-
Azntycoon
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2008 12:41 pm
- Location: New York, NY
- Thanked: 2 times
It took two me two attempts before I managed to score over 700 on the GMAT. Looking back, it was a roller coaster ride that also taught me alot about myself.
I am a 31, from North America, with over 7 years of accounting and finance work experience. I went to a Canadian university, with a below average GPA (just shy of 3.0). Having recently submitted my applications for R2, I am now enjoying life after GMAT and awaiting the school's response.
First Attempt
I took the GMAT for the first time back in August 2008. I studied for about 1.5 months - about 1 hr each weekday, and 3 hours on weekends. I relied on the OG (and later on the Kaplan 800), and practiced off the GMAT Prep exams. My strategy at the time was to do as many questions as possible since this process worked for me back in high school. My scores on GMAT prep were lacklustre, but on an uptrend. I even scored a 710 a few days before the exam!
I was nervous starting the week before the exam date. I even visited the exam site (which I have NEVER EVER done with any exam in my life) to get familiar with the surroundings. I also experienced some sleepless nights leading up to the exam.
When the day finally came, I took the exam and my confidence fell apart in the early stages of the Quant section. I tried to shake it off prior to the verbal section, but the mental aspect of the exam got the better part of me. I ran out of time on the verbal section, and ended up scoring a 580.
Second Attempt
Immediately after I came home from the exam, I scheduled a re-take at the earliest possible date. But as I was preparing for the exam, I noticed that I was still struggling with some basic quant concepts. I thought about what I needed to do to get my score up, and pushed my 2nd GMAT appointment a few more weeks so that I give myself enough time to work on my weak areas.
Here are the things that I believe helped improve my score:
1) Focus on areas that are weak: I realized that I was weak with work problems and sentence correction. After conducting some research, I decided to purchase the Manhattan GMAT gudies for Word Problems and SC.
2) Always stick to the fundamentals: GMAT is all about basic concepts that are combined and re-engineered to look complex. I was weak with Quant, so I bought the OG Quant (green book) and the GMAT Hacks Math Bible www.gmatmathbible.com to hone in on key areas.
3) Study smart, not hard: Instead of focusing on working through as many problems as you can, take the time to "debrief" and analyze the questions you do afterwards. I learned numerous study tips like through Jeff Sackmann's site www.gmathacks.com.
4) Practice exams are overrated: I only took two practice exams prior to taking the GMAT for the 2nd time. Keeping score isn't really that important, except for making sure that you are familiar with the pace required for the GMAT. Instead of wasting 4 hours on a weekend doing one practice exam, you could've done 50 questions that test your weak areas.
5) Get some help: I thought of registering for GMAT courses that cost several thousand. In the end, I enlisted the help of my fiance and a tutor. I was looking for targeted advice, not hand-holding. If you're in the NYC area, consider seeing Jeff Sackmann.
Please feel free to email me if you have other questions, or would like to know more about Jeff and the GMAT Bible. Rest assured this is no "self-promotion" post. In fact, my complaint with Jeff is that he canceled on me at the last minute on a tutoring session, and never responded to my emails to reschedule. Looking back, I guess I did not need it because I was ready to take the exam.
I'm also selling my books on ebay if you're interested.
https://cgi.ebay.com/Test-Prep-Materials ... 240%3A1318
Good luck and don't give up!
I am a 31, from North America, with over 7 years of accounting and finance work experience. I went to a Canadian university, with a below average GPA (just shy of 3.0). Having recently submitted my applications for R2, I am now enjoying life after GMAT and awaiting the school's response.
First Attempt
I took the GMAT for the first time back in August 2008. I studied for about 1.5 months - about 1 hr each weekday, and 3 hours on weekends. I relied on the OG (and later on the Kaplan 800), and practiced off the GMAT Prep exams. My strategy at the time was to do as many questions as possible since this process worked for me back in high school. My scores on GMAT prep were lacklustre, but on an uptrend. I even scored a 710 a few days before the exam!
I was nervous starting the week before the exam date. I even visited the exam site (which I have NEVER EVER done with any exam in my life) to get familiar with the surroundings. I also experienced some sleepless nights leading up to the exam.
When the day finally came, I took the exam and my confidence fell apart in the early stages of the Quant section. I tried to shake it off prior to the verbal section, but the mental aspect of the exam got the better part of me. I ran out of time on the verbal section, and ended up scoring a 580.
Second Attempt
Immediately after I came home from the exam, I scheduled a re-take at the earliest possible date. But as I was preparing for the exam, I noticed that I was still struggling with some basic quant concepts. I thought about what I needed to do to get my score up, and pushed my 2nd GMAT appointment a few more weeks so that I give myself enough time to work on my weak areas.
Here are the things that I believe helped improve my score:
1) Focus on areas that are weak: I realized that I was weak with work problems and sentence correction. After conducting some research, I decided to purchase the Manhattan GMAT gudies for Word Problems and SC.
2) Always stick to the fundamentals: GMAT is all about basic concepts that are combined and re-engineered to look complex. I was weak with Quant, so I bought the OG Quant (green book) and the GMAT Hacks Math Bible www.gmatmathbible.com to hone in on key areas.
3) Study smart, not hard: Instead of focusing on working through as many problems as you can, take the time to "debrief" and analyze the questions you do afterwards. I learned numerous study tips like through Jeff Sackmann's site www.gmathacks.com.
4) Practice exams are overrated: I only took two practice exams prior to taking the GMAT for the 2nd time. Keeping score isn't really that important, except for making sure that you are familiar with the pace required for the GMAT. Instead of wasting 4 hours on a weekend doing one practice exam, you could've done 50 questions that test your weak areas.
5) Get some help: I thought of registering for GMAT courses that cost several thousand. In the end, I enlisted the help of my fiance and a tutor. I was looking for targeted advice, not hand-holding. If you're in the NYC area, consider seeing Jeff Sackmann.
Please feel free to email me if you have other questions, or would like to know more about Jeff and the GMAT Bible. Rest assured this is no "self-promotion" post. In fact, my complaint with Jeff is that he canceled on me at the last minute on a tutoring session, and never responded to my emails to reschedule. Looking back, I guess I did not need it because I was ready to take the exam.
I'm also selling my books on ebay if you're interested.
https://cgi.ebay.com/Test-Prep-Materials ... 240%3A1318
Good luck and don't give up!
Last edited by Azntycoon on Sat Jan 17, 2009 8:13 am, edited 2 times in total.
