My journey from a GMAT mock score of 660 to GMAT 710 in 2 weeks

Hi all!

I recently took the GMAT on 1st Aug 2022 and had an interesting learning curve with its twists and turns which ultimately culminated in a GMAT 710 score.

I would like to share my journey with you in case you are planning or thinking about taking the test. I believe my learnings and insights might help you figure out your approach while you are on your way to smashing the GMAT with a great score.

So let me begin with who I am and how did my GMAT journey start?

I completed my education in engineering and decided to hop on the GMAT prep wagon in early 2022. However, with a hectic schedule at work, I was unable to maintain a consistent focus and discipline, which are the primary two raw ingredients for cracking the GMAT.

The consequence - I fell off the wagon mid-way!

But like they say, if you WANT to do something bad enough, YOU will find your way to get it done.

How was my initial phase of learning and GMAT prepping?

With an engineering background, I was confident that my number and Quant skills are above average and I need to focus primarily on Verbal. I enrolled for a self prep course at Magoosh in Jan 2022 and took the mock test, I got a Q44 and an unmentionable verbal score. Then itself I knew that improving verbal score was the key to a good GMAT score for me.

My work schedule was getting hectic and I could not maintain the necessary prep momentum, hence had to stop the prep in February itself.

I put myself back together by April 2022 and joined Crackverbal with their live sessions. The condensed 4 hour learning session on weekends with live Q&A ultimately proved to be effective.

One of the most useful features to me was the complete OG broken down into different levels of difficulty and topics as OG tests with video solutions to each question!

This was my go-to resource for the prep. I would advise all GMAT aspirants to stick to the official source(s) only for relevant practice and to improve on the application of the content.

Coincidentally, I was able to have both Saturday and Sunday as weekends off at work (I had a 6 day per week job) from the time I joined Crackverbal, and hence my GMAT prep was consistent and I kept the momentum going this time.

I would like to point out that it's not the number of questions that you must maximize to have a strong hold on your concepts but the “quality” of thought process and analysis that counts at the end to help you get to that 700+ score. Mentors at Crackverbal recommended and stressed reasoning, analysis, and building up of a logical thought process as a top priority while prepping for the test.

Like a manager charting out the lifecycle of a product, I had created a plan and set weekly milestones for my prep. I was on a 2 month sprint to complete the classes and continuously test myself with the OG questions on the Crackverbal platform.

What was my GMAT strategy after I got a 660 in the official mock?

I felt some confidence post completing the OG section tests, I went ahead and took the official mock test and got a 660 with less than two weeks for the GMAT. I did feel the anxiety but not for long. I knew GMAT was a test of decision-making and strategy. I knew that I had to get a Q50/51 on GMAT and from a “horrible'' verbal score, I had to manage at least an “average” Verbal score.

I was clear that I have to improve on the SC accuracy to greater than 80% irrespective of difficulty level, CR 60-70%, RC around 60%, and reduce sequential guesswork. I was aiming for a 720/730 in the real test. I had arrived at these numbers post the analysis from the first 3 mocks I had given during the prep.

In improving my Verbal Score, I must credit Neetha mam from crackverbal whose no frills techniques in zeroing in on the right option in SC questions and eliminating the incorrect CR options were very effective.

With a 660, I did not freak out completely because I had my prep data and progress in mock scores to back my strategic moves. I kept taking full-length mocks from crackverbal and Manhattan to build up the stamina to stay mentally productive after long hours of question-solving. I started taking the tests almost every 3-4 days in last 2 weeks. The scores were all within 530-660 even in these tests. But I did not stop the wagon this time. I kept going this way for the last two weeks.

I was confident that I would give it my all and my strategy was in place!

How did my test day go?

I went for a test center-based attempt. There was some operational issue with the center and my exam was delayed by an hour. Not that it affected my confidence or created anxiety, but it caused some discomfort certainly.

I started my test and my focus was entirely on the screen with no search for perfectionism but I kept going with my strategic plan!

I finished the test and when it came down to the score- the numbers were what I had strategized- 710 on screen! I heaved a sigh of relief and happiness at the same time.

My strategy did work, and finally, now I can think of the next steps for an MBA admit!

My final suggestions

GMAT is a test of logic, strategies, decision making, and above all, holding on to your nerves even when you feel that some questions don't feel right. It is not just the accuracy on that one question, but it's a board of 67 questions and one must look at it that way. We must be judicious to allot time strategically across quarters so that we are not investing too much in a particular question but taking educated and distributed guesses if needed.

I hope this story of mine provides you with some inputs that can help you achieve your target goal on the GMAT and serve the very purpose of me writing this GMAT experience.

All the best to all you aspiring minds!