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Like many of you, once I decided to apply for business school, I started looking for resources to help me prepare for my GMAT and naturally I came to the GMAT club. However, my story is a bit different than most people since I actually took the GMAT (700) seven years ago, applied for business school, got waitlisted, eventually got in, but decided to join a start-up instead.
While I don't regret my decision, I do understand that I am a bit older now and I need to work extra hard to get to my target score. However, this time around, I also wanted to see if there are better resources out there that will help me break the 700 score glass ceiling. FYI, I studied by myself using Manhattan prep 7 years ago. After reading some reviews on GMAT club and watching some videos on YouTube, I decided to commit to e-GMAT because of there meaning based approach for sentence correction (SC) and pre-thinking frameworks for critical reasoning (CR). As many before me have mentioned, these approaches are super helpful, BUT you have commit to the process in order to master it.
At the end of June, I subscribed to e-GMAT and started out by taking my first mock SIGMA-X exam which I got a 630. The e-GMAT software quickly mapped out my schedule based on my mock score, individual scores on each section and my target score of 750 (got to aim high). My initial schedule was to have the test in 3 months. So now the fun begins. I have to say that the team at e-GMAT made the course super enjoyable and you will have a lot of fun taking the courses. However, one thing I would recommend everyone is to not skip steps. You may worry about not solving questions fast enough so you start skipping steps which you think are silly, but trust me, this will come back and bite you. While you may be able to shorten you time initially, these bad habits will also limits your ability to solve much harder questions down the road.
This is particularly true for SC. You may be able to get away with easy to mid level questions without doing meaning analysis. However, what you will notice, is that your accuracy will take a nose dive once you start doing hard questions. So trust the process! Take your time as they suggest all the time. This also applies for CR questions. As a STEM student, my instinct is to start looking at the answer choices once I have a feel of what the argument is. Similarly, I got away with easy and mid level questions and started failing miserably on hard questions. This was because I did not pre-think. Therefore, again, trust the process.
However, this is a long process to fully master the mindset and framework. Many times especially during the second to third months of preparing, I was having doubts of whether I am on the right track. Should I hire a private tutor? Should I try a different approach? If you are also in this boat, you are not alone. Don't give up! Trust the process! If you are not getting the accuracy levels you are aiming for, go back through the course again. Use your error log to see what types of questions you have the most trouble answering and if you are missing a certain process. Spend more time building your error log rather than spending time mindlessly solving more questions.
One week before my actual GMAT test, I took my second and third mock test and I got a 760 and a 750. I was truly in shock after going through months of frustrations and going back to review the material again and again. Therefore, before my first GMAT test, I felt quite confident that I should at least score better than seven years ago. However, the worst possible thing happened. I had a major technical issue on my computer that forced me to spend one whole hour debugging the issue with the proctor, wasting huge amounts of energy. By the end of the test, I was on fumes and not surprisingly I did not achieve my target score. I got 700(V34,Q50) again seven years later.
This score was frustrating yet encouraging since I know that I can definitely score higher. It kind of set the baseline for me as I prepare to take the GMAT again. For my third try, the team at e-GMAT reached out to me and gave me the opportunity to join the Last Mile Program (LMP) which is a 1:1 mentoring service that identifies individual weaknesses and provides test preparation strategies for the individual. My mentor DJ was a joy to work with. He first introduced me to the 3R methodology - Revise, Review and Reboot. Revise all of my old notes, review my error log and do a few ability tests to reboot see where I am in SC, CR and RC. The process of constantly self reflecting and identifying conceptual gaps and process gaps is key. The error log template provided by e-GMAT is one of a kind and can really pin point the issues. About one week before my GMAT exam, we went into the Last Mile Plan where i would do a stress test, a pace test with OG questions, introspection and mocks in a 4-day rotation. In addition, I also did speed sets of at the end of the day to simulate less-than-ideal situations and also warm-up tests before each test to get me into test taking mode. These preparation techniques were super helpful, but it is only useful if you are within 10-20 points of your target score with no luck factor.
After 4 months of hard work, I got 740 (Q50, V40) with the help and support from the e-GMAT team. I would especially like to thank DJ for his insightful feedback and the e-GMAT team for creating such a wonderful learning tool to help non-native speakers like me to break the 700 barrier. To all of you that are deciding which tool to use to help you prepare, I would highly recommend you to use e-GMAT. To all of you that are already using e-GMAT, but are having struggles and feel like you are hitting a wall, trust the process and keep pushing. Be patient and you will get there!
While I don't regret my decision, I do understand that I am a bit older now and I need to work extra hard to get to my target score. However, this time around, I also wanted to see if there are better resources out there that will help me break the 700 score glass ceiling. FYI, I studied by myself using Manhattan prep 7 years ago. After reading some reviews on GMAT club and watching some videos on YouTube, I decided to commit to e-GMAT because of there meaning based approach for sentence correction (SC) and pre-thinking frameworks for critical reasoning (CR). As many before me have mentioned, these approaches are super helpful, BUT you have commit to the process in order to master it.
At the end of June, I subscribed to e-GMAT and started out by taking my first mock SIGMA-X exam which I got a 630. The e-GMAT software quickly mapped out my schedule based on my mock score, individual scores on each section and my target score of 750 (got to aim high). My initial schedule was to have the test in 3 months. So now the fun begins. I have to say that the team at e-GMAT made the course super enjoyable and you will have a lot of fun taking the courses. However, one thing I would recommend everyone is to not skip steps. You may worry about not solving questions fast enough so you start skipping steps which you think are silly, but trust me, this will come back and bite you. While you may be able to shorten you time initially, these bad habits will also limits your ability to solve much harder questions down the road.
This is particularly true for SC. You may be able to get away with easy to mid level questions without doing meaning analysis. However, what you will notice, is that your accuracy will take a nose dive once you start doing hard questions. So trust the process! Take your time as they suggest all the time. This also applies for CR questions. As a STEM student, my instinct is to start looking at the answer choices once I have a feel of what the argument is. Similarly, I got away with easy and mid level questions and started failing miserably on hard questions. This was because I did not pre-think. Therefore, again, trust the process.
However, this is a long process to fully master the mindset and framework. Many times especially during the second to third months of preparing, I was having doubts of whether I am on the right track. Should I hire a private tutor? Should I try a different approach? If you are also in this boat, you are not alone. Don't give up! Trust the process! If you are not getting the accuracy levels you are aiming for, go back through the course again. Use your error log to see what types of questions you have the most trouble answering and if you are missing a certain process. Spend more time building your error log rather than spending time mindlessly solving more questions.
One week before my actual GMAT test, I took my second and third mock test and I got a 760 and a 750. I was truly in shock after going through months of frustrations and going back to review the material again and again. Therefore, before my first GMAT test, I felt quite confident that I should at least score better than seven years ago. However, the worst possible thing happened. I had a major technical issue on my computer that forced me to spend one whole hour debugging the issue with the proctor, wasting huge amounts of energy. By the end of the test, I was on fumes and not surprisingly I did not achieve my target score. I got 700(V34,Q50) again seven years later.
This score was frustrating yet encouraging since I know that I can definitely score higher. It kind of set the baseline for me as I prepare to take the GMAT again. For my third try, the team at e-GMAT reached out to me and gave me the opportunity to join the Last Mile Program (LMP) which is a 1:1 mentoring service that identifies individual weaknesses and provides test preparation strategies for the individual. My mentor DJ was a joy to work with. He first introduced me to the 3R methodology - Revise, Review and Reboot. Revise all of my old notes, review my error log and do a few ability tests to reboot see where I am in SC, CR and RC. The process of constantly self reflecting and identifying conceptual gaps and process gaps is key. The error log template provided by e-GMAT is one of a kind and can really pin point the issues. About one week before my GMAT exam, we went into the Last Mile Plan where i would do a stress test, a pace test with OG questions, introspection and mocks in a 4-day rotation. In addition, I also did speed sets of at the end of the day to simulate less-than-ideal situations and also warm-up tests before each test to get me into test taking mode. These preparation techniques were super helpful, but it is only useful if you are within 10-20 points of your target score with no luck factor.
After 4 months of hard work, I got 740 (Q50, V40) with the help and support from the e-GMAT team. I would especially like to thank DJ for his insightful feedback and the e-GMAT team for creating such a wonderful learning tool to help non-native speakers like me to break the 700 barrier. To all of you that are deciding which tool to use to help you prepare, I would highly recommend you to use e-GMAT. To all of you that are already using e-GMAT, but are having struggles and feel like you are hitting a wall, trust the process and keep pushing. Be patient and you will get there!
Hey samsonite630,
First of all congratulations on your 740 and doing this after a 7-year gap is truly commendable! Not a lot of people can commit to their studies once they get busy with their jobs or in your case a start-up. A 110-point improvement (from your first Sigma-X Mock) is something that does not come easy especially when you scored a 640 just a few days before your attempt. (More on this later)
Being able to bounce back after scoring another 700 (After 7 years mind you
) is where your determination came in. I was really happy to engage with you in our Last Mile program and I am glad I gave you that offer since it's always rewarding to work with students that "Trust the process" I remember the diligence with which you executed the 3R plan because I had to ask you after 11 days of sharing the plan on how you were doing and you said you were almost done - it was at this point I knew that you were grinding hard. (For context the plan takes 5 days usually)
Let's begin with your Online GMAT Attempt. (Where you scored a 700)
From the conversation we had, I was able to assess your attempt and account data to conclude that you take longer on SC, CR questions that led to you rushing on your RC’s. This happens with tons of students and Scholaranium made my job easier since the GMAT Online does not have an ESR. Finding the missing clues for a score drop is like solving a puzzle –
Scholaranium Analysis Snapshots - https://success.e-gmat.com/Finding-Weakness-Sam
I knew that timing is more a symptom than a problem which is why digging deeper became imperative. I can see most students giving up on the process and approach, but you did not. Instead, you went back and spent 2.5x to 3x more time on the course files to truly understand the approach we recommend for SC, CR question. I am sure going through the course again not only gave you fresh perspective but helped you understand that missing element
Most students look for the "fastest" or the "easiest" way out of questions and it does not always help them get to their end goal - getting that question right. This is especially true for harder GMAT CR questions. As you can see from the screenshot above therefore you were taking much longer on CR Hard questions.
One can ask, how do you go about creating a plan where you need to fix the way you solve questions and thereby timing especially when you are already at a 700. Here is how we did it.
We went about your re-preparation methodically –
Step 1 > The 3R Plan
Step 2 > Creating an error log to understand where you were faltering
Step 3 > Getting Test Ready with the Last Mile Plan
Retake Plan Walkthrough :
https://success.e-gmat.com/Retake-Plan-Walkthrough
Not all plans go without a hitch. A few days before the test you scored a 640! After all that work but I still remember what I told you - https://www.loom.com/share/22d137e0e97c4b448866956f6b1526b6?sharedAppSource=personal_library
The rest is history!
To learn more about his last mile sprint plan, please watch this. https://youtu.be/uHIzrb4PHW8 - THIS IS TOTALLY WORTH THE WATCH!
I know you are preparing to take the test again in a day or two, I wish you all the best for it and I know you have it in your to score a 750 +
Once again, I am elated for your success and I wish you all the best in your applications. (I have a good feeling about them )
Warm Regards and Best Wishes,
Dhananjay(aka DJ)
First of all congratulations on your 740 and doing this after a 7-year gap is truly commendable! Not a lot of people can commit to their studies once they get busy with their jobs or in your case a start-up. A 110-point improvement (from your first Sigma-X Mock) is something that does not come easy especially when you scored a 640 just a few days before your attempt. (More on this later)
Being able to bounce back after scoring another 700 (After 7 years mind you
) is where your determination came in. I was really happy to engage with you in our Last Mile program and I am glad I gave you that offer since it's always rewarding to work with students that "Trust the process" I remember the diligence with which you executed the 3R plan because I had to ask you after 11 days of sharing the plan on how you were doing and you said you were almost done - it was at this point I knew that you were grinding hard. (For context the plan takes 5 days usually)Let's begin with your Online GMAT Attempt. (Where you scored a 700)
From the conversation we had, I was able to assess your attempt and account data to conclude that you take longer on SC, CR questions that led to you rushing on your RC’s. This happens with tons of students and Scholaranium made my job easier since the GMAT Online does not have an ESR. Finding the missing clues for a score drop is like solving a puzzle –
Scholaranium Analysis Snapshots - https://success.e-gmat.com/Finding-Weakness-Sam
Quote:
I knew that timing is more a symptom than a problem which is why digging deeper became imperative. I can see most students giving up on the process and approach, but you did not. Instead, you went back and spent 2.5x to 3x more time on the course files to truly understand the approach we recommend for SC, CR question. I am sure going through the course again not only gave you fresh perspective but helped you understand that missing element
Quote:
Most students look for the "fastest" or the "easiest" way out of questions and it does not always help them get to their end goal - getting that question right. This is especially true for harder GMAT CR questions. As you can see from the screenshot above therefore you were taking much longer on CR Hard questions.
One can ask, how do you go about creating a plan where you need to fix the way you solve questions and thereby timing especially when you are already at a 700. Here is how we did it.
We went about your re-preparation methodically –
Step 1 > The 3R Plan
Step 2 > Creating an error log to understand where you were faltering
Step 3 > Getting Test Ready with the Last Mile Plan
Retake Plan Walkthrough :
https://success.e-gmat.com/Retake-Plan-WalkthroughNot all plans go without a hitch. A few days before the test you scored a 640! After all that work but I still remember what I told you - https://www.loom.com/share/22d137e0e97c4b448866956f6b1526b6?sharedAppSource=personal_library
The rest is history!
To learn more about his last mile sprint plan, please watch this. https://youtu.be/uHIzrb4PHW8 - THIS IS TOTALLY WORTH THE WATCH!
I know you are preparing to take the test again in a day or two, I wish you all the best for it and I know you have it in your to score a 750 +
Once again, I am elated for your success and I wish you all the best in your applications. (I have a good feeling about them
)Warm Regards and Best Wishes,
Dhananjay(aka DJ)
HoneyLemon
17 Dec 2021, 02:03
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samsonite630
Congratulations on your score. An inspiring story!!
