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Hi all, I just took my GMAT in NYC and finished with a 760-99% (49Q-86% / 45V-98%) and a 6.0-91% AWA. I am very pleased with my score and just wanted to share my experience.
General Strategy:
I set aside three months for my GMAT studying. In the first two months I probably studied for two hours every other day, while in the last month I studied at least one hour every weekday and at least four hours every weekend.
I kind of approached the GMAT in a different way each month. I spent the first month feeling out what the test was all about and trying to identify what I was good at (critical reasoning) and what I was not good at (sentence correction, specific math topics). At this point, I would consider myself a low 600s scorer. The second month was devoted to diving as deep as I could into my weaknesses and turning them into strengths. I made flash cards of things I didn't know (idioms, geometric rules) and of problems I couldn't solve. At this point I was probably a high 600s scorer. The final month was trying to cement my all around game while continuing to brush up on my weaknesses. In the last week, I began to take as many exams as I could to increase my endurance and to improve my time management. I kind of wish I did even more of this because I feel like endurance is such an important factor.
Books and Materials Used (rated by usefulness):
GMATClub / Beat The GMAT - 11/10
GMATClub App - 11/10
Official Guide 11 - 10/10
Official Quantitative Guide - 9/10
Official Verbal Guide - 9/10
Kaplan Premier 2010 - 8/10
MGMAT Math Guides - 8/10
Powerscore Sentence Correction - 7/10
Ace the GMAT - 6/10
4GMAT Combinations / Permutations Guide - 5/10
Kaplan GMAT 800 - 4 / 10
Kaplan Quantitative - 1/10
Kaplan Verbal - 1/10
I used Kaplan to start off and found it extremely useful in building basics. However, just stick with the Premier book since it provides the most bang for the buck with its five valuable CATs. I was very annoyed to find that the individual Kaplan subject books provided essentially the same information and problems as the Premier book. Wish I knew that before the return date had passed.
I used the MGMAT Math Guides because I quickly found that my math skills had completely deteriorated. I was especially weak in number properties, inequalities, combinatorics, and geometry among others. I found the MGMAT provided a great mix of knowledge and tricks that brought me back up to speed.
I had both the MGMAT Sentence Correction and the Powerscore Sentence Correction guides - for whatever reason, the Powerscore one "spoke on my wavelength" and I used that instead of the MGMAT one. The Powerscore guide splits out SCs into specific categories and provides ample practice.
The Ace the GMAT book is not one that I have seen in stores. I got it on Amazon - its a rather thin book, but contains some useful strategies here and there. I used it primarily for its excellent outlines for conquering the AWA portion of the exam.
But the most important resource was definitely the GMATClub and BTG communities. Once I took enough tests and began to realize what I was weak in (mentioned above), I just searched the forums for collections of those types of problems.
When it came to Q, I relied completely on the communities. For example, at first, I was really, really, really bad at combinatorics. Despite going through the relevant MGMAT chapters, purchasing the super detailed 4GMAT ebook, and studying the Ace The GMAT explanations, I STILL sucked at it. Luckily, I was able to find a huge problem set (can't post the link because of my noob status) - I worked through all of those problems and only then did I become more comfortable with combinatorics. I also went through all of Bunuel's amazing question collections to improve on DS. Maybe I shouldn't say this here, but I felt like because of these collections, I didn't need to buy the GMATclub math tests. But regardless, the communities are amazing resources for targeted training.
When it came to V, I relied completely on the GMATClub app. The GMATClub iPhone app is absolutely incredible. Get this app. I cannot stress it enough. Whenever I had a free moment I would pull it open and do some sentence correction or critical reasoning questions. This definitely strengthened my skills in SC and CR because I was basically living and breathing these problems. Even if the app had no other features besides these practice questions, it would be worth $20.
Test Progression:
7/5: Knewton: 680 (44Q / 41V) - I "cheated" throughout the test since I just wanted the experience
7/7 - MGMAT CAT: 720 (47Q / 41V) - Spent >120 minutes on math - REALLY depressed at how slow I was at math - also "cheated" here
7/8 - Princeton Review CAT: 680 (41Q / 44V) - I "cheated" throughout the test since I just wanted the experience
8/15 - MGMAT CAT: 750 (48Q / 45V) - Probably spent >100 minutes on math
8/20 - Veritas CAT: 680 (47Q / 41V)
8/24 - Kaplan CAT: 730 (45Q / 46V)
8/26 - Kaplan CAT: 770 (54Q / 49V)
8/27 - Kaplan CAT: 760 (49Q / 55V)
8/28 - MGMAT CAT: 770 (51Q / 44V) - Probably spent >80 minutes on math
8/28 - GMATPrep CAT: 780
8/29 - GMATPrep CAT: 760
8/30 - GMAT: 760 (49Q / 45V)
Further Comments
1. I would consider the real GMAT Q section to be somewhere between the MGMAT Q and the GMATPrep Q, though closer to the GMATPrep Q. In retrospect, I feel like some of the medium difficulty MGMAT questions are on par with some of the hardest real GMAT questions. As further proof of this, I have yet to successfully finish a MGMAT section within the time limit though I had no problems with Q on any other CAT. As such, I'm very surprised to consistently hear that MGMAT CATs are the most similar tests to to the real thing. I feel like Kaplan is the most accurate indicator of overall score (besides GMATPrep), even though their scoring of individual sections is quite weird.
2. I think the general MGMAT Question Banks are quite good, but don't waste time or money on the MGMAT Challenge Questions - I have a hard time believing any of those questions could ever appear on a GMAT because of their difficulty level.
3. If you want the MGMAT tests, I recommend you buy one of their subject books (probably the subject which you are least comfortable with) instead of buying the tests outright. This way, you get a book and the tests at a cheaper price.
4. The folks at Kaplan are awesome. At some point between purchasing the Kaplan Premier book and the last two weeks before I took the exam, I lost the CD with all of the CATs on it. Not only did Kaplan offer to replace my CD for me, but when I informed them that my test was figuratively right around the corner, they allowed me to access their web resources (including the CATs), even though access was not included with my book. And actually, taking their tests was a huge confidence booster because they helped me realize that the GMAT math might actually not be as scary as that presented in the MGMAT CATs.
5. I don't know if anyone else does this, but when I do reading comprehension, I shorthand the entire passage as I read it. What I scribble on the page isn't even legible, and I never refer to it. But when I started to do this, I began to get more and more RC correct. Maybe my brain just comprehends information better when I feel like I'm writing, but it works for me.
6. I only practiced the essays as part of the exams. Again, I found the "Ace the GMAT" book to have the best outlines - I followed their recommendations to the letter and am glad I did!
7. For Q, it's very important to eliminate silly mistakes - Sometimes, I let my mind wander. Those times, 9x5 becomes 54. Or 13+11 becomes 21. To eliminate the risk of doing a whole problem and then later realizing that I did something stupid, I was laser focused on all of my calculations, as opposed to rushing for the sake of rushing.
8. Also for Q, write your numbers legibly - When I first started studying, I would constantly misread my 5s as 2s or my 7s as 1s. When I realized that the exam would only provide a marker and a dry erase board, I was terrified. I eventually developed a system, where I would add a bar to my 7s, and add a loop to the bottom of my 2s. When it came to variables, I would add a bar to my Zs to distinguish them from 2s, and give my "x" an extra hook to distinguish it from a hastily written "y". Find what works for you. Even if it saves you from wasting time on just one question, it would have been worth it.
Bonus
I watched the Rocky v. Mason Dixon fight on Youtube before I went to the exam
And that's it! Feel free to ask me anything at all.
General Strategy:
I set aside three months for my GMAT studying. In the first two months I probably studied for two hours every other day, while in the last month I studied at least one hour every weekday and at least four hours every weekend.
I kind of approached the GMAT in a different way each month. I spent the first month feeling out what the test was all about and trying to identify what I was good at (critical reasoning) and what I was not good at (sentence correction, specific math topics). At this point, I would consider myself a low 600s scorer. The second month was devoted to diving as deep as I could into my weaknesses and turning them into strengths. I made flash cards of things I didn't know (idioms, geometric rules) and of problems I couldn't solve. At this point I was probably a high 600s scorer. The final month was trying to cement my all around game while continuing to brush up on my weaknesses. In the last week, I began to take as many exams as I could to increase my endurance and to improve my time management. I kind of wish I did even more of this because I feel like endurance is such an important factor.
Books and Materials Used (rated by usefulness):
GMATClub / Beat The GMAT - 11/10
GMATClub App - 11/10
Official Guide 11 - 10/10
Official Quantitative Guide - 9/10
Official Verbal Guide - 9/10
Kaplan Premier 2010 - 8/10
MGMAT Math Guides - 8/10
Powerscore Sentence Correction - 7/10
Ace the GMAT - 6/10
4GMAT Combinations / Permutations Guide - 5/10
Kaplan GMAT 800 - 4 / 10
Kaplan Quantitative - 1/10
Kaplan Verbal - 1/10
I used Kaplan to start off and found it extremely useful in building basics. However, just stick with the Premier book since it provides the most bang for the buck with its five valuable CATs. I was very annoyed to find that the individual Kaplan subject books provided essentially the same information and problems as the Premier book. Wish I knew that before the return date had passed.
I used the MGMAT Math Guides because I quickly found that my math skills had completely deteriorated. I was especially weak in number properties, inequalities, combinatorics, and geometry among others. I found the MGMAT provided a great mix of knowledge and tricks that brought me back up to speed.
I had both the MGMAT Sentence Correction and the Powerscore Sentence Correction guides - for whatever reason, the Powerscore one "spoke on my wavelength" and I used that instead of the MGMAT one. The Powerscore guide splits out SCs into specific categories and provides ample practice.
The Ace the GMAT book is not one that I have seen in stores. I got it on Amazon - its a rather thin book, but contains some useful strategies here and there. I used it primarily for its excellent outlines for conquering the AWA portion of the exam.
But the most important resource was definitely the GMATClub and BTG communities. Once I took enough tests and began to realize what I was weak in (mentioned above), I just searched the forums for collections of those types of problems.
When it came to Q, I relied completely on the communities. For example, at first, I was really, really, really bad at combinatorics. Despite going through the relevant MGMAT chapters, purchasing the super detailed 4GMAT ebook, and studying the Ace The GMAT explanations, I STILL sucked at it. Luckily, I was able to find a huge problem set (can't post the link because of my noob status) - I worked through all of those problems and only then did I become more comfortable with combinatorics. I also went through all of Bunuel's amazing question collections to improve on DS. Maybe I shouldn't say this here, but I felt like because of these collections, I didn't need to buy the GMATclub math tests. But regardless, the communities are amazing resources for targeted training.
When it came to V, I relied completely on the GMATClub app. The GMATClub iPhone app is absolutely incredible. Get this app. I cannot stress it enough. Whenever I had a free moment I would pull it open and do some sentence correction or critical reasoning questions. This definitely strengthened my skills in SC and CR because I was basically living and breathing these problems. Even if the app had no other features besides these practice questions, it would be worth $20.
Test Progression:
7/5: Knewton: 680 (44Q / 41V) - I "cheated" throughout the test since I just wanted the experience
7/7 - MGMAT CAT: 720 (47Q / 41V) - Spent >120 minutes on math - REALLY depressed at how slow I was at math - also "cheated" here
7/8 - Princeton Review CAT: 680 (41Q / 44V) - I "cheated" throughout the test since I just wanted the experience
8/15 - MGMAT CAT: 750 (48Q / 45V) - Probably spent >100 minutes on math
8/20 - Veritas CAT: 680 (47Q / 41V)
8/24 - Kaplan CAT: 730 (45Q / 46V)
8/26 - Kaplan CAT: 770 (54Q / 49V)
8/27 - Kaplan CAT: 760 (49Q / 55V)
8/28 - MGMAT CAT: 770 (51Q / 44V) - Probably spent >80 minutes on math
8/28 - GMATPrep CAT: 780
8/29 - GMATPrep CAT: 760
8/30 - GMAT: 760 (49Q / 45V)
Further Comments
1. I would consider the real GMAT Q section to be somewhere between the MGMAT Q and the GMATPrep Q, though closer to the GMATPrep Q. In retrospect, I feel like some of the medium difficulty MGMAT questions are on par with some of the hardest real GMAT questions. As further proof of this, I have yet to successfully finish a MGMAT section within the time limit though I had no problems with Q on any other CAT. As such, I'm very surprised to consistently hear that MGMAT CATs are the most similar tests to to the real thing. I feel like Kaplan is the most accurate indicator of overall score (besides GMATPrep), even though their scoring of individual sections is quite weird.
2. I think the general MGMAT Question Banks are quite good, but don't waste time or money on the MGMAT Challenge Questions - I have a hard time believing any of those questions could ever appear on a GMAT because of their difficulty level.
3. If you want the MGMAT tests, I recommend you buy one of their subject books (probably the subject which you are least comfortable with) instead of buying the tests outright. This way, you get a book and the tests at a cheaper price.
4. The folks at Kaplan are awesome. At some point between purchasing the Kaplan Premier book and the last two weeks before I took the exam, I lost the CD with all of the CATs on it. Not only did Kaplan offer to replace my CD for me, but when I informed them that my test was figuratively right around the corner, they allowed me to access their web resources (including the CATs), even though access was not included with my book. And actually, taking their tests was a huge confidence booster because they helped me realize that the GMAT math might actually not be as scary as that presented in the MGMAT CATs.
5. I don't know if anyone else does this, but when I do reading comprehension, I shorthand the entire passage as I read it. What I scribble on the page isn't even legible, and I never refer to it. But when I started to do this, I began to get more and more RC correct. Maybe my brain just comprehends information better when I feel like I'm writing, but it works for me.
6. I only practiced the essays as part of the exams. Again, I found the "Ace the GMAT" book to have the best outlines - I followed their recommendations to the letter and am glad I did!
7. For Q, it's very important to eliminate silly mistakes - Sometimes, I let my mind wander. Those times, 9x5 becomes 54. Or 13+11 becomes 21. To eliminate the risk of doing a whole problem and then later realizing that I did something stupid, I was laser focused on all of my calculations, as opposed to rushing for the sake of rushing.
8. Also for Q, write your numbers legibly - When I first started studying, I would constantly misread my 5s as 2s or my 7s as 1s. When I realized that the exam would only provide a marker and a dry erase board, I was terrified. I eventually developed a system, where I would add a bar to my 7s, and add a loop to the bottom of my 2s. When it came to variables, I would add a bar to my Zs to distinguish them from 2s, and give my "x" an extra hook to distinguish it from a hastily written "y". Find what works for you. Even if it saves you from wasting time on just one question, it would have been worth it.
Bonus
I watched the Rocky v. Mason Dixon fight on Youtube before I went to the exam
And that's it! Feel free to ask me anything at all.
31 Aug 2010, 00:02
Kudos
Bookmarks
Let me be the first one to congratulate you!. Excellent score and a great debrief.
31 Aug 2010, 04:22
Kudos
Bookmarks
Byau
Congratulations. Thank you for the detailed debrief. In the past couple of hours we've seen some really big scores! Ah you guys are just raising the GMAT bar to stratospheric levels
Do you think you could share the flash cards that you made with members of the GMAT Club community? I am sure it would be helpful in some way.
