Journey to 695/98th percentile on GMAT FE in 6 months (1st attempt)

Question

Initial Journey Hi, everyone! I joined dental school back in 2013 and have been in clinical dentistry ever since. However, over the years, I discovered that I really enjoyed the business or entrepreneurial aspect of my job. The excitement that came with the prospect of expanding and growing my practice and patient outreach was sometimes more for me, than what I did at the chair-side. My Head of Department, noticing my knack for the business aspect of things, encouraged me to pursue an MBA abroad. Thus, begun my GMAT journey in 2023. Except for overhearing it's name in a one-off conversation with my corporate-sector buddies, I hadn't a clue about what the exam entailed. Swagata's YouTube Debrief https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBrppwqg9mI Diagnostic Official Practice Test I went through a few of the GMATNinja videos on Youtube to figure out whether my skill set had the potential to shine in this exam. Charles is a legend, he lays out even the toughest question in the simplest manner! I gave my diagnostic Official Practice test and got a score of 575 (Q74V84DI77) - 62nd percentile . Ok ...

not devastatingly bad, but a huuuge leap to my target score of 90th percentile and above! My verbal skills seemed good but the quant and DI sections really troubled me. Even though I was a 99/100 kinda girl in Gen. Maths and Adv. Maths (it's the Indian equivalent of an advanced placement class) all through high school I had been out of touch with anything mathematical for the last 10 years! So, I knew, I would need professional help, self-study wouldn't cut it! Joining TTP (December, 2023) Finally, after much research on the internet and some helpful advice from a few relatives who had experience in this field, I zero-ed in on Target Test Prep (TTP) for my prep course of choice. It seemed the most reasonably priced for the kind of comprehensive course they offered. Although I subscribed to the course in September, 2023. I was unable to start my prep due to unavoidable personal reasons. The TTP team was very gracious and kind to extend my subscription to start from December instead when I actually had time for the GMAT. Thus, I began the TTP 6 months course as well as joined GMATClub in Mid-December, 2023. I followed the TTP daily study plan to the 'T', while familiarizing myself with the beast that was GMAT and it's "tricks" through the Club Forum discussion threads. I enjoyed my 6 months on TTP, studying between not more than 4-5 hours a day, because the course was easy to understand and kept it interesting through the various review tests. I had a few weak areas but still felt positive and hopeful of my performance. So far, so good. The next step? (March,2024) The real challenge came in March, 2024 when my TTP course work ended. Without a captain to steer my GMAT ship now, I felt rudderless. According to the study plan, all I had to do now was finish the OG guide and Sectional Reviews and then start practicing my Official Mock tests in the next 2 months. Being used to the Indian Competitive Exam landscape of over-cramming and over-reaching yourself to beat out the competition, this seemed too simple a plan. I was suspicious and anxious. Can it really be as straight-forward as this? Didn't I have to take all the practice tests available on the internet from all different prep companies? Aren't there 10,000 other sources I have to study from? Official Practice Tests Stagnation Turns out, it was somewhere in the middle. I gave my Official Practice Test 1 after finishing the TTP course in March, 2024 and scored 645 (Q77V90DI79) - 89th percentile. I was pretty happy about the results, my target score seemed a hair's breadth away with the strategy I was following. But it was not so, as Lennon once brilliantly observed "Reality leaves a lot to the imagination". Breaking the 90th percentile barrier seemed a Herculean task, almost turning Sisyphean after multiple attempts at Practise test 1 and 2. Seeing "645" flash everytime became a "daymare" for me. My verbal scores, although always good, were not based on a set strategy of Critical Reasoing skills, rather on my basic English skills. Futhermore, my Quant and DI scores were too volatile for my comfort. My time management on the tests was abysmal. I needed to pivot, change the gameplan, find my star quarterback. Change of strategy (April, 2024) After extensively going through success story testimonials on GMATClub Forum and Youtube, for Verbal, I decided to go through the Powerscore CR Bible. Additionally, I registered for the E-gmat free trial pack and went through the available lessons for CR. Although I still felt the TTP model of not pre-thinking my answer choices was more fool-proof but going through E-gmat's technique of Negation test and Pre-thinking really helped me develop the right mindset for approaching CR questions with a set structure of steps rather than random reasoning. So, credit to both the prep courses for their techniques. As for Quant, I decided to start practising GMATClub Forum Quant sectional tests while simultaenously completing my OG guides. I meticulously maintained an Error log for each and tried to progressively eliminate as many careless errors as possible. Forum tests can at first feel really intimidating and even discouraging at times because the difficulty level is much higher than that of the actual practice tests. Even so, I perservered. I followed bb 's Time management strategy After a month of this strategy, I finally broke the 90th percentile barrier in April, 2024 and achieved 695 (Q82V85DI86) - 98th percentile! The Downfall (May, 2024) Re-energized with this triumph, I double-d down on my study strategy while continuing to revise my TTP notes and take their review tests. I continued to achieve above the 90th percentile in each of my weekly Practice tests, so much so that I achieved on 99th percentile on the 5th Practice test - 705 (Q87V89DI79) in May, 2024 but I was always bothered by the variation in my sectional scores. Then came the kicker, a sudden drop to the dreaded "645" (

) in my 6th Practice test! I needed to step back, re-group...figure out the reason. Turns out, I was burnt out, I peaked before the finish line was in sight, sprinted when I should have paced myself for the marathon. Icarian ambition was my Achiles heel. It was getting increasingly tough to keep myself motivated and self-disciplined through the burn-out. So, I took a break from everything "GMAT" for 2 weeks and just lived my life - shifted focus entirely on my patients and their treatment plans, started meditation, became more regular with my yoga practice etc. Renewed vigor (June, 2024) Re-started my prep in Mid June, 2024, didn't change my study plan but decided to change my section order in the practice tests from my usual Q-->V-->DI to V-->Q-->DI (Strongest to weakest) after listening to a panel discussion on GMATClub GMAT Day where Mr. Rajat Sadana from E-gmat mentioned that taking sections from strongest to weakest might make your scores more consistent. It worked like a charm! My sectional scores became much more predictable, my time management improved dramatically and I continued to score above the 90th percentile in all my remaining Practice tests! I finally felt I was at my performance peak and shouldn't delay sitting for the exam. Run upto the Actual Test Day (July, 2024) 10 days before the actual test day, I stopped everything and just reviewed my error logs and kept revising my Quant notes and formulae in my TTP notes. The TTP Active review sheets were God-sent! They help revise your notes in the most efficient and succinct manner. I narrowed down my absolute weakest areas in Quant and kept taking multiple GMATClub Forum custom tests for these topics ONLY, no general tests. I didn't give more than 2-3 hours a day to anything GMAT-related. Lived my normal life, didn't let myself feel like something life-altering was coming, didn't change my regular routine AT ALL. D-Day (12th July, 2024) Finally, the Day had arrived! I decided to allay my anxiousness by telling myself that I was just giving another Practice test, it was nothing different. The earth would rotate the same regardless of what my test outcome was going to be. Knowing that there were multiple attempts at the GMAT helped to soothe me further. Thankfully, my test centre was ideal with no other candidate in my time slot, a wonderful proctor and a washroom that was just a step away. So, it almost felt like I was just sitting at home giving another practice test in the silence and comfort of my own bedroom. Simulating the test day conditions with the right scratchpad and markers during my practice tests added to the level of familiarity I felt during the actual test. Lo and behold! A very happy score of 695/98th percentile (Q85V88DI80)! My final words after a verrry long post - Stay focused, don't be afraid to face and overcome your weak areas, change strategy if needed, stay flexible and pace yourself!

GmatTest2026 · Answer

Hi. Congratulation! On achieving your target score.Thank you so much for posting a valuable debrief and I wish you all the best for your future endeavor.

Good luck!

Swagatalaxmi · Answer

Thank you! I am happy if my journey helps anyone in their own GMAT journey!

GmatTest2026 · Answer

Swagatalaxmi  It's my pleasure! I am pleased to see that you can reach your target score. I am a TTP student too and have often seen you in the TTP quant sessions. It's been great for someone who has just cracked the test with such an awesome score. Honestly, I am very happy for you.

Thank you!

egmat · Answer

Swagatalaxmi  - Thank you for sharing your journey! I'm thrilled to hear that e-GMAT played a part in your success story. It's awesome that our CR techniques clicked for you, and I'm especially pumped that Rajat's advice about section order made such a difference!

Your dedication is seriously impressive - pushing through burnout, adapting your strategy, and nailing that 695. That's no small feat!

So, now that you've crushed the GMAT, I'm dying to know - which b-schools are on your radar? Any dream programs that combine your dental background with your business ambitions?

-Payal

bb · Answer

Wow! Awesome score! Congratulations!

That was a long journey! 
Any advice for people who are preparing for a long time?

Posted from my mobile device

EnglishAgast · Answer

Congratulations Swagatalaxmi ! 695 is indeed a great score. All the best for apps! If possible, pls could you share your detailed report? Thanks

Swagatalaxmi · Answer

Thank you for your kind wishes. I wish you well on your own journey! You have chosen TTP as your guide, so you are already on the right path! You'll do great!

Swagatalaxmi · Answer

Yes! Although I wasn't a full-time student at E-gmat, I still felt I owed you a thank you note because whatever I learnt from your platform and panel discussion made a lot of difference towards the end to jump from 90th to 98th percentile

The B-schools on my radar right now are the T-15 in US (specially M7), E7 in Europe and ISB, XLRI and SPJ in India. I have a few in mind I really want to target but I am still going through all these programs one by one meticulously based on my future goal of a career in healthcare consulting, strategy and operations so that I can make the best possible informed decision. Thank you for your interest in my future plans.

GmatTest2026 · Answer

Swagatalaxmi  Thank you so much for the great wishes. I hope to connect with you somewhere in the future soon. I wish you all the very best for the future.

Swagatalaxmi · Answer

Personal Journey   - I would say that it all depends on your background and life experiences. If you come from a non-traditional background,  then you must be prepared to give more time  (even if it is to just familiarize yourself with what the management world offers) than say, someone who has a background in engineering or finance. Everything was so new to me that I had to put in a lot of hours just to understand what an MBA program would do for my future professional goals and how I would be able to optimize my current work experience for this career progression. Familiarize yourself with the GMAT syllabus and the nature of the exam. Take your own sweet time with it  but once you understand everything, set a time limit for the actual GMAT prep.

Self- belief   - Doing my due diligence in the research phase of my jouney developed a lot of self-assurance and confidence during my prep. It becomes the cornerstone of your perserverance in this journey when you're on the brink of a burn-out or on the verge of giving up. It's good to have a Plan B while you are preparing for the GMAT so that you can control your anxiety but there is absolutely no space for any doubts or uncertainty.  Having clear goals about your end-outcome helps to keep the de-motivation at bay . You need almost-delusional levels of faith because the GMAT is definitely not going to be easy or quick for someone with a background like mine. This is what makes the difference on the Test Day.

Know your own limitations   - Before investing any time or money on the GMAT, I would advice everyone to first go through some of the tutorials on youtube which are freely available like  GMATNinja 's videos and truly understand if your particular set of skills can excel in this exam.  Take the Official Practice Test 1 to figure out your baseline . Be honest with yourself, don't shy away from facing your shortcomings. Preparing for a long journey with the GMAT is worth it   only   if you see you have the potential and aptitude to reach your target score. If it doesn't seem to be your cup of tea, pivot, go for another route, maybe the GRE is a better fit. Make an executive decision.  Don't unnescessarily get stuck in a repetitive cycle of failure and disappointment just because of your stubbornness to prove a point, know when to jump ship.

Maintain your regular schedule in life   - Putting your life on pause for the GMAT is a cardinal error. GMAT is not a course material-heavy exam that you need to put in hours on end to cram the syllabus. Rather it is more about critical thinking skills which require concentration in short bursts consistently. It is a better use of your time to live your life and perhaps add  a few good practices like yoga and meditation  which increase your attention span and ability to focus. I personally didn't feel that the GMAT required more than 3-4 hours a day so there is no reason to take any break from your career or hobbies for it. Maintaining a regular schedule also reduces the stake of the outcome of the exam which helps to reduce your nervous energy while giving the exam.

Know your peak   - It is good not to rush your preparation but it is also a big mistake to prolong your preparation just because you are scared to sit for the exam. K now when you are at your peak performance and just go for it because if you wait for the right moment when you feel fully prepared, that day will never come.

Don't try to keep up with the Joneses   - The most important advice - Don't compare your journey with anyone else's. Seeing testimonials and interviews of students who cleared something like a 95th percentile on the GMAT after studying for only 3-4 weeks might make you feel some type of way about your own journey but don't fall for it.  There are so many variable factors which determine the length of your preparation. As long as you see consistent improvement in your GMAT skills and are able to score with the range of your target score, keep going.

Swagatalaxmi · Answer

Thank you for your wishes. 
You don't get any downloadable ESR report with the focus. It is only available directly on the website. Please tell me which part of the report you want to know about, I will screenshot it and post it here.

EnglishAgast · Answer

Thank you, appreciate this. I am looking for the Time Management & Performance sections which include Q/V/D analysis as depicted below

https://preview.redd.it/gmat-focus-exam-quant-81-71th-percentile-with-3-questions-v0-gpczecv3bebc1.png?width=1661&format=png&auto=webp&s=d1137a800626ae75dfb0361fa0596fe19f4bae8f

egmat · Answer

Swagatalaxmi  - I would put SPJ and XLRI in one category and T15 and ISB in another (higher) category. Just my two cents. With your score, you can aim for a significant scholarship from T15-T30 schools, so do not discount them as well (assuming you have good WorkEx)

-Rajat

Swagatalaxmi · Answer

Sure, got it. I have attached it below

Swagatalaxmi · Answer

Wow, thank you for the very generous feedback. Getting a scholarship would be the icing on the cake!

Yes, I think I can demonstrate some good and unique transferable skills from my experience of managing clinical dental set-ups, both at the hospital and private dental centre level for the last 5 years.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Swagatalaxmi,

Exceptional achievement! Your 695 score is a testament to your dedication, perseverance, and intellectual skills. Your debrief serves as an inspiration to all those who aspire to reach similar heights, demonstrating the transformative power of hard work and determination.

We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the TTP course. Our team has spared no effort in developing a comprehensive curriculum that not only covers the essentials but also equips students with the tools and strategies needed to succeed.

Congrats again, and good luck with things moving forward.

EnglishAgast · Answer

Thank you so much! Your Verbal score progression is smth I aspire for

Swagatalaxmi · Answer

Thank you, Scott! Kudos to your team!

Swagatalaxmi · Answer

Sure, got it. I have attached it below
Thank you so much! Your Verbal score progression is smth I aspire for

No problem, happy to help! Follow the right strategy that suits you and you'll do great

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