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thefalcon21
- Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:39 pm
- Thanked: 2 times
It is safe to say I was very disappointed when I took the GMAT in August and received a 570 (40Q 28V 5.5 AWA). My preparation for that exam was done via the Kaplan Premier prep book. After the exam, I deserted Kaplan and began a determined trek through OG12.
I planned on completing and fully understanding every question in the book. Well I got through all of the math problems, half of the data sufficiency, and half of all verbal questions. Overall I did about 460 of the 800+ prep questions up until the day before the exam. Due to demands as an undergraduate and employee, I fell short of my goal of completing every question.
Result: 700 (48Q 38V AWA pending)
Keys To Success:
Test time: My first exam was over 50 miles away and was scheduled at 8 AM. My second exam was only 15 miles away and was scheduled at 12 PM. I suggest taking the later test if your center offers this
Pace: I paced myself almost perfectly, 30 seconds left on essays, 2 minutes on verbal and quant. My first exam I finished the verbal with about 18 minutes to spare. The experience helped the second time around.
Breaks: Make sure to use about 6 minutes of each break. Break #1 Stretched/Relaxed Break #2 Lav then Stretched.
Essays: The directions are a guide to what you should include. FOLLOW these 4 steps. Once you begin, start writing immediately and take it one sentence at a time. HINT: Explain why the logic question has a logical fallacy. Most readers will not know what a post-hoc ergo-hoc fallacy is. Whether it applies or not, your assessment is what the scorer is looking for. On the opinion essay, give 2-3 examples in 2-3 paragraphs.
Quant: The first 5 questions are key. I headed a fellow posters advice and spent a couple minutes more on each of these. Once you get them correct, the test gets significantly more difficult, which is a good thing.
Verbal: Do not answer a question until you are sure it is correct. Most questions allow you to eliminate two answers immediately. Don't be afraid to spend 3-4 minutes on the logic questions. The CR and SC generally do not take long.
Any questions, I would be happy to answer
I planned on completing and fully understanding every question in the book. Well I got through all of the math problems, half of the data sufficiency, and half of all verbal questions. Overall I did about 460 of the 800+ prep questions up until the day before the exam. Due to demands as an undergraduate and employee, I fell short of my goal of completing every question.
Result: 700 (48Q 38V AWA pending)
Keys To Success:
Test time: My first exam was over 50 miles away and was scheduled at 8 AM. My second exam was only 15 miles away and was scheduled at 12 PM. I suggest taking the later test if your center offers this
Pace: I paced myself almost perfectly, 30 seconds left on essays, 2 minutes on verbal and quant. My first exam I finished the verbal with about 18 minutes to spare. The experience helped the second time around.
Breaks: Make sure to use about 6 minutes of each break. Break #1 Stretched/Relaxed Break #2 Lav then Stretched.
Essays: The directions are a guide to what you should include. FOLLOW these 4 steps. Once you begin, start writing immediately and take it one sentence at a time. HINT: Explain why the logic question has a logical fallacy. Most readers will not know what a post-hoc ergo-hoc fallacy is. Whether it applies or not, your assessment is what the scorer is looking for. On the opinion essay, give 2-3 examples in 2-3 paragraphs.
Quant: The first 5 questions are key. I headed a fellow posters advice and spent a couple minutes more on each of these. Once you get them correct, the test gets significantly more difficult, which is a good thing.
Verbal: Do not answer a question until you are sure it is correct. Most questions allow you to eliminate two answers immediately. Don't be afraid to spend 3-4 minutes on the logic questions. The CR and SC generally do not take long.
Any questions, I would be happy to answer
