My GMAT journey to 770 in first attempt: choosing the right course

Question

My GMAT journey, apart from being a great learning opportunity, was a journey of discoveries, a lot of them made by making some silly and avoidable mistakes and learning the hard way. I am sharing my experience so others don’t make the same mistakes. I did end up scoring 770 in my first attempt so I must have learned something from them! 
 Here are 3 things you can expect as a takeaway from this post- 
 1. Parameters to evaluate a GMAT course
2. Review of e-GMAT course
3. Mistakes that I made and you can learn from.

What you should not expect- quick tips on how to excel in a particular section, there are none, at least those that work for everyone.

Preface

I graduated from IIT Delhi in 2015 and since then I have worked with some of India’s most well funded and valued startups - OLA, upGrad and LEAD. 
I decided to start preparing for GMAT in March 2023. I had not taken a written test since college and while I was pretty confident on my quant abilities, I knew my verbal abilities needed some work.  I have discovered that a good starting point is taking free adaptive mock GMAT tests offered by various sites . The results were varied for me, I scored 700 in the first mock test and 570 in the second.  The scores were not as important to me at the time. I just wanted to identify my handicaps i.e. areas that need work so that I could decide the best course of action.  I realised that as expected, verbal was an issue; the question format and the concepts tested there is something that we don’t encounter as part of the Indian education system, at least I did not. Quant also was an issue for me, I was not even able to complete my quant test in the second mock as I was simply out of touch, I could not even remember basic formulae like surface area of a sphere or probability theory, something I really excelled at one point.
So I needed something that could help me
1. learn the concepts needed in Verbal section, and 
2. quickly revise the relevant skills needed for the quant section of GMAT.

Since I am a working professional and like to travel,  I wanted something asynchronous . That’s also the learning mode that works best for me. I simply cannot learn in a typical classroom set up. Perhaps because of my ed-tech experience I knew exactly what I was looking for and when I came across e-GMAT, it just clicked. The mode of learning is asynchronous, it takes into account what you know to design a customised learning path for you and when needed you can ask for help from a mentor. It ticked all the boxes for things that I was looking for, at least from a logistics point of view. To really evaluate the quality of content and the platform, I signed up for the trial version. I liked the content, the platform and the pedagogy, so I signed up for the program.
 I am presenting a review of the course below. While I am reviewing only e-GMAT course, I am also defining some important parameters that you can use to compare different courses available in the market. The framework is just as important a takeaway as the review itself.

e-GMAT Course review-

How it works 
 1. You start by taking a GMAT style adaptive mock exam to identify the baseline. 
2. After the mock you fill in your sectional target scores. Comparing your current level in each section with your target score, the system designs a study plan.
3. You can make adjustments to your study plan based on your schedule, like the number of hours you can devote on a weekday or a weekend. It can be changed at any point based on how you are progressing.
4. It starts with the introduction of GMAT and e-GMAT pedagogy. The details of the course pedagogy finally convinced me that I made the right decision choosing e-GMAT. It tells you how much thought has been put into the course.

The content and the learning experience 
As part of my professional experience in the ed-tech sector, I have come across and evaluated content of various platforms. Let me evaluate e-GMAT on some key parameters

A) Pedagogy  
Pedagogy is the single most important parameter when evaluating any learning medium, not just ed-tech platforms. e-GMAT course does quite well on this front.
 1. There is a solid question solving strategy for each question type that you come across in GMAT - Quant, SC, CR and RC. The strategy becomes important when you want to apply the concepts that you have learned to complex and varied problem statements. For example in SC, there is a lot of focus on meaning based approach.
2. I also found the strategy to solidify concepts through cementing quizzes very helpful. Overall the course design felt very thought through.
3. Typical attention span is less than 5 min in an online learning scenario and the e-GMAT course seems to have been designed keeping that in mind. You don’t keep watching videos for hours on end, there is plenty of practice interspersed to keep you engaged and solidify the concepts. It is not possible to complete a module without continuously engaging with it.
4. I love the attitude with which the course is designed. It is not about tricks, but building ability. The end goal of what we are learning is not to just clear GMAT but build ability that will help during an MBA or professional career. This attitude is reinforced throughout the course and with this attitude, the time investment towards the course just seems so much more worthwhile.

B) Question bank size and difficulty level 
 1. The question bank is quite sufficient. I was barely able to use 50% of it. (387/1067 in verbal and 337/1363 in quant)
2. The platform also has a separate section to practise QG questions. All questions have detailed solutions.
3. The platform allows you to design your own highly customised tests using this question bank (using either OG or proprietary Questions).
4. One can also take up to 4 adaptive mocks in addition to the diagnostic mock one takes in the beginning. They were more than enough for me, I was only able to take 3.
5. The question level is just slightly above or equal to GMAT level for all sections, which is exactly what you want. 
6. The data analytics provided on questions is targeted and very helpful. It does not drown you in data based graphs and visuals but only shows some chosen key graphs that help you understand your performance and weak areas.

C) Platform 
 1. The platform is clean and easy to use once you get the hang of it. 
2. It complements the learning pedagogy well. 
3. The ‘PACE’ feature available in the quants sections is a real time saver. Based on the diagnostic test before each module, the platform auto skips some parts for you so that you can save time. I think I saved about 60 hours this way. 
4. It works decently well on the phone browser. It would have been amazing if there was an app to complement this content and make it available for study offline.

D) Forum for doubt clarification 
There is a forum where you can post queries or doubts that you come across while studying. Most of the common queries have already been answered so that’s very helpful. Typical response time is less than 24 hours.

E) Content errors  
I did not come across any major glaring errors, which is a big deal for such a vast content. From personal experience, I know how difficult it is to achieve that.

F) Support 
 1. My mentor was Rashmi. Her support was crucial to my success. She typically gave me a detailed and helpful response within 24 hours of raising a query via email.
2. Once I was done with my course and scored 740 in the first mock, I reached out to her to help me improve my score further. She informed me that I was eligible for the LMP (Last Mile Program) as part of which she gave me a detailed study plan after analysing my test results and the data of all the tests that I had given.
3. The discussions, and videos analysing my test data brought so much clarity and helped me redirect my efforts in the right direction over the last 2 weeks leading up to the exam.
4. Even though I performed poorly in the next two mocks, 730 each, she assured me that it was just a result of fatigue and not ability because the overall data showed a different picture. Her emails really kept me motivated and confident right up to the exam day.

Important Takeaways

Determine your baseline and learning needs 
Take one of the numerous free mocks out there to discover areas that you need to work on and find the most effective way to bridge those gaps. Most of you are working professionals, your time and energy has hard monetary value, so my advice is to use the right expert to bridge those gaps. Yes, YouTube might have everything you need but at the expense of your time (=money), and you still may not get it right.

Your learning medium 
 1. Choose your learning medium/platform carefully and then stick with it throughout your journey. Too many cooks will spoil the broth (your GMAT exam). 
2. Read my review of the e-GMAT course above and use those parameters to evaluate the learning mediums before getting started. e-GMAT worked for me as in addition to the factors mentioned in my review, I like to learn by myself and was able to discipline myself (it was a journey!). For some people this may not work - some people learn better in a classroom like setup or need a rigid schedule to keep them disciplined. Please think about your needs and what helps you learn best. A lot of platforms and courses offer trial versions and free/demo classes. Most at least have some sort of webinar to give you a feel of their platform. Choose a platform that works for your learning style.

Buying Official Guides is essential, over reliance on them is not.  
 1.Solving OG questions is extremely important, solve as many of them as you can without overexerting yourself. They are really helpful in understanding what to expect.
2. But also remember that OG questions are just too easy especially for Quants section. The extended version - “Quant review” is better but still a level below the actual questions you will encounter in the exam. Quant section of the combined official guide is just too easy! Do not use that as a benchmark for what to expect in the actual test.
3. Verbal questions across both the OGs are much more representative of what to expect in GMAT.
4. I have also been told that the 2 free mocks that accompany GMAT registration are again very easy compared to the actual test. Your score in them will give you a false sense of confidence.

Yes there is something like over-practice.  
A week before GMAT, I was done with both the course and the revision of my weak areas. So I thought, let’s practise as many questions as I can, it can only help. Boy was I wrong! My scores in subsequent mocks in my previously strong areas actually dropped! Reason - fatigue! T ake a breather a day before the exam, just let your mind relax. You will not have an epiphany on the last day before the exam.

Don't forget your Passport 
On the day of the exam, don't forget your Passport if you are an Indian student. It is not clearly mentioned in the communication emails and you have to make several clicks to discover this. But please do not make the same mistake I did. I thought AADHAR should work everywhere in India. But presenting a physical passport is mandatory to appear for GMAT in India! It is ridiculous but it's true! Luckily my e-GMAT mentor, Rashmi, informed me of this fact, just in time and saved me a major embarrassment. I was giving my exam in a different city, so I had to get my passport couriered overnight and travel for 3 hours just before my exam to fetch it!

pintukr · Answer

That's a marvelous score !!

Congratulations and All the Best for the applications.

walterwhite756 · Answer

Congratulations on your awesome score. Best of luck for applications round. What all colleges are you targeting?

And thanks for mentioning about Aadhar and Passport mix-up an Indian student is likely to come across.

Businessconquerer · Answer

Good to see you have broken the 760 mark putting you in competitive position for top schools. Do you have any schools of preference that align with your goals?

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Gratz on the 770. All the best going forward.

-contact: gmatknight site | gmatclub dm

bb · Answer

Thanks for sharing! Not every day I hear the word Pedagogy 👍

egmat · Answer

Dear guptavaibhav1393,

Congratulations on the outstanding 770 with a massive 200-point overall improvement and a 12-point verbal and quant improvement from your first cold mock.    What an incredible journey it has been, and I am truly glad to have been a part of it. It has been my pleasure working with you and watching your massive improvement to GMAT success😊

Thank you for sharing your journey here – it helps the other GMAT aspirants not only learn from your inspirational journey but also provides a framework to succeed in the GMAT. I am sure a lot of people will get inspired and benefit from this.

Initial Prep:  
 
It is commendable how you assessed your requirements and constraints to zero in on the kind of study and the course that would help you succeed in the GMAT. Once done, you did not dive directly to the deep end, but took the important steps to plan the journey ahead of you by:

1. Attempting mock to assess your starting abilities and 
2. Creating a study plan to create the roadmap to success.

It is impressive how, once you created the plan, you followed it to the “T”

Verbal Prep:

In verbal, recognising that you need a comprehensive preparation to improve from your starting score of V30, you set about building your ability by building a rock-solid foundation.

Starting with learnings the concepts and basics of application, you then mastered the application to build a strong ability across the verbal section. This image shows how internalising and mastering the meaning-based approach helped you reach 90th percentile ability in SC:

https://success.e-gmat.com/guptavaibhav-90-percentile-ability-in-SC  
 
In CR and RC too, after having built the foundation and mastered the application, you leveraged the data analytics to identify and work on your areas of weakness to a consistent and replicable ability. See how this data-driven approach helped you reach 90th percentile in CR and RC:

https://success.e-gmat.com/guptavaibhav-excellent-CR-RC-ability  
 
  Quant Prep:

In quant too, you were starting out at a lower score on Q39. Given your background, you did not need a comprehensive preparation but more of refresher and practice of solving GMAT-like questions. 
 
So, you leveraged the PACE feature of the quant course to identify and go through your weaker areas where you needed help. It is heartening to know that the time-saving feature of PACE helped you save over 60 hours in quants. See how in Algebra alone, you saved over 14 hours:

https://success.e-gmat.com/guptavaibhav-PACE-time-savings-in-algebra  
 
Once you had refreshed your concepts and application, you then practiced on GMAT-like questions through cementing to reach the top score on the GMAT. This image shows how the Scholaranium data predicted your quant success:

https://success.e-gmat.com/guptavaibhav-scholaranium-predicts-Q51  
 
  Hiccups before the test:

The days before the test weren’t smooth. The two mocks that you took right before the test did not yield the desired results. But the remarkable thing is you did not let this set back daunt you. With all the previous quizzes, test-readiness quizzes and mocks that you had solved and the data from these, you knew this was a one-off case.

The great thing about data-driven preparation strategy is that you are able to recognise outliers and you knew that that is what the mocks were.

Once identified, you were able to then take the necessary corrective measures to ensure that you do not repeat this score on the D-Day and approach the test with a calm and composed attitude.

The passport fiasco on the day before the test and how you handled it smoothly by getting it couriered overnight goes a long way to displaying your calm mindset. Thank you for sharing with the readers that a passport is a mandatory requirement for Indian applications.

The result – The most wonderful success – 770 (V42 & Q51):

Success comes to those who work hard and believe in themselves, and you are a testament to this fact. I am so glad that the months of hard work paid off finally and you took home such an outstanding score that will give you a great fighting chance to get into the institutes of your choice.

I thank you again for sharing this wonderful journey with the other GMAT aspirants out there. I am sure they will take a page out of your journey and take the right steps toward achieving their dream scores too.

I, on behalf of the entire e-GMAT family, want to wish you all the best for the upcoming admission cycle and all your future endeavours.

Best Regards, 
  Rashmi Vaidya

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