My first GMAT attempt:My GMAT journey started in October 2021. That time I had made up my mind to take the exam by preparing on my own from the OGs. As I had recently graduated with a Bachelor’s in Mathematics, I thought that quant would be an easy section for me and that I just needed to prepare for the verbal section. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Although I completed my undergraduation in Mathematics, the subjects/topics I studied there were anything but similar to the ones tested on the GMAT. Anyway, I just solved questions from the OGs without actually learning the concepts, and I also used the free resources available on the internet. And when I would get stuck on a particular topic I would look up videos on YouTube. Even with all these study materials, I could not really get the hang of the test. As the exam date was approaching, I was about sure that I would not hit the target 700+ score.
The eGMAT course:Having scored a 640 (Q48, V28) in my first attempt at GMAT in December 2020, I knew that I needed to take some preparation course that would set me on the right track and help me achieve my target GMAT score, and that’s when e-GMAT came into the picture. I already knew about e-GMAT from YouTube and after exploring more about it, the eGMAT Online Focused course seemed like everything I had wanted for GMAT. So I subscribed to the course in May 2022. And then it was the time to start preparing from scratch with dedication and routine.
The following are the key points that made eGMAT the right choice:
1.
Personalized approach: GMAT is a sport that requires skills not memorization. Here the personalization approach comes into play as the course allows us to learn at our own pace at any time of the day.
2.
Expert Guidance: Even while learning online, it didn’t feel like I was alone in this journey. Abha Mohan, my mentor and one of the experts at eGMAT, would always make sure that I was following the right track with the right mindset by emailing me every 3-4 days with my personalized performance analysis. Furthermore, the subject experts are always there to respond in detail to any query on the discussion forum.
3.
Scholaranium 2.0: It is an extremely resourceful tool that offers carefully selected questions (resembling those that are asked on the real test) that can accessed through various types of quizzes. It also provides stats to help strategically review the performance.
I also want to break down my learning experience in various sections/subsections:
1.
Sentence Correction: I think I can safely say that this course changed the way I read sentences. The meaning-based approach that E-GMAT teaches compels me to understand the logic behind every sentence.
2.
Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension: With the focus on the pre-thinking method and reading strategies, these courses taught me to read between the lines and get as much information as can be extracted from a set of sentences.
3.
Quant 2.0: Starting from the very basics of mathematics to teaching how to tackle difficult and tricky questions, the quant section is divided into various subsections and teaches in a way that does not involve any memorization or shortcuts.
Mocks and my second GMAT attempt:I completed the whole
e-GMAT course in about two months, dedicating 4 to 5 hours every day, and then I started with the Sigma-X mocks. To my horror, I scored a 650 on my first mock and then again a 650 on my second mock; I felt very disappointed. Even though I knew all the concepts and methods, I was not where I was supposed to be. But as always, Abha was there to my rescue. She carefully analyzed my mocks and identified the specific topics that needed revision. Another two major pieces of advice she gave were to take the test in the right environment with the right mindset and to move to the next question if I was not finding a way forward to the current question (can’t afford to waste any second). After keeping with the suggestions, I was on the right path again. I attempted two more Sigma-X mocks and scored a 710 on both of them.
My GMAT appointment was on 3rd August 2022 in the morning shift. With all the preparation, I was confident and calm throughout the real exam. And after the test, when I clicked on the next button to see my score, I was delighted to score a 710. This score goes on to show how representative are Sigma-X mocks to the actual GMAT exam.
Final thoughts/Suggestions:1. Firstly, trust the process and believe in yourself. Start with the very basics to lay a strong foundation.
2. Maintain an
error log for each section. They come in very handy at the time of the revision.
3. Make full use of the student discussion forum on the e-GMAT platform. Every doubt you might have has been answered in detail.
4. Try not to exhaust yourself by completing one topic after another. It’s always a good idea to take a break every once in a while.
5. Treat the mocks as the actual test. Take the mocks in a quiet surrounding, and if attempting the official mocks, avoid using the pause option as much as possible.
6. If the exam is in the morning shift, try to adjust your sleep schedule accordingly at least one week before the exam. You do not want to feel drowsy on exam day.
7. Finally, keep an energy bar and a drink with you on the day of the actual exam. Your brain will need energy after every section.
Happy Learning!