Hey everyone!I recently scored a 675 on the GMAT Focus Edition (Q88, V83, DI80). I'm excited to share my journey with you all, hoping it might inspire and help fellow GMAT aspirants.
A Bit About MeI completed my bachelor's and master's in mechanical engineering and have been working in the railway industry for a few years. In September 2022, I decided to pursue an MBA to enhance my management skills.
My GMAT Preparation OverviewI started with the Classic Edition, prepared for an year. The best I could score was a 720, and although that's a good score, I was not happy with it and many of my friends suggested that it might not be sufficient for an Indian Engineer. I wanted to give one last attempt to try for a 740+ and Focus happened! When the announcement was made, I was disheartened. I wanted to be done with GMAT before the Classic was taken off. By the time I gave the 720 attempt and started preparing for another attempt, it was already Jan'24 and there was hardly any time for me to enhance my classic prep and give another attempt before it was going to be taken off. I almost gave up on my MBA plans, instead convinced myself to take a break for a couple of months and see where it goes.
After a couple of months, I half-heartedly started my GFE prep. My Focus edition journey began with a diagnostic score of 615 (Q81, V81, DI78). After researching various prep options, I chose e-GMAT since I liked the way they approached the prep. Little did I know, this decision would be a game-changer for me!
Quant: Polishing My StrengthsQuant was my strong suit, but I knew I needed fine-tuning to reach the top percentiles. I knew I had some topics that needed to be addressed, but I was at the loss to identify them. The e-GMAT PACE engine was a lifesaver, helping me save about 45 hours of study time by tailoring the course to my needs.
The cementing quizzes were crucial in bridging the gap between concept understanding and application. I saw significant improvements in areas like Number Properties, PnC, and Sets. My accuracy on hard questions increased from 60% to 87%, and I shaved off about 20 seconds per question!
One thing I learned: to go from 95th to 99th percentile, you need to put in 3-4 times more effort than going from 90th to 95th. The cementing quizzes really helped me push through this final barrier.
Verbal: From Struggles to StrengthsInitially, I enjoyed verbal questions but lacked a structured approach and time management skills. The
e-GMAT course, especially the cementing quizzes, transformed my verbal performance.
Critical Reasoning (CR): Pre-thinking became my secret weapon. It helped me approach questions confidently and eliminate wrong options effectively. My accuracy on hard CR questions jumped from 40% to an impressive 80%!
Reading Comprehension (RC): The course taught me to break down passages and understand their structure. This strategy significantly improved my efficiency, reducing my time per passage by about 25% while boosting my accuracy on hard passages from 35% to 65%.
Data Insights: Embracing the New ChallengeAs someone transitioning from the classic GMAT, the DI section initially felt daunting.
However, I developed a strategy to tackle it efficiently:
1. For Multi-Source Reasoning (MSR), I quickly skimmed all sources before tackling questions.
2. I decided to skip Two-Part Analysis (TPA) questions after the first one, as they were time-consuming for me.
3. I focused on leveraging my verbal and quant skills to approach DI questions effectively.
The Last Mile Push ProgramThe LMP program with my mentor, Dhruv, was instrumental in my success. We created customized plan with clear milestones, which helped me stay on track and boost my confidence. The personalized guidance and consistent feedback were invaluable.
Study Tools and ResourcesScholaranium was a game-changer for me. The ability to create custom quizzes and get detailed performance analysis helped me focus on my weak areas. I practiced over 800 quant questions through cementing quizzes and Scholaranium, which really honed my skills.
Mock Tests: The Reality CheckI took about 4-5 prepared mocks, scoring between 675 and 695. Here's what I learned:
1. Choose your section order based on your strengths. This alone boosted my score from 635 to 675!
2. Review your mocks on the same day while your thoughts are fresh.
3. Use the official GMAT scratch pad during mocks to simulate test conditions.
Test Day ExperienceOn test day, I followed my planned section order: Quant, Verbal, DI. A key learning: be flexible with your breaks. I should have taken a break after Quant to reset my mind, as a lingering thought about a missed question affected my initial Verbal performance.
Pro tips for test day:
1. Keep your markers closed to prevent them from drying out.
2. Don't drink too much water to avoid unnecessary breaks.
3. Write "The only thing that matters now is the question on the screen" on your scratch pad as a reminder to stay focused.
Key Takeaways and Advice1. Stick to a structured study plan and leverage data-driven tools like e-GMAT's PACE engine.
2. Master the art of pre-thinking in CR and RC – it's a game-changer!
3. For DI, know your strengths and weaknesses. Don't be afraid to strategically skip questions.
4. Use your mock tests wisely – analyze them thoroughly and learn from each attempt.
5. On test day, stay focused on the current question and don't dwell on past questions.
Final ThoughtsMy GMAT journey was long and challenging, spanning two years with a transition from Classic to Focus edition. There were times I almost gave up, but persistence paid off. Remember, if it were easy, everyone would do it. Believe in yourself, stay committed to your goal, and success will follow.
To those on a long GMAT journey: don't give up! If I can do it, so can you. Keep pushing, and you'll reach your goal.
Best of luck to all GMAT aspirants out there! Feel free to ask any questions – I'm happy to help!