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Online GMAT Course Reviews
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August 03, 2023
parashcr7

Joined: Sep 02, 2021

Posts: 7

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
740 Q50 V40 (Online)

V25-V40 in 45 days with TTP!

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Improvement 100 Points

Course Target Test Prep Flexible Prep

Location Online

> The TTP course took away the burden of worrying about the right things to study for the GMAT.
> The order of the chapters & the sub-chapters was such that each new concept introduced was easy to comprehend & I didn't feel lost at any point despite being a non-native speaker.
> It was comprehensively laid out with a logical approach to solving questions & it was easy to pick up in short amount of time.
> It was written in an interactive manner & was easy to read & understand.
> Marty helped me throughout the journey with course doubts & always nudged me in the right direction.
> Value for money

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August 02, 2023
HARSHITHA12

Joined: Jan 03, 2023

Posts: 2

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
710 Q50 V35

e-gmat review

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Improvement 100 Points

Course e-GMAT Online 360

Location Online

The e-gmat course is the best gmat material I have come across. The study material, scholaranium, and sigma x mocks are excellent and the best resources to ace the test. The question forum and mentor support is incredible and has been pivotal in giving me personalised advice to address my strengths and overcome my weekenesses. I could not have made it this far without my mentor Dhruv Joshi’s genuine support and help.

1. From the foundational concepts to the most advanced strategies, the content was exceptionally well-structured and thoroughly covered all sections of the GMAT exam including IR. Whether it was Quantitative, Verbal, or Integrated Reasoning, the materials were top-notch and tailored to suit all learning styles.
2. One of the course's standout features in Quant section was its adaptive learning platform. Adaptive learning analyzed my performance and tailored subsequent lessons based on my strengths and weaknesses. This personalized approach ensured that I focused on areas where I needed improvement the most, making my study sessions efficient and productive.
3. The vast array of practice questions, mock tests, and timed quizzes helped me build my confidence and test-taking stamina, ultimately refining my approach to each section of the GMAT exam.

In conclusion, I can confidently say that E-GMAT was the turning point in my GMAT preparation. The remarkable increase in my score from 610 to 710 speaks volumes about the effectiveness of the course. I am now well on my way to fulfilling my dream of attending a top-notch business school, and I owe a significant portion of my success to this exceptional online course.
If you're serious about excelling in the GMAT exam and unlocking your true potential, I wholeheartedly recommend E-GMAT. The investment will undoubtedly pay off, and you'll find yourself closer to your academic and career goals than you ever imagined.

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August 17, 2023
egmat

Hi HARSHITHA12,   

Congratulations on your 710 score! 

Achieving a 100-point enhancement is a remarkable accomplishment that demands tremendous dedication and unwavering commitment.

What makes your journey truly admirable is the 'simplicity' that characterized your approach. You diligently followed the recommended three-stage sequence during your preparation. Most of your preparation time was dedicated to constructing a solid foundation, as clearly illustrated in the image below, where you meticulously engaged with every file in the course.

https://success.e-gmat.com/HARSHITHA12-Diligent-efforts-base-building

The above efforts helped you master the structured approach and the required process skills that resulted in some exceptional improvement across:

https://success.e-gmat.com/HARSHITHA12-Outstanding-CR-improvement

Your repeated success gave you the confidence you needed to succeed on the test day. You could predict your success just by having a glance at your last 3 Sigma -X mock scores, wherein you scored 700, 690 and 710 respectively.     

https://success.e-gmat.com/HARSHITHA12-SIGma-X-mocks

Harshitha, it was our pleasure to be a part of your terrific journey.

We wish you the best for all your future endeavors.

Regards, 
Dhruv 

July 31, 2023
cmurrsoultrain

Joined: Mar 22, 2023

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
760 Q49 V44

Mark is the MAN!

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Improvement 80 Points

Course Manhattan Prep GMAT Private Tutoring

Instructor Mark Sullivan

Location Online

I got private tutoring with Mark, and he made things so easy for me.
First, I was impressed he didn't make me do a ton of random practice problems on some form just so he could tell me what areas I needed improvement in. He was able to diagnose from my practice test scores & official GMAT score I had taken.
He created a very individualized plan to help me improve, and I really looked forward to every meeting we had. He was so helpful & personable it truly was just incredible.
After each session, he assigned homework (with links! again just so helpful at every turn, making my life easy) that was very specific to me and helpful to my exact areas of weakness.

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July 30, 2023
G-Man

Joined: Apr 01, 2022

Posts: 47

Kudos: 46

Verified GMAT Classic score:
730 Q49 V40

Journey from 680 to 730 with the help of eGMAT

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Improvement 50 Points

Course e-GMAT Online 360

Location Online

After my first GMAT attempt, I was looking for an excellent platform to practice and learn concepts, a mistake I made on my first attempt. During my first attempt, I decided to study verbal on my own and used GMAT Club extensively to find practice problems. After going through multiple reviews and trying out a few other platforms, I decided to join eGMAT online 360 program. I’m happy that I made the right decision.
As I already had 680 on my first attempt, I was eligible for the Last Mile Push Program (LMP). I cannot express how impactful this was for me. I was assigned a mentor, Akash, right from the beginning. Akash helped me with analyzing the ESR, identifying the knowledge gaps, and creating a custom action plan for approaching the course content. This plan was extremely helpful as it helped me focus on the topics I was actually struggling with. Also, he consistently monitored my performance and pushed me to get better scores in every practice and cementing quizzes.
The course content is structured and very well explained, especially the SC (Sentence Correction) course. As SC was one of the topics I was struggling with, I started with SC, as per the plan. The approach eGMAT suggests and the simple explanation of topics helped me to improve my SC score substantially. The approach eGMAT suggests to solve CR questions helped in reducing the time I took to solve CR questions and scholaranium provided enough quality questions to practice these approaches. The inbuilt analytics platform helped me monitor my performance and identify the topics I should work on.
As I was scoring well in the quant section, I did not go through the quant course. However, after attempting scholaranium quizzes, I could see that some topics needed more attention. After going through the specific topics as per the modified plan that Akash suggested, I could see improvement in my scores.
Thanks to Akash and eGMAT team for the support they’ve given throughout the journey. I highly recommend this program for anyone looking for a course that covers everything from absolute basics to advanced topics.

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August 04, 2023
egmat

Dear GauthamManoj,

Congratulations on your score of 730 with a Q49 and an outstanding V40! With this, you have crossed the 90th percentile mark in the Verbal section which is a rare feat being a non-native speaker.

Scoring a V40 in Verbal is possible only when you let the processes become second nature to you. You used the Scholaranium analytics to understand that Parallelism and Comparisons are your weaker areas in SC. The below image shows that through consistent practice not only you improved your accuracy in these topics from 69% to 91%, but also you improved your timing from 1 minute 42 seconds per question to 1 minute 24 seconds per question.

Image Link - https://success.e-gmat.com/GauthamManoj-SC-Improvement-Statistics

It was because of your commitment that you got the 90th percentile in Verbal. You maintained your consistency throughout, understood your weaknesses, and worked relentlessly on them. The image below shows your phenomenal stats in Verbal hard-level questions across all three subsections –

Image Link - https://success.e-gmat.com/GauthamManoj-Verbal-Scholaranium-Statistics

You effectively used the Scholaranium analytics and improved your time management abilities with each mock, making your success on the GMAT exam predictable. It was only a matter of time before you could replicate the score in your GMAT exam. The image below shows your journey in the mocks to the exam –

Image Link - https://success.e-gmat.com/GauthamManoj-Mock-Scores

It was a pleasure mentoring you and I am glad I was a part of your GMAT journey. I am sure that you will face every challenge thrown at you with the utmost determination and I wish you all the very best for your next steps!

Regards,
Akash

July 27, 2023
AndrewKates

Joined: Jul 27, 2023

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
760 Q49 V46 (Online)

Fantastic Tool To Achieve Your Dream Score

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Improvement 160 Points

Course Target Test Prep Flexible Prep

Location Online

I cannot begin to express how impressed I am with Target Test Prep! This comprehensive test prep platform has exceeded my expectations in every way possible. From the quantitative to the analytical writing assessment sections, this resource has been an absolute game-changer in my test preparation journey.

Quantitative Section:
The quantitative section of Target Test Prep is unparalleled. The platform's extensive collection of practice questions and adaptive learning technology allowed me to focus on my weak areas while building upon my strengths. The explanations provided for each question were crystal clear and helped me grasp even the most challenging concepts. The interactive interface made learning enjoyable, and the progress tracking feature kept me motivated to push further towards success.

Qualitative Section:
The qualitative section of Target Test Prep is an absolute gem. I was initially worried about this aspect of the exam, but the abundance of practice materials and insightful lessons made me feel at ease. The in-depth analysis of critical reasoning and reading comprehension passages truly sharpened my skills and honed my ability to tackle complex questions efficiently. Thanks to Target Test Prep, I felt confident in my ability to approach any qualitative question with precision and clarity.

Integrated Reasoning Section:
The integrated reasoning section can be daunting, but with Target Test Prep's expertly designed resources, it became manageable and even enjoyable. The platform offered a wide range of practice sets that covered all aspects of integrated reasoning. The detailed explanations and strategies provided were invaluable, and they significantly improved my performance in this often-neglected section of the test.

AWA Section:
When it comes to the analytical writing assessment (AWA), Target Test Prep's guidance was outstanding. The platform's step-by-step approach to structuring and organizing essays was incredibly helpful. The sample essay responses and feedback from experts allowed me to understand what examiners are looking for and how to craft compelling arguments effectively. This section, which I initially found daunting, became one of my strengths, all thanks to the fantastic support of Target Test Prep.

Overall, Target Test Prep's comprehensive approach, user-friendly interface, and quality content make it the ultimate test prep resource. I am delighted to say that thanks to Target Test Prep, I was able to achieve a score beyond my wildest dreams on the exam. I wholeheartedly recommend this platform to anyone preparing for their standardized tests, as it truly deserves all the praise and accolades. Thank you, Target Test Prep, for making my test preparation journey a successful and enjoyable one!

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July 27, 2023
eden099jr

Joined: Feb 10, 2022

Posts: 44

Kudos: 11

Verified GMAT Classic score:
690 Q47 V38

ONE STOP FOR EVERYTHING GMAT

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Improvement N/A

Course e-GMAT Online 360

Location Online

I started using E-GMAT after getting V28 in my GMAT attempt.
I realised that my Verbal needs a re-approach from the absolute basics and hence, enrolled for E-GMAT after everyone recommended their course.
The course provided the perfect push, with excellent question banks to sharpen my skills.
The cementing quizzes helped me strengthen my skills and the periodic reviews helped me to understand why I was failing in certain areas.

As part of the Last Mile Push programme, my mentor Rashmi ma'am jotted down a perfect strategy plan for 3 weeks before my test date. It helped me to keep my focus and be consistent in my prep, which was mighty important. Other than that, she motivated me on my bad days and reinvigorated my sense of self-belief and confidence. I owe my performance to Rashmi ma'am and to the entire E-GMAT team.

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August 04, 2023
egmat

Dear chelseafan97, 

Congratulations on the 720 with a massive 13-point improvement in verbal to a V41! What an improvement and what an achievement! It has been my pleasure being a part of this journey.

I must say, you left no stone unturned in this journey to excellence. Starting from basics – by learning how to read the right way – you followed a structured approach to building your ability. See how doing Master Comprehension and internalizing the meaning-based approach really helped you get to a 90th%ile in SC:

Image Link - https://success.e-gmat.com/Chelseafan97-SC-Accuracy

This methodical approach of building a rock-solid foundation and then reinforcing it through cementing is what really helped you reach 90th percentile in verbal. You then augmented your ability by using the data analytics on the platform to identify and fix your areas of weakness to reach that V41.

See how in CR, this data-driven hyper-specific approach helped you master the Pre-thinking approach that helped you increase your CR accuracy to 86% while reducing the overall time to around 2 min:

Image link - https://success.e-gmat.com/Chelseafan97-CR-Accuracy-vs-Time

I appreciate your feedback on the quant course. However, a course is wholesome only when it caters to students with all starting abilities! That is where the customisation of study plan and the PACE driven architecture comes in.

As you know from your own journey, basis your starting ability in quant, we took the route of specifically identifying and fixing your weaknesses, enabling you to complete the quant course within 15 days. Even in the modules that you needed to go through, PACE helped you save time by identifying your strengths and creating an atomic pathway targeting just your weaker areas. See how this approach helped you get to a 70% accuracy for hard questions across all the sub-sections in quants:

Image Link - https://success.e-gmat.com/Chelseafan97-Excellent-Quant-Accuracy

I am really, glad that with your hard-work and determination, you were able to get to your target score. I, on behalf of the entire e-GMAT family, want to wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavours.

Wishing you all the very best,

Best regards,
Rashmi Vaidya

July 27, 2023
NitinGupta123

Joined: Oct 18, 2022

Posts: 2

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
700 Q49 V36

GMAT Whiz Course Review

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Improvement 110 Points

Course GMATWhiz GMAT Prep

Location Online

Before joining GMAT Whiz, I have taken two online/self study GMAT courses. While these courses helped me in building a strong foundation, but could not help me enter the GMAT 700 club. GMAT Whiz turned out to be a game changer and helped me reach 700. GMAT Whiz SC, break the sentence and decipher the meaning is quite a powerful strategy. In addition, its mentor program helped me in clearing my doubts, acted as a sounding board, and helped build my confidence. Its score predictor tool is quite interesting. Overall extremely happy with the course and would strongly recommend the same to high score GMAT aspirants.

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July 26, 2023
piyurc

Joined: Sep 25, 2021

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
730 Q48 V42

Extremely helpful

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Improvement 40 Points

Course GMATWhiz GMAT Prep

Location Online

Before Gmat Whiz, i had used another studying website when i gave my first attempt. However I found that they way GMATWhiz creates your studying schedule more helpful.

I used GMATWhiz for about 2 months and managed to complete the course. My favorite thing about GMATWhiz is the Whiz Quizes. I found these extremely helpful as I could customize it to focus on my weak topics. Towards the end of my studying i used to just do 4-5 whiz quizes a day. It also helped me get in the test mode.

I also really liked the OG section of GMATWhiz. I found this to be unique and very important. The questions that I got wrong were very well explained on GMATWhiz.

My overall experience with GMATWhiz has been great.

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July 25, 2023
Abhishekaj

Joined: Oct 06, 2020

Posts: 1

Kudos: 1

Verified GMAT Classic score:
720 Q50 V38

My GMAT Journey from 560 to 720! (Verbal - V22 to V38)

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

Improvement 160 Points

Course e-GMAT Online 360

Location Online

With consistency, dedication, hard work, and structured learning, anyone can achieve a score of 700+.

After three attempts and sub-700 scores, in March 2023, after a year's break, I decided to embark on the journey again. I sought guidance from e-GMAT's support and purchased their online 360 course. I attempted the first Sigma X mock and scored a 720. Encouraged by the fact that I still had the ability, I joined e-GMAT's "Last Mile" program, where I received personalized guidance from Akash, their strategy expert.

Fixing the strategy:
Akash pointed out the flaws in my approach, stressing the importance of maintaining error logs, adopting the meaning-based approach in SC, using prethinking in CR and setting daily targets. I wholeheartedly embraced the process this time and shifted my focus from merely completing a high number of questions to improving the quality of my problem-solving skills using scholaranium, which offers the best set of questions available. As a result, I could see my accuracy in verbal’s 700 level questions improving significantly within 2-3 weeks.

For quants, I practiced from GMAT club tests and e-GMAT’s scholaranium.

Keeping an error log turned out to be a game-changer, as it helped me identify and rectify my mistakes. As my preparation neared its conclusion, my practice test scores consistently ranged from 720 to 750.

Filled with determination and with three months of dedicated preparation under my belt, I attempted the GMAT once more. This time, my efforts paid off, and the score that appeared on the screen was 720 (Q50, V38)!

My GMAT journey was riddled with challenges, but thanks to the invaluable guidance from the e-GMAT team, I finally achieved my desired score. I owe an increase of 16 points in my verbal score (from my first attempt to final attempt) solely to e-GMAT.

Final advice:
For anyone preparing for the exam and facing challenges, believe in yourself, follow structured learning, and trust the process. Don't be disheartened by the success stories of those achieving elite scores in a short time, as everyone has their unique set of strengths and weaknesses. Stay committed to your journey, and with dedication, you can achieve your desired score.

GMAT attempts -

1st attempt - 560 (Q46, V22)
2nd attempt - 650 (Q48, V30)
3rd attempt - 690 (Q49, V35)
Final attempt - 720 (Q50, V38)

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July 26, 2023
egmat

Dear Abhishekaj,

Congratulations on your score of 720 with a remarkable Q50 and a V38! A 160-point improvement overall and a 16-point improvement in Verbal is a phenomenal achievement and everyone here at e-GMAT is so happy to have been a part of your journey.

Scoring a V38 in Verbal is not an easy feat to achieve. You understood that you were not letting the process become second nature to you, which was impacting your preparation. You critically analyzed the situation and with proper casual analysis, you did not just identify your weaker areas but also worked on them. The below image shows your dedication even at the foundational level module in SC which resulted in your success.

Image Link - https://success.e-gmat.com/Abhishekaj-SC-Good-Study-Habits

You then worked on the cementing quizzes that helped you solidify your understanding of concepts in Verbal. The below image shows your performance in hard-level cementing quizzes which helped you solidify the meaning-based approach and reach 90th%ile ability in SC.

Image Link - https://success.e-gmat.com/Abhishekaj-SC-Cementing-Quizzes

You were always willing to put in the effort to understand where you were going wrong, and you improved your time management abilities with each mock. It was a pleasure mentoring you and I am glad I was a part of your GMAT journey.

I am sure that you will face every challenge thrown at you with the utmost determination and I wish you all the very best for your next steps!

Regards,
Akash

July 25, 2023
Nielgmat

Joined: Apr 08, 2022

Posts: 129

Kudos: 144

Verified GMAT Classic score:
730 Q49 V41

730 ? With Egmat, it's possible.

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

Improvement 130 Points

Course e-GMAT Online 360

Location Online

IF I CAN, YOU CAN TOO…

If you have never taken a standardized test before and are worried about how you will fare in the GMAT, read on..
If you are dealing with issues such as nervousness and anxiety in your prep for GMAT, read on..
If you think you are out of touch with your studies and too old now to get a decent score in the GMAT, read on..

The Beginning
It all started with the decision to switch careers after 20 years. An MBA from a prestigious institution appeared to be the most appropriate bridge from government service to corporate. Hence taking the GMAT seemed to be the most logical step. After searching the internet for resources I subscribed to a particular test prep company to start with. I took their online classes for 3 months, in which they taught me the basics of quant and verbal. Having never taken a standardized test or anything that tested my quantitative and verbal abilities, I found this to be a good start. It was only during these three months that I came across gmatclub.com.
As per the suggestion of the test prep company, after completion of their course, I revised the syllabus and took the first official mock test as a Diagnostic test. I was hoping to be somewhere between 650 and 680 at that stage. And with another 2 months of preparation, I hoped to reach my target of 700 +. However, I was in for a rude shock as I scored only a 540. Nevertheless, I prepared for another two months all the while using resources of the test prep company and GMAT club. After another two and half months, i.e. sometime in September, I took another mock test (free) from another test prep company and scored a 600. Needless to say, I was depressed by this. My abilities in verbal never gave me confidence that I could score above a v33. I kept preparing all through October on my own and took another mock test (free) this time on the egmat portal. I again scored a 600.
I was undecided for some time whether I should continue preparing on my own using gmatclub resources or seek some other professional help. I decided to reach out to egmat this time. They give me a specific plan after having analysed my performance in their free SigmaX mock test. They told me my weaknesses and strengths and accordingly suggested me a study plan. This is what I was looking for. Somebody to tell me exactly what to do, since I had no clue how to proceed, and did not want to waste time in figuring that out.

New Beginning
I subscribed to egmat and my journey with them started in the first week of November 2022. I was assigned a mentor (Abha) who told me exactly where to start. To my surprise she told me that as per my performance in the mock test, I am already at an 89 percentile in SC, and so I could skip the SC module. However, I was suggested to go through the Master Comprehension module before taking the cementing quizzes in Sentence Correction. The master comprehension module of egmat was a game changer for me. Never ever had I been taught to read, the way Master Comprehension taught me. I realised reading and understanding are two different things. And in verbal on the GMAT, if you read a single word without understanding it in the overall context, you are doomed. Using the process that I learned in the Master Comprehension module and applying the ‘meaning-based approach’, I completed the cementing phase in Sentence Correction in good time and went on to CR. In CR, the ‘pre-thinking’ approach really helped me. I did use it earlier, but now I was doing it better, even in Inference questions – something, I earlier thought, did not need pre-thinking. I did take some time to clear the cementing phases in CR and likewise in RC.

Quant, in Egmat, is ‘PACE’ enabled, I was told, and that would save me time by skipping modules in which I am comfortable. I started going through the sub sections, however, I could not clear all the cementing phases in one go. During such difficulties, Abha kept guiding me at every step. As I was going through cementing in various subsections, Abha told me to keep taking the ability quizzes to remain in touch with the subsections I had already covered. The most important part in quant is the process skills that egmat teaches you and their relentless pursuit and insistence on the same. To be honest it took me some time to realise that these process skills will make a big difference in the end. I always used to wonder how can someone decide what approach to take while dealing with high-difficulty problems and even solve them correctly within 2 minutes. I thought I could never be able to do so. But by following the process skills egmat taught me, I developed the confidence to do so. I was doing well in Number properties and Inequalities / Absolute Values – topics that appeared very difficult to me earlier. Every time I had difficulty in crossing the cementing stage, Abha would analyse my performance and if need be she would refer my case to a subject matter expert, who would then suggest improvements in the process I follow.

Overcoming Difficulties

Having completed both Verbal and Quant modules, Abha then guided me towards the test readiness phase. I had some difficulty during this phase too, as I could not deal with my nervousness and anxiety during the tests. I was making silly mistakes too often and also falling short of time. I realised the importance of meditation sometime in February and practiced it daily. I believe it definitely helped me. In Feb 2023, my job required me to go out of station for two and a half months, affecting my preparation. But I made an effort not to lose touch as I had read experts’ views on gmatclub that big time gaps in preparation can put you back by several notches. (Regular studies for however small study-hours are better than long study hours interspersed with big gaps). This difficulty and the delay in cementing phases and thereafter in the test readiness phase were taking a toll on me as I was stretching the limits of my deadline for taking the final test. I returned to my base on 20 April and again started my preparation in full swing. It is during this time I realized that I am stressing myself way too much. I thought lack of sleep or rather lack of good quality sleep was a major contributor to my silly mistakes and nervousness and anxiety. Also as a result of sleep deprivation, I was not having quality in my study. I was just clocking hours without improving my abilities. At this point in time, I decided to start getting at least 7 hours of sleep at night and in fact, started sleeping without an alarm. Having completed the last module of Quant (Permutations, Combinations & Probability) sometime in the 1st week of May, I took two weeks to thoroughly revise all subsections from the start. Thereafter, I revised all subsections for the second time taking around one week. During these revision cycles, I was solving Quizzes on egmat’s portal for validation and trying to cross their specified levels, sometimes failing to do so, sometimes succeeding. All through I was also taking validation quizzes for Verbal. One painful exercise all throughout was maintaining an error log. But I did maintain one, in excel initially as per egmat’s format and in my own format during the revision phases. What was important was to revise these error logs periodically.
I decided to take the test on the 24th of June 2023 and accordingly took a mock test on egmat portal on the 18th June 23. (Too late to start taking Mocks but circumstances were such). I scored a 650 and was obviously dismayed. Having analysed the incorrect questions I realized a lot of them were silly mistakes. Abha suggested that I delay my test by at least two weeks while she works on my test-taking abilities. I did so and kept going through the actions that Abha suggested. In the meanwhile, I had to take leave and move to my hometown to tend to some unavoidable personal commitments. (That was the reason I planned to finish taking the test by 24th of June in the first place, but then one needs to adapt to changing situations). I took my second mock test on egmat portal on the 3rd of July and yet again scored a 660. After this, my anxiety was at its peak. I started doubting myself and was thinking that the last 7 months were a waste of time. Abha kept telling me that the problem is not in my quant or verbal abilities but in my ability to focus and concentrate and that is what I should work on. I believed her. I knew my abilities in quant and verbal had developed significantly. The only thing that could stop me from reaching my target score was my anxiety and nervousness. I needed to manage those feelings. An important point to note here is that I could never reach beyond the 27th question in Quant and 30th or 31st question in Verbal. So I had to guess the remaining questions. I needed to work on my time plan. I did read a few articles on timing strategies. But Abha was point blank. She gave me exact times when to bail out in Quant questions, SC CR and RC. To be able to follow those timings was the issue.
At this point I spoke to my family and realised that I need to change my approach. I changed the way I meditated. But I still had doubts about whether I should delay the test by another two weeks. Eventually, I booked a test for 11 July considering that there will always be another chance that I could take. I took my last mock test on the Egmat portal on the 8th of July and again scored a dismal 670. After having analysed my mistakes in the test Abha again flagged the main issue which was my focus. 90% of the mistakes that I was making were related to my lack of focus. There was no problem that I could not do within 2 minutes when I used to solve it later on. Yet I was making mistakes on the test. I could feel the nervous energy building up in me prior to the test, clouding my ability to follow all the process skills. And that was making all the difference. While I could follow all the process skills when I was not taking a test in the test environment, I was unable to do so in test environment.
Since I had already booked my test for the 11th of July I went ahead with the plan. Instead of fighting my anxiety and nervousness, I decided to take the test with those feelings. Accepting that these feelings will be there and I need to coexist with them on the test. In the last couple of days I did not take any timed quizzes or tests. I went through my notes, certain questions that I was repeatedly getting wrong, and some formulae that needed to be remembered. An important aspect that struck me during this time when I was reviewing a particularly difficult question (I got it wrong four times, in spite of reviewing it every time!) was the relevance of patterns. (Bit late in the day, but then as they say, “it's never too late to learn something”). Since the GMAT is a standardized test, it follows a definite pattern. The difference between the brilliant and the otherwise is that the former are good at recognizing patterns quickly and using that knowledge to their advantage. For example; a question that has only one linear equation with two variables is generally not enough data to get values of both variables. But if there is any constraint imposed by the question, such as both variables being integers or any other such limitation, the data might be enough. Explore that possibility before marking ‘E’. Having understood this concept, one should be able to apply it to other situations also. For eg; when there are 3 variables x, y, and z, and the number of equations is only two, and there are no other constraints then one cannot find the values of x, y, and z. However, if the question asks the ratio of x and the sum of x, y, and z, or just the sum of three variables then the data is likely to be sufficient! In such problems, it is critical to recognize what the question is testing and proceed accordingly. These are just a couple of examples. If one can recognize this and other such patterns and apply the relevant process skills, any GMAT problem can be solved in 2 minutes.

As the test day approached, I told myself that a 680 seems doable and it may be enough to get admission to a decent Business school given my work experience. That was just my way of trying to lower my own expectations. After all, all the anxiety and nervousness were an interplay between my expectations and reality. The wider the gap between these, the greater the anxiety, nervousness and depression. On the test day, as I had read on gmatclub, I tried to keep every part of my daily schedule the same. Had a slightly early dinner hoping to sleep earlier. But I couldn’t. I had imagined this would happen and did not let it affect me. I tried to sleep, meditate, sleep, meditate, and so on till I finally fell asleep. My exam slot was at 0945hrs so I woke up at 0600 hrs. Had a light breakfast. Abha had advised me to carry a banana or an energy bar to recharge during the break. I got the essence of the advice and carried a protein shake instead. The BCAAs have helped me maintain energy levels in the Gym in pretty quick time and I hoped they would do the same here. I reached the exam hall at 0900 hrs. As the exam hall procedures began I started chatting with another aspirant, a young chap just 2 years out of college. I asked him about his mocks and he said he was scoring consistently between 700 and 740. Wished him luck and chatted some more. The Procter then guided us to the cubicles and I commenced with the much-awaited exam process. I had not decided which colleges I would select to send my scores to. I kept searching for ISB and it just wouldn’t appear in the menu. Selected the ones that appeared after searching for them - LBS, MIT Sloan and Michigan Ross. Then I tried searching for IIMs. They appeared. I then scrolled down to find ISB and selected it. This process took me quite a long time and the candidates in the next cubicles had already commenced their exam. I bring this up because such a delay could affect your state of mind negatively. But I had conditioned my mind adequately to not get bothered by such things. I was expecting hiccups and deviations from normalcy. I started the exam with the sequence I had planned for, Quant - Verbal - IR/AWA. I had developed a habit to look at the timer only after every 7 to 8 questions and had the block timings in mind. I was doing well on the timing part till the 2nd block (16th question with little over half the time remaining). As I approached the last 3 questions I had a good 6 minutes remaining - perfect. The 30th question was a typical geometry question (Area of a rectangle given with two variables in length and breadth) that I had solved many times. So I realized it's going to end up in a quadratic equation. As has happened many times during practice quizzes, I could not get the break up of the quadratic equation in a decent time. I did not waste time and took an educated guess and moved on with 2 minutes for the last question. The verbal part also went in a similar fashion as far as the timings were concerned. The last RC passage was short but savage – couldn’t make head or tail out of it. Took educated guesses and moved on – had a good 2 minutes for the last CR question. All in all, both the Quant and Verbal sections had gone in an unprecedented manner for me – completing them in perfect time. IR and AWA were my sore points as I had not practiced them at all. One should practice for IR at least a little bit. I missed out on attempting the last question in IR, but could complete AWA. Having completed that part, something came up on the screen. I realized this might be the score sheet. It was quite bland – I was expecting a colorful graphical display as one has often seen in the ESRs. Nevertheless, in all the typed matter in a small font, a particular number caught my attention. It said 730. Before I could grasp it, the Procter had sneaked in behind me and asked me if I wanted to accept my score. Yes! Click ‘Accept’, pick up the passport and walk out slowly he said. While I was thinking about what had just happened, the Procter printed out a page and gave it to me. It was true – a 730 (Q49, V41). A certain numbness and disbelief that I felt continues to affect me in varying degrees till date….

Key Takeaways.
Choose the right resources for your preparation. The money spent in preparation will be only a small fraction of your MBA journey.
Abilities such as analytical reasoning, and critical reasoning come naturally to some, but others can develop these abilities through practice and following due process. If I can, you can too. I cannot overemphasize the importance of following process skills taught by Egmat. Payal’s (Payal Tandon) voice asking me to do so every now and then reverberates in my head even now.
Error logs are important. Find a way that suits you to maintain one. Revise it periodically.
Make notes of important and frequently appearing concepts and revise them regularly. Revision is the keyword here.
It makes sense to follow your mentor even when you do not understand how a particular action is going to help you. A mentor like Abha, and others in Egmat team would have coached many students like you. They know what they are doing, and where they are taking you.
Patterns – try to recognize patterns. You may not succeed immediately, but keep trying and you will. It will surely help you in more than one ways, it certainly did help me in Q No 30 of Quant section (at least) in my final exam.
Official Guide questions are precious, especially in Verbal. Do not use them to learn concepts. Use them only to validate your skill level after you’ve learned the concept. LSAT questions in CR and RC are good for learning concepts – there is no dearth of them on Gmatclub.
Meditation helps – it works slowly but surely. Start practicing it now! Anxiety, panic and nervousness are feelings you can’t wish away. Try managing and co-existing with them rather than fighting them. You may not realise when they have stopped bothering you.
Build test readiness and test taking abilities by taking 10 questions quizzes initially, then progressing to 15, 25, and 31, and so on. Egmat gets this done nicely.
Official Mock tests can give a better assessment of your preparation level. I couldn’t take any Official mock test in the run up to my final exam due shortage of time imposed by unforeseen circumstances. I could’ve delayed my test further but I wasn’t sure if things would necessarily turn favourable later on. Nevertheless, since I was guessing all of the last 4 to 5 questions in Quant and a couple more than that in Verbal of the egmat mock tests, I guess the mock scores couldn’t have been better.

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July 26, 2023
egmat

Hi Nielgmat,

Congratulations on the 730!! 😊

Abha this side, your mentor from e-GMAT. It was a pleasure working with you and being a part of your GMAT journey.

Nielgmat, your journey has been nothing short of inspiring. Switching careers after two decades is a bold decision, and the way you embraced this new challenge is truly commendable.

This email from you made my day and it truly captures the joy that you must have felt seeing the score pop up on the screen.

Image Link - https://success.e-gmat.com/Nielgmat-email-after-success

I am glad that you mentioned the importance of Master Comprehension, as it is a foundation course for all Verbal sub-sections. After going through the MC course diligently you were able to develop the reading skills, which helped you ace the Verbal and get to a 93rd percentile on Verbal.

With sheer dedication and focus you mastered the meaning-based approach in Sentence Correction and the pre-thinking approach in Critical Reasoning and the Reading strategies in RC which showcases your willingness to learn and apply new strategies effectively. Here is an image with shows how your accuracy improved from 45% to 65% in RC Hard questions.

Image Link - https://success.e-gmat.com/Nielgmat-RC-accuracy-improved-to-65percent

For Quants, you leveraged the P.A.C.E. enabled system and completed the course diligently taking the fastest route to Q49 bridging all the conceptual gaps. In the WP course alone, you saved close to 8 hours of your preparation time.

Image Link - https://success.e-gmat.com/Nielgmat-saved-8-hours-WP-course

Moreover, it's heartening to know that you not only focused on the academic aspect but also worked on managing your anxiety and nervousness. Embracing meditation and understanding how to coexist with these feelings allowed you to improve on the test readiness quizzes which aim to build your ability and test-taking skills.

Here is the screenshot of the image of the last few mixed quizzes you attempted on the platform, all validating your ability to score V41 😊

Image link - https://success.e-gmat.com/Nielgmat-aces-the-test-readiness

Your key takeaways from this journey are insightful and will undoubtedly benefit other aspirants as they prepare for the GMAT. Managing anxiety and nervousness, recognizing patterns, and maintaining error logs are all essential aspects of a successful GMAT preparation journey.

Nielgmat, your journey is a shining example for all GMAT aspirants out there. Your determination, resilience, and ability to embrace challenges head-on are qualities that will undoubtedly lead you to excel in your future endeavours, be it pursuing an MBA or any other venture you embark upon.

Wishing you all the very best for the next steps!!

Regards
Abha Mohan


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