780

Question

Hi guys,

My first (and last) GMAT score is:

Total 780 
Q 50
V 47

I was a bit surprised because the result was above my expectations. I was a little nervous during the first half of the math section because the questions seemed too easy and I was afraid I might have started on a track of wrong answers. But I remembered an Indian engineer on this forum who shared the same experience and got 760, and then the problems in the second half got more difficult so I relaxed. My perception was probably influenced by the fact that in the several days prior to the exam I was practicing only the questions I was getting wrong, so I got used to a higher difficulty level.

I studied for 2.5 months (mostly doing problems and questions from books), about 2.5 hours every day (including 14 hours a day the last four-five days prior to the exam). I don't believe in the success of the strategy of relaxing a day or a week prior to such an exam. But it depends on your personal preferences, of course.

I did languages and economics at university, but I was good at math in school (10 years ago). My work consists in editing business news in English, so the SC part was the easiest for me. But, on the other hand, the SC part is also the easiest to learn by exercise.

Some of my previous results are:
GMAT Prep 1: 740 (3 weeks ago) (Q48, V44)
GMAT Prep 2: 740 (3 weeks ago) (Q49, V42)
GMAT Prep 1: 770 (3 days ago) (50:45)
GMAT Prep 2: 770 (2 days ago) (50:46)
Princeton Review 1: 660 (6 weeks ago)
Princeton Review 2: 710 (6 weeks ago)
Princeton Review 3: 700 (4 days ago)
Princeton Review 4: 710 (3 days ago)
Princeton Review 2: 750 (5 days ago) (51:43)

I got something like 610 on the Kaplan 1 test, which I found ridiculously low and totally unrepresentative and I gave up making any other Kaplan tests.

I used the OG + the verbal and quant booklets, Princeton Review (did not finish the whole of it), a Barrons (which is a bit outdated) and a Peterson's, which I found very good at explaining things, particularly AWA.

I did not try to apply any of those strategies of beating the test-writers. In most cases I would first calculate the equation or the sum and only then look at the answers.

Good luck!

lanter1 · Answer

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

raj_singh · Answer

Gr88888888.... score.. congrats!!!!!!!!!!

trahul4 · Answer

Congrats Joro. Looking forward for your debrief.

Joro · Answer

Two more things:

I found it very effective not to study at home. I went to a Fulbright library and studied there so all the time I was there I knew why I was there. If I had studied at home, I don't think I would have managed to cover even half the books I did.

And second, it is a bit of an ordeal to study 14 hours a day for several days in a row, but the advantage is that the 4 hours of the real GMAT look like a piece of cake when compared with 14th hours of tests until after midnight. And the 4 hours can indeed be very exhausting because it does take a lot of concentration when it is for real.
What is important is that you do not overstretch yourself. Two days before the exam I felt completely exhausted so I did slow down the last day before the exam.

mNeo · Answer

Great job !! Congratulations !!

buffetfollower · Answer

wow! congratulations on your great score.

what schools you are planning to apply?

shmegs · Answer

Wow...CONGRATs on an amazing score.

seofah · Answer

You are too good for me to try to learn from you. :-D

A great achievement, though! Preparing elsewhere to your home sounds a good way of disciplining yourself.

kryzak · Answer

HOLY CRAP! I bow down to your GMAT awesomeness!!! You are my hero! =)

Anyway, it's great to hear of an amazing score, and the fact that I've been doing only hard Quant questions the past week will keep me less nervous about the Quant section on the GMAT itself. It's also great to see that your PR and Kaplan scores are much lower than your GMATPrep, as is the case for me. So great job again, and I look to you as my inspiration!

jamesdean · Answer

<img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_eek.gif" alt=":shock:" title="Shocked" /> <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_eek.gif" alt=":shock:" title="Shocked" /> <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_eek.gif" alt=":shock:" title="Shocked" />

kripalkavi · Answer

Jesus Christ! You are the GMAT lord :shock:

grad_mba · Answer

One word - Three alphabets - WOW

MRD · Answer

Awesome score! 
Congrats and Good luck with your apps. 
MRD

jamesrwrightiii · Answer

Wow I am impressed..really I am

700willdo · Answer

i have to truly confer the title of a serious genius man!!!!!!!!!! Amazing n all the luck with the apps

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