450 to 660

Question

Edit: Debrief is a few posts down.

Posting from the iPhone at Osaka port.

Just took my test for the second time. Wow I'm so happy. My score is 60 points higher than the average at my target school.

Debrief tomorrow when I get home. I'm probably going to spend all night thinking about leveling up my target school and whether or not I should take the test again ...

Posted from my mobile device

kissthegmat · Answer

Congratz UPGRAYEDD.. 450 to 660 is huge improvement. Please share your strategies.

Good luck with your apps!

srivicool · Answer

Hi ,

gr88 score.. looking forward for your post on the strategies you followed...

norav84 · Answer

Congratulations! I want to hear about your strategies.

How much time passed from your 1st to ur 2nd test?

Again, Congratz!!!!

Posted from my mobile device

smitakokne · Answer

I need your help as well. Please let me how you did it.

UPGRAYEDD · Answer

Okay now for the debrief.

Educational Background :

CUNY - City College of New York (Harvard of the poor yeehaw)
BA, Economics.
3.2 GPA

Work Experience :

I've spent the last three years living in a small village in rural Japan teaching English at the local elementary school (23 students) on an international exchange program. For two years I have been a regional adviser in the same program. Before university I had spent two years in the US Army as a cavalry scout.

The GMAT Experience :

1st Test - 10/2009 - 450
2nd Test - 10/2010 - 660 (39q, 41v)

Resources - Books

MGMAT Quant Series, all of them
MGMAT SC
Official Guides 10, 11 and 12

Resources - Other

GMAT Club tests
GMAT Club forums
KHAN Academy - Good GMAT videos

Studying :

I originally took the GMAT for the first time exactly a year ago in October, 09. I went in without proper study and assumed that because I had a relatively quant heavy degree and was an English teacher I would score well on the test. I was completely shocked and humbled by my performance. Later on that same day I searched through the internet for GMAT study tips and found this site. What I learned from the archives of these forums served as the foundation for my study plan. Seriously, I'm so thankful for the tips I learned here. This place is great and I hope to keep getting more tips as my business school apps progress.

From last October up to May I didn't really study for the GMAT because I was busy studying for a Japanese proficiency test. As soon as I passed the Japanese exam I switched my focus to the GMAT. I studied in three phases. Foundational knowledge, OG with no timing, and test practice.

Phase 1 : May to mid-July

During this phase I went through all of the MGMAT quant + sentence correction books one by one. I was just concentrating on learning the basics. This was very stress free studying although some books I had to go through multiple times before understanding really sunk in. Number properties and word translations were two concepts I had problems with.

Phase 2 : mid-July to mid-August

This phase I started studying problems from the official guide. I ended up buying the 10th, 11th, and 12th editions of the OG and I worked every problem in each book. In retrospective I wish I didn't get every book because hundreds of questions throughout the three books were repeats.

Tips for this phase

1. Don't worry about timing. Just learn how to solve problems.
2. Keep an error log and set aside specific days to study only from your log.
3. Work every problem. The more problems you work the less likely you will be surprised on the test.

Phase 3 : mid-August to mid-October

This phase was two months of test taking and error log review. My first CATs were MGMAT's.

(no time limit)
1. 640 (Q44, V33)
2. 650 (Q44, V35)
3. 640 (Q44, V34)

(timed)
4. 590 (Q38, V34)
5. 520 (Q24, V36) - I was half watching a movie with my girlfriend

6. 630 (Q39, V38)

What I learned from the MGMAT CATs was that I needed to start working on my timing. Time restrictions on the math were dragging me down big time. I also found that I was rushing through the verbal section. As soon as I started to slow down on the verbal section and pace myself properly I started watching my verbal scores rise.

This was great advice for timing.
timing-strategies-on-the-gmat-80176.html

Quant was a different story and so I started taking daily timed GMAT Club tests. I went through about 14 of them. I managed to master my pacing and learn when to guess and when to attack a problem but in the end I never really broke through my plateau. Maybe I needed more timed practice? Problem with the fundamentals? I wish I was able to take a class or see a tutor. But I live in rural Japan...

A week before D-day I took the GMAT Prep tests.

1. 690 (Q44, V40) - Yay confidence booster.
2. 650 (Q39, V40) - Oh quant is such a tease.

And that was the end of my studying. For the last couple days before the test I laid off the studying except for looking over chineseburned's AWA guide. I climbed the tallest mountain western Japan (even read some of the AWA guide on the summit above the clouds), played lots of starcraft 2, and just enjoyed myself.

I'll post later about what I did on D-day.

6. 630 (Q39, V38) What I learned from the MGMAT CATs was that I needed to start working on my timing. Time restrictions on the math were dragging me down big time. I also found that I was rushing through the verbal section. As soon as I started to slow down on the verbal section and pace myself properly I started watching my verbal scores rise. This was great advice for timing. timing-strategies-on-the-gmat-80176.html Quant was a different story and so I started taking daily timed GMAT Club tests. I went through about 14 of them. I managed to master my pacing and learn when to guess and when to attack a problem but in the end I never really broke through my plateau. Maybe I needed more timed practice? Problem with the fundamentals? I wish I was able to take a class or see a tutor. But I live in rural Japan... A week before D-day I took the GMAT Prep tests. 1. 690 (Q44, V40) - Yay confidence booster. 2. 650 (Q39, V40) - Oh quant is such a tease. And that was the end of my studying. For the last couple days before the test I laid off the studying except for looking over chineseburned's AWA guide. I climbed the tallest mountain western Japan (even read some of the AWA guide on the summit above the clouds), played lots of starcraft 2, and just enjoyed myself. I'll post later about what I did on D-day.

UPGRAYEDD · Answer

D-day

I took an overnight ferry to Osaka the night before the test. I got into Osaka at 7am and wondered around Dotonbori looking for some good breakfast. I found a waffle place and got really excited because I haven't had any in 3 years. They were great and after that I wondered over to a coffee shop and spent a few minutes making a formula sheet. To help with memorization I had started a daily habit of making a new formula sheet every day. Bringing up formulas from my mind was not a problem on the GMAT because of this exercise.

After making my new formula sheet I read the AWA guide (chineseburned) again. I also got my phone out and called my parents, my girlfriend, and a few friends. At that point I was starting to stress out about the test. Familiar voices brought my stress back down.

Finally, after looking over the AWA guide, calling my friends, making a new formula sheet, and reviewing my error log a little I made my way over to the testing center. First thing at the center was a trip to the toilet....don't want that to be a problem.

I was the only person who took the test that day. Last year there were 5 other guys typing away in the tiny L-shaped room. I had brought earplugs expecting the same environment but was pleasantly surprised to find the place empty. The AWA guide was fresh on my mind so I dived right into my essays. No pressure there.

Five minute break after my essays and ate a power bar. Quant was coming up and I was starting to get nervous. My palms started sweating a little. I went into the quant section and nailed the first question. It was a easy standard deviation PS question. Then it started getting more complicated. I read each problem carefully to determine how much time I was willing to "spend" on it. Since I had reviewed every quant question from the last 3 editions of the official guide I had a pretty good idea on what types of problems I need to spend extra time on and which problems I need to let go. I found myself switching back and forth between solving questions, and making "educated" guesses. Knowing which questions to let go through guessing is essential in pacing through the 75 minutes.

I took the next break and just went down to the toilet and splashed water on my face. My nerves were really starting to kick in now and it was no help that I had no idea what the answer was on the first verbal section question. Around question 10 I had a near nervous breakdown. I couldn't read anything. I checked my time remaining and guessed I could easily blow off 5 minutes getting my act together. So I spent next 5 minutes working on my breathing to calm myself down and then I brought it back together and finished the verbal section with three minutes to spare.

Because of my near total breakdown I was very nervous about seeing my scores and it was real nice seeing 660 on the screen. My target score was 600. My dream score was 650 and I got +10.

Now I don't know if I should take this test again or not.

So final tips

1. Error log. Use it.
2. Make daily formula sheets. Give it a try if you have problems with formulas.
3. Practice your timing. Don't rush through verbal.
4. Know when to let questions go.
5. Set aside separate days to review your error log.
6. Chineseburned AWA guide.
how-to-get-6-0-awa-my-guide-64327.html#p470475

UPGRAYEDD · Answer

I need a peer review too if you guys are not too busy. 3-2gpa-660gmat-no-business-experience-103491.html#p805917

supereco87 · Answer

not bad, well done!!! keep going and i wish you all the best!

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