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02 Jul 2023, 17:32
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Hi all! I got my official score report today and wanted to debrief my GMAT experience. This forum has been very helpful for me and I want to contribute what I can! Here are my results:
Total: 730
Quantitative: 44
Verbal: 47
IR: 7
AWA: 6
Context
I decided only a few months ago that I was interested in going to business school. Knowing that the timeline is tight for round one, I got moving on the GMAT as fast as I could. I began studying in late May and took the exam early July, leaving me with 5 hard weeks of preparation (about a week off with random break days and a weekend spent traveling). I am not working full-time at the moment and though I am technically job searching, I reallocated a lot of time and energy towards GMAT prep instead.
Resources & Prep
Over the whole process I used 6 sources and never registered for a test prep course:
1. Princeton review premium prep 2022 (book)
2. GMAT Club
3. Target Test Prep
4. GMAT official guide 2022 (book)
5. official GMAT tests
6. Youtube
To review these in detail:
1. Princeton review premium prep 2022 (book)
This is where I started. I got the physical book as I can focus better with studying. I started with the diagnostic and it went terribly. I didn't understand data sufficiency style questions whatsoever, and ended up with an estimated 510 score. I worked through every chapter and did the examples in each. After this, I did most of the quant in the question bank as it was my weakest section. This took me 2-3 weeks.
2. GMAT Club
In my spare time when I didn't feel like doing problems, I would come to the site and read posts. Not strictly necessary of course but kind of fun, and a way to feel semi-productive. It did help me understand more about test logistics and strategies, especially the great classic post on AWA templates. Forum posts also confirmed my decision to not take the exam at a test center, since I really didn't want to deal with the seemingly unreliable pens and limited scratch pads.
3. Target Test Prep
I used the TTP 5 day trial. It was helpful, but I didn't have time to take advantage of a month subscription, so I tried to make the most of the trial period. I did the diagnostic questions and read the quant topics that I had the most trouble with. The chapter quizzes were great and helped me practice immediately after learning the concepts. I think this would be a good option if you had more time than me and purchased the subscription. Since I went through a few chapters per day, my recall for formulas and question types wasn't as strong as it could have been. I also signed up to their daily GMAT prep question email which I did every day, which is a good general refresher to stay sharp.
4. GMAT official guide 2022 (book)
Used this as a question bank for quant section. I got the physical book since it was available at my local library. The book divides quant questions into Data Sufficiency and Problem Solving, and then orders the questions in Easy Medium and Hard sections. The total number of quant questions was 502 so you should not run out. I noticed the answer explanations don't do as much with teaching tricks/shortcuts for the solutions like TTP / Princeton Review, they tended to solve the questions in a straightforward way. Because of this, I wouldn't recommend doing these questions until you're closer to the middle/end of prep. I also used this during my last 2 weeks of prep to practice pacing strategies, I would just try to do 30 questions in 60 minutes. After a few times, it helped me develop a sense for when I should just guess and move on for a tough question.
5. official GMAT tests
About 2 weeks before taking the exam, I took my first practice test. It was useful to get familiar with the computer-adaptive interface and again practice with the timing. I did my best to simulate the test day environment also - I used my physical whiteboard and dry erase pens, cleared my desk, unplugged my monitor and took the test on my laptop. I scored Q43, V44 and IR4. I actually forgot about being able to use the calculator during IR for the first practice test, so wanted to mention it here as a reminder.
6. Youtube
I don't think there was a particular channel that really stood out to me that I can recommend, but I watched a few GMAT related videos and they started coming up on my recommended feed. If I saw a video with an interesting/relevant title or topic, I'd listen to it and work along with the practice questions if possible. This isn't the first thing I would recommend for someone who is studying, it's basically another way to feel semi-productive.
General Advice & Tips
- For all practice tests, I used the same order: quant, 8 min break, verbal, 8 min break, IR/AWA. For regular studying, use the same study/break cadence. Focusing for an hour straight is tough and getting the mental stamina is necessary for such a long exam.
- For some reason I was naturally pretty good at Verbal. I didn't purposefully drill questions, my strategy was just to read the answer explanations when I missed a question. I also watched a couple Youtube videos on sentence correction. I kept a running list of notes for concepts or things that I felt like I needed to remember, ex. use "like" to compare nouns. use "such as" to introduce examples
- No particular practice for IR section, I would say that most of the skills from quant and verbal carry over here. I probably only did 3-4 practice IR sections overall.
- AWA practice: I wrote 5-6 essays total, and stopped practicing when I got back to back 6 scores. My tip for scoring these is to use ChatGPT. Here the prompts that I used:
- For those taking GMAT Online at home, set up your workspace in advance and simulate the test day environment for at least 1 practice test. Fully clear everything off your desk, unplug and remove monitors, get rid of extra notebooks / pens / papers in the area, toss your phone onto the bed.
- My plan the day before the exam: I did a 60 min / 30 question quant question set just to get the pacing rhythm and practice a few more quantitative concepts. I advise you to relax and tire yourself out so you can fall asleep easier at night. I went to the gym, walked around for a while window shopping, watched a movie and then tried to get to bed early.
- The morning of, my test was scheduled for 11 AM. I woke up and 10 min yoga, and a 10 min outdoor walk in the sunlight when I woke up. Cold shower, eat breakfast and drink your normal amount of coffee / tea.
- This is pretty embarrassing but I didn't double check my scheduling confirmation, I discovered when I logged in at 10:30 for the 11 AM exam, my account was registered in the wrong time zone so my test wouldn't start for another 3 hours. I convinced myself that this was actually good for me since I was feeling jittery anyways and used the extra 2-3 hours to watch a couple of tv episodes, get a snack, and redo my makeup (nothing mentally strenuous). Moral of the story is to double check the confirmation emails.
- For GMAT Online, the test opens 15 minutes before the scheduled time. Make sure to have the secure browser and Zoom installed. Close other programs on your computer, the proctor will check. Just have your whiteboard, ID, and optional clear glass of water on the desk. Also, it could be good to clear your desktop if you have cluttered files and set a nice wallpaper that you like since the proctor will be able to see everything and even takes remote control to type a passcode for a moment. Also, double check the audio / visual settings (volume that's loud enough to hear the proctors voice but doesn't randomly scare you, make sure the screen isn't too bright and hurts your eyes after 3 hours of staring, check internet, disconnect bluetooth devices). My computer is old and slow, so I made sure to reboot it the night before just to ensure everything would be peak condition. The proctor I got was very nice and even wished me good luck before starting the exam.
Test day reflections
Since quant was my historical worst section, I knew it would make or break my score so I was extremely nervous starting the exam. I still chose to do this section first because I believed it would require the most focus and I wanted to be fresh as possible. I was slow on a couple tricky ones, and in the last 15 min I felt as if I was getting questions that were too easy. This really psyched me out and made me worry, but I managed to focus and finish out the section.
During the first break, I started to freak out because I felt like my performance on quant is what would determine my score. I had to check in for the next section, and a couple times when trying to read a long boring sentence, I worried about my quant performance. Here is where stronger skills in meditation would have helped a lot. It's very important to focus solely on solving the question in front of you, and don't let anxiety about questions you've already answered distract you. I finished verbal section pretty early and waited for a while before ending the test to effectively lengthen the break before IR / AWA.
IR was tough and question 4 or 5 slowed me down a lot. I had to guess on the last few, but by then I wasn't too stressed as long as I hit the average on IR and AWA. Pushed right on to writing (there's maybe a 1-2 minute break since you get to read the instructions but it's not a real break). I pretty much always use up the full 30 minutes trying to maximize my word count, and immediately after I finished the section, the proctor took me through the end checks and I got the unofficial score report screen! Definitely breathed a sigh of relief.
Now I see that this post has gotten really long, sorry about that but hope it was helpful in some way! Please feel free to ask any questions and good luck on your exams!
Total: 730
Quantitative: 44
Verbal: 47
IR: 7
AWA: 6
Context
I decided only a few months ago that I was interested in going to business school. Knowing that the timeline is tight for round one, I got moving on the GMAT as fast as I could. I began studying in late May and took the exam early July, leaving me with 5 hard weeks of preparation (about a week off with random break days and a weekend spent traveling). I am not working full-time at the moment and though I am technically job searching, I reallocated a lot of time and energy towards GMAT prep instead.
Resources & Prep
Over the whole process I used 6 sources and never registered for a test prep course:
1. Princeton review premium prep 2022 (book)
2. GMAT Club
3. Target Test Prep
4. GMAT official guide 2022 (book)
5. official GMAT tests
6. Youtube
To review these in detail:
1. Princeton review premium prep 2022 (book)
This is where I started. I got the physical book as I can focus better with studying. I started with the diagnostic and it went terribly. I didn't understand data sufficiency style questions whatsoever, and ended up with an estimated 510 score. I worked through every chapter and did the examples in each. After this, I did most of the quant in the question bank as it was my weakest section. This took me 2-3 weeks.
2. GMAT Club
In my spare time when I didn't feel like doing problems, I would come to the site and read posts. Not strictly necessary of course but kind of fun, and a way to feel semi-productive. It did help me understand more about test logistics and strategies, especially the great classic post on AWA templates. Forum posts also confirmed my decision to not take the exam at a test center, since I really didn't want to deal with the seemingly unreliable pens and limited scratch pads.
3. Target Test Prep
I used the TTP 5 day trial. It was helpful, but I didn't have time to take advantage of a month subscription, so I tried to make the most of the trial period. I did the diagnostic questions and read the quant topics that I had the most trouble with. The chapter quizzes were great and helped me practice immediately after learning the concepts. I think this would be a good option if you had more time than me and purchased the subscription. Since I went through a few chapters per day, my recall for formulas and question types wasn't as strong as it could have been. I also signed up to their daily GMAT prep question email which I did every day, which is a good general refresher to stay sharp.
4. GMAT official guide 2022 (book)
Used this as a question bank for quant section. I got the physical book since it was available at my local library. The book divides quant questions into Data Sufficiency and Problem Solving, and then orders the questions in Easy Medium and Hard sections. The total number of quant questions was 502 so you should not run out. I noticed the answer explanations don't do as much with teaching tricks/shortcuts for the solutions like TTP / Princeton Review, they tended to solve the questions in a straightforward way. Because of this, I wouldn't recommend doing these questions until you're closer to the middle/end of prep. I also used this during my last 2 weeks of prep to practice pacing strategies, I would just try to do 30 questions in 60 minutes. After a few times, it helped me develop a sense for when I should just guess and move on for a tough question.
5. official GMAT tests
About 2 weeks before taking the exam, I took my first practice test. It was useful to get familiar with the computer-adaptive interface and again practice with the timing. I did my best to simulate the test day environment also - I used my physical whiteboard and dry erase pens, cleared my desk, unplugged my monitor and took the test on my laptop. I scored Q43, V44 and IR4. I actually forgot about being able to use the calculator during IR for the first practice test, so wanted to mention it here as a reminder.
6. Youtube
I don't think there was a particular channel that really stood out to me that I can recommend, but I watched a few GMAT related videos and they started coming up on my recommended feed. If I saw a video with an interesting/relevant title or topic, I'd listen to it and work along with the practice questions if possible. This isn't the first thing I would recommend for someone who is studying, it's basically another way to feel semi-productive.
General Advice & Tips
- For all practice tests, I used the same order: quant, 8 min break, verbal, 8 min break, IR/AWA. For regular studying, use the same study/break cadence. Focusing for an hour straight is tough and getting the mental stamina is necessary for such a long exam.
- For some reason I was naturally pretty good at Verbal. I didn't purposefully drill questions, my strategy was just to read the answer explanations when I missed a question. I also watched a couple Youtube videos on sentence correction. I kept a running list of notes for concepts or things that I felt like I needed to remember, ex. use "like" to compare nouns. use "such as" to introduce examples
- No particular practice for IR section, I would say that most of the skills from quant and verbal carry over here. I probably only did 3-4 practice IR sections overall.
- AWA practice: I wrote 5-6 essays total, and stopped practicing when I got back to back 6 scores. My tip for scoring these is to use ChatGPT. Here the prompts that I used:
- I will give you a GMAT AWA prompt and example essay. Please score the essay based on GMAC's standards. (paste in prompt and essay)
- Rewrite the essay to earn a score of 6.
- For those taking GMAT Online at home, set up your workspace in advance and simulate the test day environment for at least 1 practice test. Fully clear everything off your desk, unplug and remove monitors, get rid of extra notebooks / pens / papers in the area, toss your phone onto the bed.
- My plan the day before the exam: I did a 60 min / 30 question quant question set just to get the pacing rhythm and practice a few more quantitative concepts. I advise you to relax and tire yourself out so you can fall asleep easier at night. I went to the gym, walked around for a while window shopping, watched a movie and then tried to get to bed early.
- The morning of, my test was scheduled for 11 AM. I woke up and 10 min yoga, and a 10 min outdoor walk in the sunlight when I woke up. Cold shower, eat breakfast and drink your normal amount of coffee / tea.
- This is pretty embarrassing but I didn't double check my scheduling confirmation, I discovered when I logged in at 10:30 for the 11 AM exam, my account was registered in the wrong time zone so my test wouldn't start for another 3 hours. I convinced myself that this was actually good for me since I was feeling jittery anyways and used the extra 2-3 hours to watch a couple of tv episodes, get a snack, and redo my makeup (nothing mentally strenuous). Moral of the story is to double check the confirmation emails.
- For GMAT Online, the test opens 15 minutes before the scheduled time. Make sure to have the secure browser and Zoom installed. Close other programs on your computer, the proctor will check. Just have your whiteboard, ID, and optional clear glass of water on the desk. Also, it could be good to clear your desktop if you have cluttered files and set a nice wallpaper that you like since the proctor will be able to see everything and even takes remote control to type a passcode for a moment. Also, double check the audio / visual settings (volume that's loud enough to hear the proctors voice but doesn't randomly scare you, make sure the screen isn't too bright and hurts your eyes after 3 hours of staring, check internet, disconnect bluetooth devices). My computer is old and slow, so I made sure to reboot it the night before just to ensure everything would be peak condition. The proctor I got was very nice and even wished me good luck before starting the exam.
Test day reflections
Since quant was my historical worst section, I knew it would make or break my score so I was extremely nervous starting the exam. I still chose to do this section first because I believed it would require the most focus and I wanted to be fresh as possible. I was slow on a couple tricky ones, and in the last 15 min I felt as if I was getting questions that were too easy. This really psyched me out and made me worry, but I managed to focus and finish out the section.
During the first break, I started to freak out because I felt like my performance on quant is what would determine my score. I had to check in for the next section, and a couple times when trying to read a long boring sentence, I worried about my quant performance. Here is where stronger skills in meditation would have helped a lot. It's very important to focus solely on solving the question in front of you, and don't let anxiety about questions you've already answered distract you. I finished verbal section pretty early and waited for a while before ending the test to effectively lengthen the break before IR / AWA.
IR was tough and question 4 or 5 slowed me down a lot. I had to guess on the last few, but by then I wasn't too stressed as long as I hit the average on IR and AWA. Pushed right on to writing (there's maybe a 1-2 minute break since you get to read the instructions but it's not a real break). I pretty much always use up the full 30 minutes trying to maximize my word count, and immediately after I finished the section, the proctor took me through the end checks and I got the unofficial score report screen! Definitely breathed a sigh of relief.
Now I see that this post has gotten really long, sorry about that but hope it was helpful in some way! Please feel free to ask any questions and good luck on your exams!
02 Jul 2023, 21:14
Kudos
Bookmarks
Nice work!
Also, I'm glad to hear that you found the TTP Question of the Day helpful.
One thing I'm wondering about though is your Quant score. Have you checked with your target schools to see whether it's high enough?
Many schools want to see at least Q47 or at LEAST Q45, and preferably Q49.
Your 730 total score may be sufficient for your target schools even with Q44, but I figured I'd mention that you might want to confirm that it is.
Also, I'm glad to hear that you found the TTP Question of the Day helpful.
One thing I'm wondering about though is your Quant score. Have you checked with your target schools to see whether it's high enough?
Many schools want to see at least Q47 or at LEAST Q45, and preferably Q49.
Your 730 total score may be sufficient for your target schools even with Q44, but I figured I'd mention that you might want to confirm that it is.
02 Jul 2023, 23:15
Kudos
Bookmarks
Gratz on the 730. All the best going forward. If you decide to retake, perhaps working with a study buddy who is strong on Quant could be helpful. You could teach them Verbal in exchange.
-contact: gmatknight site | gmatclub dm
-contact: gmatknight site | gmatclub dm
