About me :
I have been working for one of the top consulting firms in the United States for a little over 5 years. I am a non-native. I am at a stage where I feel secure about my English speaking abilities. Little did I know that this cockiness about 'spoken' English was futile in the GMAT.
About my preparation :
As for strategies, I have nothing new to add. There are excellent strategies already documented on this site.
Although I have been thinking of giving the GMAT since last year, I started my preparation last week by taking off from work. I went through the official guide & MGMAT SC (simply awesome).
My practice scores :
MGMAT1 : 660
MGMAT2 : 660
MGMAT3 : 650
MGMAT4 : 690
MGMAT5 : 660
MGMAT6 : 700
Looking at my practice scores, you may feel that my final score is close to this range. However, I have read in many posts that MGMAT tests are typically tougher than the real GMAT and you can expect a score of upto +40 in the real GMAT. Hence the disappointment.
The 'G' day :
I started off well with AWA. I could finish what I had to write within the prescribed time. I had a few minutes to review what I had written. The quant section never felt difficult. I had 7 minutes left for the last two questions, so took some time to answer those. The last one was especially easy, and believe it or not, I got it wrong (which I realized later) :roll: Overthinking about that question got me.
I took a quick break, drank some water, and I was back on my seat.
The verbal section was terribly difficult from the get go. I got 5 RCs in total. 4 of them were super confusing. It never got easy. At the back of my mind, I knew I was doing bad, but I was optimistic that perhaps the test was difficult because I was hitting the right answers. By the time the section was over, I was exhausted. To be honest, I just gave up once I reached question # 31. I remember clicking randomly on 3/4 answers. I had started thinking about everything other than the task at hand.
After 10 days of rigorous study, I hit the 'Report Scores' button. I got a dismal 640 (Q47, V32). Although a little expected, the verbal score hit me like a bullet. It hurt my ego and I almost went weak in my knees. The score was worse than any of my practice exams.
Next steps :
I am planning to try once more. Just to regain my confidence. I am so demoralized
This time around, I plan to focus my efforts equally on Q and V. Any suggestions/comments to improve RC and CR are welcome!
Suggestions :
The only suggestion I have is to build your stamina. Even if you feel relaxed after the quant section, the tiredness may get to you.
Good luck!
