My GMAT experience

This is my first post on GMATclub, but I thought it might be useful for others who were in my same position 3 months ago.

My experience began with finally deciding it was time to pursue an MBA. Obviously the GMAT is the first major hurdle in the process, so I began looking into what the test is like and took my first CAT. My score was a 500 and I was super disappointed. I narrowed down my study options to just a few, and ultimately decided to study with EMPOWERgmat. The coursework and software layout worked really well for me. As I went through the course, I was fascinated by all the different tactics and strategies that Rich teaches for the quant section. I studied for a few hours every day and when I finished a module in the course and had extra time, I would do practice problems from the Official Guide.

As part of the course, you take all 6 CATs and review them in lots of depth. My score on my first CAT after starting the course improved to a 600. This was proof to me that the course was working and from then on, my scores continued to improve. My scores ranged from 600-690, which definitely concerned me as I got closer to test day. I really struggled to give in to the strategies outline in EMPOWERgmat and I think this is why my scores weren't higher. I kept trying to use my high school math approach to the questions and my pacing suffered.

Come test day, I decided to commit to the strategies completely and I came away with a 680. Big win. My goal is to get accepted to BYU, and the average GMAT score of accepted students is 680, so I was thrilled to see that number on the screen. I took the test on October 26, so it will be a bit before I get my official scores, but for those of you who are looking for help with the GMAT, I can't recommend EMPOWERgmat enough. They saved me and I am confident my score would have been much lower without them. They are a no fluff operation. They teach you exactly what math rules and formulas you need, as well as exactly what you need for the verbal section. They are very familiar with the GMAT and the way it all works, so when they combine the math/verbal rules with strategy, the results are powerful.

All in all, it was a stressful experience, and I know there are many others who are exactly where I was 3 months ago so I hope this post can help someone make some progress and feel a little less stressed.