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05 Jul 2011, 10:00
Kudos
Bookmarks
Please include as much detail as possible - that makes the story very personable and interesting to read. Some suggestions to include are:
Books & materials used
-Kaplan Premier. I thought this was a good introductory book. It's a good overview of the test and the questions. You get some solid strategy.
I don't think this book will boost someone into the 700 club, unless their skill level was already there, then this book will help to understand test mechanics.
Based on my GRE score (420 verbal, 700 math), for which I didn't study, I felt a big difference going into this test, just knowing the basic strategies.
I had every intention of going into focused books for the verbal and math, but didn't get to that point.
Test scores you received along the way (your diagnostic test score, mid-point, comparison to your final performance, etc.)
-Kaplan Practice Test from book (13 wrong verbal, 9 wrong math)
-GMATPrep 670 (Q46, V37) (9 wrong verbal, 13 wrong math)
Length of study
-5 weeks
General strategy
-Go through book to understand test questions, take notes along the way
-Complete all questions, review right and wrong answers
-First 20 or so questions from a section were completed without timing, then used timing for the last 30 questions.
-Did practice tests one the two weekends leading up to the real thing
-Practice tests were done at the same time of day as the real thing would be, did writing sections then math then verbal
If you found any interesting blogs or materials online, consider providing a link.
-Spent a good amount of timing reading about other people's experience on this forum
-I'll have to dig up the link, but I used a template/guideline for the writing section which I think is on this forum, or linked from this forum. I thought it was useful for adjusting my
writing strategy. I already know how to write an essay and relate the points, but knowing how the computer grades (big words, lots of words, first/second/third/in conclusion)
was probably part of the reason I got a 6.
Words of Advice
Things you wish you knew
-Would recommend doing more practice questions, maybe even a dedicated book for math and one for verbal. There are a bunch of book recommendations
on this forum for those focused areas.
Things you have learned
-Timing is important. On practice tests and the real thing, my math sections were always rushed at the end, while my verbal sections always had 10 minutes left.
Things you wasted your time on
- Video games
Finally, your test experience
- I scheduled my tests for noon on Saturday. The previous two weekends, I had taken a full length test at the same time of day, just to have an understanding
of what it actually felt like. This practice came in handy, mainly for tailoring my diet on test day, but also for understanding quality of work.
I realized during the first practice weekend that I had drank too much water and that the feeling of having to go to the bathroom was distracting me. Obviously, you don't
want to be dehydrated either so I curbed my liquids intake for the morning of the test and brought a Arizona Ginseng tea to have a few sips during each break. Typically,
I would drink a few good size cups of coffee in the morning. To replace that, I drank water when I woke up and took a 5 hour energy just before going in for the test. I rehearsed
the 5 hour energy to ensure it wouldn't cause any headaches or jitters during the test.
I also realized that I was a little hungry during the practice tests, which was also distracting. To avoid the big meal nap, I would eat 3 small meals, with the last coming 30
minutes before the test. I also brought 2 small boxes of raisins for the breaks during the test. I had a yogurt for breakfast, then a ham/egg/cheese bagel around 10, then a
slimfast shake at 11:30 (because you are supposed to show up 30 minutes before your test).
The week of the test, I reviewed all my wrong answers and notes that I had taken from the book. I took a day off work on the Friday before so that I could drive to the test
location. This was good because the testing location was in an office complex and it took a few minutes to discover the building. I practiced my drinking/eating routine on this
day as well. I didn't study during the test day, but went out to a bar to watch a hockey game with friends (no alcohol, just water).
On test day, I followed my practiced routine. After finishing the sign-in process, I used the bathroom and splashed some water on my face, after washing my hands.
I started with the writing sections. The first writing section went ok. I thought I might have been stretching the analysis of the argument a bit on certain points, but as long as I
followed your typical 5 paragraph format essay and used lots of text with big words, I thought I was going to be ok. I used the complete 30 minutes. For the second essay, I
have to say that I got very lucky with the topic. It's not a question I had seen before, but I was well versed on the subject, so I'm pretty sure I ripped that question a new one
and probably secured my score of a 6. After both writing questions, I took the 5 minute break. I used the bathroom, just like your parents tell you when you are 5 yrs old.
I splashed water on my face and did some light stretching to keep the blood flowing (bend over touch your toes, reach to the sky, twist the back a bit, shake your hands, etc.)
I went back in and started the Math section. This section went pretty much like the practice tests. I ended up rushed on the last two or three questions
which I knew that I could solve, but just didn't have the time and ended up guessing the last 3. I'm sure this would have been worse if I hadn't practiced with timing.
I could have improved, and would recommend improving, the timing on both sections. For math questions, I get too involved in the question and have a harder time letting go.
I may have gone up to 4 or 5 minutes on a couple questions which hurt me in the end because I had roughly 4 minutes left for 3 questions. The test center provided
ear plugs, but I didn't use them on this section. I was seated fairly close to the door, but I hadn't practice with ear plugs, so I didn't bother... at least yet.
After finishing in a rush, I repeated my break routing (bathroom, splash, stretch, snack, drink). I quickly forgot about the math section and went back in.
I thought that the Kaplan book did a good job at representing the questions and building a strategy. I was familiar with the question forms and content.
The data sufficiency questions were more of a hangup for me because I would typically pick A or B when the answer was D, mainly because I didn't see how the other answer
could stand alone.
The verbal section was next. Apparently, starting your test at noon is "late". Right off the bat, people were leaving (and coming) like crazy. While they weren't loud, I was
seated next to the door, so I could always hear it opening. There were about 12 other people taking tests at the same time. So I plopped in the ear plugs. This was a little
weird because everything was silent. All I could hear was the slight ringing in my ears from standing next to my drummer back in college. It might be worth practicing with
earplugs. Anyway, I completed this section with roughly 12 minutes remaining. I believe this was partly due to my ability to go to guessing quicker when I didn't
know the answer, as well as my ability on certain question types. I saved a lot of time on the reading comprehension questions because I didn't take notes, but this may
not be the preferred strategy for most, at least not from what I read in the Kaplan book. I was consistently answering all reading comprehension questions correctly during
my practice tests and practice questions. I actually found that I didn't need to take notes and that they slowed down my reading and broke my concentration for
understanding what I was reading. So, no notes for me was the better option. I felt I rocked those questions on the real test too. The critical reasoning strategy from Kaplan
helped, especially considering scope. The sentence correction questions took the most time. I thought these were more difficult because most of the possible answers
that I faced were completely different. The Kaplan book would many times give possible answers that varied by 1 word in 2 or 3 answers, but on the real test, I ran
into a few that had completely different wording, punctuation, etc. I may have stumbled more on these questions than any other in either math or verbal.
When I finished the test, I chose to see my results. I saw a 650. This was the lowest that I wanted. I felt that I could possibly hit 700 on a good day (based on the
gmat score estimater range), but this was not today. I will be attending a part-time MBA program at the University of Florida, so I knew going in that I didn't need a 720+ score.
I wasn't sad, but I was a little disappointed. I won't need to take the test again, but I won't be able to say I'm part of the 700 club either.
Anyway, when I left the room, there was nobody left. I was a little surprised how well those ear plugs had worked. I picked up my score printout and drove home.
Books & materials used
-Kaplan Premier. I thought this was a good introductory book. It's a good overview of the test and the questions. You get some solid strategy.
I don't think this book will boost someone into the 700 club, unless their skill level was already there, then this book will help to understand test mechanics.
Based on my GRE score (420 verbal, 700 math), for which I didn't study, I felt a big difference going into this test, just knowing the basic strategies.
I had every intention of going into focused books for the verbal and math, but didn't get to that point.
Test scores you received along the way (your diagnostic test score, mid-point, comparison to your final performance, etc.)
-Kaplan Practice Test from book (13 wrong verbal, 9 wrong math)
-GMATPrep 670 (Q46, V37) (9 wrong verbal, 13 wrong math)
Length of study
-5 weeks
General strategy
-Go through book to understand test questions, take notes along the way
-Complete all questions, review right and wrong answers
-First 20 or so questions from a section were completed without timing, then used timing for the last 30 questions.
-Did practice tests one the two weekends leading up to the real thing
-Practice tests were done at the same time of day as the real thing would be, did writing sections then math then verbal
If you found any interesting blogs or materials online, consider providing a link.
-Spent a good amount of timing reading about other people's experience on this forum
-I'll have to dig up the link, but I used a template/guideline for the writing section which I think is on this forum, or linked from this forum. I thought it was useful for adjusting my
writing strategy. I already know how to write an essay and relate the points, but knowing how the computer grades (big words, lots of words, first/second/third/in conclusion)
was probably part of the reason I got a 6.
Words of Advice
Things you wish you knew
-Would recommend doing more practice questions, maybe even a dedicated book for math and one for verbal. There are a bunch of book recommendations
on this forum for those focused areas.
Things you have learned
-Timing is important. On practice tests and the real thing, my math sections were always rushed at the end, while my verbal sections always had 10 minutes left.
Things you wasted your time on
- Video games
Finally, your test experience
- I scheduled my tests for noon on Saturday. The previous two weekends, I had taken a full length test at the same time of day, just to have an understanding
of what it actually felt like. This practice came in handy, mainly for tailoring my diet on test day, but also for understanding quality of work.
I realized during the first practice weekend that I had drank too much water and that the feeling of having to go to the bathroom was distracting me. Obviously, you don't
want to be dehydrated either so I curbed my liquids intake for the morning of the test and brought a Arizona Ginseng tea to have a few sips during each break. Typically,
I would drink a few good size cups of coffee in the morning. To replace that, I drank water when I woke up and took a 5 hour energy just before going in for the test. I rehearsed
the 5 hour energy to ensure it wouldn't cause any headaches or jitters during the test.
I also realized that I was a little hungry during the practice tests, which was also distracting. To avoid the big meal nap, I would eat 3 small meals, with the last coming 30
minutes before the test. I also brought 2 small boxes of raisins for the breaks during the test. I had a yogurt for breakfast, then a ham/egg/cheese bagel around 10, then a
slimfast shake at 11:30 (because you are supposed to show up 30 minutes before your test).
The week of the test, I reviewed all my wrong answers and notes that I had taken from the book. I took a day off work on the Friday before so that I could drive to the test
location. This was good because the testing location was in an office complex and it took a few minutes to discover the building. I practiced my drinking/eating routine on this
day as well. I didn't study during the test day, but went out to a bar to watch a hockey game with friends (no alcohol, just water).
On test day, I followed my practiced routine. After finishing the sign-in process, I used the bathroom and splashed some water on my face, after washing my hands.
I started with the writing sections. The first writing section went ok. I thought I might have been stretching the analysis of the argument a bit on certain points, but as long as I
followed your typical 5 paragraph format essay and used lots of text with big words, I thought I was going to be ok. I used the complete 30 minutes. For the second essay, I
have to say that I got very lucky with the topic. It's not a question I had seen before, but I was well versed on the subject, so I'm pretty sure I ripped that question a new one
and probably secured my score of a 6. After both writing questions, I took the 5 minute break. I used the bathroom, just like your parents tell you when you are 5 yrs old.
I splashed water on my face and did some light stretching to keep the blood flowing (bend over touch your toes, reach to the sky, twist the back a bit, shake your hands, etc.)
I went back in and started the Math section. This section went pretty much like the practice tests. I ended up rushed on the last two or three questions
which I knew that I could solve, but just didn't have the time and ended up guessing the last 3. I'm sure this would have been worse if I hadn't practiced with timing.
I could have improved, and would recommend improving, the timing on both sections. For math questions, I get too involved in the question and have a harder time letting go.
I may have gone up to 4 or 5 minutes on a couple questions which hurt me in the end because I had roughly 4 minutes left for 3 questions. The test center provided
ear plugs, but I didn't use them on this section. I was seated fairly close to the door, but I hadn't practice with ear plugs, so I didn't bother... at least yet.
After finishing in a rush, I repeated my break routing (bathroom, splash, stretch, snack, drink). I quickly forgot about the math section and went back in.
I thought that the Kaplan book did a good job at representing the questions and building a strategy. I was familiar with the question forms and content.
The data sufficiency questions were more of a hangup for me because I would typically pick A or B when the answer was D, mainly because I didn't see how the other answer
could stand alone.
The verbal section was next. Apparently, starting your test at noon is "late". Right off the bat, people were leaving (and coming) like crazy. While they weren't loud, I was
seated next to the door, so I could always hear it opening. There were about 12 other people taking tests at the same time. So I plopped in the ear plugs. This was a little
weird because everything was silent. All I could hear was the slight ringing in my ears from standing next to my drummer back in college. It might be worth practicing with
earplugs. Anyway, I completed this section with roughly 12 minutes remaining. I believe this was partly due to my ability to go to guessing quicker when I didn't
know the answer, as well as my ability on certain question types. I saved a lot of time on the reading comprehension questions because I didn't take notes, but this may
not be the preferred strategy for most, at least not from what I read in the Kaplan book. I was consistently answering all reading comprehension questions correctly during
my practice tests and practice questions. I actually found that I didn't need to take notes and that they slowed down my reading and broke my concentration for
understanding what I was reading. So, no notes for me was the better option. I felt I rocked those questions on the real test too. The critical reasoning strategy from Kaplan
helped, especially considering scope. The sentence correction questions took the most time. I thought these were more difficult because most of the possible answers
that I faced were completely different. The Kaplan book would many times give possible answers that varied by 1 word in 2 or 3 answers, but on the real test, I ran
into a few that had completely different wording, punctuation, etc. I may have stumbled more on these questions than any other in either math or verbal.
When I finished the test, I chose to see my results. I saw a 650. This was the lowest that I wanted. I felt that I could possibly hit 700 on a good day (based on the
gmat score estimater range), but this was not today. I will be attending a part-time MBA program at the University of Florida, so I knew going in that I didn't need a 720+ score.
I wasn't sad, but I was a little disappointed. I won't need to take the test again, but I won't be able to say I'm part of the 700 club either.
Anyway, when I left the room, there was nobody left. I was a little surprised how well those ear plugs had worked. I picked up my score printout and drove home.
05 Jul 2011, 23:27
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi,
congrats on the score and thanks for the debrief.
did u take the test on 5th July ? did u have the additional half an hour integrated resoning section after the verbal, how was it ?
congrats on the score and thanks for the debrief.
did u take the test on 5th July ? did u have the additional half an hour integrated resoning section after the verbal, how was it ?
06 Jul 2011, 07:38
Kudos
Bookmarks
I took the test on June 11th, so I don't think the integrated reasoning section was available yet.
I like the idea of that new section in place of one of the writing section because it seems like the AWA is losing it's value if a 6 only puts you in the 91 percentile.
I like the idea of that new section in place of one of the writing section because it seems like the AWA is losing it's value if a 6 only puts you in the 91 percentile.
