Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Apr 2711:00 AM EDT
-12:00 PM EDT
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors
Apr 2808:00 AM PDT
-11:00 AM PDT
Whether you are just beginning your MBA journey or fine-tuning your path to a 700+ score, GMAT Day is designed to give you a competitive edge.
lowlyconsultant
Joined: 26 Jul 2014
Last visit: 22 Dec 2015
Posts: 15
Given Kudos: 1
Concentration: Strategy, Entrepreneurship
Schools: Sloan '17 (M$) Jones '17 (A$)
GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42
27 Jul 2014, 16:05
Kudos
Bookmarks
Just saying it can be done. I have a history of doing well on standardized tests, so if that's you, and you're an engineer, don't sweat the test too much.
Background:
Studied chemical engineering, went into consulting.
Study Strategy:
- Downloaded the Economist GMAT app at one week out to get some light practice in during work and walking my dog. Used it for around an hour per day during the 7 days before my test. I would have to say, for the practice, it was worth it, but I didn't use a single strategy they taught me.
- Bought the KAPLAN GMAT book ("Cracking the GMAT Premium 2015 edition"), did one practice test four days before test in their pretty awesome test portal. Can't compare their test portal to other practice test vendors, but I can vouch for the realism of Kaplan's. Got a 640. Started to freak out a little bit.
- Did another practice test 2 days before. Got another 640. Was looking up how to cancel the test appointment at this point.
- Did another practice test 1 day before. Got a 690. Okay.
Test Day:
- Morning before exam, I reviewed all the problems I got wrong and why I got them wrong.
- Based on my previous performance, I thought the best scenario I can hope for is get 100 points within my target score of 750. I was preparing myself psychologically for the very likely possibility of getting a 600-level score.
- **** up my quant royally. Kept second-guessing myself on the early problems because I wanted to be sure I was getting them right. Didn't manage my time right, mostly due to lack of preparation, and just picked random answers for the last 3 or 4 questions. Brutal. At this point I thought I was for sure done.
- I was pissed all throughout my verbal section, didn't take the break after my quant. Kept on thinking about how much I **** up, somehow ended up with 15 minutes on the clock when I finished.
- Saw the score at the end. First thing I saw was my quant percentile. Heart sank when I saw 79%. I mean, I've been relying on my quant scores as my main weapon for all of my standardized-testing career! Couldn't believe my eyes at the composite score. Felt relieved, but then bitter, and now I think I'm okay.
Final Thoughts: Thought I bombed my quant. Definitely did not do well relative to my usual standardized test scores esp. in math (1530 on SATs, 800 on both SAT II Maths, 5s on AP Calc exams, 35 on my MCAT, passed with 8s on the first two actuarial exams). The Kaplan practice tests are awesome. Just do the practice tests if pressed for time... those workbooks that draw out a study schedule of months seem like a big waste of time to me. As much as I want to, I probably won't try to retake because... well, what's done is done.
Background:
Studied chemical engineering, went into consulting.
Study Strategy:
- Downloaded the Economist GMAT app at one week out to get some light practice in during work and walking my dog. Used it for around an hour per day during the 7 days before my test. I would have to say, for the practice, it was worth it, but I didn't use a single strategy they taught me.
- Bought the KAPLAN GMAT book ("Cracking the GMAT Premium 2015 edition"), did one practice test four days before test in their pretty awesome test portal. Can't compare their test portal to other practice test vendors, but I can vouch for the realism of Kaplan's. Got a 640. Started to freak out a little bit.
- Did another practice test 2 days before. Got another 640. Was looking up how to cancel the test appointment at this point.
- Did another practice test 1 day before. Got a 690. Okay.
Test Day:
- Morning before exam, I reviewed all the problems I got wrong and why I got them wrong.
- Based on my previous performance, I thought the best scenario I can hope for is get 100 points within my target score of 750. I was preparing myself psychologically for the very likely possibility of getting a 600-level score.
- **** up my quant royally. Kept second-guessing myself on the early problems because I wanted to be sure I was getting them right. Didn't manage my time right, mostly due to lack of preparation, and just picked random answers for the last 3 or 4 questions. Brutal. At this point I thought I was for sure done.
- I was pissed all throughout my verbal section, didn't take the break after my quant. Kept on thinking about how much I **** up, somehow ended up with 15 minutes on the clock when I finished.
- Saw the score at the end. First thing I saw was my quant percentile. Heart sank when I saw 79%. I mean, I've been relying on my quant scores as my main weapon for all of my standardized-testing career! Couldn't believe my eyes at the composite score. Felt relieved, but then bitter, and now I think I'm okay.
Final Thoughts: Thought I bombed my quant. Definitely did not do well relative to my usual standardized test scores esp. in math (1530 on SATs, 800 on both SAT II Maths, 5s on AP Calc exams, 35 on my MCAT, passed with 8s on the first two actuarial exams). The Kaplan practice tests are awesome. Just do the practice tests if pressed for time... those workbooks that draw out a study schedule of months seem like a big waste of time to me. As much as I want to, I probably won't try to retake because... well, what's done is done.
27 Jul 2014, 17:25
Kudos
Bookmarks
So you got nearly 100 points higher than your average practice test score, horribly mismanaged your time on both sections, and still think studying longer would have been a waste of time?
Have you considered that all that time you spent studying for a 35 MCAT helped prepare you for the GMAT? I'm guessing you didn't spend only a week studying for that as well. If so, you are legitimately a genius.
Have you considered that all that time you spent studying for a 35 MCAT helped prepare you for the GMAT? I'm guessing you didn't spend only a week studying for that as well. If so, you are legitimately a genius.
lowlyconsultant
Joined: 26 Jul 2014
Last visit: 22 Dec 2015
Posts: 15
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 1
Concentration: Strategy, Entrepreneurship
Schools: Sloan '17 (M$) Jones '17 (A$)
GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42
27 Jul 2014, 18:10
Kudos
Bookmarks
You're right. Though I took the MCAT about 7 years ago, it may have played a part in how prepared I was for the GMAT. As for the wasted time comment, I figured that anyone can still mismanage time and get a decent score without having to study for months. Also, according to Avi Gordon of the book MBA admissions strategy book, scores above 750 start to get negative marginal returns when it comes to your profile. Take this with a grain of salt of course but that book is highly regarded among prospectives from what I can tell.
