All,
I have referred to GMAT club over the course of my GMAT preparation which lasted 2 months in total (Feb'18 and June'18). As I am done with my bschool application (what a relief
), I thought probably my experience will be helpful to others. I did not get a stellar GMAT score (710), but nevertheless here is my learning:
Practice Questions:1. Quant: any official GMAT guide will be sufficient to revise formulas- such as statistics and geometry. I would caution against memorizing too many complex formulas provided in other publications (example Permutations and Combinations). The exam questions are simple and trying to recollect formulas instead of thinking logically will lead to mistakes in exam.
2. Sentence Correction:
Manhattan Prep's Sentence correction guide is strongly recommended to begin preparation for this confusing
section. My score in official GMAT prep mock exams (1-6), given under realistic exam conditions, ranged from 720-760 and sentence correction made all the difference.
3. Reading Comprehension: In addition to standard practice material, I suggest spending at least 10 minutes/day on articles from The Economist and other analysis.
4. Critical Reasoning: I answered most questions correctly without any preparation, but reading the question first (weakens, strengthens etc) and then reading the situation helped me reduce my answering time.
Mock Exams:1. Take all free mock exams: Register for all free exams available and give them over a course of week. This will help you come out of your comfort zone and be prepared for surprises on the final exam day. You may get lengthy calculations (as in case of
Manhattan Prep Quant) or Large Passages (Veritas Prep)
2. Once you have a habit of sitting for 3.5 hours at a stretch, I suggest you purchase all 6 exams on official GMAT website and give them under real conditions. I gave 6 exams on consecutive days and took GMAT on the 7th. I believe it improved by pace and ability to stay energetic/alert. Plus these exams are most realistic representation of actual exam.
3. Other Mock Exams for Focused Improvement: If verbal is your weakness, I will recommend purchasing
Manhattan Prep mock exams. I found their Quant to be extremely calculation oriented and not representative of actual exam. For Quant and IR, I suggest VeritasPrep. Do not worry about the scores, as I consistently scored more than VeritasPrep in official mocks and final GMAT.
My Two Cents on importance of GMAT: With practice and lot of luck
a good GMAT score is inevitable. I wondered about retaking the exam but as I was pressed for time, I never got to it! INSEAD was my target school and their application process gives a chance to talk about multiple aspects of your candidacy (in-depth work ex, goals, cultural diversity and international work-ex and leadership). GMAT is extremely important for US B-Schools as they give a limited opportunity to highlight your profile and candidacy (CV + 1/2 Essays). Among other factors, a GMAT score of 740+ is a must for M7 & above schools. Again, this is just my opinion based on feedback received from consultants, recent trends on forums and interaction with fellow MBA aspirants/recent graduates.
Good luck folks