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22 Dec 2022, 12:36
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My Background
I come from a pretty decent quant background having graduated in Electrical Engineering and working in a technical role in a power utility for 6 years. Although not the kind of quant that is applicable for GMAT, maths has always been my strength.
How it started
I believe our goals are ever-evolving, rising and falling, and changing course. Till the early months of 2022, I had no plan for doing an MBA. I was (still am) fascinated by the power of data and always wanted to be a data scientist. However, after 2 failed attempts to get an admit to ISI and almost giving up on any hopes of doing a higher education, deterred by the uncertainties brought by the pandemic and global recessions, I decided to assess my options early this year. Considering my years of experience and after consulting with my seniors, I decided that doing an MBA will be my next career destination. This is when I started researching about GMAT.
The Search for Online Resources
It was mid-April when I started searching the internet about how to kick-start my GMAT preparation. After reviewing a few of the online courses and after consulting with my seniors who have aced the GMAT before, I got to know about the E- GMAT online course. With an aim to give my GMAT exam in August 2022, I enrolled for the 4-month course at E-GMAT on 5 May 2022. I gave my 1st Sigma-X Mock Test and scored a 700 (Q-47, V-38).
The Preparation
I was overjoyed with my score and believed that a little verbal practice would help me improve to 720+. I created a Personalised Study plan in the E-GMAT portal with the aim to complete the course within 1.5 months. I was supposed to study for 2 hrs on weekdays and 4/5 hrs on weekends. However, working in an essential service sector has its own problems. With long work hours and extra duties, I couldn't devote more than an hour to prepare in the early days, and I finished much less than I had planned in the first month. I realised that only studying at night after returning from the office will not help me. This is a mistake that I strongly advise everyone to avoid. Always try to study when you are the most effective and fresh. Studying long hours tired and exhausted after office is much less effective than devoting fewer yet more focused hours. As a result, I decided to study for an hour before leaving for work and another hour after returning. This was a much more effective technique, I realised.
The E-GMAT Verbal module was well-structured and concept-rich. I followed the recommended study plan for the entire verbal module. It was quite effective, and I would strongly urge everyone to stick to the recommended path rather than jumping around among the topics. The sequence I followed was Master Comprehension, Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning, and then Reading comprehension. I genuinely feel that maintaining this sequence has helped me a lot. The Master Comprehension teaches us how to better comprehend a sentence by reading at the optimum speed and using the pause points techniques. Sentence correction in GMAT is all about the meaning aspect besides the grammar and being adept in comprehending what the sentence intends to convey is very important for solving Sentence Correction questions. For critical reasoning, besides our comprehension skills and ability to sieve out the intended meaning, the section tests our ability to think critically. The technique of Pre-Thinking taught in the e-GMAT course is very useful and essential for solving CR problems most effectively. Again, Reading Comprehension is essentially a group of passages that tests our ability to comprehend sentences, critical thinking, and find the relations amongst the different paragraphs. Following this structured framework will help anyone ace the exam. What’s also important is to complete and solidify the concepts of each Topic before moving to the next one. Hence after completing the concept files, application files, and practice files, complete the cementing quizzes (2 Medium and 3 Hard) before moving to the next topic.
Since I scored high in quants in my 1st mock and being from an engineering background, I thought quants will be quite easy for me. However, soon I realised that being out of touch with Maths for around 6 yrs has impacted the agility and confidence with which I used to solve math problems. I realised that there were some concepts that require some policing. The PACE system in the E-GMAT Quants module helped me in this regard. From my performance in the initial evaluation quizzes for each topic, it identified the modules that I can skip and those I have to go through. This saved a lot of time. The difficulty level of harder quant problems at E- GMAT was a bit more than the actual test. Hence it helped me prepare better for the actual tests.
Mocks and 1st GMAT Attempt
After around 4 months of preparation, I made the decision to take some practice exams because I was doing well on the Scolarinium. took the other Sigma-X Mock Tests and scored 670-720. However, in the official mocks, I scored 740 & 750. I decided to book my 1st GMAT test. On September 25, 2022, I took my first official GMAT exam. I scored 700 (Q 46, V 40). Considering the good scores I received in the Official Mocks, I was a little disappointed with the outcome. Moreover, in all my previous Mocks never had I scored below Q49 in quants.
E-GMAT Last Mile Program (LMP)
I approached E-GMAT for guidance and they inducted me into their Last Mile Program (LMP) program. Mrs. Abha Mohan, one of their experts, made a thorough analysis of my ESR report (created a personalised video explanation) and prepared a customised plan for me with milestones and timelines, and guided me through my journey. She gave me some quizzes that were specifically tailored for me. These were 15/25/35 Question quizzes with mixed SC, CR, and RC topics or similarly mixed quizzes with various topics in quants. The quizzes helped us access our ability to switch between the different problem-solving techniques required for each section. Such quizzes were quite effective. This not only benefited me in recovering from the shock of the initial setback, but it also aided in boosting my confidence. She guided me to identify the areas I have scope for improvement and advised me on the topics that I should revise and even provided additional study materials. She prepared customised exam plans and even gave me mental support during times I got panicky and worked up during the preparation time. During my final round of preparation, the entire E-GMAT staff was gracious enough to provide me with free access to the entire portal for almost two weeks.
2nd GMAT Attempt
After being satisfied with my preparation I gave my second GMAT test on 20 November 2022. This time I had many questions in my mind. What if I get a lower score? Should I accept a lower score even if my Quants score improves? However, I kept my calm and scored a 740 (Q51, V38). I was confident that my quant exam went well, however, I took more time to answer the initial verbal questions and hence had to guess a few at last. I knew that I must answer all questions even if I had to guess a few. I feel I could have scored better in verbal.
Final Thoughts
I would really like to start by expressing my gratitude to everyone who has supported me on this journey. I want to specifically acknowledge Abha and the entire team of E-GMAT. Without their support, this wouldn’t have been possible.
To add a little more
• For verbal I have watched the YouTube lessons of gmat ninja. These are also super helpful.
• The Definitive RC Guide (RC 99) by Aristotle Prep provides 100 RC passages of different difficulty levels. Practice 2/3 problems from the book every day.
• The online portal of the Official Guide (by Wiley) is a great platform to practice. It re-creates a real exam-like situation and is quite effective. Hence for OG practice use the platform.
• Try to maintain an error log. It’s best to keep it in a structured manner (E-GMAT courses teach how to). But even the old-school method of keeping track of errors in notebooks worked for me.
• Don’t practice Full length mocks 2/3 days before the actual test.
• On exam day, don’t go through the concepts. Instead, practice 10 Quants and 10 Verbal of medium level to kick-start your brain for that day. Don’t do the difficult problems.
• Carry energy bars to the exam hall and eat them during the breaks.
• Always check the Marker pens provided in the exam hall after each section.
Thanks,
Arkajyoti
I come from a pretty decent quant background having graduated in Electrical Engineering and working in a technical role in a power utility for 6 years. Although not the kind of quant that is applicable for GMAT, maths has always been my strength.
How it started
I believe our goals are ever-evolving, rising and falling, and changing course. Till the early months of 2022, I had no plan for doing an MBA. I was (still am) fascinated by the power of data and always wanted to be a data scientist. However, after 2 failed attempts to get an admit to ISI and almost giving up on any hopes of doing a higher education, deterred by the uncertainties brought by the pandemic and global recessions, I decided to assess my options early this year. Considering my years of experience and after consulting with my seniors, I decided that doing an MBA will be my next career destination. This is when I started researching about GMAT.
The Search for Online Resources
It was mid-April when I started searching the internet about how to kick-start my GMAT preparation. After reviewing a few of the online courses and after consulting with my seniors who have aced the GMAT before, I got to know about the E- GMAT online course. With an aim to give my GMAT exam in August 2022, I enrolled for the 4-month course at E-GMAT on 5 May 2022. I gave my 1st Sigma-X Mock Test and scored a 700 (Q-47, V-38).
The Preparation
I was overjoyed with my score and believed that a little verbal practice would help me improve to 720+. I created a Personalised Study plan in the E-GMAT portal with the aim to complete the course within 1.5 months. I was supposed to study for 2 hrs on weekdays and 4/5 hrs on weekends. However, working in an essential service sector has its own problems. With long work hours and extra duties, I couldn't devote more than an hour to prepare in the early days, and I finished much less than I had planned in the first month. I realised that only studying at night after returning from the office will not help me. This is a mistake that I strongly advise everyone to avoid. Always try to study when you are the most effective and fresh. Studying long hours tired and exhausted after office is much less effective than devoting fewer yet more focused hours. As a result, I decided to study for an hour before leaving for work and another hour after returning. This was a much more effective technique, I realised.
The E-GMAT Verbal module was well-structured and concept-rich. I followed the recommended study plan for the entire verbal module. It was quite effective, and I would strongly urge everyone to stick to the recommended path rather than jumping around among the topics. The sequence I followed was Master Comprehension, Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning, and then Reading comprehension. I genuinely feel that maintaining this sequence has helped me a lot. The Master Comprehension teaches us how to better comprehend a sentence by reading at the optimum speed and using the pause points techniques. Sentence correction in GMAT is all about the meaning aspect besides the grammar and being adept in comprehending what the sentence intends to convey is very important for solving Sentence Correction questions. For critical reasoning, besides our comprehension skills and ability to sieve out the intended meaning, the section tests our ability to think critically. The technique of Pre-Thinking taught in the e-GMAT course is very useful and essential for solving CR problems most effectively. Again, Reading Comprehension is essentially a group of passages that tests our ability to comprehend sentences, critical thinking, and find the relations amongst the different paragraphs. Following this structured framework will help anyone ace the exam. What’s also important is to complete and solidify the concepts of each Topic before moving to the next one. Hence after completing the concept files, application files, and practice files, complete the cementing quizzes (2 Medium and 3 Hard) before moving to the next topic.
Since I scored high in quants in my 1st mock and being from an engineering background, I thought quants will be quite easy for me. However, soon I realised that being out of touch with Maths for around 6 yrs has impacted the agility and confidence with which I used to solve math problems. I realised that there were some concepts that require some policing. The PACE system in the E-GMAT Quants module helped me in this regard. From my performance in the initial evaluation quizzes for each topic, it identified the modules that I can skip and those I have to go through. This saved a lot of time. The difficulty level of harder quant problems at E- GMAT was a bit more than the actual test. Hence it helped me prepare better for the actual tests.
Mocks and 1st GMAT Attempt
After around 4 months of preparation, I made the decision to take some practice exams because I was doing well on the Scolarinium. took the other Sigma-X Mock Tests and scored 670-720. However, in the official mocks, I scored 740 & 750. I decided to book my 1st GMAT test. On September 25, 2022, I took my first official GMAT exam. I scored 700 (Q 46, V 40). Considering the good scores I received in the Official Mocks, I was a little disappointed with the outcome. Moreover, in all my previous Mocks never had I scored below Q49 in quants.
E-GMAT Last Mile Program (LMP)
I approached E-GMAT for guidance and they inducted me into their Last Mile Program (LMP) program. Mrs. Abha Mohan, one of their experts, made a thorough analysis of my ESR report (created a personalised video explanation) and prepared a customised plan for me with milestones and timelines, and guided me through my journey. She gave me some quizzes that were specifically tailored for me. These were 15/25/35 Question quizzes with mixed SC, CR, and RC topics or similarly mixed quizzes with various topics in quants. The quizzes helped us access our ability to switch between the different problem-solving techniques required for each section. Such quizzes were quite effective. This not only benefited me in recovering from the shock of the initial setback, but it also aided in boosting my confidence. She guided me to identify the areas I have scope for improvement and advised me on the topics that I should revise and even provided additional study materials. She prepared customised exam plans and even gave me mental support during times I got panicky and worked up during the preparation time. During my final round of preparation, the entire E-GMAT staff was gracious enough to provide me with free access to the entire portal for almost two weeks.
2nd GMAT Attempt
After being satisfied with my preparation I gave my second GMAT test on 20 November 2022. This time I had many questions in my mind. What if I get a lower score? Should I accept a lower score even if my Quants score improves? However, I kept my calm and scored a 740 (Q51, V38). I was confident that my quant exam went well, however, I took more time to answer the initial verbal questions and hence had to guess a few at last. I knew that I must answer all questions even if I had to guess a few. I feel I could have scored better in verbal.
Final Thoughts
I would really like to start by expressing my gratitude to everyone who has supported me on this journey. I want to specifically acknowledge Abha and the entire team of E-GMAT. Without their support, this wouldn’t have been possible.
To add a little more
• For verbal I have watched the YouTube lessons of gmat ninja. These are also super helpful.
• The Definitive RC Guide (RC 99) by Aristotle Prep provides 100 RC passages of different difficulty levels. Practice 2/3 problems from the book every day.
• The online portal of the Official Guide (by Wiley) is a great platform to practice. It re-creates a real exam-like situation and is quite effective. Hence for OG practice use the platform.
• Try to maintain an error log. It’s best to keep it in a structured manner (E-GMAT courses teach how to). But even the old-school method of keeping track of errors in notebooks worked for me.
• Don’t practice Full length mocks 2/3 days before the actual test.
• On exam day, don’t go through the concepts. Instead, practice 10 Quants and 10 Verbal of medium level to kick-start your brain for that day. Don’t do the difficult problems.
• Carry energy bars to the exam hall and eat them during the breaks.
• Always check the Marker pens provided in the exam hall after each section.
Thanks,
Arkajyoti
23 Dec 2022, 05:43
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi Arka1993,
Congratulations on your 740! Achieving this after a 6-year gap from your studies is truly commendable! Not a lot of people can commit to their studies once they get busy with their work life.
Catherine Pulsifer once said, “We determine our destiny by the actions we take today”, and your journey is a true reflection of the same.
From Day One, you immersed yourself in the process and followed a structured approach by completing the Master Comprehension course followed by SC, CR, and RC. By completing the Master Comprehension course, you were able to develop the skill of breaking down sentences to infer the intended meaning in the first read itself, which laid the foundation for success in the individual Verbal sub-sections.
You completed each step on the way with utmost sincerity and attention to detail to such an extent that you made following the right approach second nature to you. In CR, you internalized the pre-thinking approach and spent enough time perfecting each concept, by revising, reviewing and improving your scores in the course files.
In RC as well, you were able to hone the key reading skills. Your diligence in imbibing the process and approach was translated into your Scholaranium stats, where you improved from 59% to 93% accuracy in RC questions.
I am glad that you could identify that managing prep time was an issue for you in the initial stages itself and were able to rectify the same by judiciously dividing your study hours into smaller intervals which made studying more effective for you.
You successfully leveraged Quant 2.0 and P.A.C.E. to drive you to the perfect Q51. You tackled even the toughest questions so that on D-Day, you were able to attempt every question with ease. Here is an image showcasing how you achieved 90th percentile ability in Geometry hard-level questions.
It was a pleasure working with you in the Last Mile Push Program. It is evident you loved the experience of the program. However, any program is only successful when the student gives their all.
The journey was possible because you made sure that you stayed focused and trusted the process. It really paid off!!
I, on behalf of the entire e-GMAT team, wish you all the best for the next steps! 😊
Regards,
Abha Mohan
Congratulations on your 740! Achieving this after a 6-year gap from your studies is truly commendable! Not a lot of people can commit to their studies once they get busy with their work life.
Catherine Pulsifer once said, “We determine our destiny by the actions we take today”, and your journey is a true reflection of the same.
From Day One, you immersed yourself in the process and followed a structured approach by completing the Master Comprehension course followed by SC, CR, and RC. By completing the Master Comprehension course, you were able to develop the skill of breaking down sentences to infer the intended meaning in the first read itself, which laid the foundation for success in the individual Verbal sub-sections.
You completed each step on the way with utmost sincerity and attention to detail to such an extent that you made following the right approach second nature to you. In CR, you internalized the pre-thinking approach and spent enough time perfecting each concept, by revising, reviewing and improving your scores in the course files.
In RC as well, you were able to hone the key reading skills. Your diligence in imbibing the process and approach was translated into your Scholaranium stats, where you improved from 59% to 93% accuracy in RC questions.
I am glad that you could identify that managing prep time was an issue for you in the initial stages itself and were able to rectify the same by judiciously dividing your study hours into smaller intervals which made studying more effective for you.
You successfully leveraged Quant 2.0 and P.A.C.E. to drive you to the perfect Q51. You tackled even the toughest questions so that on D-Day, you were able to attempt every question with ease. Here is an image showcasing how you achieved 90th percentile ability in Geometry hard-level questions.
It was a pleasure working with you in the Last Mile Push Program. It is evident you loved the experience of the program. However, any program is only successful when the student gives their all.
The journey was possible because you made sure that you stayed focused and trusted the process. It really paid off!!
I, on behalf of the entire e-GMAT team, wish you all the best for the next steps! 😊
Regards,
Abha Mohan
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