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Apr 2301:30 AM EDT
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Struggling with GMAT Verbal as a non-native speaker? Harsh improved his score from 595 to 695 in just 45 days—and scored a 99 %ile in Verbal (V88)! Learn how smart strategy, clarity, and guided prep helped him gain 100 points.
Apr 2212:30 AM EDT
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At one point, she believed GMAT wasn’t for her. After scoring 595, self-doubt crept in and she questioned her potential. But instead of quitting, she made the right strategic changes. The result? A remarkable comeback to 695. Check out how Saakshi did it.
Apr 2308:00 PM PDT
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Video explanations + diagnosis of 10 weakest areas + 150+ short videos + study plan!
Apr 2610:00 AM EDT
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The Target Test Prep course represents a quantum leap forward in GMAT preparation, a radical reinterpretation of the way that students should study. Try before you buy with a 5-day, full-access trial of the course for FREE!
Apr 2711:00 AM EDT
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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
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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.
![100 points increase to 730[Q49 V41]| Hard-work|Perseverance|EduShastra](/forum/styles/gmatclub_light/imageset/icon_post_target_unread.svg "100 points increase to 730[Q49 V41]| Hard-work|Perseverance|EduShastra"){kind=icon}
18 Mar 2018, 07:48
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After 3 attempts and a grueling 1.5 year journey, I have finally managed to steer my score into the coveted land of 700+. I want to share my experience preparing for these three attempts.
Like other students, I started my journey reading blogs and sites such as gmatclub and BTG. I bought the OG16 and got myself acquainted with exam and question types. For my prep I used a video-based learning approach. [A friend of mine recommended it to me] .While the content was good, it didn’t help me grasp concepts in Verbal section. I found this medium of learning one-directional. However, I can't blame that test prep company as the debacle of the first attempt was entirely my fault. My preparation was all over the place. I read a few blogs and debrief stating that I need to refer to material from XYZ sources to attain a good score. This distracted me and I kept switching among different materials. As my exam date approached, my preparation intensified. The scores on my gprep mocks were 740 and 650! I kept telling myself that the lower score was an anomaly. I tried to keep myself upbeat. But I wasn’t confident going into the test. In fact on d-day, right from the moment I woke up to the final minute of the exam, I had negative vibes. At no point during the exam did I feel in control. My first attempt was marred by bad planning and bad execution. It was a total train-wreck. [640 Q47 V31]
I took a break for 3 weeks and came back fresh. I spend few days researching articles about retaking GMAT. I read that students generally improve scores on their second attempt. So there was hope. After analyzing my scores from the first attempt, I found that both Quant and Verbal scores needed improvement. I did not opt for any test prep classes. I referred to only MGMAT study guides as many successful gmat-takers vouched for their effectiveness. Those guides were definitely helpful in Quant and SC. [For CR, I referred to Powerscore CR bible.] The only issue with MGMAT Guides - very few questions. Those guides rely on OG questions. I kept my study material limited but I did incorporate unofficial material too. I even used the MGMAT test series and scored a couple of 700+ in those mocks. And since everyone says MGMAT tests are more difficult than actual GMAT tests, I was confident to cross 700.Going into the test, I was totally in control. All good vibes, right from the get-go. Breezed through the Quant & Verbal section & hurried through IR and AWA. The whole exam, especially verbal, felt so easy. Just half-way through I knew that I was close to my dream score. Couldn’t be more wrong!! I scored lower than my previous score. [630 Q49 V26]I was shocked. While I did manage to improve my Quant score, my Verbal score took a hit. This is despite the fact that my verbal section was so 'easy'.
I had put a lot of effort into the past 2 attempts. But my hard-work did not translate into a good score. I was burned out and so I decided to take a break for 4 months and engaged in some introspection. During this phase, I came across various articles explaining why students score lower on subsequent attempts despite the efforts they put in.
The following is an excerpt from a post written by Mike McGarry [Magoosh Test Prep]. This advice for retakers is worth its weight in gold!
"I think the HUGE mistake that so many people do on a retake is: in studying for the retake, they do approximately more of the same. If the student just goes back, and more-or-less repeats his procedure, perhaps with a new question source or new test-prep book, then there's no reason necessarily that the student will see any improvement at all, and perhaps with chance fluctuations, will even see a drop. If you really want to see radical improvement, you need to make radical changes, not only in your materials, but most important, in your mindset, in your entire approach and engagement with the material. Most people are not ready to make radical changes, especially to their mindset, so they don't see radical improvement."
It’s true. I had picked up certain bad habits during my first attempt and continued them in my second attempt. I realized that I had to let go of those habit and that I needed a drastic change in my approach, planning and execution.
I ordered the ESR and analyzed my weakness. My previous medium of instruction - video based learning and book based self-study - did not work for me. I decided to change my approach. I enrolled in a classroom course and followed a Verbal-heavy study plan. My tutors had devised a timetable and assigned weekly targets. I followed those diligently. I also incorporated an error log into my prep. I continued with MGMAT guides but for questions I limited myself to Official material only. I started seeing an increase in accuracy in my weak areas - CR and RC. My mock scores on exam pack 1&2 were 730,690,740,760. I felt confident going in the exam and scored 730[Q49 V41], a 100 point increase over my previous score. I was a little disappointed because the score was 20 points fewer than what I had expected and because I could not improve on my Quant score. Nonetheless, I am satisfied and I'm looking forward to the application process.
After asking ex-students on Quora and LinkedIn, I decided to join EduShastra. I had read about their teaching method and testing phase. One of the highlights of EduShastra is its class batch strength. At any given time, the number of students in class never exceeded 7. This forces the student to participate in every discussion in classroom. You cannot be a mere spectator or passive student. This type of teaching is especially helpful in Verbal Sessions. Reading out your answer, elaborating your thought process to reach the answer and defending your answer choice from scrutiny helped me immensely in CR and RC. Our Verbal faculty, Hasan sir, has strong command over the concepts and techniques. He provided us with tips necessary to improve speed and accuracy to score well in GMAT. The tutors at EduShastra insisted me to come up with my own strategies. Another highlight of EduShastra is its testing phase. Regular tests and assignments do keep you on your toes. But at times, these tests and their evaluations are exhausting. After about 3/4th of the process, I switched to Exam packs. Overall, I did benefit in the Verbal section, not so much in Quant.
First Attempt
Like other students, I started my journey reading blogs and sites such as gmatclub and BTG. I bought the OG16 and got myself acquainted with exam and question types. For my prep I used a video-based learning approach. [A friend of mine recommended it to me] .While the content was good, it didn’t help me grasp concepts in Verbal section. I found this medium of learning one-directional. However, I can't blame that test prep company as the debacle of the first attempt was entirely my fault. My preparation was all over the place. I read a few blogs and debrief stating that I need to refer to material from XYZ sources to attain a good score. This distracted me and I kept switching among different materials. As my exam date approached, my preparation intensified. The scores on my gprep mocks were 740 and 650! I kept telling myself that the lower score was an anomaly. I tried to keep myself upbeat. But I wasn’t confident going into the test. In fact on d-day, right from the moment I woke up to the final minute of the exam, I had negative vibes. At no point during the exam did I feel in control. My first attempt was marred by bad planning and bad execution. It was a total train-wreck. [640 Q47 V31]
Second Attempt
I took a break for 3 weeks and came back fresh. I spend few days researching articles about retaking GMAT. I read that students generally improve scores on their second attempt. So there was hope. After analyzing my scores from the first attempt, I found that both Quant and Verbal scores needed improvement. I did not opt for any test prep classes. I referred to only MGMAT study guides as many successful gmat-takers vouched for their effectiveness. Those guides were definitely helpful in Quant and SC. [For CR, I referred to Powerscore CR bible.] The only issue with MGMAT Guides - very few questions. Those guides rely on OG questions. I kept my study material limited but I did incorporate unofficial material too. I even used the MGMAT test series and scored a couple of 700+ in those mocks. And since everyone says MGMAT tests are more difficult than actual GMAT tests, I was confident to cross 700.Going into the test, I was totally in control. All good vibes, right from the get-go. Breezed through the Quant & Verbal section & hurried through IR and AWA. The whole exam, especially verbal, felt so easy. Just half-way through I knew that I was close to my dream score. Couldn’t be more wrong!! I scored lower than my previous score. [630 Q49 V26]I was shocked. While I did manage to improve my Quant score, my Verbal score took a hit. This is despite the fact that my verbal section was so 'easy'.
Introspection:
I had put a lot of effort into the past 2 attempts. But my hard-work did not translate into a good score. I was burned out and so I decided to take a break for 4 months and engaged in some introspection. During this phase, I came across various articles explaining why students score lower on subsequent attempts despite the efforts they put in.
The following is an excerpt from a post written by Mike McGarry [Magoosh Test Prep]. This advice for retakers is worth its weight in gold!
"I think the HUGE mistake that so many people do on a retake is: in studying for the retake, they do approximately more of the same. If the student just goes back, and more-or-less repeats his procedure, perhaps with a new question source or new test-prep book, then there's no reason necessarily that the student will see any improvement at all, and perhaps with chance fluctuations, will even see a drop. If you really want to see radical improvement, you need to make radical changes, not only in your materials, but most important, in your mindset, in your entire approach and engagement with the material. Most people are not ready to make radical changes, especially to their mindset, so they don't see radical improvement."
It’s true. I had picked up certain bad habits during my first attempt and continued them in my second attempt. I realized that I had to let go of those habit and that I needed a drastic change in my approach, planning and execution.
Third Attempt
I ordered the ESR and analyzed my weakness. My previous medium of instruction - video based learning and book based self-study - did not work for me. I decided to change my approach. I enrolled in a classroom course and followed a Verbal-heavy study plan. My tutors had devised a timetable and assigned weekly targets. I followed those diligently. I also incorporated an error log into my prep. I continued with MGMAT guides but for questions I limited myself to Official material only. I started seeing an increase in accuracy in my weak areas - CR and RC. My mock scores on exam pack 1&2 were 730,690,740,760. I felt confident going in the exam and scored 730[Q49 V41], a 100 point increase over my previous score. I was a little disappointed because the score was 20 points fewer than what I had expected and because I could not improve on my Quant score. Nonetheless, I am satisfied and I'm looking forward to the application process.
My experience with classroom coaching
After asking ex-students on Quora and LinkedIn, I decided to join EduShastra. I had read about their teaching method and testing phase. One of the highlights of EduShastra is its class batch strength. At any given time, the number of students in class never exceeded 7. This forces the student to participate in every discussion in classroom. You cannot be a mere spectator or passive student. This type of teaching is especially helpful in Verbal Sessions. Reading out your answer, elaborating your thought process to reach the answer and defending your answer choice from scrutiny helped me immensely in CR and RC. Our Verbal faculty, Hasan sir, has strong command over the concepts and techniques. He provided us with tips necessary to improve speed and accuracy to score well in GMAT. The tutors at EduShastra insisted me to come up with my own strategies. Another highlight of EduShastra is its testing phase. Regular tests and assignments do keep you on your toes. But at times, these tests and their evaluations are exhausting. After about 3/4th of the process, I switched to Exam packs. Overall, I did benefit in the Verbal section, not so much in Quant.
25 Mar 2018, 04:41
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BootesVoid
Thank you for writing such an interesting and enlightening post. Very descriptive and good reading.
Really surprised to see no action on this post.
But whatever, thanks for writing this post.
07 Apr 2018, 00:32
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BootesVoid
Sir, Very Informative Post. Its very useful for lost souls like me. Please also share your experience about edushastra in detail. I am planning to join them. The demo was very good. Please also keep on writing about your MBA applications and your experience.
