Done (730: Q49, V41) UPDATE: AWA 6.0 : Share GMAT Experience

Futuristic · 2006-10-05T19:27:02-07:00

Just back from my exam, with a splitting headache and frustration at those wretched markers which made it impossible for me to write anything legible during the math section. I know a lot of you have said that the markers are a non-issue, but I think my left-handedness played a negative role, and had an impact I was not prepared for. Here's a summary of my exam experience today: Got up about 10am (the test was scheduled at 2pm). Eggs and toast for breakfast with a large mug of coffee. This was followed by a light reading up of my error logs and some music. Got to the centre at 1:30, and went through the usual security crap. Nothing eventful there. Wrote the AWA with minimum brainpower, just telling myself to conserve the energy for later. I actually liked the AWA section because it got rid of any nervousness that I might have harboured prior to the start of the exam. I was fine on timing during the math section, but this may have had something to do with the fact that I found all the questions easy. Which in turn IMO was related to those apologies for writing instruments . Needless to say, my hand was black soon enough. I certainly think this played a part in my inability to hit a 50 in quant. After all, trying to solve half the problems in your head (which I did) is never fun, and most certainly never easy. A lot of the problems were very similar to what one sees in the Challenges on here. Bottom line is, I messed up...oh well... I washed my hands during the break, and went back in after chugging a Red Bull (no idea if it actually helps). I did not have any stamina issues during this section, and it was only after I was all done did I feel a headache brewing. I don't know if I put too much pressure on myself thinking about the exam, but 41 in verbal was closer to my lower scores on practice tests. If you ask me what I found difficult or easy, I'd say that CR was the hardest, mostly because I thought the answer choices were not perfect fits. SC was a breeze for the most part, and I'm pretty sure I did well on it. RC was ok, no killer passages. And now here I am writing this. I've come a long way from getting 31-32 in verbal to a 41 on the real thing. I am happy, and I feel a sense of accomplishment. I also have this strange feeling .... hmm...you know the feeling when you're trying to sneeze but you can't? I feel like that Why? Because I feel I could have done better by 20-30 points. Also because I belong to the dreaded "Indian IT male" profile, a 730, despite being a 97 percentile, is possibly just 10 points over the average score for my pool of appplicants at Haas or UCLA. Which brings us to the question: Am I going to retake? Well, I don't know. I certainly will think about it. I think I can pull 20 points over what I got, but not sure about 30. I'm on vacation from tomorrow, and will ponder over it on my return. I want to thank everyone here on this forum for well...just everything to do with my prep You guys are the best! My prep: about 4 months of hard work:- Math: challenges, GMATPrep, 4GMAT book, this forum Verbal: MGMAT SC, SC/RC/CR1000, LSAT PrepTests My scores: GMATPrep 1: 760, retake 770 GMATPrep 2: 760, retake 780 MGMAT 1: 570 (no studies done here), MGMAT 2: 710 MGMAT 3: 730 I'll be here, heading out for now.... Update: Back from vacation, official results in the mail, got a 6 in AWA, am a little surprised, as I did not practice any essays. Spent no time dwelling on my results during my time off.

Jun 09

Master GI & TPA Questions on GMAT DI (Free Webinar)

05:30 AM PDT

-

07:30 AM PDT

Ready to conquer GMAT's toughest Data Insights questions? Unlock the secrets of Graphical Interpretation & Two-Part Analysis with our expert-led webinar! Limited seats!

Jun 08

Most Effective Reading Strategies to Master RC and Score High (Free Webinar)

05:30 AM PDT

-

07:30 AM PDT

The Focus Edition allows barely 2 minutes per question. Hence, rereading portions of passages is not an option. Learn our Involved and Evolved reading strategy, the most efficacious solution to time saving on RC and score high on GMAT Verbal!

Jun 09

Ace Arithmetic on the GMAT Focus Edition

11:00 AM IST

-

01:00 PM IST

Attend this session to evaluate your current skill level, learn process skills, and solve through tough Arithmetic questions

Jun 11

MBA Spotlight Fair

05:40 AM PDT

-

12:00 PM PDT

Register for the GMAT Club Virtual MBA Spotlight fair, the biggest MBA fair of the year. You will have a chance to hear Admissions directors from almost every Top 20 program speak, network with peers, and more.

Jun 11

Prep smart with Magoosh GMAT

11:00 AM PDT

-

12:00 PM PDT

Magoosh students get into top business schools like MIT Sloan, HBS, Stanford GSB, Wharton and more! See why over 6 million students trust us for exam prep.

Jun 13

Level up your Chicago Booth MBA application!

10:00 AM EDT

-

10:30 AM EDT

Level up your Chicago Booth MBA application! Sia Admissions will be LIVE on June 13th for expert guidance on crafting your application that resonates with admission committees. Learn core themes, personal branding tips, and strategies and more.

Jun 13

Celebrating 700+ Reviews on GMAT Club

11:00 AM EDT

-

12:00 PM EDT

TTP has received over 700 reviews on GMAT Club! This incredible milestone is a testament to our dedication to helping students score high on the GMAT for over a decade.

Jun 14

GMAT 805 Journey with Target Test Prep

12:00 PM EDT

-

01:00 PM EDT

Have you ever wondered how to score a PERFECT 805 on the GMAT Focus Edition? Meet Julia, a banking professional who used the Target Test Prep course to achieve this incredible feat. Julia's story is nothing short of an inspiration.

Done (730: Q49, V41) UPDATE: AWA 6.0

Prep Toolkit

My Rewards