My two-month journey from 650 to 740

Hi all. Posting my personal GMAT journey here. Hoping to provide some useful information to fellow GMAT-takers and give moderators/course-owners a chance to see things from a customer's perspective.

I first started studying for the GMAT on October 9th, 2019. From that day forward, I was determined to study AT MINIMUM 2 hours per day, 6 days a week. I started off using Magoosh. My reasons were primarily financial. It was by far the most affordable course. I got more than I paid for. I believe that Mike McGarry's video lessons on Magoosh are the most precious resource for any beginner looking to learn what is actually on the test. Paired with practice problems, these videos lifted my score substantially.

My initial diagnostic score on an official GMAT practice test was 650 (V40, Q41). After 2 weeks, I saw my score increase to 660 (V40, Q41) (although this exam was through Kaplan, not an official GMAT Practice test). Going forward, I purchased the official GMAT Practice Exam and OG Problem sets (which I would recommend to everyone, they are absolutely necessary in my opinion). All the scores reported from here on are on the official GMAT Practice Exams. 4 weeks after beginning my studies with Magoosh, I scored a 710 (V39, Q49). I was ecstatic. From the get-go, my target score was 730, and breaking 700 felt like a huge milestone on that journey. The next week I got a 700 (V41, Q44).

At this point, I felt I was beginning to hit a wall with what Magoosh could offer me. I began to use the following resources (in the following order) :
1. The OG GMAT Problem Set (through Wiley) - $80
2. A $1 Trial of Target Test Prep - $1
3. The GMAT Club Tests - $80

The Official GMAT Problem Set was perhaps the most significant purchase that I made. After going through that problem set (all the Quantitative questions and Sentence Correction questions), I got a 760 (Q49, V44). I was in disbelief and frankly, terrified. I thought the score was a fluke. After all, the official GMAT problem set wasn't harder than Magoosh. There only seemed to be one or two problem types that I felt more confident in afterwards. It was at this time that I decided to sign up for the GMAT on December 16. After signing up, I had two weeks left. In these two weeks, I began my trial of Target Test Prep and took my final two practice GMAT exams, scoring 750 (Q49, V42) and 780 (Q50, V47). I no longer had any doubts that I was prepared.

On my first real GMAT exam, I scored 740 (Q48, V44). Was I relieved? Somewhat. Had you told a former version of myself that I would get a 740, I would have been ecstatic. But after scoring 750+ on three official practice exams in a row, I didn't feel amazing.

I decided to take it one more time, studying for 2 additional weeks. This time, I used the GMAT Club Tests, focusing on the Quant section specifically.

After two additional weeks of studying, I got a 710 on the real-deal. I cancelled my score and left the testing center feeling pretty proud.

It was January 2, and I had studied for a cumulative 150+ hours. I knew that I put in the work, and I was proud of my result.

Looking back, there are 3 major things that I wish I would have known.

1. In terms of test-prep resources, I would say that there a generally two groups :

1. Those that will get you to 700
2. Those that will help solidify you as a 700+ test taker

I think the best resources for group #1 are Magoosh and The Official GMAT Problem Set (through Wiley). For Magoosh, the price is right and McGarry is amazing. The Official Problem Set actually took me over the 700 mark substantially, but I think it's important for any test-taker, regardless of level. For group #2, things get a bit more complicated. I would rely on the patterns among 750+ list

To me, it seemed that the GMAT Club Tests were more of an essential than Target Test Prep. They do seem to mimic the real-deal far more accurately. That being said, the GMAT Club Tests didn't result in my Quant score increasing on my second real GMAT, so I can't claim to have measurable results.

2. The number of hours you put into studying matters. Practice 1-3 hours a day if you can. The more the better. Try to put in over 130 cumulative hours. In my opinion, that's the only way to truly know that you tried your best.

3. Don't push any of your mistakes to the side. At times, it was easy for me to say "This problem is too hard to show up on the real deal. This is unique to Magoosh, GMATClub, etc...". That line of thinking will get you to a point where you practice what you're already good at and ignore the problems you really need to be fighting through.


I want to end this post with one of my favorite pieces of advice. It's that you shouldn't be proud of your talents or the things you obtain, you should be proud of the work you put into your endeavors. My advice to any GMAT taker would be to take pride not in your final score but in the number of hours you put into studying.