I just Beat The GMAT!

I finally beat the GMAT!

My journey started at the beginning of 2016 when I decided to start studying for this beast of a test. I purchased the Manhattan prep series knowing that the quant section in particular would be a challenge for me since I hadn't so much as calculated a discount in my head in years thanks to my handy dandy iPhone calculator. Unfortunately, I realized in the first month that the book format was not cutting it for me; I simply couldn't find the motivation to get through the books! Within two weeks, I'd abandoned my original study plan and gone back to square one. It was then that my friend introduced me to Target Test Prep and told me to give the program a try using the 5-day trial. The course was exactly what I needed to jumpstart my quant prep and relearn all of the math concepts I needed for the exam. I loved that the platform tracked all of my progress and showed me my strongest and weakest areas based on the problems I completed. It was super motivating to see my stats improve every day and by the time I completed all of the [incredibly thorough] lessons, I felt like a had a solid understanding of each concept.

Now, I want to note here that, while TTP helped me learn all of the math concepts I needed for the GMAT, the problems in the course are not official GMAT questions. If you don't read anything else in this post, read this: IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL FOR STUDENTS TO COMPLETE AS MANY OFFICIAL PROBLEMS AS POSSIBLE BEFORE THE EXAM. To be honest, I'd read this before on multiple posts here and on other sites, but just didn't pay attention. So after only using TTP to study for quant and completing the two free official GMAT practice tests, I went to take the exam and scored 660, with verbal saving my score. I really don't fault TTP here - it makes common sense to take several practice tests and I truly felt like I understood all of the math concepts, but simply didn't recognize GMAT quant patterns quickly enough on the exam due to lack of practice with official questions.

For my second attempt, I knew that I needed to utilized all of the knowledge I gained through TTP to complete as many official problems as I possibly could. I bought both official exam packs, adding 4 practice exams and hundreds of official problems to my collection, and pulled the Official Guide off my shelf where it had been collecting dust. I also decided to sign up for EMPOWERgmat because the program pulled heavily from the OG and I'm SO glad I did. Rich's videos were awesome! I learned so many math shortcuts throughout the course and learned to recognize GMAT quant and verbal patterns because the course uses official GMAT material every step of the way. While I was already strong in verbal, using Max's methods I was able to increase my verbal score by a few points, which had a huge impact on my overall score. Again, using official content is critical to pattern recognition throughout the exam.

After one month of intensive OG practice and EMPOWERgmat, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw 720 (47Q, 42V) come up on the screen of my official exam! I really can't recommend both TTP and EMPOWERgmat enough. I believe that TTP helped me build a solid quant foundation while EMPOWERgmat sharpened my math skills and improved my speed. Both courses have monthly options, so it's possible to train with one first, then the other (I recommend doing TTP first then EMPOWERgmat). No matter what path you choose, please, please remember that using OFFICIAL material is KEY. Best of luck!

Hi ayahmed,
I am incredibly new to the forum, and this is my first post. I really appreciate you taking the time to post about your experience. I am in the EXACT same boat. My last GMAT was a 660 (Q40, V41). After a ton of research (and trips through Kaplan and Manhattan), I also arrived at EMPOWER. It is incredible and just what I needed. Since you and I are so very similar, I have several specific questions for you. I would very sincerely appreciate your responses to these questions. Most importantly,congrats on your 720. I hope to post a similar story soon!!

These questions focus SOLELY on your journey from 660-720....
1) How long did you spend going through EMPOWER?
2) What was your general study outline (# hours per day, # days per week)?
3) How did you break up your study time? Was it solely practice problems? Or did you spend 20% video lessons, 20% Flashcards or something, 60% problems?
4) On quant, which EMPOWER sections do you feel benefitted you the MOST? I too have been through other prep programs, and I really don't want to waste time going through EMPOWER's algebra lesson (random example) if it's the same as Kaplan'a etc. From a content perspective, are there any EMPOWER sections that you thought stood ablive the rest? Or, do you just recommend all of them?
5) Did you work in additional practice problems (GMAT Club, etc.)? If so, was there a method to this?

Thank you for taking time to help me join the 700+ club!

Hi Rich,
Thanks so much for the reply. Let me first say that I spent 6 months+ with another company's videos and within 30 minutes of watching yours I realized why EMPOWER is superior to all other programs. I genuinely appreciate the program that you have put together.

I completely agree with you that I am capable of much more, but I'm struggling to bring it out of me. I frequently score 720+ on untimed practice tests, but my score falls 60 points+ when the clock comes back into the mix. Some of it is anxiety, but most of it is speed and accuracy. I make dumb mistakes, and I don't know shortcuts. It takes me a while to comprehend what is being asked, etc. For these reasons, I picked EMPOWER to get me there.

I plan to take the test in late March/early April. Between now and then, I have committed to spending 2 hours+ per day and 4 hours+ on weekends going through the EMPOWER modules. My nature (and comfort zone) is to watch videos. It's like a rut I slip into. That's not to say I don't appreciate the videos, every EMPOWER video I have watched thus far has made a HUGE difference in how I approach problems. I'm only trying to say that one of the main reasons I chose EMPOWER is because of the focus on PRACTICE. I'm trying to figure out the best way to do that. How should I subdivide my time? How can I maximize my study sessions and optimize my practice without falling into the rut of only watching videos? Any advice you could give would be much appreciated.