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technologista
- Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2010 2:31 pm
Alright, I just took the GMAT yesterday and I'm a bit disappointed, honestly. I know it won't keep me out of anywhere, but I do believe if I'd studied smarter, I would have done better. Let me tell you what I believe were my biggest mistakes.
1. I spent under 4 weeks preparing (stepped this up to 4-6 hours a day in the last week). I don't think this in itself was a problem, I just think that given my limited time, I should've charted my action plan better. Give yourself more time, or be extremely organized. However, if you're taking an entire month to get your score up 20 points, and you're already in the 700s, then you're probably not using your time efficiently. A 700 won't keep you out of anywhere, just like a 790 is no guarantee you'll get in.
2. I wasted too much time on easy problems from the OG. If you're scoring in the 40s in quant, you're probably never going to get problems that easy. Practice tougher problems. Of course, I'm assuming that your basics are sound. Mine were, I have a quant background. The MGMAT tests, as everyone here has pointed out, are pretty good prep.
3. I'd advise taking one GMATprep test about midway through your prep. Use your score to analyze your weak points, and then reconsider your prep strategy. The GMATprep is significantly different from any other test you'll take, so use the first one wisely to fix your mistakes. Until the day before the test, I was under the impression that getting anything more than 4-5 questions wrong on quant could ruin you. Not true. You can get about 10-14 of the 37 problems wrong, and still have a fairly good scaled score. I wish I had known this earlier on in the prep, it would've helped me strategize better.
4. My verbal prep was minimal. I think I could have easily fixed that with a day or two, with the right resources. Don't neglect this.
5. Sleep before the test, for god's sake. I didn't (anxiety, stress). It cost me. Should've popped a xanax. And despite my lack of sleep, I was scared to touch coffee because my eyes were twitching so much! Don't let this happen to you. At worst, you will bomb badly and have to pay another $250 (nothing, in the grand scheme of things) for a retake. Big deal, because schools will only look at your highest score.
1. I spent under 4 weeks preparing (stepped this up to 4-6 hours a day in the last week). I don't think this in itself was a problem, I just think that given my limited time, I should've charted my action plan better. Give yourself more time, or be extremely organized. However, if you're taking an entire month to get your score up 20 points, and you're already in the 700s, then you're probably not using your time efficiently. A 700 won't keep you out of anywhere, just like a 790 is no guarantee you'll get in.
2. I wasted too much time on easy problems from the OG. If you're scoring in the 40s in quant, you're probably never going to get problems that easy. Practice tougher problems. Of course, I'm assuming that your basics are sound. Mine were, I have a quant background. The MGMAT tests, as everyone here has pointed out, are pretty good prep.
3. I'd advise taking one GMATprep test about midway through your prep. Use your score to analyze your weak points, and then reconsider your prep strategy. The GMATprep is significantly different from any other test you'll take, so use the first one wisely to fix your mistakes. Until the day before the test, I was under the impression that getting anything more than 4-5 questions wrong on quant could ruin you. Not true. You can get about 10-14 of the 37 problems wrong, and still have a fairly good scaled score. I wish I had known this earlier on in the prep, it would've helped me strategize better.
4. My verbal prep was minimal. I think I could have easily fixed that with a day or two, with the right resources. Don't neglect this.
5. Sleep before the test, for god's sake. I didn't (anxiety, stress). It cost me. Should've popped a xanax. And despite my lack of sleep, I was scared to touch coffee because my eyes were twitching so much! Don't let this happen to you. At worst, you will bomb badly and have to pay another $250 (nothing, in the grand scheme of things) for a retake. Big deal, because schools will only look at your highest score.
