I am tired but so excited that cant stop myself from sharing my experience....so here i go:
Prep time -- Approx 6 weeks --daily 2 hours
Study Material --
SC {accuracy rate at the start - approx 40% ..at the end approx 90%}
Manhattan SC guide -- must have gone through it atleast 7 times. Don't just read it STUDY IT.
Once i grasped the basics well i picked up OG, did all the questions thoroughly. When i say thoroughly i mean to say that i figured out error in each and every answer choice. This helped me to understand the various patterns of error that appear on the GMAT. {Accuracy had improved to about 70%}
** When i say ientify the error -- dont simply say that this choice is awkward or does not make sense etc etc --- pen down the error type...whether it is Sub-Verb or Pronoun or modifier ---etc etc**
Adamjohn's Notes -- Has some of the finest questions and also superb explanations by an expert called 800Bob. Learnt a lot of tricks here and have posted some of them on my blog.
1000 SC -- did approx 400 questions, some people say that 1000 sc is not a reliable source. Agreed! but the %age of poor questions is low. This source is good for practise once you are done with OG. Again identify the error type in each and every choice.
CR {Accuracy at the start -- approx 40-50% ..at the end 70-75%, though hit rate in OG was 90+% but OG level is way too low as compared to the real thing.}
Powerscore Bible -- won't recommend it -- consumes too much time....though practice the following from powerscore:
1. Flaw in reasoning,
2. Evaluate the argument --- Saw atleast 3 questions on real thing
OG -- Again follow the approach that i mentioned in SC...but here once you are down to 2 choices don' try to eliminate the wrong choice rather try to predict the answer....in one of his posts Testluv mentioned the approach beautifully....Testluv can you please do so again??
BTG Forum Questions -- did a lot of them and tried to support my answers with reasoning....Please share your reasoning with every answer...simply saying IMO A,B or C wont help a lot....
Approach --> Read the argument carefully --> Clearly mark out the conclusion --> understand the reasoning ---> Paraphrase ----> read the question ----> attack the answer choices.
Be extra careful about the boundary words such as "many", "Some", "All", "only" etc.
RC {Starting hit rate --approx 85% --towards the end 90+% }
Read The Economist, The New scientist everyday for approx 20-30 mins. After reading each para pause for 5 seconds PARAPHRASE --> Tell yourself what the author is trying to say. --> MOVE AHEAD ---> DO the same for every para ---> In the end take out 10 seconds ---> Link up all the paragraphs ---> total reading time for a typical GMAT RC passage would be close to 3 Minutes....but by following this approach you will take very less time to answer the questions.
I won't recommend to skim the passage ---> RC means READING COMPREHENSION --> it tests your comprehension not the skimming ability.
Quant --> Was good in quant but was making careless mistakes
{If you lack the basics then pick up any elementary school level book and brush up the fundamentals}
1. Read the question carefully
2. Pen down what you have to calculate -- the variable name and units--
3. READ THE CONDITIONS GIVEN IN QUESTION CAREFULLY AND KEEP THEM IN MIND --for eg if x> 0 no need to put x = -2 or x = 0
4. Always test the inequalities for 0,1, -1, 1/2 and -1/2
Daily solve 20 questions ---> i regularly solved 20 questions on BTG --- at times i failed to post my answer but religiously solved problems in DS and PS thread.
AWA --> Simply prepared a template a day before and never wrote it in any of the mocks --- WAS ONE BIG MISTAKE
For last 2 or 3 mocks attempt AWA...
I would suggest give your last 2 mocks in a cyber cafe and write AWA.
Mock CATS {always gave each section 70 mins of time}
I consistently hit 760+ in last 5-6 mocks. Scored 790 in one of the GMAT prep where 3-4 questions were repeat.
Analyze your tests the way STacy has suggested in one of her guest post.
GMAT PREP is a must and re-take it as many times as possible. Because of the adaptive nature of test and large repository of the questions you will get to solve a lot of different questions.
Manhattan GMAT -- Verbal is very close to the real thing -- MARK MY WORDS HERE -- Manhattan's quant is way off mark the real thing but their Verbal is damn good, i would say i improved from V-18 to V-41 because of MANHATTAN
But their pool of 700+ level questions is too small and by the time you have attempted 3 mocks the quality of questions gets diluted....Please add a lot more 700+ questions to your tests....
TEST Experience:
{i didn;t take any leave for prep ... i would say be consistent for 6 weeks or so and put 2 hours or so daily....on weekends i would simply give mocks and analyze them thoroughly}
Day before test
1. Watched Cricket --- Was in office -- went to Gym, ran for 25 mins -- took sauna and relaxed...
2. Tried to get my mind off the test, at one time i almost forgot that i have my test tomo
3. But as i tried to sleep ---> i got butterflies in my stomach....Slept for hardly 4 hours---this was a perenial Sin--->
SLEEP WELL BEFORE THE EXAM
Test Day
5:30 am -- Woke Up
Deep Breathing
Lots of water
approx 8: Am -- news paper
Took shower, Had breakfast -- Bananas + Boiled Eggs
Watched Sehwag throw away his wicket after a blistering performance
Headed to a temple -- to gain some SPIRITUAL STRENGTH --- PRAY -- if you are an atheist then you can simply remember your parents or any person whom you idolize--- IT helps
Was in centre 30 mins before the test --- centre was empty --no test takers...I was allowed to sit 20 mins before the sched time
Fired off both the AWA in 30 mins --- 15 mins each -- never reviewed what i wrote...had a template and vomited it....above 4 everything would be a bonus
Had a nutribar -- Stretched -- total break time -- 4 minutes
{By the Way You get only 8 mins of break in between sections now --- UTILIZE YOUR BREAKS PROPERLY}
Quant -- first ques -- co-ord geometry -- forgot the formula and felt frustrated after 5 mins guessed and moved on ---NEVER ALLOWED MYSELF TO FEEL DOWN BECAUSE OF THIS ACT--- My performance would be judged by how i fare on 37 questions not by my response to 1st question ----at times it is good to make intelligent guess and move on....
Lots of inequalities, modulus, number prop, co-ordinate geometry --> last 2 questions were esp tricky
Advise -- Pace yourself well -- i completed the section in 69 mins or so --- could have better utilized my time
Verbal -- MANHATTAN GMAT ---SHALL I SAY MORE ?? -- ATTEMPT THE MOCKS AND READ THE EXPLANATION CAREFULLY THATS IT....
SC and RC were predictable...CR -- Got 1 strengthen and wekaen ques each...most were evaluate and vulnerable to crticism type
NEVER TRY TO ANALYZE YOUR PERFORMANCE BY THE QUESTIONS YOU SEE.....
Took a deep breath --> honestly was expecting 750 --opened my eyes --Saw 740 --- was kind of mixed reaction --- But i would take it ....
}Packed some nutri-bars, chocolates and a can of Red Bull to re-fuel myself during breaks.
