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11 Aug 2015, 09:24
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Hello,
Yesterday I took the GMAT for the first time and scored a 720 (Q49, V39, IR8). My goal was a 740, but I am obviously happy. I will be taking the test again because I know I can score higher, especially in Verbal. People have told me that a mere 20 points improvement won't make much of a difference and that I should focus on my essays instead of studying. However, all things considered equal, a higher score can't hurt. But let's not get into this discussion. I'd like to focus on other points in this thread that might be of value to future test takers.
Wave of confidence
One week before I took the GMAT I scored a 730 (Q48, V42) on GMAT Prep. Two weeks before that, I scored a 710 (Q47, V41) on GMAT Prep. I felt very confident because my score was improving. My test was originally scheduled for 9/1/15, but I decided to schedule a new appointment on 8/10/15 because I was riding on a wave of confidence. I'm not the first person to say it, but I think it deserves repeating: the GMAT is a test designed to stress you out. It is actually easier than you think. Read tip 1 of this article: https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/2011/04 ... y-anxiety/ (I found the whole article to be very helpful). Stress can make or break you, which is why I believe it's important to go into the test with quantifiable confidence. If you score within 10 points of your target score on GMAT prep, schedule the test one week later. Spend the rest of the week reviewing what you got wrong on GMAT prep and other fundamental concepts. Do only OG practice problems to continue building your confidence up until test day. By riding this wave of confidence, you'll feel more in control and less stressed on test day.
Thoughts on AWA and IR
Don't overexert yourself on these sections. For AWA try to finish in 15-20 minutes to give yourself a nice break. Aim to write 20 sentences and don't worry about being wordy. Know what phrases you'll use before entering the test. For IR, plan to skip/guess 4 out of the 12 problems and don't think too hard for the other 8. I breezed through IR, skipping problems that looked like they required multiple steps or too much energy. I finished IR with 8 minutes left, giving me another nice little break. I was SHOCKED to see that I scored a 8 in IR when I hardly did any work (I didn't write on the pad or use the calculator - they're really unnecessary. In no way am I bragging. I was aiming for a 5 in IR and I think just getting a few of the problems correct will get you there.) Remember the GMAT is a test of endurance and the more breaks the better. Save your energy and focus for main events: Quant and Verbal.
Thoughts on Quant
My main problem area is quant and I spent a considerable time focusing on it. Ironically on test day I exceeded my quant goal, and bombed my verbal goal. (Goal: Q48, V42. Actual: Q49, V39). I found quant to be much easier than anticipated. In fact there were times where I was completely sure that I was doing horribly because the questions were easy or the tricks were obvious. From this experience, I've come up with a few suggestions for future test takers with a goal of Q49 or lower (if anything sounds off, please let me know!). Focus on the fundamentals. Don't worry about complex combinatorics and probability questions. I only got one combinatorics question and it EASY (how many groups of 8 can be chosen out of 10). I had maybe 3-4 coordinate geometry questions that were also EASY when drawn. They only seemed hard while reading, but after actually plotting the points, they were extremely simple. If you have a decent grasp of the fundamentals, getting a Q49 is very possible. Lastly, make sure to guess fast at least a few times. Don't waste time with problems if you can't see the trick after a minute.
Study Materials
Again, these recommendations are for people aiming for Q49 or lower.
MGMAT Quant: I used MGMAT Quant guides to learn the fundamentals. I strongly recommend them. They were key in UNDERSTANDING concepts, whereas I've found that other materials don't explain why. I've found that in math, having an understanding of how and why formulas work gives you a huge advantage because you're able to break down and digest cryptic, and therefore seemingly difficult, problems, which is what the gmat contains. MGMAT also shows you multiple ways to solve certain problems, allowing you to choose whichever method you're most comfortable with.
Kaplan: I don't recommend Kaplan. I found their explanations confusing. For example, Kaplan teaches you the formula AB / (A+B) for certain combined work problems as a shortcut. They don't explain how that formula is derived. On the otherhand, MGMAT only gives you the main combined work formula 1/a + 1/b = 1/t. They explain in detail what the formula means. With MGMAT I even understood how AB / A+B was derived and felt very comfortable with all combined work problems.
OG problems: I definitely recommend doing as many OG problems as possible. Focus on questions towards the end since they are harder. I'd estimate that their difficulty is in the Q47-49 range. Do more of them closer to test date to build your confidence.
GMAT Club Forums: AMAZING resource. I would visit the forums for all OG problems to learn alternative methods.
GMAT Prep: Hands down the best indicator of your real score. I've tried MGMAT and Vertias CATs and found them to be much harder.
GMAT Club CATs: I am undecided on GMAT Club CATs. On every one of their Quant CATs I scored Q40 or lower (I scored Q44 once, but cheated on time). These scores KILLED my confidence. I'd score Q47 on GMAT Prep and then Q39 on a GMAT Club CAT. I found the problems not only hard, but extremely frustrating and stressful. Ultimately, I'm not even sure if they helped me learn fundamentals. I think if your goal is Q49 or below, you can get away not purchasing their tests. If you're aiming for Q50 or 51, I could see how they may help. You're forced to find the trick fast for every problem and memorize a number of obscure rules. These problems will undoubtedly refine your quant skills. Just don't take their scores seriously. The real GMAT is much easier, and if your goal isn't 50 or 51 I wouldn't stress out on them. Regardless, I would suggest staying away from them the week before your exam. Focus on OG problems to ride the wave of confidence as mentioned above.
I haven't included any information on my study habits or background. If interested, ask and I'll add it. I just wanted to get my thoughts out on these issues because I was honestly surprised when I saw my score. I'll be taking the test again on Sept 1 and will aim for a Q49, V42. I'll update everyone then.
Yesterday I took the GMAT for the first time and scored a 720 (Q49, V39, IR8). My goal was a 740, but I am obviously happy. I will be taking the test again because I know I can score higher, especially in Verbal. People have told me that a mere 20 points improvement won't make much of a difference and that I should focus on my essays instead of studying. However, all things considered equal, a higher score can't hurt. But let's not get into this discussion. I'd like to focus on other points in this thread that might be of value to future test takers.
Wave of confidence
One week before I took the GMAT I scored a 730 (Q48, V42) on GMAT Prep. Two weeks before that, I scored a 710 (Q47, V41) on GMAT Prep. I felt very confident because my score was improving. My test was originally scheduled for 9/1/15, but I decided to schedule a new appointment on 8/10/15 because I was riding on a wave of confidence. I'm not the first person to say it, but I think it deserves repeating: the GMAT is a test designed to stress you out. It is actually easier than you think. Read tip 1 of this article: https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/2011/04 ... y-anxiety/ (I found the whole article to be very helpful). Stress can make or break you, which is why I believe it's important to go into the test with quantifiable confidence. If you score within 10 points of your target score on GMAT prep, schedule the test one week later. Spend the rest of the week reviewing what you got wrong on GMAT prep and other fundamental concepts. Do only OG practice problems to continue building your confidence up until test day. By riding this wave of confidence, you'll feel more in control and less stressed on test day.
Thoughts on AWA and IR
Don't overexert yourself on these sections. For AWA try to finish in 15-20 minutes to give yourself a nice break. Aim to write 20 sentences and don't worry about being wordy. Know what phrases you'll use before entering the test. For IR, plan to skip/guess 4 out of the 12 problems and don't think too hard for the other 8. I breezed through IR, skipping problems that looked like they required multiple steps or too much energy. I finished IR with 8 minutes left, giving me another nice little break. I was SHOCKED to see that I scored a 8 in IR when I hardly did any work (I didn't write on the pad or use the calculator - they're really unnecessary. In no way am I bragging. I was aiming for a 5 in IR and I think just getting a few of the problems correct will get you there.) Remember the GMAT is a test of endurance and the more breaks the better. Save your energy and focus for main events: Quant and Verbal.
Thoughts on Quant
My main problem area is quant and I spent a considerable time focusing on it. Ironically on test day I exceeded my quant goal, and bombed my verbal goal. (Goal: Q48, V42. Actual: Q49, V39). I found quant to be much easier than anticipated. In fact there were times where I was completely sure that I was doing horribly because the questions were easy or the tricks were obvious. From this experience, I've come up with a few suggestions for future test takers with a goal of Q49 or lower (if anything sounds off, please let me know!). Focus on the fundamentals. Don't worry about complex combinatorics and probability questions. I only got one combinatorics question and it EASY (how many groups of 8 can be chosen out of 10). I had maybe 3-4 coordinate geometry questions that were also EASY when drawn. They only seemed hard while reading, but after actually plotting the points, they were extremely simple. If you have a decent grasp of the fundamentals, getting a Q49 is very possible. Lastly, make sure to guess fast at least a few times. Don't waste time with problems if you can't see the trick after a minute.
Study Materials
Again, these recommendations are for people aiming for Q49 or lower.
MGMAT Quant: I used MGMAT Quant guides to learn the fundamentals. I strongly recommend them. They were key in UNDERSTANDING concepts, whereas I've found that other materials don't explain why. I've found that in math, having an understanding of how and why formulas work gives you a huge advantage because you're able to break down and digest cryptic, and therefore seemingly difficult, problems, which is what the gmat contains. MGMAT also shows you multiple ways to solve certain problems, allowing you to choose whichever method you're most comfortable with.
Kaplan: I don't recommend Kaplan. I found their explanations confusing. For example, Kaplan teaches you the formula AB / (A+B) for certain combined work problems as a shortcut. They don't explain how that formula is derived. On the otherhand, MGMAT only gives you the main combined work formula 1/a + 1/b = 1/t. They explain in detail what the formula means. With MGMAT I even understood how AB / A+B was derived and felt very comfortable with all combined work problems.
OG problems: I definitely recommend doing as many OG problems as possible. Focus on questions towards the end since they are harder. I'd estimate that their difficulty is in the Q47-49 range. Do more of them closer to test date to build your confidence.
GMAT Club Forums: AMAZING resource. I would visit the forums for all OG problems to learn alternative methods.
GMAT Prep: Hands down the best indicator of your real score. I've tried MGMAT and Vertias CATs and found them to be much harder.
GMAT Club CATs: I am undecided on GMAT Club CATs. On every one of their Quant CATs I scored Q40 or lower (I scored Q44 once, but cheated on time). These scores KILLED my confidence. I'd score Q47 on GMAT Prep and then Q39 on a GMAT Club CAT. I found the problems not only hard, but extremely frustrating and stressful. Ultimately, I'm not even sure if they helped me learn fundamentals. I think if your goal is Q49 or below, you can get away not purchasing their tests. If you're aiming for Q50 or 51, I could see how they may help. You're forced to find the trick fast for every problem and memorize a number of obscure rules. These problems will undoubtedly refine your quant skills. Just don't take their scores seriously. The real GMAT is much easier, and if your goal isn't 50 or 51 I wouldn't stress out on them. Regardless, I would suggest staying away from them the week before your exam. Focus on OG problems to ride the wave of confidence as mentioned above.
I haven't included any information on my study habits or background. If interested, ask and I'll add it. I just wanted to get my thoughts out on these issues because I was honestly surprised when I saw my score. I'll be taking the test again on Sept 1 and will aim for a Q49, V42. I'll update everyone then.
RErules2016
12 Aug 2015, 16:02
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I found this very helpful. In particular, your comments about the Quant section and the article you posted really resonated with me.
Thank you and congratulations on your score!
Thank you and congratulations on your score!
