Hi all,
I took the EA yesterday at a Pearson test centre near my house. Got
163 (IR 14, VR 11, QR 18). So happy with a perfect score in Quant! Overall happy with the score, felt I could have done better in Verbal. I could not cross my target i:e 165
But I guess 163 and 165 do not make a big difference.
GMAC prep material mock scores:
Mock 1: 157 (IR 12, VR 12, QR 13) - took this before I started any sort of prep to see where am I.
Mock 2: 161 (IR 14, VR 9, QR 18) - took this after ~3.5 weeks; did practice sets (QR finished all sets, VR half, IR 60% sets)
Mock 3: 163 (IR 18, VR 10, QR 15) - took this 5 days after Mock 2; completed all remaining practice sets
Mock 4: 164 (IR 14, VR 12, QR 18) - took this after a week of Mock 3; practised some more questions other online material
I maintained an
error log which helped me identify my weak areas and work on them. Also made a note of all the silly mistakes I was doing in my practice sets and mock tests. I knew QR was my strength, so tried to ensure I tighten up all topics so that I get a perfect score. I put in some focused efforts on topics like probability, P&C, inequalities and data sufficiency questions related to these topics. I was facing time management issues in IR, so had to practice more. The 15 practice sets (10 + the extra 5) in the official material helped. VR was my weakest area for sure. Had to practice all question types - SC, RC and CR. A lot of good Youtube channels like PrepScholarGMAT, GMAT Club,
Manhattan Prep webinars/practice sessions were useful. They help you learn the techniques and apply them to questions.
On Exam Day:
- I spent a lot of time on the RC passage (almost 9-10 mins), so I knew I had to pick up the pace. I got a bit nervous but managed to pace through until I came to the last question in the section, that's CR. I had literally 10s left on the timer, had to take a blind guess and submit. That might have been the difference between a score of 11 and maybe 13 (if I got that right). That's why I feel that I could have got that 165, had I not wasted so much time in RC.
- Overall the process at the test centre was smooth. Reached 30 mins before the test time as suggested, got over with the formalities very quickly. So I started the test 15 mins before the appointment time.
- Chose to get earbuds instead of headphones, unknowingly lowered my mask once during the exam. The invigilator came and told me to pull it up. They see everyone on the camera.
- The scratchpad and the fine-tipped marker pen worked very well for rough work/notes. The pad has 10+ pages, so more than enough for the whole exam.
Applying to Wharton and Columbia. Wish me luck for the rest of the process! Happy to answer questions about prep etc.