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Apr 3001:30 AM EDT
-02:30 AM EDT
At one point, she believed GMAT wasn’t for her. After scoring 595, self-doubt crept in and she questioned her potential. But instead of quitting, she made the right strategic changes. The result? A remarkable comeback to 695. Check out how Saakshi did it.
Apr 2912:30 AM EDT
-01:30 AM EDT
Learn how Kamakshi achieved a GMAT 675 with an impressive 96th %ile in Data Insights. Discover the unique methods and exam strategies that helped her excel in DI along with other sections for a balanced and high score.
May 0111:00 AM PDT
-12:00 PM PDT
Free- full-length test + 15 concept videos + 150+ short videos + study plan!
May 0306:30 AM PDT
-08:30 AM PDT
Verbal trouble on GMAT? Fix it NOW! Join Sunita Singhvi for a focused webinar on actionable strategies to boost your Verbal score and take your performance to the next level.
22 Nov 2013, 10:28
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Preface
Unlike most of you, I’m not in the race for an MBA, but for a pre-experience degree. As I’m currently enrolled in an engineering degree, albeit a mild one, my bottom line academic capabilities are probably higher than most of yours as my secondary education is not so long ago and I still regularly have exams.
While this is a major advantage, being an undergrad also has a major drawback: lack of time and money. I didn’t do it in two weeks because I wanted to, but because I had exams up to two weeks ago. In fact, I can’t really enjoy my GMAT score because in two weeks there will be more exams. It also means that I’m a poor college student, so I don’t really have the disposable income for an expensive prepping course. With this in mind, this is what I used:Materials
MGMAT strategy guides. While I bought these because they were available cheaply on our local Ebay alternative, you guys are right: these are absolutely indispensable for anyone aiming to score 700+. While my math background in both Probability(etc.) and algebra(etc.) is fine, some geometrics tricks(such as calculating the area of certain triangles) are completely unknown to a European student like me (We would use trigonometry, but that’s not always an option on the GMAT
). I didn’t buy the Foundations of GMAT Math, as I don’t think it’s necessary. GMATPrep. The two tests are essential as well. If my budget would have allowed it, I would have bought the extra tests. But I used:
Every free CAT test from the list. I consider the GMAT to be a bit of a trick. A magician tries until he gets the trick right, he doesn’t stop at reading about it. It’s the same for the GMAT.
The past two weeks
I’ve been able to devote quite a bit of time in the past two weeks to studying for the GMAT. While I started studying two weeks ago, I did my first CAT test(GMATPrep) on Monday, November 13th: 710. Obviously I had already studied for a bit at that time, so it wasn’t a true baseline. From Monday till Sunday, I spent approximately 40 hours studying. Then, from last Monday to Wednesday, I only took CATs and analyzed them: Kaplan(730), Gmatclub(710), The Economist(710) Manhattan(730), and finishing on Wednesday at GMATPrep’s 730. I already knew that quant was my weakness, but by then had managed to improve from low forties to mid-high forties. Verbal was either a 99% score or just below it, consistently.
The day
Simply drove to the test center and took the test. Wrote an outline for the essay, skipped through IR(pausing at question 12 and taking the official break after), then went back for the real part. I thought quant was going absolutely horrendously because every question was extremely easy. Verbal went okay, I hate to admit it but I was a bit distraught from quant. But then the scores came in… 770! I knew I performed well under pressure, but I didn’t expect a 99% score. Q50, V46. Indeed, quant was my weakness, but had become a minor weakness.
Some tips
• Don’t do it in two weeks. I managed to dedicate a mere 60 hours to GMAT-prepping. With more time, Q51 would most likely have been attainable. On verbal, SC was my main weakness(I’m not a native speaker so not all idiom is familiar enough to me), which I also could have improved by studying. If I weren’t still used to studying, 700+ would have posed quite the challenge.
• If you’re applying to a B School that disregards AWA and IR: do at least one of these anyway. For me, it always takes some time to get into the zone. And if there’s anything you don’t have during quant, it’s time. I fixed this by doing the AWA(although roughly, still waiting for the score) and skipping IR. So I was all warmed-up, yet still calm and fresh because of my 15 minute(or longer, if you wanted) break.
Thanks for reading. Hope to give back a little with my tips. If anything, I consider gmatclub to be the most important resource for the GMAT. You may not realize it, but you truly change lives.
27 Nov 2013, 03:11
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Small update:
Received the official report, scored a 4.5 in the AWA despite being not all too serious about it. Q and V Percentiles didn't change. I'm satisfied with the results, now I'll just have to make a killer application.
Received the official report, scored a 4.5 in the AWA despite being not all too serious about it. Q and V Percentiles didn't change. I'm satisfied with the results, now I'll just have to make a killer application.
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