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390 to 620! I beat the GMAT (in my own way)!

Find out how Beat The GMAT members tackled GMAT test prep with positive results. Get tips on GMAT test prep materials, online courses, study tips, and more.
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390 to 620! I beat the GMAT (in my own way)!

by smclean23 » Mon Jan 12, 2009 7:48 am
I'll keep this post short and sweet since it will not give much info then the other posts. I started out studying about 10 months ago or so and the first time I took the test I got a dismal 390! I was in shock. My confidence was done and I felt like an MBA wasn't for me. I decided to hunker down and get the job done. I was tempted to go to Kaplan's, PR's and Manhattan's but I didnt want to spend the $1400 when there was valuable info on the web (i.e. Beat the GMAT). I can now report that this part of my journey is over. I would love to get into the 7XX's but the time and energy is just not there for me anymore and the school I have in mind doesnt have such a high 80% range.

My simple advice to everyone who starts off with a sucky score is....IT CAN BE DONE! It takes the time! That is it! If you want to go to biz school in a rush and you are not scoring where you will like...PUT IT OFF. Time is key. You will not gain everything you need to know along with confidence and strength in only a month or so.

Below are the materials I used:

-OG 1Oth Edition (helpful when I ran out of 11th edition material)
-OG 11th Edition (Good, but I exhausted the material and ended up memorizing the answers)
-Manhattan Sentence Correction (very good, but you must do problems along with the book)
-Manhattan Practice Tests (took one every Saturday to get my brain in shape)
-GMAT Prep (KEY KEY KEY KEY...DO AS MANY TESTS POSSIBLE & SEARCH THE FORUMS HERE FOR GMAT PREP Q'S, especially ones that are copied straight from the test....I think this was the most helpful thing I ever could have done)
-TIME - 2 hours a weekday, practice test on Saturday and review the practice test on Sunday....give your brain some time to soak it in...
-TESTMAGIC - VERY GOOD WEBSITE ALONG WITH THIS ONE
-GMAT PREP PAPER TESTS (GOOD FOR QUESTIONS, DO NOT USE THEM FOR SCORING)

Whhhhhhhew! I'm done! Thank you all! You guys are geniuses! Great explanations, answers and advice!
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by aj5105 » Mon Jan 12, 2009 8:24 am
congratulations ! :)
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Awesome!

by ngufo » Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:55 am
Congratulations - that was really nice to read!! All the best for your apps now!!

-ngufo
People Never Fail ... They just Give Up
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by clubtwofour » Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:25 pm
Congratulations! That's a huge improvement. Way to stick it out, put in the time, and get a respectable score. I wish the best to you in the next leg of your journey.
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by omarshabbir » Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:08 am
Thanks so much for this post. It gives me some hope as I am currently in the same situation.
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by Vitalina » Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:03 am
That's a great improvement! Congratulations!
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Bravo!!

by prasantnaidu » Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:42 pm
Sheer hard work pays at the end of a day.

Congrats and good luck.
PN.
You don't win the Silver, You lose the GOLD.
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by Gouman » Sat Apr 11, 2009 4:46 pm
Nice improvement. I scored 480 on GMAC practice. My target is only 610-650. You give me hope.
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by 4seasoncentre » Sat Apr 11, 2009 6:53 pm
I total agree. I think everyone should start with a $50 book. Heck, I ordered 2 books in order to qualify for free shipping but only used one and I was very happy with my results.
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Congrats!

by uniqzoe » Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:58 pm
What an awesome improvement!! Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. Good luck to you in your school of choice!
Uniqzoe
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by kashc2 » Sat Mar 26, 2016 10:00 am
Thanks for this post, even though it's very old now.

I was feeling down after scoring a 390 on my very first practice exam on Magoosh. My goal is also to score just in the mid 600's as I'm looking just at PT.
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by [email protected] » Sat Mar 26, 2016 10:11 am
Hi kashc2,

Many Test Takers are unhappy with their initial practice CAT scores, so you're not alone. You also shouldn't get too upset by this initial result - it really just establishes your current skills, strengths and weaknesses. During your studies, you'll built up your skills and improve. It's important to take FULL-LENGTH CATs (with the Essay and IR sections) on a regular basis (1 FULL CAT every 1-2 weeks) regardless of how you choose to study.

1) How long have you been studying?
2) What materials are you using?
3) When are you planning to take the GMAT?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
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by kashc2 » Sat Mar 26, 2016 11:26 am
Hi Rich,

Thanks for the advice. I agree with taking a full-length CAT every 1-2 weeks. After completing the QUANT, my brain was exhausted.

1. I've been studying for about 1 week now. I've set a schedule to be consistent in my studies. I study 1 hr before work, do a few magoosh questions during work when I have some free time, and study for 3 hours when I come back from work. I have Friday's off. Saturday and Sunday I plan on devoting 4 hours per day. Goal is to do a CAT every other Saturday and spend a large chunk of my time reviewing the questions I got wrong. The weekends I'm not doing a CAT exam, I'm reading MGMAT strategy guides and reviewing what I have learned through the week.

2. I'm using OG 2016, Magoosh and MGMAT guides (all of them).

3. I plan on taking in Mid-July to early August. I haven't set a date yet, but I will once I am about half way through my studies.
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by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Sat Mar 26, 2016 11:44 am
kashc2 wrote:
2. I'm using OG 2016, Magoosh and MGMAT guides (all of them).
If you have all of the MGMAT guides, you might consider signing up for Beat The GMAT's free 60-Day Study Guide (https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide).

Each day, you'll receive an email with a series of learning activities that guide you, step-by-step, from Day 1 to test day. This will ensure that you will cover everything that the GMAT tests.

Here's an outline of all 60 emails: https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide-outline

Cheers,
Brent
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
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by [email protected] » Sat Mar 26, 2016 4:58 pm
Hi kashc2,

You've given yourself plenty of time to study, which is good. Your score goal will require an improvement of 250+ points, so it's important that you stay consistent with your studies (and try to be efficient). I suggest that you study as you've planned for the next month or so and post back here with your scores after you take each of your next two CATs. If your study plan needs to be adjusted, then we want to make those adjustments sooner rather than later.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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