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GMAT Inequalities is a high-frequency topic in GMAT Quant, but many students struggle because the concepts behave differently from standard algebra. Understanding the right rules, patterns, and edge cases can significantly improve both speed and accuracy.- May 06
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27 Oct 2008, 16:58
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Hi everyone,
I'm fairly new here, so first off I'd like to say that I really wish I had found this place sooner! Lots of the stories and people here are nothing short of inspiring, and it's giving me lots of confidence that when I do go to business school, I'll be in good company.
I wanted to share my GMAT story because my results fly in the face of a lot of the advice you hear about the test (i.e. "you need to study 20 hrs/week and take a prep course to do your best"). I want to make clear that I think it's entirely possible that the way I prepared is not the best for everyone, or maybe even anyone. However, since I ended up with a score I'm very happy with on my first try, I thought others might take some comfort in knowing that success comes in a variety of ways.
My cold stats: 760 (49Q/44V/6.0AW)
My materials: Kaplan GMAT800, The Official GMAT guide
My test prep: The first thing I did was to take the paper diagnostic in the official GMAT guide. That gave me a good overview of GMAT question types. I did this about three months before my test date, on a weekend.
I work 8-5 at a university, with an hour for lunch. Basically, I studied probably 4 days a week either during my lunch hour, or in a coffee shop somewhere right after I got off work, or on the weekend. I would do a few questions at a time, then eat a bit, then do a few more questions, etc. I alternated between the two books pretty much at random, although I did make sure I got pretty much all the way through the GMAT800 book by the test date. I tried to pay especially close attention to things I was rusty on (geometry, for one).
About a month before the test, I kept up this routine, but on weekends and not-so-busy evenings, I started doing multiple problems in a row (i.e. stringing 15 together without a break). I didn't time myself, but I did try and concentrate on doing problems as fast as possible without making any errors.
I should note that I took the GRE last year, so I was pretty familiar with the CAT format already. If I hadn't been, I probably would have made more of an effort to take at least part of a practice computer test (I have a Mac, so the official software doesn't work).
About a week before the test, I eased up on my studying. I took the test on a Saturday, so I took Friday off and just read a book and watched some TV. I got about 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. I ate eggs and toast for breakfast, and a big salad for lunch. Then I went to the test center, did the fingerprinting, etc., had a good stretch, and took the test.
This is totally not supported by any science, but I think a lot of my success stemmed from the fact that I was willing to spend 30 seconds on some questions and 5 minutes on others. By test day, I had done enough test questions to be able to recognize a tricky question from a straightforward one. On the straightforward ones, I trusted myself enough not to check every answer. On the tricky ones, I often went through the whole question twice, or tried to find an alternate way to check my answer. I know that a lot of guides say "no more than 2 minutes per question," but I think if I had practiced like that, it would have torpedoed my score.
I also attribute my success to being relaxed during the test. No worrying about work, no hunger pangs, nice stretched-out muscles, and a fresh brain. I think this alone is worth months of studying. It's hard not to worry about the GMAT, but in fact, worrying is probably detrimental to your score. So I trained myself to stay relaxed.
Anyway, I'd be happy to share more about my prep with anyone who is interested. Feel free to PM me, and good luck everyone!
I'm fairly new here, so first off I'd like to say that I really wish I had found this place sooner! Lots of the stories and people here are nothing short of inspiring, and it's giving me lots of confidence that when I do go to business school, I'll be in good company.
I wanted to share my GMAT story because my results fly in the face of a lot of the advice you hear about the test (i.e. "you need to study 20 hrs/week and take a prep course to do your best"). I want to make clear that I think it's entirely possible that the way I prepared is not the best for everyone, or maybe even anyone. However, since I ended up with a score I'm very happy with on my first try, I thought others might take some comfort in knowing that success comes in a variety of ways.
My cold stats: 760 (49Q/44V/6.0AW)
My materials: Kaplan GMAT800, The Official GMAT guide
My test prep: The first thing I did was to take the paper diagnostic in the official GMAT guide. That gave me a good overview of GMAT question types. I did this about three months before my test date, on a weekend.
I work 8-5 at a university, with an hour for lunch. Basically, I studied probably 4 days a week either during my lunch hour, or in a coffee shop somewhere right after I got off work, or on the weekend. I would do a few questions at a time, then eat a bit, then do a few more questions, etc. I alternated between the two books pretty much at random, although I did make sure I got pretty much all the way through the GMAT800 book by the test date. I tried to pay especially close attention to things I was rusty on (geometry, for one).
About a month before the test, I kept up this routine, but on weekends and not-so-busy evenings, I started doing multiple problems in a row (i.e. stringing 15 together without a break). I didn't time myself, but I did try and concentrate on doing problems as fast as possible without making any errors.
I should note that I took the GRE last year, so I was pretty familiar with the CAT format already. If I hadn't been, I probably would have made more of an effort to take at least part of a practice computer test (I have a Mac, so the official software doesn't work).
About a week before the test, I eased up on my studying. I took the test on a Saturday, so I took Friday off and just read a book and watched some TV. I got about 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. I ate eggs and toast for breakfast, and a big salad for lunch. Then I went to the test center, did the fingerprinting, etc., had a good stretch, and took the test.
This is totally not supported by any science, but I think a lot of my success stemmed from the fact that I was willing to spend 30 seconds on some questions and 5 minutes on others. By test day, I had done enough test questions to be able to recognize a tricky question from a straightforward one. On the straightforward ones, I trusted myself enough not to check every answer. On the tricky ones, I often went through the whole question twice, or tried to find an alternate way to check my answer. I know that a lot of guides say "no more than 2 minutes per question," but I think if I had practiced like that, it would have torpedoed my score.
I also attribute my success to being relaxed during the test. No worrying about work, no hunger pangs, nice stretched-out muscles, and a fresh brain. I think this alone is worth months of studying. It's hard not to worry about the GMAT, but in fact, worrying is probably detrimental to your score. So I trained myself to stay relaxed.
Anyway, I'd be happy to share more about my prep with anyone who is interested. Feel free to PM me, and good luck everyone!
27 Oct 2008, 18:24
Kudos
Bookmarks
Wow !! You scored 760, without taking a practice test !! You have some inborn thing which I definitely lack !!
All the best for your applications
I am sure you'd do great (I can sense it from your post)
All the best for your applications
I am sure you'd do great (I can sense it from your post) 
