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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.
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28 Mar 2021, 01:42
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My GMAT Success story: Being a fulltime Flight Operations Manager in the Indian Armed forces and scoring 690 in the first attempt
The Background
I am a short service commissioned officer in the Indian Air Force and on the verge of completing initial term of 10 years. I had two choices in front of me. Either to continue in the Armed forces or to take a chance and transition in the corporate world. Many people suggested me to stay on. Good job, good salary, job security, prevailing pandemic situation, unsure economic conditions outside – these were some of the reasons which people gave me in order to persuade me to continue status quo. But somehow I felt that I transitioning into the corporate world at present was the right thing for me to do. This is the first lesson for those who are aiming for top leadership postions. Have the conviction to do what YOU think as right.
The Preparation
I started my preparation my getting Manhattan strategy guides and going through them. The SC guide is the most important of them all. It starts from the very basics of grammar and gives you the knowledge which is needed to get a good verbal score on the GMAT. I also enrolled in Jamboree’s online coaching program. Their quant lessons are very good and helps to build a very strong foundation needed to solve tough questions. Almost one month into my prep, I gave the first GMATPrep test. I scored 660 (Q44, V37). This is also termed as the “benchmark score” by many. I took adequate time to analyze the examination. For every question wherever I went wrong, I looked up for detailed solutions and tried to understand where I was going wrong. Where to look for solutions? Our beloved GMATClub forum, where else???
Then I started working my way through OG21. I did questions in a sequential manner. My tip here to GMAT aspirants: Solve questions in sets of 10 or 15 (Max). Then analyze them for correctness and accuracy. Also calculate your speed for those 10/15 ques.
Fast forward 3 months, I completed OG21 and free full length tests from Manhattan, Kaplan and SigmaX. There are loads and loads of reviews out there in this forum to list out the pros and cons of each of them. My single take is : Use the free practice tests on such websites just to test your endurance and ability to sit for 3 hours at one place. Their scores are not to be relied on. The ONE and ONLY true indicator of your preparedness is official GMATPrep tests. PERIOD.
By now, I was sure that I had completed all concepts and gathered the theoretical knowledge which was required. I attempted by second GMATPrep test. Scored 700 (Q49, V35). I was elated. I felt confident that I am ready to take on the actual test. I booked my online exam and paid my fees. This is very important because without a concrete date, there is no end to the amount of preparation you can keep doing. With a date in mind, everyday when you look at the calendar in the morning, your subconscious mind will keep reminding you about the hardwork you need to put in. I booked a date after one month.
The next phase of my prep was debrief about my GMATPrep 2. I knew that my quant was good. With only 30 days left, I needed to focus on my weak areas only. This happened to be RC. (which is a weak area for many). Never ever underestimate the importance of RC. I believe it is more important than SC or CR because it can make or break your verbal score. I started reading articles from various websites. Although there are many people who keep giving shortcuts such as skimming, skipping, scanning (and god knows what else), my personal take on RC is this : There is one way and only one way to ace RC questions. Read, read and read. Keep reading lots of articles and passages everyday. Understand the passage, read with intent and try to connect with the author.
After one week of changing my process, I could see a tremendous improvement in my RC accuracy. If you want to know your accuracy of questions, I would recommend to practice only Official questions. With 20 days left, I started doing Quant review and verbal review. Although I bought the paperback edition, I accessed all questions on the Wiley efficient learning platform. It is quite useful and helps getting used to reading on a monitor. I also purchased the official exams pack 3 & 4. I scored 720 (Q50, V37) on the 3rd exam and 740 (Q49, V41) on the 4th exam. Take the exams on the same day of the week, at the same time and in the same location as you would take the actual GMAT. Consider each one of the mock tests as your actual test.
Days before the D-Day
With couple of days to go for my exam, I started feeling nervous (this is quite natural). Everyone will feel the same. Calm down those nerves by doing some light activity (Music, movies, jogging), whatever suits you. Do not read too much or cramp yourself with overload of information in those two days. Have a good sleep the previous night (that is, if you get sleep). Most people do not get sleep owing to exam tension and nervousness. I was also one among them. But nevertheless, atleast TRY to get a good sleep.
The Exam day
I am a morning person. All my studies, mock tests, were done in the early morning hours. Therefore, I selected an early morning slot on 12th March. Figure out what kind of a person you are. There will be some time of the day when you are at your best. Book the exam in that time slot. Exactly 15 mins before my scheduled time, the link was made active and I logged in. I completed the check in process and sat down. There was a waiting queue of 3 persons before the proctor was made available. Once the proctor logged in, he asked me to show 360 degree view of my room. He also asked me to show the whiteboard (both sides). Then he released the exam. Quant was bit tougher than the GMATPrep exams. I got stuck on a couple of questions, but had to guess and move on. I completed all 31 Ques with almost 1 min left. Then I started verbal. Had to face 4 RC passages, out of which 2 were pretty easy and 2 were tough. I had to rush through and completed last 3 questions in less than 1 min. I had to wait for 4 days. Those 4 days were the probably the longest in my life. And then on 16th March, I received my scores. It was 690 (Q46, V38). I was expecting 700. But then again, God has his own plans. If not ecstatic, I could say that I was happy. Managing a full time profession, that too a demanding one, and putting in just about 2 hrs per day, scoring 690 in my first attempt was not a easy feat (well that’s how I convinced myself).
Key takeaways
These are my key takeaways:
1. The first quartile of every section (8 or 10 ques) is the most important. Never make a mistake in this section.
2. For time management, I have attached an image herewith. Keep track of the clock at the end of every quartile.
3. The GMATPrep gives you the most accurate assessment of where you stand. Do not go for other CATs. Also the quant section of the actual GMAT is a bit tougher than the GMATPrep. That’s where I faltered causing a drop of 2-3 points in sectional score of quant thereby causing a drop of 10-20 points in my overall score.
4. Practise a lot of questions. But at the same time, go through mistakes and do a thorough analysis of your strong and weak areas.
5. Lastly, enjoy the journey. A 690 or 700 in GMAT is not the end of life. Neither is the GMAT score going to guarantee you an admit in the B-school of your choice. There are other factors such as essays, recommendation letters, and interviews. Have enough time in your hand to work on these aspects as well.
In case of any queries, please feel free to reach out to me.
The Background
I am a short service commissioned officer in the Indian Air Force and on the verge of completing initial term of 10 years. I had two choices in front of me. Either to continue in the Armed forces or to take a chance and transition in the corporate world. Many people suggested me to stay on. Good job, good salary, job security, prevailing pandemic situation, unsure economic conditions outside – these were some of the reasons which people gave me in order to persuade me to continue status quo. But somehow I felt that I transitioning into the corporate world at present was the right thing for me to do. This is the first lesson for those who are aiming for top leadership postions. Have the conviction to do what YOU think as right.
The Preparation
I started my preparation my getting Manhattan strategy guides and going through them. The SC guide is the most important of them all. It starts from the very basics of grammar and gives you the knowledge which is needed to get a good verbal score on the GMAT. I also enrolled in Jamboree’s online coaching program. Their quant lessons are very good and helps to build a very strong foundation needed to solve tough questions. Almost one month into my prep, I gave the first GMATPrep test. I scored 660 (Q44, V37). This is also termed as the “benchmark score” by many. I took adequate time to analyze the examination. For every question wherever I went wrong, I looked up for detailed solutions and tried to understand where I was going wrong. Where to look for solutions? Our beloved GMATClub forum, where else???
Then I started working my way through OG21. I did questions in a sequential manner. My tip here to GMAT aspirants: Solve questions in sets of 10 or 15 (Max). Then analyze them for correctness and accuracy. Also calculate your speed for those 10/15 ques.
Fast forward 3 months, I completed OG21 and free full length tests from Manhattan, Kaplan and SigmaX. There are loads and loads of reviews out there in this forum to list out the pros and cons of each of them. My single take is : Use the free practice tests on such websites just to test your endurance and ability to sit for 3 hours at one place. Their scores are not to be relied on. The ONE and ONLY true indicator of your preparedness is official GMATPrep tests. PERIOD.
By now, I was sure that I had completed all concepts and gathered the theoretical knowledge which was required. I attempted by second GMATPrep test. Scored 700 (Q49, V35). I was elated. I felt confident that I am ready to take on the actual test. I booked my online exam and paid my fees. This is very important because without a concrete date, there is no end to the amount of preparation you can keep doing. With a date in mind, everyday when you look at the calendar in the morning, your subconscious mind will keep reminding you about the hardwork you need to put in. I booked a date after one month.
The next phase of my prep was debrief about my GMATPrep 2. I knew that my quant was good. With only 30 days left, I needed to focus on my weak areas only. This happened to be RC. (which is a weak area for many). Never ever underestimate the importance of RC. I believe it is more important than SC or CR because it can make or break your verbal score. I started reading articles from various websites. Although there are many people who keep giving shortcuts such as skimming, skipping, scanning (and god knows what else), my personal take on RC is this : There is one way and only one way to ace RC questions. Read, read and read. Keep reading lots of articles and passages everyday. Understand the passage, read with intent and try to connect with the author.
After one week of changing my process, I could see a tremendous improvement in my RC accuracy. If you want to know your accuracy of questions, I would recommend to practice only Official questions. With 20 days left, I started doing Quant review and verbal review. Although I bought the paperback edition, I accessed all questions on the Wiley efficient learning platform. It is quite useful and helps getting used to reading on a monitor. I also purchased the official exams pack 3 & 4. I scored 720 (Q50, V37) on the 3rd exam and 740 (Q49, V41) on the 4th exam. Take the exams on the same day of the week, at the same time and in the same location as you would take the actual GMAT. Consider each one of the mock tests as your actual test.
Days before the D-Day
With couple of days to go for my exam, I started feeling nervous (this is quite natural). Everyone will feel the same. Calm down those nerves by doing some light activity (Music, movies, jogging), whatever suits you. Do not read too much or cramp yourself with overload of information in those two days. Have a good sleep the previous night (that is, if you get sleep). Most people do not get sleep owing to exam tension and nervousness. I was also one among them. But nevertheless, atleast TRY to get a good sleep.
The Exam day
I am a morning person. All my studies, mock tests, were done in the early morning hours. Therefore, I selected an early morning slot on 12th March. Figure out what kind of a person you are. There will be some time of the day when you are at your best. Book the exam in that time slot. Exactly 15 mins before my scheduled time, the link was made active and I logged in. I completed the check in process and sat down. There was a waiting queue of 3 persons before the proctor was made available. Once the proctor logged in, he asked me to show 360 degree view of my room. He also asked me to show the whiteboard (both sides). Then he released the exam. Quant was bit tougher than the GMATPrep exams. I got stuck on a couple of questions, but had to guess and move on. I completed all 31 Ques with almost 1 min left. Then I started verbal. Had to face 4 RC passages, out of which 2 were pretty easy and 2 were tough. I had to rush through and completed last 3 questions in less than 1 min. I had to wait for 4 days. Those 4 days were the probably the longest in my life. And then on 16th March, I received my scores. It was 690 (Q46, V38). I was expecting 700. But then again, God has his own plans. If not ecstatic, I could say that I was happy. Managing a full time profession, that too a demanding one, and putting in just about 2 hrs per day, scoring 690 in my first attempt was not a easy feat (well that’s how I convinced myself).
Key takeaways
These are my key takeaways:
1. The first quartile of every section (8 or 10 ques) is the most important. Never make a mistake in this section.
2. For time management, I have attached an image herewith. Keep track of the clock at the end of every quartile.
3. The GMATPrep gives you the most accurate assessment of where you stand. Do not go for other CATs. Also the quant section of the actual GMAT is a bit tougher than the GMATPrep. That’s where I faltered causing a drop of 2-3 points in sectional score of quant thereby causing a drop of 10-20 points in my overall score.
4. Practise a lot of questions. But at the same time, go through mistakes and do a thorough analysis of your strong and weak areas.
5. Lastly, enjoy the journey. A 690 or 700 in GMAT is not the end of life. Neither is the GMAT score going to guarantee you an admit in the B-school of your choice. There are other factors such as essays, recommendation letters, and interviews. Have enough time in your hand to work on these aspects as well.
In case of any queries, please feel free to reach out to me.
28 Mar 2021, 17:01
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi Sankaran,
A 690/Q46 is a strong Score - and with a strong profile, you should be able to comfortably apply to any Schools that interest you. Depending on the Programs that you're planning to apply to, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. Those Experts should be able to answer your Admissions questions and help define the specific areas of your profile that could use some improvement. There's a Forum full of those Experts here:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
A 690/Q46 is a strong Score - and with a strong profile, you should be able to comfortably apply to any Schools that interest you. Depending on the Programs that you're planning to apply to, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. Those Experts should be able to answer your Admissions questions and help define the specific areas of your profile that could use some improvement. There's a Forum full of those Experts here:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
29 Mar 2021, 02:17
Kudos
Bookmarks
Good job officer. All the best for your applications and career ahead!
