I finally attempted GMAT yesterday - 11th Feb 14 - and scored 710 (Q49, V36, and IR6).
Surprisingly, I never crossed 700 in any of my practice tests.
I am happy with this score and just want to describe my preparation and exam day experience in case it helps some of you.
I am a working professional so generally get 2 hrs a day and 7 hrs per weekend for preparation. I joined classes just for getting back into study mode after 2.5 years of work exp. But then had to take break due to illness and resumed my studies in November end of 2013.
I did not take any date as I decided to take it immediately once I feel I am at least crossing 650-660.
Resources for my study: OG 13, Manhattan SC guide and Kaplan GMAT verbal workbook.
Tests: GMAT prep software (2 tests free), GMATPrep exam pack 1(2 more tests), Manhattan 6 tests (Came free with SC guide), 800Score (5 tests free from class I joined)
As my quant is between ok-good, Scores in all practice tests ranged from 45(least and only 3 times) to 49.
So I concentrated on verbal more. Though OG is really nice for all types of questions, in my opinion, if you are not used to native English, you need more resources. In my case, I found that SC rules are much confusing if you go only with OG and there are few (rare) examples in OG which are having contradicting explanations.
So I bought Manhattan SC guide. It's great book for self-preparation.
You can plan for 1 or 2 chapters a day and can go through all of them in 10 days.
My suggestion is do 3-4 chapters, then concentrates on other weaknesses such as RC, quant (if you have any) and then come back to exercises of SC guide again. And even if you are getting right answers, please go through explanation completely. There were few times when I chose right answer for completely wrong reasons. So do read each explanation and understand the same.
Explanation in OG and Manhattan SC are very much helpful.
So after completing study in such fashion, I started attempting various tests, please make sure whenever you attempt any prep tests, follow exact conditions as that of actual GMAT. And also for first few tests, try different timings and observe which one is suitable for you. E.g. for me morning time is best suitable (9am-1am) and my productivity tumbles down in afternoon. (I scored disastrous 610 in one afternoon prep test). So make sure to decide which time is best suitable for you and give at least 4 tests in same timing and same conditions but with gap of at least a week.
Remember GMAT is tough exam for your brain, you expect you brain to function in 4 hours rigorously, so make sure your brain rests well before exam.
-----------1 month to go------------
I decided after preparing for 1.5 months that I would attempt GMAT in month of February. And then I realize I still hadn't mastered verbal. The score was not crossing 30-31. So I as usual came to this forum and found out that Kaplan Verbal workbook would be of much help so I bought that one.
It was actually very helpful. For SC. Kaplan book has short-listed the major rules from exam perspective so it helps very much. RC technique given in Kaplan is one of the best. (notes from each paragraph).
CR is something which you need a lot experience and exactly understand your strengths and weaknesses.
For e.g my weaknesses in CR are 'two-bold face' questions and, 'all weaken EXCEPT' types of questions.
Out of which two bold-faces are rare so I didn't bother much about the same and concentrated more on next type. [Please don't take these statistics as 100% true, I got 2 bold-face questions and none of the 2nd type
]But overall, Kaplan and Manhattan were as helpful as that of OG.
Then I bought GMAT PREP exam pack 1 from mba.com and scored 640 in 1st test and 660 in 2nd test.
Then I did some analysis, with help from all of you in this forum (Rich, Brian, Brent and others). I understood that with my current skills I would cross 650 and registered for GMAT for next available one in 10 days at 9 am slot.
Thanks to Rich, who gave me confidence by replying to my post that I could still score 700 with my current skills.
----------last 8 days--------------
I took some days off from my work for this. I don't think it was one of my best decisions. GMAT is not exam in which you can study for day n night for 8 days and score 800. I cracked up completely on 5th day. It was very scary; I was unable to read even one sentence of CR/SC questions. I gave up study and listened to A R Rehman's songs for 4-5 hours. Music is best therapy. I am from Mumbai, India so I think people would understand how A.R.Rehman's music can be helpful in calming and in getting inner peace. On 2nd last day I attempted one of the last remaining Manhattan GMAT prep tests without time constraints, [This is just description, not suggestion] I attempted it and scored 690 [highest in MGMAT ever though 'no time limit' would have reflected inflated score].
Last day, as suggested by many of you here on this forum, I avoided study completely. Didn't touch the book or PC. Only attempted one question of daily verbal and quant feed from this forum.
Sleep was hard to come by. Could not sleep properly on 2nd last night. I had one comedy dream in afternoon of inception style. Comedy in a sense, I had dream within a dream and still remember both the dreams.
Jokes apart!!I had music therapy for 1-1.5 hours again. I had my dinner at 8.30 PM. My family was very helpful in calming me down by usual chat and time-pass so I would not take tension. Finally I went to sleep at 10 PM. I had ok sleep of almost 7 hours. Make sure you get sound sleep before test day! What everyone advised me here is 100% true about keeping your brain fresh by taking proper rest before D-Day.
-----------Test Day------------
I woke up at around 6-6.15 AM. I already checked exact route of how to reach at my test centre the previous day with help from Google maps. If you are not localite then please make sure you know where exactly the center is located in advance. Just remember bit of over anxiety can cost you minimum 10 marks. [This realization made me to take all these advices seriously so I am passing it on] I had modest breakfast [sandwich] and tea. Left home at 7.30 AM and reached center at 8 AM.
Further experience is related Mumbai (Andheri) center so if not applicable or not interested then you can skip the same.
Center was not opened as 9 AM is 1st slot. There were around 5 people waiting outside center. 3 were GMAT applicants and others some Australian Medical and few people came later were for some other exam which PEARSON VUE conducts there.
Even if it is not mentioned in Confirmation mail, please carry your passport. Lockers provided are big enough for normal size backpack. But only things allowed inside are passport and locker key so leave most of the stuff at home. I carried only perk glucose 4 bars, water, confirmation receipt and passport.
For Andheri center, it seemed that they have two slots such as 9 AM and 1 PM [not confirmed but seemed to be so]. Total 5-6 were GMAT applicants; they gave us rule sheet to read. It's similar to that of GMAT Handbook provided online. All the instructions were given. They asked us to dump everything in the locker. Even remove battery from the mobile as sometime alarm/reminders go off even in switched off mode. No handkerchief is allowed. We are provided with enough tissues papers. We need to sign on digital pad. Sit for photograph and scan both palms.
Then, outside Test room [Test Admin's desk], we need to scan right palm every time we enter or leave the room, during 8 mins breaks and end of the exam as well.
TA provided us with noteboards, 2 markers, tissues, earplugs and went with each of us to the allotted cubicle, signed in and exam started. First 10 mins are for various tutorials and if you have options ready then fill up to 5 programs for which you want to apply and send GMAT score. You can skip and start exam right away.
It's completely confidential so one cannot discuss single question even after exam got over. AWA and IR went ok for me. Only 30 seconds remaining after I completed AWA . Please make sure you practice enough so that by 25th mins your AWA is complete and you can review and make any changes if required.
I advise to take 8 mins break. As you brain needs to change its focus drastically when coming to Quant. I just had one chocolate bar, water and sat 2 mins in complete silence in waiting area. I told myself: Now is the time when actual scoring is starting, so concentrate completely and forget everything that happened in last hour[good or bad]. Nothing should impact your major sections and next 3 hours.
Quant started with medium difficulty level question but I took almost 2.45 mins for that question and started panicking. But I always followed the timelines provided by GMATPrep so hid the clock immediately, calmed myself down, and moved on with regular pace. At end of 5 questions, I checked I was 2 mins behind the schedule which was exactly ok. So I carried on with same pace. Probability n PnC are my weaknesses so I didn't spend more than 1 min on those questions when I encountered because anyway I was not sure whether I'd be correct. I took almost 3.5 mins when I was on 36th question but time remaining was 6 mins before starting that. So I had full 2.5 mins for last question. Somehow, I completed calculations, clicked on the answer. But just before confirming the answer, my time finished. . The last question was complex for calculations rather than logic. I assume it was of difficulty level above 700.
I then took 8 mins break. I followed same thing, ate chocolate, drank water, and sat down calming myself. But this time I sat bit longer because I already crossed 3 seconds of verbal section. Here too, I followed same timeline as that of GMATPrep and completed all 41 questions with 40 seconds remaining. I clicked next, next.
Last screen was to accept or cancel score. I accepted the score and loading......
710......
I was really satisfied after watching that score: Quant 49, Verbal 36, IR 6.
I know 710 is not very good score for some of you. Some of you may be targeting higher score for some specific programs. All the best to all of you!!! Just remember that GMAT is not difficult but different exam so all the best to your preparation. Please reply in case you need any help.
And I want to sincerely thank this forum for all the help it provided for last 3 months. Especially, Rich, Brent and others; I cannot recall all the names but thanks a ton all of you. I wish to be part of this forum help anyone in ways possible for me. Please let me know if you need any help which I am capable of.
Thanks,
Sid
