learn early on two things from reading different posts: (1) you have to keep an error log, and (2) you have to hold yourself to a high standard of study. Keeping an error log will help you maintain a high standard of study, but things don’t end there. As stated in a Magoosh blog post by Mike McGarry, if your standard is to never make the same mistake twice, you will improve with unparalleled speed. This idea is echoed by chess and tai chi master, Josh Waitzkin in his book “The Art of Learning”. You have to focus your time not only on doing practice questions every day, but also on reviewing the questions until you understand them deeply. Just reading the answer to a question does not suffice. You have to be able to explain the correct answer, and, if possible, see at least two ways of tackling the same question. A big part of doing well on the GMAT is not just knowing the right answer, but rather knowing the most efficient way to tackle each question.
I used google spreadsheets to maintain my error log. I had one tab to keep track of my GMAT practice test scores and a tab for each of the GMAT sections: PS, DS, SC, RC, and CR. In each tab, I typed a list of all the solutions (just the letter solution) to each of the Official Guide practice questions. These are provided at the end of each chapter. Typing these took me less than ten minutes per section, and doing this really paid off. I hid each list in order to prevent myself from accidentally looking at the solutions and then I added a column where I would type in my own answers as I practiced. Using a simple “IF” function, I was able to check whether my own answer was correct. I also had a column where I would type the lessons I learned from each question after my thorough review and another column to record the date that I did each question. Compared to some of the other error logs I’ve seen here in GMAT club, this is definitely on the simpler side. But that’s really all you need. Some experts claim that you should also use a timer and keep track of how long it took you to answer each question. I tend to disagree with that because although you do have to spend, for example, 2 minutes per quant question, that is just an average. You don’t need to answer every quant question in two minutes or less, but you must be able to answer 10 quant questions in 20 minutes or less. For that purpose, I timed myself during my study sessions just using my phone’s stop watch (put your phone in airplane mode while you study to avoid distractions).
In order to keep myself organized, I initially followed Magoosh’s 3-month study plan, which requires the OG. I also left about 2 months at the end to focus just on Manhattan’s guides, the CR bible and practice tests. Following Manhattan’s guides required me to go over the OG again. So, there you go, I already had an OG error log built and ready. I kept my notes from Magoosh’s videos and Manhattan’s guides in Evernote, which was very helpful because I could review my notes from anywhere. I think that this is a solid game plan that anyone could replicate given enough time to prepare.
Overarching lessons
If I had to do this again, I would start with just the CR bible. The CR bible will demystify and prepare you not only for the CR section, but also for the RC section. I did take a look at Manhattan’s CR book, but it contained information that was not useful. Manhattan suggests that you take notes in the CR section. Don’t do that. There is not that much information in the CR prompts to take notes of and there is no time to waste learning how to take succinct notes. You should focus on understanding the structure of the prompt (premise, counter-premise, conclusion, etc.) and the type of question that you are being asked (assumption, strengthen, etc.). When in doubt, spend more time trying to understand the prompt. Remember to (almost) always tackle the conclusion. Always pre-phrase the answer in your head before looking the answer choices.
The RC section is just an extended version of the CR section. You still have to focus on understanding the structure of the passage while not getting bogged down in the details. You still have to understand what the question is asking about (sometimes this is phrased in very odd ways). Always read the whole passage and understand the logical progression of the ideas presented. Do not despair if you find yourself spending 4 or even 5 minutes just reading and understanding the passage. If you have a clear understanding of the structure of the passage before you even look at the questions, you should be able to answer each RC question in less than thirty seconds. If you get a question that refers to a specific detail in the passage, re-read that portion of the passage (you should have a clear idea of where to find that) before answering the question.
The reason why I suggest that you start with the CR section is because both the CR and RC sections take time to master, but the concepts you learn are not easy to forget and will be helpful in your everyday life. So, if you then move onto the rest of the GMAT sections, you’re not suddenly going to forget everything you learned about CR and RC.
For sentence correction, Manhattan’s SC guide is just wonderful. However, there is a lot of information to digest, so try to give yourself enough time to go over it at least a couple of times. I also found that Magoosh’s SC explanation videos were very helpful, because you can hear and understand why each answer choice is right or wrong.
Manhattan’s quant guides are just the best to study for the quant section. There is not much more to say about this. Manhattan’s practice tests are very hard in the quant section, so don’t be discouraged if at first you score very low. Focus on reviewing questions and eliminating weaknesses. Magoosh’s quant question bank is also very good because you can target specific question types as you learn. Mike McGarry’s quant videos in the Magoosh platform are also a gem. If you are at all intimidated by the quant section, go through Magoosh’s quant videos before you do the Manhattan guides. Mike is an excellent teacher and I found that his videos were very helpful. But, to take your game to the next level you have to go through the Manhattan quant guides and review your Manhattan practice tests. If you’re ready for an even better challenge, make it a daily habit to go through a set of the Seven Samurai questions posted by Bunuel. Also, when reviewing posts in GMAT club, always look for the explanations from Bunuel or other experts.
For AWA, I literally followed the template found in a post titled “How to get 6.0 in AWA…” (or something like that) here in GMAT club and I also got a 6.0 in AWA. I downloaded the list of AWA prompts from GMAC’s website and practiced typing just the intro to the essay for about 5-10 different prompts. Following a template will help you reduce the mental effort you spend in the AWA section. Being comfortable writing the intro paragraph will set you up for writing a strong essay as well.
The cool thing about the IR section is that while you study for the verbal and quant sections, you’re also studying for the IR section. I think it is important to be familiar with each IR question type and to remember that sometimes you’re given a lot more information than you need to answer the question. So, be familiar with each IR question type (read Magoosh’s free IR eBook) and practice IR as you do your Manhattan practice tests. Don’t dwell on the IR section at the expense of the quant and verbal sections, which determine your GMAT score.
My test day experience
I wore comfortable clothes: sneakers, sweat pants, and a pullover. I brought the same food that I always ate during my practice tests: water, a chicken & avocado sandwich (food before quant), and chocolate covered almonds (food before verbal). This is the food that worked best for me, but you have to experiment and find what works best for you. This is one of the reasons why you should take several practice exams. Before going into the check-in area, I found the restroom and made sure I knew how to get there from the check-in area. After I checked in, I asked for a few more minutes to sit down and relax before walking into the test room. You should know that every time you walk into the test room, you have to show that your pockets are empty and that you’re not hiding anything under your wrists. I found this really annoying because it takes time away from your scheduled breaks, so rather than having 8 minutes you end up having about 5. You should practice accordingly.
Overall, aside from the time-consuming process of walking into the test room, my test day experience was very good. I didn’t have enough time to finish my “T” books that help me keep track of timing in the quant section, but that didn’t end up being a problem because I moved through that section quickly. (Side note: I read somewhere online that a good way to keep track of timing in the quant section is to spend part of your break time dividing each page, which is taller than a normal A4 size page, into four blocks and to write down in the lower-right corner of each page the time that you’re aiming to be finished at. I found it faster [and mentally simpler] to divide each page into five pieces by drawing an up-side-down “T” and a regular “T” on each page and decreasing the time you have available by 10 mins: 65, 55, 45, …).
Last Thoughts
Studying for the GMAT was a tremendously rewarding experience. I know that a lot of people would complain about how much they hate the GMAT. But the reality is that if you are going to spend so much time studying for this test, you have to learn to like it. You have to figure out a way to think of the test almost as if it were a game where you are just trying to score the most points. You also have to learn to take a step back along the way, and learn to appreciate and enjoy your improvement. Only with this mindset you will be able to stick to it until the end and get the GMAT score you desire.
My GMAT scores
MGMAT 630, Q-42, V-34 Diagnostic test before I went through any of MGMAT's books, but this was after I had already followed Magoosh's program
GMAT Prep 710, Q-48, V-40 There was about 1.5 months of intense verbal review between the last test and this one (CR Bible & Manhattan SC book)
MGMAT 650, Q-40, V-38
MGMAT 690, Q-41, V-42
GMAT Prep 720, Q-49, V-40
MGMAT 680, Q-41, V-42
MGMAT 690, Q-43, V-40
MGMAT 710, Q-46, V-41
MGMAT 760, Q-51, V-42 This score is a little inflated because I had already gone through all the MGMAT exams, so I saw some repeat questions especially in quant. My review of the previous 6 exams seemed to have really paid off.
ACTUAL SCORE: 740 (97 perc.), Q-49, V-42, IR-8, AWA-6.
21 Jun 2017, 10:05
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi Cicio,
Congratulations on your great score and thank you for sharing your experiences. Do you mind sharing your experience on taking the practice CATs? Things like the accuracy of the CATs, their resemblance to the actual thing and what setting you took the exams in?
Congratulations on your great score and thank you for sharing your experiences. Do you mind sharing your experience on taking the practice CATs? Things like the accuracy of the CATs, their resemblance to the actual thing and what setting you took the exams in?
21 Jun 2017, 11:27
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi Cicio,
This is a very detailed and informative post. Thank you, on behalf of all aspiring test takers.
I have only recently started preparing for the GMAT, and I scored a 570 on my diagnostic test. I was quite disappointed with the result and I've been apprehensive ever since. It's been over a month since I gave the diagnostic test, but it's too early to take another CAT. Moreover, I'd like to save it for later, when I'm certain about my preparation.
It would be great if you could share your score on your diagnostic test as well, and also approximate the hours it took you to get from your initial score to a 740. Kudos on the test performance, by the way
Sent from my SM-G900F using GMAT Club Forum mobile app
This is a very detailed and informative post. Thank you, on behalf of all aspiring test takers.
I have only recently started preparing for the GMAT, and I scored a 570 on my diagnostic test. I was quite disappointed with the result and I've been apprehensive ever since. It's been over a month since I gave the diagnostic test, but it's too early to take another CAT. Moreover, I'd like to save it for later, when I'm certain about my preparation.
It would be great if you could share your score on your diagnostic test as well, and also approximate the hours it took you to get from your initial score to a 740. Kudos on the test performance, by the way
Sent from my SM-G900F using GMAT Club Forum mobile app
