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15 Jun 2021, 04:38
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Hi fellow hustlers,
My objective behind writing this debrief is to share insights from my GMAT journey which I feel could be valuable to your own GMAT journey. Along my journey of 3 attempts, a score of 670 (V40, Q42) to 740 (V40, Q50) and self-prep to eGMAT expert help, I have made crucial mistakes and learned some important lessons, some of which I want to capture here.
GMAT Attempt 1: 670 (V40, Q42)
GMAT Attempt 2: 710 (V40, Q48)
GMAT Attempt 3: 740 (V40, Q50)
Resources
Official Guide
Quant Review
Verbal Review
GMAT Mocks 1-6
Manhattan Books
eGMAT course (More on this below)
GMAT Ninja YT videos
Tips/ learnings
1) Don't study from the GMAT Official Guides with the objective of learning concepts. Worst mistake you could ever make.
2) Take a mock early to understand where you stand and identify what you need to do to get to your target score.
3) Research into scores from your demographic and target schools. Set a target score accordingly. I set myself a target of 700+ but I realized over time that the target was too low considering the demographic I am from (yes, I'm Indian but fortunately not from an IT background). Research early so that you can develop a plan accordingly.
4) Make a plan. Stick to it. Now that doesn't mean you need to have a complete plan right down to every single minute of every single day, but you should set milestones for yourself, towards which you can work.
5) Learn concepts and only then move on to practicing your knowledge of those concepts.
6) It is okay to seek external help. I am sure some of us feel that we're "almost there" with our scores and self-prep is all we need. To some extent, it is true - at the end of the day, you are the one who needs to invest time into the prep but it is invaluable to have someone there to guide you through the process. It makes the journey easier and more bearable.
7) Don't focus only on one section. Just because you're good at one section is by no means a guarantee you will continue to do well on that section. Build on that strong base, while strengthening your weak areas.
8) Don't overly rely on Verbal alone to boost your scores. Now this is something some of you may not agree with but something I definitely felt over the course of my prep. You do NEED a great verbal score to get a solid composite score but Verbal is much harder than Quant to score in. I have scored a V48 on an official mock, with only 1 question incorrect but have consistently scored only a V40 on the 3 official tries. It is common knowledge there is lesser to room to work with in Verbal. Quant, on the other hand, is much more objective in my opinion. You either know it or you don't whereas on Verbal the process of elimination is your best friend. Focus on both sections but a great Verbal score alone won't lift you up!
9) Practice, practice and practice! I am working full time but over the last 1.5 months most of my free time has been devoted to studying. It is a hard pill to swallow but there is no easy way.
10) Let go of questions. If a question is taking far too long, let it go. You are better served investing that time elsewhere.
11) It is okay to feel disappointed with your score. You alone know and understand the effort you are putting into the prep. Be realistic about your goals, acknowledge your weaknesses and build on from there. You're allowed 8 tries and only a few get their target score on the first try!
My Journey
I started preparing for the GMAT back in early January, 2021. At that point, the only information I had about the GMAT was from some of my friends who had given the GMAT themselves. All I knew was that there are 4 sections and we're graded out of 800. I had absolutely no clue about where to begin my GMAT prep from. That is where I made the biggest mistake one could ever make while taking the GMAT. I bought the Official Guide, went through the concepts from the same for 4-5 days and started solving questions on Wiley. Never. Do. That. I can not emphasize that enough. The GMAT Guide and its questions are invaluable resources but only AFTER you have understood concepts fully. Don't exhaust those questions early and more importantly, don't expect to learn from those questions. You may pick up and understand a few new concepts but in the grand scheme of things, you will not learn the process or the reasoning behind those concepts. To give an example, for the longest time I had no clue why several Geometry questions were centred around the good-old 30-60-90 triangles. It was only much later that I realized its importance. Nonetheless, I continued trudging along the Official questions and gave a few mocks to gauge my progress. I got a 680 on the Experts Global mock in mid Feb and blocked my exam date for 8th April, with a goal of 700+. It was only in March beginning that I started diving a little deeper in to the GMAT Club forum, from where I picked up the free resources, including the quant guide. That quant guide was really only my first step towards actually understanding the concepts. My Verbal was still fine in comparison to my Quant and I relied more on instinct than on any 'rules' per se. In the last week leading up to my first try, I took the 2 official mocks and scored a 690 and 740 respectively. I felt fairly confident and prepared for the exam. And that was a rude awakening. I was shocked to see a 670 flash on the screen. In hindsight, I don't think my prep warranted any better.
Although I was disappointed after my first try, I knew I had to re-work my approach for the exam and prepare in a better manner. I got access to the Manhattan books and spent close to 2 weeks going through all guides. I felt much better placed in my understanding of the concepts. Since I had exhausted the OG Questions, I purchased the Quant Review, Verbal Review and Mocks 3-4. After completing the Manhattan books, I was doing much better on the questions from both guides. I took the 2 mocks and scored a 760 and 730 respectively. I devoted a complete month to improving my knowledge base and practicing questions and decided to give the exam on the 12th of May. Close to midnight on the 10th of May, I received a mail from Pearson, informing me that the test centre is shut because of Covid in India and I will have to reschedule my exam. I was extremely disappointed and felt that my entire prep was likely to amount to nothing. However, I decided to take the Enhanced GMAT Online on the 24th of May. Since I had another 12 days for the exam and had completed all resources, I purchased the Official Additional Question Set 1 and Mocks 5-6. I also had time to go through GMAT Ninja's videos on YT. Huge shout out to him, his videos were informative and fun! In the final set of mocks, my performance was even better and I scored a 780 and 770 respectively. However, I got a 710 (V40, Q48) on my 2nd official attempt.
I was content I had improved my performance from last time around but I felt I wasn't quite there - mostly because of the performance in recent mocks but also because the more I researched, the more I realized that a 710 probably won't cut it at the top schools. I took a few days' break and reluctantly decided to give a third (and hopefully third attempt). But this time I knew I needed some external help. Although a 710 made me feel I was there, there was clearly something missing that was holding me back from replicating my performance on the mock exams. I dug through several reviews, videos and forums and finally settled on eGMAT as the course to take.
I purchased the course and gave a mock to gauge my current performance. I got a 720 and shared my results with the eGMAT team. Similar to the Official Exam ESR, the eGMAT mock also prepares a detailed report of your attempt and performance. Based on this report, within a day or so, DJ shared with me a personalized plan, with exact details on what to do. We decided that a 15 day prep should be enough to set me up for the exam. The plan identified I needed to focus on SC in Verbal and Algebra and Word Problems in Quant. Week 1 was spent on improving these areas and week 2 was spent on solidifying the process. Talking first about the Verbal course, I felt that the structure of the course is great - there are guided videos, with detailed solutions to each question and the focus on a 'Meaning Based approach' in SC is invaluable. I would often simply read through the sentence and then rely on my instincts to tackle the question. However, the Meaning Based approach allowed me to focus on not just identifying the errors but also understanding the meaning that the sentence is trying to convey. Similarly in Quant, the modules are structured extremely well. The Quant 2.0 course has a 'Diagnostic Skill' before each module, which helps you identify what part of the module you should cover in detail and what part you could choose to skip. I felt that this is a great step because it allows you to do the course at your own pace, which was particularly important for someone like me who wanted to re-take within two weeks. During week 2, I practiced medium and hard questions only and built up my stamina for the exam. One thing to highlight here is that by practicing only medium and hard questions, I was able to get through relatively 'simple' questions with ease on the exam day, simply because my process had improved.
However, it wasn't just plain sailing before the third try. I got a 690 on the eGMAT mock 2 days before my exam. My confidence was incredibly low and I was prepared to bomb my exam, yet again. But a huge shout out to the eGMAT team, specifically DJ, for their support. I wrote to DJ on the Sunday after my mock because I was unsure what to do. I wasn't even expecting a response since I knew it was a holiday but DJ responded within a few hours. His short reply of "i'll have a fix for you in a short while, relax and don't overthink" was enough to calm my nerves. I feel this is the advantage of working with a team who is there to support you and guide you to success. It made me feel less alone in my journey and I want to thank eGMAT for that!
eGMAT benefits
1) A mentor to guide you to success, so that you feel less alone in your GMAT journey.
2) A personalized plan with milestones and goals to achieve.
3) Meaning Based Approach in SC.
4) Drilling in or as the eGMAT team calls it 'Cementing' the process on Quant.
Testing experience
I took the exam today and got a 740 (V40, Q40). A bit of a bummer to have scored a V40 three times but I can't complain because Quant has improved massively. In terms of the actual testing experience today, the RC passages felt tricky but Quant was relatively easy. Most days I am running out of time (have maybe 8-9 min for the last 5 questions) but today I was comfortably placed and had around 14-15 minutes for the last 5 questions, which allowed me to invest more time on solving some of the more complex questions.
My first try was in a test centre and the last two tries were the Enhanced Online Exam. Now I know some people have reported that the online version is tougher, I wouldn't necessarily agree with that. As long as you are able to sort out a good internet connection, you are good to go with the online version of the exam. On my first shot at the online version, I was extremely nervous, not because of the exam itself but because I was sure my internet would drop. I feel like that impacted my performance. I was much calmer today and felt comfortable in my personal environment. At the end of the day, it is a matter of preference and you should choose the option you are most comfortable with.
My objective behind writing this debrief is to share insights from my GMAT journey which I feel could be valuable to your own GMAT journey. Along my journey of 3 attempts, a score of 670 (V40, Q42) to 740 (V40, Q50) and self-prep to eGMAT expert help, I have made crucial mistakes and learned some important lessons, some of which I want to capture here.
GMAT Attempt 1: 670 (V40, Q42)
GMAT Attempt 2: 710 (V40, Q48)
GMAT Attempt 3: 740 (V40, Q50)
Resources
Official Guide
Quant Review
Verbal Review
GMAT Mocks 1-6
Manhattan Books
eGMAT course (More on this below)
GMAT Ninja YT videos
Tips/ learnings
1) Don't study from the GMAT Official Guides with the objective of learning concepts. Worst mistake you could ever make.
2) Take a mock early to understand where you stand and identify what you need to do to get to your target score.
3) Research into scores from your demographic and target schools. Set a target score accordingly. I set myself a target of 700+ but I realized over time that the target was too low considering the demographic I am from (yes, I'm Indian but fortunately not from an IT background). Research early so that you can develop a plan accordingly.
4) Make a plan. Stick to it. Now that doesn't mean you need to have a complete plan right down to every single minute of every single day, but you should set milestones for yourself, towards which you can work.
5) Learn concepts and only then move on to practicing your knowledge of those concepts.
6) It is okay to seek external help. I am sure some of us feel that we're "almost there" with our scores and self-prep is all we need. To some extent, it is true - at the end of the day, you are the one who needs to invest time into the prep but it is invaluable to have someone there to guide you through the process. It makes the journey easier and more bearable.
7) Don't focus only on one section. Just because you're good at one section is by no means a guarantee you will continue to do well on that section. Build on that strong base, while strengthening your weak areas.
8) Don't overly rely on Verbal alone to boost your scores. Now this is something some of you may not agree with but something I definitely felt over the course of my prep. You do NEED a great verbal score to get a solid composite score but Verbal is much harder than Quant to score in. I have scored a V48 on an official mock, with only 1 question incorrect but have consistently scored only a V40 on the 3 official tries. It is common knowledge there is lesser to room to work with in Verbal. Quant, on the other hand, is much more objective in my opinion. You either know it or you don't whereas on Verbal the process of elimination is your best friend. Focus on both sections but a great Verbal score alone won't lift you up!
9) Practice, practice and practice! I am working full time but over the last 1.5 months most of my free time has been devoted to studying. It is a hard pill to swallow but there is no easy way.
10) Let go of questions. If a question is taking far too long, let it go. You are better served investing that time elsewhere.
11) It is okay to feel disappointed with your score. You alone know and understand the effort you are putting into the prep. Be realistic about your goals, acknowledge your weaknesses and build on from there. You're allowed 8 tries and only a few get their target score on the first try!
My Journey
I started preparing for the GMAT back in early January, 2021. At that point, the only information I had about the GMAT was from some of my friends who had given the GMAT themselves. All I knew was that there are 4 sections and we're graded out of 800. I had absolutely no clue about where to begin my GMAT prep from. That is where I made the biggest mistake one could ever make while taking the GMAT. I bought the Official Guide, went through the concepts from the same for 4-5 days and started solving questions on Wiley. Never. Do. That. I can not emphasize that enough. The GMAT Guide and its questions are invaluable resources but only AFTER you have understood concepts fully. Don't exhaust those questions early and more importantly, don't expect to learn from those questions. You may pick up and understand a few new concepts but in the grand scheme of things, you will not learn the process or the reasoning behind those concepts. To give an example, for the longest time I had no clue why several Geometry questions were centred around the good-old 30-60-90 triangles. It was only much later that I realized its importance. Nonetheless, I continued trudging along the Official questions and gave a few mocks to gauge my progress. I got a 680 on the Experts Global mock in mid Feb and blocked my exam date for 8th April, with a goal of 700+. It was only in March beginning that I started diving a little deeper in to the GMAT Club forum, from where I picked up the free resources, including the quant guide. That quant guide was really only my first step towards actually understanding the concepts. My Verbal was still fine in comparison to my Quant and I relied more on instinct than on any 'rules' per se. In the last week leading up to my first try, I took the 2 official mocks and scored a 690 and 740 respectively. I felt fairly confident and prepared for the exam. And that was a rude awakening. I was shocked to see a 670 flash on the screen. In hindsight, I don't think my prep warranted any better.
Although I was disappointed after my first try, I knew I had to re-work my approach for the exam and prepare in a better manner. I got access to the Manhattan books and spent close to 2 weeks going through all guides. I felt much better placed in my understanding of the concepts. Since I had exhausted the OG Questions, I purchased the Quant Review, Verbal Review and Mocks 3-4. After completing the Manhattan books, I was doing much better on the questions from both guides. I took the 2 mocks and scored a 760 and 730 respectively. I devoted a complete month to improving my knowledge base and practicing questions and decided to give the exam on the 12th of May. Close to midnight on the 10th of May, I received a mail from Pearson, informing me that the test centre is shut because of Covid in India and I will have to reschedule my exam. I was extremely disappointed and felt that my entire prep was likely to amount to nothing. However, I decided to take the Enhanced GMAT Online on the 24th of May. Since I had another 12 days for the exam and had completed all resources, I purchased the Official Additional Question Set 1 and Mocks 5-6. I also had time to go through GMAT Ninja's videos on YT. Huge shout out to him, his videos were informative and fun! In the final set of mocks, my performance was even better and I scored a 780 and 770 respectively. However, I got a 710 (V40, Q48) on my 2nd official attempt.
I was content I had improved my performance from last time around but I felt I wasn't quite there - mostly because of the performance in recent mocks but also because the more I researched, the more I realized that a 710 probably won't cut it at the top schools. I took a few days' break and reluctantly decided to give a third (and hopefully third attempt). But this time I knew I needed some external help. Although a 710 made me feel I was there, there was clearly something missing that was holding me back from replicating my performance on the mock exams. I dug through several reviews, videos and forums and finally settled on eGMAT as the course to take.
I purchased the course and gave a mock to gauge my current performance. I got a 720 and shared my results with the eGMAT team. Similar to the Official Exam ESR, the eGMAT mock also prepares a detailed report of your attempt and performance. Based on this report, within a day or so, DJ shared with me a personalized plan, with exact details on what to do. We decided that a 15 day prep should be enough to set me up for the exam. The plan identified I needed to focus on SC in Verbal and Algebra and Word Problems in Quant. Week 1 was spent on improving these areas and week 2 was spent on solidifying the process. Talking first about the Verbal course, I felt that the structure of the course is great - there are guided videos, with detailed solutions to each question and the focus on a 'Meaning Based approach' in SC is invaluable. I would often simply read through the sentence and then rely on my instincts to tackle the question. However, the Meaning Based approach allowed me to focus on not just identifying the errors but also understanding the meaning that the sentence is trying to convey. Similarly in Quant, the modules are structured extremely well. The Quant 2.0 course has a 'Diagnostic Skill' before each module, which helps you identify what part of the module you should cover in detail and what part you could choose to skip. I felt that this is a great step because it allows you to do the course at your own pace, which was particularly important for someone like me who wanted to re-take within two weeks. During week 2, I practiced medium and hard questions only and built up my stamina for the exam. One thing to highlight here is that by practicing only medium and hard questions, I was able to get through relatively 'simple' questions with ease on the exam day, simply because my process had improved.
However, it wasn't just plain sailing before the third try. I got a 690 on the eGMAT mock 2 days before my exam. My confidence was incredibly low and I was prepared to bomb my exam, yet again. But a huge shout out to the eGMAT team, specifically DJ, for their support. I wrote to DJ on the Sunday after my mock because I was unsure what to do. I wasn't even expecting a response since I knew it was a holiday but DJ responded within a few hours. His short reply of "i'll have a fix for you in a short while, relax and don't overthink" was enough to calm my nerves. I feel this is the advantage of working with a team who is there to support you and guide you to success. It made me feel less alone in my journey and I want to thank eGMAT for that!
eGMAT benefits
1) A mentor to guide you to success, so that you feel less alone in your GMAT journey.
2) A personalized plan with milestones and goals to achieve.
3) Meaning Based Approach in SC.
4) Drilling in or as the eGMAT team calls it 'Cementing' the process on Quant.
Testing experience
I took the exam today and got a 740 (V40, Q40). A bit of a bummer to have scored a V40 three times but I can't complain because Quant has improved massively. In terms of the actual testing experience today, the RC passages felt tricky but Quant was relatively easy. Most days I am running out of time (have maybe 8-9 min for the last 5 questions) but today I was comfortably placed and had around 14-15 minutes for the last 5 questions, which allowed me to invest more time on solving some of the more complex questions.
My first try was in a test centre and the last two tries were the Enhanced Online Exam. Now I know some people have reported that the online version is tougher, I wouldn't necessarily agree with that. As long as you are able to sort out a good internet connection, you are good to go with the online version of the exam. On my first shot at the online version, I was extremely nervous, not because of the exam itself but because I was sure my internet would drop. I feel like that impacted my performance. I was much calmer today and felt comfortable in my personal environment. At the end of the day, it is a matter of preference and you should choose the option you are most comfortable with.
sherxon
Joined: 28 May 2021
Last visit: 09 Nov 2025
Posts: 130
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Given Kudos: 30
Location: Uzbekistan
Concentration: Strategy, General Management
Schools: Carlson (A$$$) Kenan-Flagler '25 (A$$$$) Goizueta '25 (A$$$) Olin '25 (A$$$$) Fuqua '25 (M$$$$) Marshall '25 (A$$$$)
GMAT 1: 740 Q50 V40
GMAT 2: 770 Q50 V46 (Online)
GPA: 4
Products:
Schools: Carlson (A$$$) Kenan-Flagler '25 (A$$$$) Goizueta '25 (A$$$) Olin '25 (A$$$$) Fuqua '25 (M$$$$) Marshall '25 (A$$$$)
GMAT 2: 770 Q50 V46 (Online)
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17 Jun 2021, 00:18
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icemanlindelof, congratulations!!
So happy for you.
I see you have kept a steady verbal score of 40 across 3 exams.
So happy for you.
I see you have kept a steady verbal score of 40 across 3 exams.
