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27 Oct 2023, 22:40
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My GMAT journey is a journey of grit and perseverance, of determination and patience. I will share how I achieved my aspirations of a 750+ score. In the following paragraphs, I will outline where I started from, my preparation and test-taking strategies, and how e-GMAT helped me along the way. I hope my story helps others at one or more aspect of their GMAT journey.
Before E-GMAT
When I first decided to take the GMAT, I prepared with the help of official GMAC resources such as practice tests and official guides. To gauge my baseline level of ability, I took an official free mock exam from mba dotcom. I got a 720 there, and started preparing from the official guide. A few weeks into studying from these resources, I was able to solve most of the official GMAT questions correctly. I'd read at multiple places that your actual GMAT score can lie anywhere between +/-30 points of your official mock test score, and so I decided to go ahead and book a slot. A day before the exam, I got a 740 in the second free official mock exam. I crossed my fingers, and hoped that I would fall in the +30 bracket and took my exam. I got a 730 xD. Since I had almost a year left for my applications, I wanted to push myself and get a score of 750+. I knew that I needed expert help. I started looking around for good online test preparation companies that would help me achieve my goals while balancing a demanding professional life. I had already heard good reviews about e-GMAT on a few social media websites such as Quora, LinkedIn and gmatclub, following which I went to their official website and tried out the free course modules and one free SigmaX mock test. I was plateauing at Q49 and I wanted to push that to Q50/51 while in verbal I would score around V40, and I wanted to score higher in that section as well. I had scored IR8/8 and AWA 6/6 and I was not too worried about these sections. I liked e-GMAT’s platform and their content, especially the analysis of my attempt on their mock exam, and therefore scheduled a free consultation call with them through their website, which I found quite informative and encouraging. I decided to go through with e-GMAT to prepare to achieve my target score.
E-GMAT PLATFORM - COURSE AND SCHOLARANIUM AND MY PREPARATION
I found the entire website very user-friendly, interactive and geared towards making my preparation better and easier. There are diagnostic tests at the start of each module in Quant, and the recommendation engine recommends modules/quizzes to cover according to a diagnosis of the student’s current ability. I found this particularly useful when managing my preparation time, and also in evaluating my strong and weak areas to direct my efforts better. The verbal course was good as well, but I think it was targeted more towards improving basic verbal skills. Towards the end, I solved a lot of verbal questions from gmatclub by setting a timer. The multiple cementing quizzes and ability quizzes were very helpful in diagnosing my problem solving skills after learning a particular concept. I thought that Payal’s narration, as well as the explanation videos made by other members of the team, were very useful as they covered all important points very well.
The quizzes I could create from the Scholaranium platform were very useful for me particularly to revise concepts and applications - I had long work hours, and would have to skip 2-3 days of studying during the week. However, consistency is really important for your preparation and my mentor Dhruv would keep checking in with me, and prescribing 30-minute quizzes, summary slides etc. that would never let the momentum break. I was conscientious about not taking a break from my preparation for long. Since I had some time, I did not want to leave anything to chance this time, and went through each module/quiz prescribed by e-GMAT's PSP (Personal Study Planner) and AI-engine.
TIME MANAGEMENT AND TEST-TAKING STRATEGY
My ability to solve the questions correctly was strong, but I struggled with accuracy in a time-constrained atmosphere. This led to silly mistakes and questions I could have gotten correct going wrong. The e-GMAT team really helped with developing a strategy here, personalizing it according to my test-taking aptitude. My mentor very patiently listened to my queries and points, and his suggestions were very practical and convenient to follow, and improved my test-taking skills. For instance, Dhruv suggested that I warm up before the actual exam by doing 5-7 SC questions before I go in, so that my brain is accustomed to solving the questions and I can get cracking right from the first set of questions itself. Each aspect of the exam - from the order of sections to balancing increasing mental fatigue was discussed and planned for. In my opinion, a proper, effective test-taking strategy makes all the difference when one is aiming for the top 99th percentile and e-GMAT really helped me at this juncture.
MENTORSHIP
It is important for me that I especially mention and express my gratitude to my mentor, Dhruv Joshi. I found e-GMAT’s offering to be the best of both worlds in the sense that while the course was self-paced and self-doable, we were also given a mentor to check-in, resolve our queries and help discuss our schedule and preparation. I benefited greatly from his experience, his patience and his guidance. Dhruv and I shared a long journey, where he helped me accommodate my preparation in my busy work life and promptly answered all my queries - ranging from quant and verbal questions to time management to test-taking strategy. I was impressed with the dedication and promptness with which the team communicated with me - I also interacted with Abha, Rashmi - and all of them helped me at each step of the way. The e-GMAT team are true stars in their rights.
MOCKS
Having completed the study material, I was getting really good scores in my Scholaranium quizzes, and so I started taking mocks to simulate actual exam-taking condition. It is REALLY IMPORTANT to practice solving GMAT questions in a time-constrained environment to build up your accuracy. In my last 3 weeks, I took free mock exams from all the test preparation platforms - Kaplan, Princeton Review, Manhattan Prep, TTP - and was getting top scores there. While these mocks give you a great opportunity to practice more questions in a test-like environment, I found them to a tad more difficult than the actual exam. They are great for pacing, error analysis, practice but I would highly recommend to not take these scores at heart or be too encouraged/discouraged. The official mock exams are the most accurate simulation of the actual exam, and so I got the remaining 4 official mocks from the mba dotcom website. I got a 760, 780, 760 in those exams - an accurate indicator of my actual performance. My last 760 was just a day before my exam.
BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE D-DAY
The GMAT is a marathon, and one must be very diligent and smart in approaching it as a test-taker. Before my exam, I made sure to get plenty of rest. I had chosen to write the exam at a Pearson official Test Center. My mentor Dhruv held a very encouraging call with me, which boosted my confidence. It is important to stay calm and collected during the whole exam, and not get too stuck up on one question. One must be very conscious about the trade-off they make while taking extra time to solve a question and the remaining number of questions they must answer in the time left. I chose the order which I had been practicing with throughout - Verbal, Quant, IR and AWA. I kind of felt that I had stumbled a little in Quant in the immediate beginning, spending a lot more time on solving one question than was recommended, but I was able to catch up and get Q50. Remember to stock up on stuff like energy bars, dry fruits etcetera for the 8-minute breaks in between. I was a bit anxious when my exam ended but my screen flashed a raw score of 760 (V44 Q50 IR 8) on the screen and it felt like all the hard and smart work had been worth it! I got an AWA 6/6 a few days later.
The GMAT was definitely a long journey in which I learnt a lot, and I hope my journey is of help to others who are targeting a 750+ score. I am definitely very grateful to my friends, family and e-GMAT (another shoutout to you Dhruv Joshi
for being there throughout, and for helping boost my motivation and morale. I'd love to help out anyone else if I can in their GMAT journey. Cheers!
Before E-GMAT
When I first decided to take the GMAT, I prepared with the help of official GMAC resources such as practice tests and official guides. To gauge my baseline level of ability, I took an official free mock exam from mba dotcom. I got a 720 there, and started preparing from the official guide. A few weeks into studying from these resources, I was able to solve most of the official GMAT questions correctly. I'd read at multiple places that your actual GMAT score can lie anywhere between +/-30 points of your official mock test score, and so I decided to go ahead and book a slot. A day before the exam, I got a 740 in the second free official mock exam. I crossed my fingers, and hoped that I would fall in the +30 bracket and took my exam. I got a 730 xD. Since I had almost a year left for my applications, I wanted to push myself and get a score of 750+. I knew that I needed expert help. I started looking around for good online test preparation companies that would help me achieve my goals while balancing a demanding professional life. I had already heard good reviews about e-GMAT on a few social media websites such as Quora, LinkedIn and gmatclub, following which I went to their official website and tried out the free course modules and one free SigmaX mock test. I was plateauing at Q49 and I wanted to push that to Q50/51 while in verbal I would score around V40, and I wanted to score higher in that section as well. I had scored IR8/8 and AWA 6/6 and I was not too worried about these sections. I liked e-GMAT’s platform and their content, especially the analysis of my attempt on their mock exam, and therefore scheduled a free consultation call with them through their website, which I found quite informative and encouraging. I decided to go through with e-GMAT to prepare to achieve my target score.
E-GMAT PLATFORM - COURSE AND SCHOLARANIUM AND MY PREPARATION
I found the entire website very user-friendly, interactive and geared towards making my preparation better and easier. There are diagnostic tests at the start of each module in Quant, and the recommendation engine recommends modules/quizzes to cover according to a diagnosis of the student’s current ability. I found this particularly useful when managing my preparation time, and also in evaluating my strong and weak areas to direct my efforts better. The verbal course was good as well, but I think it was targeted more towards improving basic verbal skills. Towards the end, I solved a lot of verbal questions from gmatclub by setting a timer. The multiple cementing quizzes and ability quizzes were very helpful in diagnosing my problem solving skills after learning a particular concept. I thought that Payal’s narration, as well as the explanation videos made by other members of the team, were very useful as they covered all important points very well.
The quizzes I could create from the Scholaranium platform were very useful for me particularly to revise concepts and applications - I had long work hours, and would have to skip 2-3 days of studying during the week. However, consistency is really important for your preparation and my mentor Dhruv would keep checking in with me, and prescribing 30-minute quizzes, summary slides etc. that would never let the momentum break. I was conscientious about not taking a break from my preparation for long. Since I had some time, I did not want to leave anything to chance this time, and went through each module/quiz prescribed by e-GMAT's PSP (Personal Study Planner) and AI-engine.
TIME MANAGEMENT AND TEST-TAKING STRATEGY
My ability to solve the questions correctly was strong, but I struggled with accuracy in a time-constrained atmosphere. This led to silly mistakes and questions I could have gotten correct going wrong. The e-GMAT team really helped with developing a strategy here, personalizing it according to my test-taking aptitude. My mentor very patiently listened to my queries and points, and his suggestions were very practical and convenient to follow, and improved my test-taking skills. For instance, Dhruv suggested that I warm up before the actual exam by doing 5-7 SC questions before I go in, so that my brain is accustomed to solving the questions and I can get cracking right from the first set of questions itself. Each aspect of the exam - from the order of sections to balancing increasing mental fatigue was discussed and planned for. In my opinion, a proper, effective test-taking strategy makes all the difference when one is aiming for the top 99th percentile and e-GMAT really helped me at this juncture.
MENTORSHIP
It is important for me that I especially mention and express my gratitude to my mentor, Dhruv Joshi. I found e-GMAT’s offering to be the best of both worlds in the sense that while the course was self-paced and self-doable, we were also given a mentor to check-in, resolve our queries and help discuss our schedule and preparation. I benefited greatly from his experience, his patience and his guidance. Dhruv and I shared a long journey, where he helped me accommodate my preparation in my busy work life and promptly answered all my queries - ranging from quant and verbal questions to time management to test-taking strategy. I was impressed with the dedication and promptness with which the team communicated with me - I also interacted with Abha, Rashmi - and all of them helped me at each step of the way. The e-GMAT team are true stars in their rights.
MOCKS
Having completed the study material, I was getting really good scores in my Scholaranium quizzes, and so I started taking mocks to simulate actual exam-taking condition. It is REALLY IMPORTANT to practice solving GMAT questions in a time-constrained environment to build up your accuracy. In my last 3 weeks, I took free mock exams from all the test preparation platforms - Kaplan, Princeton Review, Manhattan Prep, TTP - and was getting top scores there. While these mocks give you a great opportunity to practice more questions in a test-like environment, I found them to a tad more difficult than the actual exam. They are great for pacing, error analysis, practice but I would highly recommend to not take these scores at heart or be too encouraged/discouraged. The official mock exams are the most accurate simulation of the actual exam, and so I got the remaining 4 official mocks from the mba dotcom website. I got a 760, 780, 760 in those exams - an accurate indicator of my actual performance. My last 760 was just a day before my exam.
BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE D-DAY
The GMAT is a marathon, and one must be very diligent and smart in approaching it as a test-taker. Before my exam, I made sure to get plenty of rest. I had chosen to write the exam at a Pearson official Test Center. My mentor Dhruv held a very encouraging call with me, which boosted my confidence. It is important to stay calm and collected during the whole exam, and not get too stuck up on one question. One must be very conscious about the trade-off they make while taking extra time to solve a question and the remaining number of questions they must answer in the time left. I chose the order which I had been practicing with throughout - Verbal, Quant, IR and AWA. I kind of felt that I had stumbled a little in Quant in the immediate beginning, spending a lot more time on solving one question than was recommended, but I was able to catch up and get Q50. Remember to stock up on stuff like energy bars, dry fruits etcetera for the 8-minute breaks in between. I was a bit anxious when my exam ended but my screen flashed a raw score of 760 (V44 Q50 IR 8) on the screen and it felt like all the hard and smart work had been worth it! I got an AWA 6/6 a few days later.
The GMAT was definitely a long journey in which I learnt a lot, and I hope my journey is of help to others who are targeting a 750+ score. I am definitely very grateful to my friends, family and e-GMAT (another shoutout to you Dhruv Joshi
for being there throughout, and for helping boost my motivation and morale. I'd love to help out anyone else if I can in their GMAT journey. Cheers! 
31 Oct 2023, 07:07
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi pv09
Big Congratulations to you on this wonderful; score and and even wonderful journey. I cannot express how proud I am to have been a part of your journey.
On behalf of the entire-GMAT team, I wish you the very best for the next steps
Regards
Dhruv
Big Congratulations to you on this wonderful; score and and even wonderful journey. I cannot express how proud I am to have been a part of your journey.
On behalf of the entire-GMAT team, I wish you the very best for the next steps
Regards
Dhruv
01 Nov 2023, 07:42
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi pv09
Congratulations on the fantastic score!
What a journey you’ve had!!
Your success is a testament to how important being self-aware during prep is. You introspected after your first attempt of 730 (Q49, V40) and realized that to go from a high score to a higher GMAT score needed much more than what you had been offering.
If someone looks at your Verbal Scholaranium scores today, no one will believe that Verbal was once your weakness. You turned this weakness into your strength with your patience- the patience to UNLEARN and then LEARN a more methodical approach to SC, CR, and RC. You took your Verbal abilities a notch higher by applying this structured approach
Take a glance at your Verbal Stats:
Diligence and the right decisions during prep played a key role in helping you improve from V39 (88th Percentile in your 1st attempt) to V44 (96th Percentile in your 2nd attempt). Your most significant improvement was seen in CR. You improved your accuracy while simultaneously reducing the time to answer questions by applying the Pre-thinking process.
Your SIGma-X mock attempts gave the much-needed predictability, Your scores of Q49 on 2 mocks followed by 2 consecutive Q50 scores gave you the much-needed confidence to go out there and ace the Quant section
When I look back at your journey, I can surely say that it had its own set of challenges. However, the way you rose above every challenge makes your achievement even more special.
pv09 , these traits of yours will help you throughout and we wish you the best!
-Dhruv
Congratulations on the fantastic score!
What a journey you’ve had!!
Your success is a testament to how important being self-aware during prep is. You introspected after your first attempt of 730 (Q49, V40) and realized that to go from a high score to a higher GMAT score needed much more than what you had been offering.
If someone looks at your Verbal Scholaranium scores today, no one will believe that Verbal was once your weakness. You turned this weakness into your strength with your patience- the patience to UNLEARN and then LEARN a more methodical approach to SC, CR, and RC. You took your Verbal abilities a notch higher by applying this structured approach
Take a glance at your Verbal Stats:
Diligence and the right decisions during prep played a key role in helping you improve from V39 (88th Percentile in your 1st attempt) to V44 (96th Percentile in your 2nd attempt). Your most significant improvement was seen in CR. You improved your accuracy while simultaneously reducing the time to answer questions by applying the Pre-thinking process.
Your SIGma-X mock attempts gave the much-needed predictability, Your scores of Q49 on 2 mocks followed by 2 consecutive Q50 scores gave you the much-needed confidence to go out there and ace the Quant section
When I look back at your journey, I can surely say that it had its own set of challenges. However, the way you rose above every challenge makes your achievement even more special.
pv09 , these traits of yours will help you throughout and we wish you the best!
-Dhruv
