My journey from a 360 to a 700!

By the time you reach the end of the post, you will want to reach out to me to get my study materials, as has been the case with so many people. I cannot thank the community enough for reposing so much faith in me but there are a couple of reasons why I will not be able to share my materials :
a. Some of it is under copyright, so i am not allowed to share it. GMAC deals with violators very strictly (and prep companies like manhattan @VeritasPrep spend hours (or probably weeks) devising this content and I do not think it's in their best interest to share this content for free
b. Some of it may be unverified
c. What worked for me may/may not work for you
d. It is all available on the club, and i really think looking for the material, gauging it's sheer enormity before you start prepping is very important. Was a major boost for me and i reckon it'll be the same for you

Before I start :
My first diagnostic score = 360. (Don't remember the breakdown, but I did not take it seriously at all. Either ways, 360 is where I started, so if you're among those who believe a 360 can become a 700, read on!)

I am from a Commerce background (through and through) and while I have been a topper all throughout my school years, I had always been petrified of Math. While I am an ardent reader (of newspapers, stuff published online etc. and not books), Verbal on the GMAT needed some work.

This post is essentially for all those who are yet to enter the 700 club, and have been waiting for way too long.

My journey began in September 2015, when I joined a coaching institute in Kolkata. (Roads Academy - I would not recommend anyone to go to this coaching institute, ever.) My Math basics were poor, and my Verbal needed to be worked upon. After my very first class (Geometry), I knew I was doomed. The worst thing one can do to themselves while prepping is not being consistent and despite several warnings - I did just that. I was slated to take the test by April (tops) but started my end of the prep only in March. It took me some time to be able to get myself to take my first CAT. It was the free Economist CAT that's there on several school websites (LBS, Babson etc.). I was surprisingly happy with a 620 (because I had expected something in the 500s and I also missed out on a couple of questions). (Q44, V32)

Instead of realising where I went wrong, I thought it was time to take a couple of other mocks (I feel this is the best mistake I have ever made in my life, because I realised how terrible my preparation was). I began with the free MGMAT CAT, and the Quant questions were so damn difficult I knew I had to go back to the drawing board. (It was end April by now).

Prep V2.0 starts. And I began looking for good stuff online (and joined GMATClub - a landmark in my entire preparation). Even though I was preparing, I had a couple of doubts (which later proved to be fatal) but I never paid too much heed to them. I realised I was getting in the groove, and took a few CATS :
1. GMATPrep1 - 690
2. GMATPrep2 - 670
3. Princeton Review - 640
4. Princeton Review - 580 (I had only 7 wrong on my Quant, 10 on my Verbal - so i figured this was definitely a 680 or some such).

With my scores consistently in a particular range (640-690), I decided to book my date. I had my ISB deadline pending, so I took the GMAT on July 10th, 2016.
Q44, V35 IR 3 AWA 5 Overall : 640

Flaw(s)?
a. I did not take enough CATs
b. I did not review my CATs thoroughly
c. I did not review my problem areas well enough
d. By far the most fatal - I expected my CAT scores to convert into a 770 (my dream score) miraculously.

I was so dejected when I got my score, I decided I did not want to study GMAT for some time and went ahead with my ISB application with the dismal 640 (WORST DECISION OF MY LIFE EVER). Noone gives two **** about a 640 and it took me a while to understand that. I was blaming my essays, my tutor and what not.

As a ISB (YLP) Reject, I was lost. But i needed to do the one thing I always kept saying I would.

HUSTLE.

It was September 20th that I started accumalating material. Now, I thought I had everything I ever needed to Prep but I was mistaken. I got an enormous amount of material that I never expected to get after my first attempt (I said to myself, "What do i really practise now?")

I started prepping, this time - i revised all the material i had, went back to my notes (very meticulously crafted - out of habit), and tackled all my problem areas. I had always been scared of numbers but something this time around changed - I was breezing through every sum i was doing while practising with atleast 2 ways of tackling every possible problem. I was extremely happy (not yet satisfied with my preparation). I got a couple of docs for Verbal too.

My schedule :
Sept 20 to Sept 30 : Review all Quant concepts thoroughly (8 hours a day)
Oct 1 - Oct 18 (Did everything in Quant)
Oct 18 - Oct 30 (Did everything in Verbal)

My prep for the Verbal section :
A tiny bit of CR and RC (I am too restless to be true so I cannot sit through passages. Ever.)
I solved about 1000 SCs, 1000 CRs and about a 100 Passages in the 13 odd days. It was tons of fun (not the kind of stuff you'd expect to see on a debrief but well, it is how it is!) I realised CR was getting easier as I practised more of it, SC wasnt so much of an issue and all I needed to do was engross myself in the RCs (It worked wonders, I have decided I want to solve RCs now too!)

Oct 31st : Break from all GMAT studies (Much needed. This is the day I realised not studying did not bother me and i was content with my prep).
Nov 1st : Thought I'll take an MGMAT CAT, started - lost track of time left it mid way (WAS SUPER SCARED OF TIMING ISSUES BUT LEFT IT ANYWAY).

Decided it was time to get serious about CATs, and didnt want to repeat my mistakes so took my first CAT.
Nov 2nd : 680 (Q46, V36)
Nov 3rd : 670 (Q44, V37)
Nov 4th : 680 (Q46, V37)
Nov 6th : 670 (Q43, V38) (Missed one Q question)
Nov 8th : 690 (Q46, V38)

All tests were taken with all 4 sections, room was silent and water only during breaks : Pretty GMAT like experience. Also, took it from 10:00 AM - 2:00 P.M. only (because that was when I was going to take my test).

Reviewed all my CATs thoroughly, and knew I was well prepared (was content, although not very satisfied since I hadn't touched the 700 mark yet. Wanted to take more CATs but decided against doing that because :
a. All my practise questions had tons of GMAT Prep questions
b. Don't like PR's scoring algorithm too much.
c. Kaplan inflates scores.

Just reviewed some stuff here and there over the next 5 days (Friends' sister's wedding, met a couple of friends here and there etc.) Why was my GMAT date on the 14th of Nov?
a. I needed some days to not think about GMAT at all because I get too stressed.
b. I need some space to breathe (because when I studied for GMAT, it was all about GMAT for me)
c. I just needed to relax and unwind after a gruelling holiday season invested in GMAT (and only GMAT).

Booked my date on the 11th at night, mentally prepared my self for the test. On the 12th, I engrossed myself in some thing or the other, on the 13th I relaxed all day with very light revision (and slept too and also watched Koffee With Karan) and all this by my standards was weird because I am everything but calm and composed before a test.

Being composed did more good than harm, because I was completely at ease on the day of the exam (and now as i type this i realise how gmat is more of a mind game!)

Woke up at 8:30, got ready and left by 9. (I had seen the centre before so I was pretty chilled out (WEIRDEST EVER). Reaching early gave me time to sign in, chat up the proctor, speak to the others taking the test (now there was one gentleman who burped throughout the test and that was EXTREMELY ANNOYING) etc. AWA was easy, and for IR I had a really simple strategy : skip the weird questions (that helped because it is not a good idea to take a lot of stress for IR). Quants was SURPRISINGLY too easy to be true (thought it was weirdly easy and that i was dead but... ) I finished Q with some 3 odd minutes to spare?!?!?!?!? Verbal was a little different (truth be told, weird.) But seeing a boldface on the 11th question calmed my nerves. Got 4 RCs, was literally gasping for breath. Finished the section only at the very last second!

Completed the formalities. And then came the big part.

Now, generally : the second before your score loads you will hear a voice and that'll be kinda correct (Happened with my first attempt, this time : heard no such voice)

Q : 49
V : 37
IR : 7.
Overall : 700

Scoring a 700 was absolutely gratifying. I had to prove my self worth to myself after a gloomy one year with every one asking when i was taking the test. From a 640 to a 700 : the climb was steep, often with no end result in sight (and i need assurances throughout the journey). I had no guidance (apart from my inner voice and GMAT Club debriefs.) Everything aside (including my 770 aspiration) : after a good 2-3 months of doubting my abilities etc., I got my biggest reassurance ever.

Sure, not missing the last verbal question would have been great but I have nothing to complain about and God is great.

My prep sources :
1. 700-800 Level quant PDF
2. OG 16, OG Review 16.
3. 1000 SC, CR.
4. 117 RC
5. 198 Quant PDF, 125 Quant PDF, 600 Quant PDF, 50 Tricky Questions
6. Bunuel 's entire collection (If you want a 49+ on your Quant, this is all you need)
7. Aristotle's SC Material (By far the best)
8. MGMAT CATs and Strategy guides (They address everything really). Manhattan Advanced Quants is a MUST to get 49+.
9. 700 Level CR PDF
10. GMATPrep CR PDF
11. Misc. SC PDFs (35,50,100 Questions etc.)
12. @Legenddaddy 's entire collection

(If any of you need any of my material, reach out to me via PM)

Couple of takeaways in a nutshell :
a. GMAT's a mind game, be pretty chilled out in your penultimate days and on the final test day.
b. Practise. No two ways about it.
c. Get your concepts right, test them, review them (and even though Perm Comb is difficult it will rarely appear on your test so go easy there)
d. Dont leave anything on luck. Miracles will happen when you're going on a 680 and it becomes a 700. Not when you're at a 640. (Hope you got the essence.)
e. Carry food with you, you'll get hungry. Drink water, stretch and do everything you can to stay active during the test.
f. One thing i missed doing this time but must be really done is taking the GMATClub tests. The quant tests and their brilliant analytics will really help you. did it before my first attempt because i had 7 day free trial in the penultimate week, wish i had taken it a little more seriously back then.
g. Complain to the proctor if someone burps a lot.

Youtube Video Debrief: