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Updated on: 16 Sep 2023, 23:10
Originally posted by arrowman31 on 16 Sep 2023, 09:05.
Last edited by arrowman31 on 16 Sep 2023, 23:10, edited 1 time in total.
Last edited by arrowman31 on 16 Sep 2023, 23:10, edited 1 time in total.
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Hi everyone,
I'd like to talk to you about my GMAT experience. Perhaps some of you experience difficulties when studying for this test for your upcoming business school, just like I did. This debrief, I hope, will show you that a strong GMAT score is actually attainable with effort and willpower.
As a bit of background, I received a 750 GMAT on my fifth take. I am not a native English speaker and I do not communicate or use my English skills very intensely on a daily basis. So, for me and the majority of GMAT test takers, the biggest challenge was the Verbal section. That section is really challenging because of the unpredictable nature of the questions and the extremely difficult word choice.
However, I come from an engineering background, so for me the Quant section wasn't much of a challenge since I got to play with numbers pretty often in my work and in my previous education.
Here's the timeline of my GMAT journey:
As you can see, there is a 8-month lag between the fourth and the fifth test. When I began studying for my fifth test, I had already forgotten many of the GMAT theories I had previously acquired. However, I decided at the moment that I needed to properly review my learning technique from the previous four examinations and come up with new ways to break the 700+ score threshold.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some general tips that I drastically revised from earlier learnings and I WISH I KNEW FROM THE START:
1. Buy the GMAT official advanced question practice set
Purchasing this practice set is a must if you want to break through the 700 mark. I wish I had known sooner; I initially purchased the verbal practice bundle only without purchasing this specialized practice set for more challenging questions. There is no better option for an advanced practice set than the one provided by the GMAT's creator. However, because the quantity of questions offered is limited, you may need to purchase advanced practice sets from other sources.
I can't post a link yet, so please find it on the GMAC shop with the title: GMAT™ Official Advanced Questions: eBook + Online Question Bank
2. Time management
Throughout the 5th test, I greatly improved my time management skills. Even during the real test, I managed to finish all the questions with excess time around 2 minutes for verbal and 3-4 minutes for quant. When aiming for a high GMAT score, you must keep in mind that time management is of the utmost significance.
When taking GMAT online courses, you may accustom yourself to answering questions in 1.5-2 minutes. However, because in the real test the test screen just displays the remaining time, it is extremely difficult to keep track of the duration precisely during the actual test.
Please never try to remember the minute and second that you begin a question in order to figure out how many minutes have passed. Memorizing time or simply writing it down on paper will automatically consume a large portion of your time during the test. Instead, just make sure that your current question is in the correct time frame.
How do you go about doing that? You can use the time framework I devised to keep yourself inside the correct time limit:
Verbal: 36 questions divided into 6 parts, each part consists of 6 questions that should be done within 11 mins (only for the first part it is 10 mins)
Remaining time (run backward): number of questions
Quant: it is easier; the rule of thumb is 2 mins per question. However, this framework will still help you to know whether you have passed the time limit or not.
Remaining time (run backward): number of questions
How to use it?
3. Familiarize yourself with the type of questions and try to deduce the test creator's objective.
As a regular test taker, I can attest that doing as many practice questions as possible is the greatest way to prepare for the GMAT. Others argue that quantity isn't as important as quality. But, in my opinion, both are important, and you should consider both if you want to succeed.
This may sound cliche, but if you are a non-native English speaker, you must prepare for the GMAT ahead of time. Create a detailed study schedule well in advance of your targeted business school entry cycle. Do not rush things; nothing worthwhile ever comes quickly. If this is your first GMAT preparation, try to take any mock tests. You should be aware of your weaknesses and, from there, devise a strategy for improving those areas.
It's okay if you fail the first time; GMAC provides us another seven opportunities after all.
4. Commit to reading at least two business publications per day!
I believe this is the most significant difference between my former learning strategy and my current strategy. I wholeheartedly suggest this strategy to everyone whose first language is not English!
If you learned GMAT elsewhere, you may have heard that one of their primary suggestions is to read business news or articles on a regular basis. You may think that the suggestion is pointless -- that no one has actually the time to read such lengthy papers on purpose. However, I can personally attest that reading business articles improves my reading ability. This habit has really aided my reading speed because I have been accustomed to complex sentence structure and high-level vocabulary - this allows me to spare more time to focus on the questions rather than trying to absorb the meaning of the piece.
Make a commitment to yourself that if verbal is your largest issue and you are not a regular English speaker, you will read at least two business articles per day - any themes would suffice! At the end of the day, this type of content will be your daily intake when you enroll in your desired business school.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Besides the general recommendations, I also created recommendations tailored specifically to each GMAT section.
Quant
The major guideline for the quant portion is to thoroughly comprehend the principle underlying each math theory. If you wish to get a score of 50 or above, you must first comprehend why a math formula is created. If you simply memorize a formula, you may struggle to solve a complex maths question when a version of a formula must be constructed.
1. Practice mental math frequently
Try doing mental math whenever you see a number in your regular work or life to become acclimated to quick math calculations. To be honest, throughout the test, there were some Problem Solving questions that I purposely calculated manually (I took the amateur, longer way) despite the fact that they might have been done faster if I had recognized the pattern early. Manual calculation may take a long time for folks who are not used to doing math calculations, however, I was able to answer those questions quickly and correctly because I am already used to mental math. After all, the most important thing is that you get your answer right.
2. Use the 'pick a number' strategy often
For a lot of DS questions, there are many instances in which you will have to pick a number. In fact, I used this method more than I should have because it makes it simpler to identify the intended pattern of the question. When you don't know how to solve the questions using the formula you memorized, this method could come in handy. If you happen to forget a formula for a specific prompt, pick a number quickly and try to insert it into the available options. Remember to always select a number from one of these four ranges:
3. Beware of negative numbers, decimals, and fractions. Understand the nature of absolute value and square root.
Be more aware of these traps, particularly in more advanced queries. One strategy to avoid falling into this trap is to engage in as many practices as feasible. If you do, you will gradually realize that certain types of inquiries will specifically lead you into such traps.
4. Time management
As I have mentioned earlier, time management is also very important for Quant section.
Each question, on average, should take no more than two minutes. However, if you come across a difficult question and realize you've gone 3 minutes without knowing how to answer it, I strongly advise you to skip that question right away!
Consider this: even if you eventually figure out how to solve that question on the third minute, you still need to spend 2-3 minutes to actually implement the solution (more difficult questions require more time to solve) -- that means you have spent 6 minutes on only one question! In this situation, you're sacrificing time for two unanswered questions. It isn't worth it.
After all, the GMAT is a computer-adaptive test. If it learns you can't answer complex questions, it will continue to ask you easier ones - an advantage for you! You can continue to work on the remaining questions that are truly solvable.
Verbal
Sentence Corection
If you want to score around 700, you should understand that this type of question isn't always about a grammatical test.
The majority of the advanced SC questions concern what the GMAT genuinely favors. I recommend conducting a Google search to determine the recommended patterns in this section. As an example, consider the following:
Reading Comprehension
My strategy for RC is to actively read the passage in the first try:
When it comes to RC, time management is equally crucial! The first question for each text should take no more than 4 minutes for the shorter passage and 6 minutes for the longer passage. When practicing for the exam, try to maintain this speed.
Critical Reasoning
Many test takers despise this portion. There are many questions for which I believe there is no correct answer. However, after solving thousands of CR questions, I've reached the stage where I can perceive the intent of the questions quickly. Eventually, I noticed a pattern emerge from usual CR inquiries. Even though I hadn't finished the prompt, I could see where it went and guess the solution right away. This could only be possible since I had completed 1000+ CR questions.
The specific recommendation for this section is: ALWAYS read the questions first. Is it strengthening, weakening, or assumption? You will save time by doing so since when you read the prompt, your brain will instinctively hunt for the solution while scanning the passage.
My aversion to this portion eventually turns to affection. This is now my favorite verbal section because every time I come across a logical error in real life, whether at work or in my personal life, my brain quickly turns to critical thinking mode: what are his/her assumptions? What is the flaw in the logic? How do I strengthen my argument? it's gradually become the nature of my thinking.
The CR now becomes my default mode of thinking.
=========================================================================================
I hope this debrief will help you reach your GMAT target score. I hope you don't give up quickly and you will find a way to evaluate your learning strategy effectively.
Your path may be rocky, but remember that only a few actually remain beyond the "give up" point. Your struggle will be worth it in the end.
I'd like to talk to you about my GMAT experience. Perhaps some of you experience difficulties when studying for this test for your upcoming business school, just like I did. This debrief, I hope, will show you that a strong GMAT score is actually attainable with effort and willpower.
As a bit of background, I received a 750 GMAT on my fifth take. I am not a native English speaker and I do not communicate or use my English skills very intensely on a daily basis. So, for me and the majority of GMAT test takers, the biggest challenge was the Verbal section. That section is really challenging because of the unpredictable nature of the questions and the extremely difficult word choice.
However, I come from an engineering background, so for me the Quant section wasn't much of a challenge since I got to play with numbers pretty often in my work and in my previous education.
Here's the timeline of my GMAT journey:
- 1. First test (online), July 2022 – 590 (Q47 V25)
2. Second test, September 2022 – canceled score
3. Third test, October 2022 – 650 (Q48 V33)
4. Fourth test, November 2022 – 690 (Q49 V35)
5. Fifth test, August 2023 – 750 (Q50 42)
As you can see, there is a 8-month lag between the fourth and the fifth test. When I began studying for my fifth test, I had already forgotten many of the GMAT theories I had previously acquired. However, I decided at the moment that I needed to properly review my learning technique from the previous four examinations and come up with new ways to break the 700+ score threshold.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some general tips that I drastically revised from earlier learnings and I WISH I KNEW FROM THE START:
1. Buy the GMAT official advanced question practice set
Purchasing this practice set is a must if you want to break through the 700 mark. I wish I had known sooner; I initially purchased the verbal practice bundle only without purchasing this specialized practice set for more challenging questions. There is no better option for an advanced practice set than the one provided by the GMAT's creator. However, because the quantity of questions offered is limited, you may need to purchase advanced practice sets from other sources.
I can't post a link yet, so please find it on the GMAC shop with the title: GMAT™ Official Advanced Questions: eBook + Online Question Bank
2. Time management
Throughout the 5th test, I greatly improved my time management skills. Even during the real test, I managed to finish all the questions with excess time around 2 minutes for verbal and 3-4 minutes for quant. When aiming for a high GMAT score, you must keep in mind that time management is of the utmost significance.
When taking GMAT online courses, you may accustom yourself to answering questions in 1.5-2 minutes. However, because in the real test the test screen just displays the remaining time, it is extremely difficult to keep track of the duration precisely during the actual test.
Please never try to remember the minute and second that you begin a question in order to figure out how many minutes have passed. Memorizing time or simply writing it down on paper will automatically consume a large portion of your time during the test. Instead, just make sure that your current question is in the correct time frame.
How do you go about doing that? You can use the time framework I devised to keep yourself inside the correct time limit:
Verbal: 36 questions divided into 6 parts, each part consists of 6 questions that should be done within 11 mins (only for the first part it is 10 mins)
Remaining time (run backward): number of questions
- 65 - 56: 1-6
55 - 45: 7-12
44 - 34: 13-18
33 - 23: 19-24
22 - 12: 25-30
11 - 0: 31-36
Quant: it is easier; the rule of thumb is 2 mins per question. However, this framework will still help you to know whether you have passed the time limit or not.
Remaining time (run backward): number of questions
- 62 - 51: 1-6
50 - 41: 7-11
40 - 31: 12-16
30 - 21: 17-21
20 - 11: 22-26
10 - 0: 27-31
How to use it?
- - For example, if you are now on question 11 in the Verbal section, check the time framework. Since you're on number 11, your remaining screen time should be between 55 and 45 minutes. However, because you're nearing the end of the time window, it should be between 49 and 45 minutes.
- If you're already on question number 11 and the remaining time shows "43 minutes", then you know you've spent more time than you should have, because you haven't even finished question number 12 and you're already in the third time slot.
- In fact, if the remaining time approaches 43 minutes, you should ideally be at least on number 13. If you're still on question number 11, it means you must speed up question number 12 in order to restore the time limit for each question to normal.
3. Familiarize yourself with the type of questions and try to deduce the test creator's objective.
As a regular test taker, I can attest that doing as many practice questions as possible is the greatest way to prepare for the GMAT. Others argue that quantity isn't as important as quality. But, in my opinion, both are important, and you should consider both if you want to succeed.
This may sound cliche, but if you are a non-native English speaker, you must prepare for the GMAT ahead of time. Create a detailed study schedule well in advance of your targeted business school entry cycle. Do not rush things; nothing worthwhile ever comes quickly. If this is your first GMAT preparation, try to take any mock tests. You should be aware of your weaknesses and, from there, devise a strategy for improving those areas.
It's okay if you fail the first time; GMAC provides us another seven opportunities after all.
4. Commit to reading at least two business publications per day!
I believe this is the most significant difference between my former learning strategy and my current strategy. I wholeheartedly suggest this strategy to everyone whose first language is not English!
If you learned GMAT elsewhere, you may have heard that one of their primary suggestions is to read business news or articles on a regular basis. You may think that the suggestion is pointless -- that no one has actually the time to read such lengthy papers on purpose. However, I can personally attest that reading business articles improves my reading ability. This habit has really aided my reading speed because I have been accustomed to complex sentence structure and high-level vocabulary - this allows me to spare more time to focus on the questions rather than trying to absorb the meaning of the piece.
Make a commitment to yourself that if verbal is your largest issue and you are not a regular English speaker, you will read at least two business articles per day - any themes would suffice! At the end of the day, this type of content will be your daily intake when you enroll in your desired business school.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Besides the general recommendations, I also created recommendations tailored specifically to each GMAT section.
Quant
The major guideline for the quant portion is to thoroughly comprehend the principle underlying each math theory. If you wish to get a score of 50 or above, you must first comprehend why a math formula is created. If you simply memorize a formula, you may struggle to solve a complex maths question when a version of a formula must be constructed.
1. Practice mental math frequently
Try doing mental math whenever you see a number in your regular work or life to become acclimated to quick math calculations. To be honest, throughout the test, there were some Problem Solving questions that I purposely calculated manually (I took the amateur, longer way) despite the fact that they might have been done faster if I had recognized the pattern early. Manual calculation may take a long time for folks who are not used to doing math calculations, however, I was able to answer those questions quickly and correctly because I am already used to mental math. After all, the most important thing is that you get your answer right.
2. Use the 'pick a number' strategy often
For a lot of DS questions, there are many instances in which you will have to pick a number. In fact, I used this method more than I should have because it makes it simpler to identify the intended pattern of the question. When you don't know how to solve the questions using the formula you memorized, this method could come in handy. If you happen to forget a formula for a specific prompt, pick a number quickly and try to insert it into the available options. Remember to always select a number from one of these four ranges:
- - Below -1
- Between -1 and 0
- Between 0 and +1
- Above +1
3. Beware of negative numbers, decimals, and fractions. Understand the nature of absolute value and square root.
Be more aware of these traps, particularly in more advanced queries. One strategy to avoid falling into this trap is to engage in as many practices as feasible. If you do, you will gradually realize that certain types of inquiries will specifically lead you into such traps.
4. Time management
As I have mentioned earlier, time management is also very important for Quant section.
Each question, on average, should take no more than two minutes. However, if you come across a difficult question and realize you've gone 3 minutes without knowing how to answer it, I strongly advise you to skip that question right away!
Consider this: even if you eventually figure out how to solve that question on the third minute, you still need to spend 2-3 minutes to actually implement the solution (more difficult questions require more time to solve) -- that means you have spent 6 minutes on only one question! In this situation, you're sacrificing time for two unanswered questions. It isn't worth it.
After all, the GMAT is a computer-adaptive test. If it learns you can't answer complex questions, it will continue to ask you easier ones - an advantage for you! You can continue to work on the remaining questions that are truly solvable.
Verbal
Sentence Corection
If you want to score around 700, you should understand that this type of question isn't always about a grammatical test.
The majority of the advanced SC questions concern what the GMAT genuinely favors. I recommend conducting a Google search to determine the recommended patterns in this section. As an example, consider the following:
- - GMAT really hates the word "being". So, if you come across a question and have already eliminated three alternatives, and one of the remaining two involves the word "being," it's very definitely the erroneous answer (albeit the other option is less persuasive)
- Avoid "instead of", use "rather than"
- Avoid "like", use "as if / as tough"
- Memorize all the idioms, from common to uncommon ones!
- - First, understand the meaning/intention of the sentence
- Quickly spot the main verb and subject of the sentence. Quickly check for subject-verb agreement errors.
- Spot the modifiers and other explanatory/additional phrase. Beware of modifier traps.
- Recognize other common traps: parallelism, pronouns and antecedents, comparison, verb tense error, etc
Reading Comprehension
My strategy for RC is to actively read the passage in the first try:
- - understand the meaning/intention of the passage
- get the main idea of each paragraph
- understand the tone of the author of the passage.
When it comes to RC, time management is equally crucial! The first question for each text should take no more than 4 minutes for the shorter passage and 6 minutes for the longer passage. When practicing for the exam, try to maintain this speed.
Critical Reasoning
Many test takers despise this portion. There are many questions for which I believe there is no correct answer. However, after solving thousands of CR questions, I've reached the stage where I can perceive the intent of the questions quickly. Eventually, I noticed a pattern emerge from usual CR inquiries. Even though I hadn't finished the prompt, I could see where it went and guess the solution right away. This could only be possible since I had completed 1000+ CR questions.
The specific recommendation for this section is: ALWAYS read the questions first. Is it strengthening, weakening, or assumption? You will save time by doing so since when you read the prompt, your brain will instinctively hunt for the solution while scanning the passage.
My aversion to this portion eventually turns to affection. This is now my favorite verbal section because every time I come across a logical error in real life, whether at work or in my personal life, my brain quickly turns to critical thinking mode: what are his/her assumptions? What is the flaw in the logic? How do I strengthen my argument? it's gradually become the nature of my thinking.
The CR now becomes my default mode of thinking.
=========================================================================================
I hope this debrief will help you reach your GMAT target score. I hope you don't give up quickly and you will find a way to evaluate your learning strategy effectively.
Your path may be rocky, but remember that only a few actually remain beyond the "give up" point. Your struggle will be worth it in the end.
16 Sep 2023, 09:30
Kudos
Bookmarks
Thanks for so detailed a post. Will try to imbibe.
All the Best for the applications.
All the Best for the applications.
16 Sep 2023, 12:15
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Gratz on the 750. All the best going forward.
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-contact: gmatknight site | gmatclub dm
