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Updated on: 18 Nov 2013, 08:32
Originally posted by sarmisthadatta on 15 Nov 2013, 11:35.
Last edited by sarmisthadatta on 18 Nov 2013, 08:32, edited 2 times in total.
Last edited by sarmisthadatta on 18 Nov 2013, 08:32, edited 2 times in total.
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I started preparing for GMAT from December 2012 and wrote the GMAT exam on 9 November 2013. I got 720 (Q 48, V 41). I consider it a pretty good score given my limited capabilities and a score of 590 in my first attempt. If this debrief can help even one GMAT aspirant then my purpose will be served.
One thing I have realized through my GMAT journey is that more than talent or hard work (though they are very much necessary) you need to have tremendous self belief – on the exam day you will only carry this self confidence with you, not the set of formulae or grammar rules that you have learnt. Having said this I would still say that a planned preparation is definitely necessary to crack the GMAT.
Let me briefly point out the few strategies that helped me cross the 700 barrier.
Find out why you are scoring less – I think the best way to find this out is to evaluate your mock tests. I know this can be a little boring (at least I felt it that way when I started evaluating my mocks) but trust me this increases your score and as you start evaluating each mock this task becomes a habit. I feel evaluating mocks is as much important as learning new concepts. Also it is better to evaluate the mocks right after giving the them (within one or maximum two days) because your memory will be fresh and you will be able remember what you were thinking (what made you choose the wrong or right answer) when giving the mock test. After general evaluation of the mock (such as checking what the right answer is) find out which area you need to work on. In my case, I realized RC was my weakest area and it is not only damaging my overall accuracy but also taking the minimum time that other sections “deserve”. I feel you will get a more elaborate approach on this if you hear e-GMAT’s Strategy Session II.
Attack your weakness – After finding out your weakness the next thing is to make a solid plan on how to tackle it. This plan will depend on which stage of preparation you are in and will vary from person to person. If revising a few concepts helps you overcome your weakness then I feel, investing some more time on an area is a good idea. I did go back to the concepts of Reading Strategies (of e-GMAT) multiple times. Having internalized a concept, the next thing to do is to apply it on various questions and under timed conditions. I remember, I practiced close to 100 RC passages from various sources such as e-GMAT , OG Books and compilation of GMAT Prep RC passages by souvik101990, using a stopwatch. Initially I took more time but with practice I could tone down the time.
Pace yourself - One thing that I have realized is that to ace the GMAT you have to manage your time well. From my experience I can say that sometimes we are tempted to do one question because we can identify the concept behind it but if you find that it is taking a lot of time then make your best guess and move on. Time constraint already builds a lot of pressure on us and we cannot afford to accentuate that pressure by spending a lot of time on a single question. Sometimes giving up a question can prove to be beneficial and with practice I feel one can easily distinguish which question to give up. You always have to believe that you will get a better question later in the exam.
Practice OG questions – I feel OG questions are the most authentic source of questions. Just after you finish a concept it is best to apply the concept on some OG questions. This not only solidifies the concept but also gives you the confidence that you have “mastered” it. In this respect I rigorously followed the OG questions that were marked by e-GMAT for practice. I feel it is better to finish the OG questions before doing the mock tests.
Focus on a single question – During the actual GMAT exam and during other mock tests it is very important to focus on the question at hand. You have to believe that you cannot do anything about the previous questions and that unnecessarily thinking about these questions will only decrease the likelihood of getting the current question right. I feel if one can “master” this strategy then cracking the GMAT (or any other exam) becomes easier.
Choose a Prep course if you need it – I think a student will best know if he/she needs some help from a prep course for GMAT. If you think you need some help then don’t hesitate to invest on the same – the benefits will be more than the investment. For me, e-GMAT worked and I owe a lot to this company for my success. The course is very comprehensive and it sticks to a single “process”. What I like about the course is that it keeps things simple and there is no need to memorize rules.
Having said all this, I want to say one last thing – don’t stress yourself over GMAT. It is definitely an important part of your life but it is not “bigger” than your life.
I want to thank this forum very much – it made my “GMAT journey” smooth.
One thing I have realized through my GMAT journey is that more than talent or hard work (though they are very much necessary) you need to have tremendous self belief – on the exam day you will only carry this self confidence with you, not the set of formulae or grammar rules that you have learnt. Having said this I would still say that a planned preparation is definitely necessary to crack the GMAT.
Let me briefly point out the few strategies that helped me cross the 700 barrier.
Find out why you are scoring less – I think the best way to find this out is to evaluate your mock tests. I know this can be a little boring (at least I felt it that way when I started evaluating my mocks) but trust me this increases your score and as you start evaluating each mock this task becomes a habit. I feel evaluating mocks is as much important as learning new concepts. Also it is better to evaluate the mocks right after giving the them (within one or maximum two days) because your memory will be fresh and you will be able remember what you were thinking (what made you choose the wrong or right answer) when giving the mock test. After general evaluation of the mock (such as checking what the right answer is) find out which area you need to work on. In my case, I realized RC was my weakest area and it is not only damaging my overall accuracy but also taking the minimum time that other sections “deserve”. I feel you will get a more elaborate approach on this if you hear e-GMAT’s Strategy Session II.
Attack your weakness – After finding out your weakness the next thing is to make a solid plan on how to tackle it. This plan will depend on which stage of preparation you are in and will vary from person to person. If revising a few concepts helps you overcome your weakness then I feel, investing some more time on an area is a good idea. I did go back to the concepts of Reading Strategies (of e-GMAT) multiple times. Having internalized a concept, the next thing to do is to apply it on various questions and under timed conditions. I remember, I practiced close to 100 RC passages from various sources such as e-GMAT , OG Books and compilation of GMAT Prep RC passages by souvik101990, using a stopwatch. Initially I took more time but with practice I could tone down the time.
Pace yourself - One thing that I have realized is that to ace the GMAT you have to manage your time well. From my experience I can say that sometimes we are tempted to do one question because we can identify the concept behind it but if you find that it is taking a lot of time then make your best guess and move on. Time constraint already builds a lot of pressure on us and we cannot afford to accentuate that pressure by spending a lot of time on a single question. Sometimes giving up a question can prove to be beneficial and with practice I feel one can easily distinguish which question to give up. You always have to believe that you will get a better question later in the exam.
Practice OG questions – I feel OG questions are the most authentic source of questions. Just after you finish a concept it is best to apply the concept on some OG questions. This not only solidifies the concept but also gives you the confidence that you have “mastered” it. In this respect I rigorously followed the OG questions that were marked by e-GMAT for practice. I feel it is better to finish the OG questions before doing the mock tests.
Focus on a single question – During the actual GMAT exam and during other mock tests it is very important to focus on the question at hand. You have to believe that you cannot do anything about the previous questions and that unnecessarily thinking about these questions will only decrease the likelihood of getting the current question right. I feel if one can “master” this strategy then cracking the GMAT (or any other exam) becomes easier.
Choose a Prep course if you need it – I think a student will best know if he/she needs some help from a prep course for GMAT. If you think you need some help then don’t hesitate to invest on the same – the benefits will be more than the investment. For me, e-GMAT worked and I owe a lot to this company for my success. The course is very comprehensive and it sticks to a single “process”. What I like about the course is that it keeps things simple and there is no need to memorize rules.
Having said all this, I want to say one last thing – don’t stress yourself over GMAT. It is definitely an important part of your life but it is not “bigger” than your life.
I want to thank this forum very much – it made my “GMAT journey” smooth.
15 Nov 2013, 19:28
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Bookmarks
Is this an E-gmat commercial or what? I see E-gmat is everywhere in the post from a glance. I signed up for the SC lesson and I didn't find it that helpful. If you've gone through every SC in OG 13 THROUGHLY you would notice there is some minor mistake in one of the Egmat lessons. I don't want to point it out since I already wasted $69 on that online class. If you follow Manhattan SC steps closely, you don't need anything else.
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