Hello,
Read a few posts on the website to help me along with my preparation, and thought I would provide my own debriefing. I was pleased with my score, but I really had my sights set on the 99th percentile. I only spent 3 weeks of preparation, but I am applying to an MSc, not an MBA, so I have just graduated from my undergraduate and the type of skills on the GMAT were already fresh in my mind.
I had a rough experience during the actual test because I didn't realise I would only have 8 minute breaks. In any event, I made it back to the check in with 4 minutes to go, and there was a Power Prep practice test taker ahead of me who was in the wrong place at the wrong scheduling date, and the proctor completely ignored me and left the area to sort him out for three minutes! Then she returned, her palm reader wasn't working so she went and got someone else to sort it out (and my bloody picture was blown up on my computer screen, and I had my passport, so I didn't understand why this was necessary). When she finally got me in the room I was 3 minutes overdue, and then she messed up her login information 4 straight times! At the end, I began the quant with 70 minutes on the clock. This really threw me because I worked very hard with quant pacing. As a result I rushed through the first 5 or 6 questions to catch up, and then the test was really easy from there on. I imagine I made some careless mistakes in those first questions, which brought me down in the CAT, and I effectively played catch-up for the rest of the time. I was able to push it out of my mind and return to form on the verbal section. On my second break, there was a different proctor who let me in without even checking my passport or my palm print. Anyway, there's nothing I can do, but I wish I had been more assertive and demanded that another proctor let me in the test room while the other left the area.
Here are my practice test scores:
10/22/09 - Kaplan Linear Test 660 41Q 43V (No prep)
10/28/09 - Kaplan CAT 1 670 48Q 35V
11/01/09 - GMAT Prep 1 720 46Q? 46V
11/02/09 - Kaplan CAT 2 700 52Q 35V
11/06/09 - MGMAT 1 720 47Q 42V
11/08/09 - GMAT Prep 2 730 (49Q 41V, I think)
11/09/09 - Actual GMAT - 740 47Q 46V
Books Used:
Kaplan Premier Live Online 2010
Kaplan Advanced Prep
I didn't start using this forum until the very end of my preparation, or else I would have probably invested in the Manhattan books instead. Their CAT was so much better than Kaplan's - more detailed answers, better breakdown of scores, but most importantly, they tell you the difficultly level of each question. As it is so important to be able to get the mid-range (600-700 for me) questions entirely right, I was able to hone in on any mistakes I was making at that level and raise my score.
Despite the relatively poorer CAT's, the Kaplan books were very readable and I learned a lot from the detailed explanations in their practice sections. I think the Kaplan Advanced Prep was ultimately more valuable than the Premier Live Online, but understanding all of the terms and strategies introduced in the Premier Live Online was important when reading the Advanced Prep. I studied the Premier Live for a week and a half, and began the Advanced Prep in the week beforehand. My study times varied, but I always made sure to do my studying in 4 hour stints to improve my stamina.
My practice scores were quite annoying because they were so unbalanced: on one test I would be 99th percentile in Quant, but weak in Verbal, and then on the next 99th percentile in Verbal, but weak in Quant. It must have been the specific test, because it couldn't have been a stamina issue as I wouldn't have been weak on quant and then 99th percent on verbal.
If I did it all over again, I would have started another week earlier. The night before the test, I felt like there was so much that I could still learn but hadn't had time to develop. Nothing on the GMAT is particularly challenging; once you understand the way the test works. There is an easy way to beat every problem. I do think that if I hadn't had the issue during my first break I would have scored higher on the quant and met my goal of 760. However, I know my score is good enough to get into the program that I want to, so I am more than satisfied.
Read a few posts on the website to help me along with my preparation, and thought I would provide my own debriefing. I was pleased with my score, but I really had my sights set on the 99th percentile. I only spent 3 weeks of preparation, but I am applying to an MSc, not an MBA, so I have just graduated from my undergraduate and the type of skills on the GMAT were already fresh in my mind.
I had a rough experience during the actual test because I didn't realise I would only have 8 minute breaks. In any event, I made it back to the check in with 4 minutes to go, and there was a Power Prep practice test taker ahead of me who was in the wrong place at the wrong scheduling date, and the proctor completely ignored me and left the area to sort him out for three minutes! Then she returned, her palm reader wasn't working so she went and got someone else to sort it out (and my bloody picture was blown up on my computer screen, and I had my passport, so I didn't understand why this was necessary). When she finally got me in the room I was 3 minutes overdue, and then she messed up her login information 4 straight times! At the end, I began the quant with 70 minutes on the clock. This really threw me because I worked very hard with quant pacing. As a result I rushed through the first 5 or 6 questions to catch up, and then the test was really easy from there on. I imagine I made some careless mistakes in those first questions, which brought me down in the CAT, and I effectively played catch-up for the rest of the time. I was able to push it out of my mind and return to form on the verbal section. On my second break, there was a different proctor who let me in without even checking my passport or my palm print. Anyway, there's nothing I can do, but I wish I had been more assertive and demanded that another proctor let me in the test room while the other left the area.
Here are my practice test scores:
10/22/09 - Kaplan Linear Test 660 41Q 43V (No prep)
10/28/09 - Kaplan CAT 1 670 48Q 35V
11/01/09 - GMAT Prep 1 720 46Q? 46V
11/02/09 - Kaplan CAT 2 700 52Q 35V
11/06/09 - MGMAT 1 720 47Q 42V
11/08/09 - GMAT Prep 2 730 (49Q 41V, I think)
11/09/09 - Actual GMAT - 740 47Q 46V
Books Used:
Kaplan Premier Live Online 2010
Kaplan Advanced Prep
I didn't start using this forum until the very end of my preparation, or else I would have probably invested in the Manhattan books instead. Their CAT was so much better than Kaplan's - more detailed answers, better breakdown of scores, but most importantly, they tell you the difficultly level of each question. As it is so important to be able to get the mid-range (600-700 for me) questions entirely right, I was able to hone in on any mistakes I was making at that level and raise my score.
Despite the relatively poorer CAT's, the Kaplan books were very readable and I learned a lot from the detailed explanations in their practice sections. I think the Kaplan Advanced Prep was ultimately more valuable than the Premier Live Online, but understanding all of the terms and strategies introduced in the Premier Live Online was important when reading the Advanced Prep. I studied the Premier Live for a week and a half, and began the Advanced Prep in the week beforehand. My study times varied, but I always made sure to do my studying in 4 hour stints to improve my stamina.
My practice scores were quite annoying because they were so unbalanced: on one test I would be 99th percentile in Quant, but weak in Verbal, and then on the next 99th percentile in Verbal, but weak in Quant. It must have been the specific test, because it couldn't have been a stamina issue as I wouldn't have been weak on quant and then 99th percent on verbal.
If I did it all over again, I would have started another week earlier. The night before the test, I felt like there was so much that I could still learn but hadn't had time to develop. Nothing on the GMAT is particularly challenging; once you understand the way the test works. There is an easy way to beat every problem. I do think that if I hadn't had the issue during my first break I would have scored higher on the quant and met my goal of 760. However, I know my score is good enough to get into the program that I want to, so I am more than satisfied.
