Quant, Verbal, and IR: TTP
AWA: Chineseburned template
Scores:
[COLD] 17 December: 510 (35Q 25V)
[MOCK 1] 18 March: 600 (49Q 23V)
[MOCK 2] 25 March: 650 (50Q 28V)
[MOCK 3] 26 March: 710 (50Q 36V)
[MOCK 4] 2 April: 540
(42Q 22V)*[MOCK 5] 3 April: 650 (47Q 32V)
[MOCK 6] 9 April: 690 (49Q 35V)
[ACTUAL GMAT] 10 April: 690 (48Q 37V 6IR 5AWA)
* The 540 I scored on Mock 4 was probably due to taking the TOEFL on the same day; I was mentally drained.
Journey:
I started preparing for my GMAT mid-December. Naturally, my first step was taking a cold mock. I scored a 510.
I then started educating myself about the available resources and found out that TTP had superior reviews, especially when it comes to Quant. I registered for their trial program (7 days for a buck) and realized that the platform suits my needs. I was especially impressed with how data-driven the learning experience is.
Just like many others, a major challenge I faced was balancing my demanding full-time job (~12 hours a day) and my GMAT prep. To tackle this, I made good use of TTP’s auto-generated study plan, a feature that allows the user to dictate how many hours they’ll study a day and the platform itself will set the study schedule. This is a great tool to monitor your day-to-day progress as well as your milestones throughout the journey.
Then, I started grinding the study schedule and completing TTP’s so-called missions. I felt myself constantly improving, thanks to untimed practice questions. I cannot emphasize how influential this strategy is. It’s also very simple to execute. You just have to worry about understanding the question’s concept and applying what you’ve learned without batting an eye to the time you’re taking to get the question right. This approach will ensure that you’re learning the concepts and applying them correctly. Naturally, if you understand a concept well, you’ll solve questions relatively quickly on a test. Trust the process.
On weekdays, I was doing ~6 hours of studying. During weekends, I was pushing it to around 12. Operating at this capacity, I was able to complete TTP’s course in around 3 months, leaving me with 3-4 weeks to solely fine-tune my skills.
During this period of intense practice, I took some time off from my job—allowing for some increased mental capacity and considerably reduced stress levels. I was taking custom tests from TTP, solving problems from GMATClub, and, obviously, taking mock exams from mba.com.
3 days before my actual GMAT, I took my final practice test and scored a 690, which is not far off my target of 700. Seeing that score, I reduced the number of hours I put into practice and enjoyed some activities that would ease things up mentally.
On test day, I took TTP’s advice and solved a few questions prior to entering the test center—just like athletes warm up before the kickoff whistle. I have to say that the environment wasn’t as tense as expected and the proctor was super friendly—those elements helped me cope with my test anxiety.
Q, V, IR, AWA Breakdown:
For Quant, I solely relied on TTP. Their Quant curriculum is super comprehensive. It’s safe to say that you won’t need any supplementing materials. Each topic is broken down thoroughly and has a wide range of practice questions with explanations. That given, I felt super confident with my Quant knowledge and consistently scored very well.
When it comes to the Verbal side of things, it was a little tricky for me. I completed TTP’s course and still struggled. I scored a 23 and a 28 on my first and second mock exams. I then reached out to the team on the live chat (the co-founders and the rest of the team are always super supportive) and the brilliant Marty suggested a strategy to tackle Verbal questions. In a nutshell, their advice was to do tons of untimed Verbal practice since there was a huge deviation between my Quant and Verbal scores (shown above). After this rigorous Verbal practice, my score on the third mock went up to 36.
For IR and AWA, I didn’t do much—just a few hours. I went over TTP’s material for both and gave a good read for the Chineseburned template (AWA).
Overall:
Completing TTP is definitely time-consuming. But this time is put to good use. You won’t have the need to resort to any other supplementing material. The GMAT is a game of perseverance, and, just like any other standardized test, it rewards those who work hard.
So, if you’re wondering how and where to start your GMAT prep, give TTP’s trial a shot and check whether it suits your learning style. If not, there are some other great options to choose from!
Good luck with your GMAT journey and I hope you secure a seat in your desired university!
