-
netigen
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 631
- Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:57 pm
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I gave the test today on June 16, 2007 and I got royally screwed in the verbal section. My target score was 780 but I could only get a 750.
Couple of quick thoughts before I loose them:
1. Quantitative section was much easier than I expected. It was closer to PR and Kaplan maths than MGMAT. I think MGMAT is way off the mark and does not represent GMAT when it comes to level of difficulty. MGMAT is too difficult and it kills your confidence.
2. In verbal, CR was easy and straight forward but sentence correction was tricky. RC was well below 65 sentences and easier comparative to PR, Kaplan or MGMAT.
On the test day I was very nervous and anxious as it had been more than 8 years since I gave a competitive test. I also made the mistake of taking 2 MGMAT tests in the last week of preparation. Even though I did well on the tests, the Quant from those tests just killed my confidence in Quant, which is my strong point. On top this the test center (San Jose) was too humid, hot and suffocating (AC was not working inside the test room I think), which gave me a headache within 10 mins of the start of the test.
Debrief
Quantitative section: Books I referred are
(1) Started with Nova Prep - It is a good foundation book and you can find a ebook version online. I started with it because when I flipped through the pages I got an impression that it had a good set of maths fundamentals. I did a few chapters then switched to MGMAT maths book set.
(2) OG11 and OG quant review - these are the best
(3) MGMAT books on Maths
(4) Kaplan 800 - This is more representative of the level of difficulty of the GMAT Quant
(5) Kaplan Maths workbook - This is a good foundation book but you only need it if you are not good in Quant
Verbal section: Books I referred are
(1) OG11 and OG verbal review
(2) MGMAT books - I hated the CR and RC books from MGMAT. They are complete waste of money.
(3) Kaplan 800
(4) Kaplan verbal workbook
(5) Powerscore LSAT bible CR - I had the ebook LSAT version and I think this is the best book for CR out there. Now a GMAT version is also available and buying a copy of the same will be a good investment. Simple difference is the number of pages 600+ in LSAT version and 300+ in GMAT version.
Notes I referred to
(1) GMAT flashcards from BTG
(2) Sumit's notes for SC
(3) Amateur's note for SC
(4) Sahil's note
Other tools
(1) MGMAT tracking sheet for OG11
(2) MGMAT OG stopwatch - excellent tool - free with registration
(3) Manhattan GMAT Test Simulation Booklet w/ Marker (from amazon)
(4)Two from GMATPrep - free download from
https://www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT/Tool ... ftware.htm
(5) Two from Power prep - free download (not adaptive)
https://tiny.cc/PowerPrep
(6) Four from Princeton review with their books + 1 free on their website (needs registration)
https://www.princetonreview.com/mba/
(7) Four from Kaplan with the Kaplan books + 1 free online (needs registration)
https://www.kaptest.com/gmat
(8) Six with any MGMAT book + 1 free online on their site (needs registration)
https://www.manhattangmat.com/practicecenter.cfm
(9) Five from GMAT800 - 1 free demo online
https://www.800score.com/download.html
Strategy suggestions
Based on my experience I would suggest the following:
1. Do not prepare for too long. Plan your preparation for 60-90 days. If you delay too much you loose focus and also interest. I also saw my scores go down because I delayed my prep time to 4 months (refer to my practice cat scores)
2. Focus on the MGMAT SC book for SC (note: if you buy the SC book you get the 6 MGMAT exams for free - this means 6 exams + the SC bible for 17$ - what a deal)
3. From the set of SC notes I have, the Amateur's note for SC are really good. I would recommend the same to everyone.
4. Focus on the Quant basics like number props, algebra, inequalities etc. Most of the question in my test were around quant basics. No fancy stuff like in MGMAT or GMAT800 cats. I only got 2-3 total questions related to Permutation, combination and probability.
5. Focus on OG11 for CR practice. Also, use Kaplan 800 and Kaplan verbal workbook if you are weak in CR. Read the strategy from only one book preferably the Powerscore GMAT bible.
6. For RC I initially followed the advice of MGMAT and like to take notes but soon realized that I was wasting valuable time in taking notes which were of no use to answer the Questions. The RC on the GMAT are much smaller than what we get in the MGMAT, Kaplan or princeton CATs. MGMAT hit me with a 95 lines RC in one CAT. In the original GMAT I only got 35-50 line RCs.
My simulation test results:
Official GMAT software
---------------------------
GP 1 - 710 (Q48, V38)
GP 2 - 750 (Q50, V42)
GP 1 #2 - 760 (Q49,V44)
GP 1 #3 - 760
GP 2 #2 - 750
PP 1 - 770 (Q49, V45)
GMAT800 tests
-------------------
G800 Q3V2 - 740 (Q54, V38)
Princeton Review
----------------------
PR 1 - 770 (Q51, V46)
PR 2 - 730 (Q51, V46)
PR 3 - 710 (Q51, V38)
PR 4 - 670 (Q41, V42)
Kaplan
---------
KP 1 - 700 (Q46, V42) - Online free test
KP 2 - 670
MGMAT tests
----------------
MGMAT 1 - 730 (Q48,V42)
MGMAT 2 - 710 (Q44,V42)
MGMAT 3 - 740 (Q49, V42)
MGMAT 4 - 770 (Q51, V44)
MGMAT 5 - 710 (Q49, V37)
In my opinion the pacing for preparation should be something like this -
1. Study for 4-6 weeks to revise all quant and verbal for e.g. complete OG11 and OG review workbooks
2. Give GMAT Prep1, Power prep1, free Kaplan test, free PR test, free MGMAT test
3. Figure out your weak points based on the results
4. Review for 2 weeks
5. Give all MGMAT tests, review your mistakes by going through the test results and reading the MGMAT answers and reasoning
6. Prepare for another week
7. Give GMAT prep2
8. Give real GMAT
MGMAT answers are really good and they help a lot in understanding the approach and concept. Kaplan and PR do not provide the same level of explanation. I would not recommend to give MGMAT too close to the real test. Stick with GMAT Prep when you are close to the real GMAT test date.
AWA templates
Just got my AWA score and found that I did pretty good since I got 6.0. I prepared for last two days and focussed on building templates in advance. The intent was to not think about the structure in the test and just worry about the point of analysis or argument.
I am attaching two templates that I finalized for use in the test:
Analysis of an argument
Although the argument may be logically sound, it fails to provide strong examples and real context in order to substantiate the conclusion that ..state the conclusion... It provides .... state some flaws. However, there are many other factors that contribute to a weak conclusion and flawed argument.
Most of all, provide a flawed assumption and blow holes in it. Provide examples on how this gap can be filled.
In addition, ......another flaw and how to fix it
Furthermore, ..........another flaw and how to fix it
In sum, argument fails to convince ...state conclusion.... Now sum up all the ways the argument can be strengthened.
Analysis of an issue
The issue of ........ is a controversial one. On the one hand many people argue that ...... while others believe that ...... In this age, when ........., this issue is increasingly becoming important. In this essay, I will argue that ........
Main reason for my view is .....................
Another reason is ............
Moreover, ....................
However, many people argue that ...... (counter and then refute)
Finally, I have argued that ....... Many of these issues can never be resolved to everybody's satisfaction, but in the long run, promoting ________________________________ will lead to the betterment of all involved. Finally, _____________________________ increased something like global cooperation, cultural understanding, blah, blah, blah can only result from this, resulting in ______________________________ for everybody.[/b]
Couple of quick thoughts before I loose them:
1. Quantitative section was much easier than I expected. It was closer to PR and Kaplan maths than MGMAT. I think MGMAT is way off the mark and does not represent GMAT when it comes to level of difficulty. MGMAT is too difficult and it kills your confidence.
2. In verbal, CR was easy and straight forward but sentence correction was tricky. RC was well below 65 sentences and easier comparative to PR, Kaplan or MGMAT.
On the test day I was very nervous and anxious as it had been more than 8 years since I gave a competitive test. I also made the mistake of taking 2 MGMAT tests in the last week of preparation. Even though I did well on the tests, the Quant from those tests just killed my confidence in Quant, which is my strong point. On top this the test center (San Jose) was too humid, hot and suffocating (AC was not working inside the test room I think), which gave me a headache within 10 mins of the start of the test.
Debrief
Quantitative section: Books I referred are
(1) Started with Nova Prep - It is a good foundation book and you can find a ebook version online. I started with it because when I flipped through the pages I got an impression that it had a good set of maths fundamentals. I did a few chapters then switched to MGMAT maths book set.
(2) OG11 and OG quant review - these are the best
(3) MGMAT books on Maths
(4) Kaplan 800 - This is more representative of the level of difficulty of the GMAT Quant
(5) Kaplan Maths workbook - This is a good foundation book but you only need it if you are not good in Quant
Verbal section: Books I referred are
(1) OG11 and OG verbal review
(2) MGMAT books - I hated the CR and RC books from MGMAT. They are complete waste of money.
(3) Kaplan 800
(4) Kaplan verbal workbook
(5) Powerscore LSAT bible CR - I had the ebook LSAT version and I think this is the best book for CR out there. Now a GMAT version is also available and buying a copy of the same will be a good investment. Simple difference is the number of pages 600+ in LSAT version and 300+ in GMAT version.
Notes I referred to
(1) GMAT flashcards from BTG
(2) Sumit's notes for SC
(3) Amateur's note for SC
(4) Sahil's note
Other tools
(1) MGMAT tracking sheet for OG11
(2) MGMAT OG stopwatch - excellent tool - free with registration
(3) Manhattan GMAT Test Simulation Booklet w/ Marker (from amazon)
(4)Two from GMATPrep - free download from
https://www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT/Tool ... ftware.htm
(5) Two from Power prep - free download (not adaptive)
https://tiny.cc/PowerPrep
(6) Four from Princeton review with their books + 1 free on their website (needs registration)
https://www.princetonreview.com/mba/
(7) Four from Kaplan with the Kaplan books + 1 free online (needs registration)
https://www.kaptest.com/gmat
(8) Six with any MGMAT book + 1 free online on their site (needs registration)
https://www.manhattangmat.com/practicecenter.cfm
(9) Five from GMAT800 - 1 free demo online
https://www.800score.com/download.html
Strategy suggestions
Based on my experience I would suggest the following:
1. Do not prepare for too long. Plan your preparation for 60-90 days. If you delay too much you loose focus and also interest. I also saw my scores go down because I delayed my prep time to 4 months (refer to my practice cat scores)
2. Focus on the MGMAT SC book for SC (note: if you buy the SC book you get the 6 MGMAT exams for free - this means 6 exams + the SC bible for 17$ - what a deal)
3. From the set of SC notes I have, the Amateur's note for SC are really good. I would recommend the same to everyone.
4. Focus on the Quant basics like number props, algebra, inequalities etc. Most of the question in my test were around quant basics. No fancy stuff like in MGMAT or GMAT800 cats. I only got 2-3 total questions related to Permutation, combination and probability.
5. Focus on OG11 for CR practice. Also, use Kaplan 800 and Kaplan verbal workbook if you are weak in CR. Read the strategy from only one book preferably the Powerscore GMAT bible.
6. For RC I initially followed the advice of MGMAT and like to take notes but soon realized that I was wasting valuable time in taking notes which were of no use to answer the Questions. The RC on the GMAT are much smaller than what we get in the MGMAT, Kaplan or princeton CATs. MGMAT hit me with a 95 lines RC in one CAT. In the original GMAT I only got 35-50 line RCs.
My simulation test results:
Official GMAT software
---------------------------
GP 1 - 710 (Q48, V38)
GP 2 - 750 (Q50, V42)
GP 1 #2 - 760 (Q49,V44)
GP 1 #3 - 760
GP 2 #2 - 750
PP 1 - 770 (Q49, V45)
GMAT800 tests
-------------------
G800 Q3V2 - 740 (Q54, V38)
Princeton Review
----------------------
PR 1 - 770 (Q51, V46)
PR 2 - 730 (Q51, V46)
PR 3 - 710 (Q51, V38)
PR 4 - 670 (Q41, V42)
Kaplan
---------
KP 1 - 700 (Q46, V42) - Online free test
KP 2 - 670
MGMAT tests
----------------
MGMAT 1 - 730 (Q48,V42)
MGMAT 2 - 710 (Q44,V42)
MGMAT 3 - 740 (Q49, V42)
MGMAT 4 - 770 (Q51, V44)
MGMAT 5 - 710 (Q49, V37)
In my opinion the pacing for preparation should be something like this -
1. Study for 4-6 weeks to revise all quant and verbal for e.g. complete OG11 and OG review workbooks
2. Give GMAT Prep1, Power prep1, free Kaplan test, free PR test, free MGMAT test
3. Figure out your weak points based on the results
4. Review for 2 weeks
5. Give all MGMAT tests, review your mistakes by going through the test results and reading the MGMAT answers and reasoning
6. Prepare for another week
7. Give GMAT prep2
8. Give real GMAT
MGMAT answers are really good and they help a lot in understanding the approach and concept. Kaplan and PR do not provide the same level of explanation. I would not recommend to give MGMAT too close to the real test. Stick with GMAT Prep when you are close to the real GMAT test date.
AWA templates
Just got my AWA score and found that I did pretty good since I got 6.0. I prepared for last two days and focussed on building templates in advance. The intent was to not think about the structure in the test and just worry about the point of analysis or argument.
I am attaching two templates that I finalized for use in the test:
Analysis of an argument
Although the argument may be logically sound, it fails to provide strong examples and real context in order to substantiate the conclusion that ..state the conclusion... It provides .... state some flaws. However, there are many other factors that contribute to a weak conclusion and flawed argument.
Most of all, provide a flawed assumption and blow holes in it. Provide examples on how this gap can be filled.
In addition, ......another flaw and how to fix it
Furthermore, ..........another flaw and how to fix it
In sum, argument fails to convince ...state conclusion.... Now sum up all the ways the argument can be strengthened.
Analysis of an issue
The issue of ........ is a controversial one. On the one hand many people argue that ...... while others believe that ...... In this age, when ........., this issue is increasingly becoming important. In this essay, I will argue that ........
Main reason for my view is .....................
Another reason is ............
Moreover, ....................
However, many people argue that ...... (counter and then refute)
Finally, I have argued that ....... Many of these issues can never be resolved to everybody's satisfaction, but in the long run, promoting ________________________________ will lead to the betterment of all involved. Finally, _____________________________ increased something like global cooperation, cultural understanding, blah, blah, blah can only result from this, resulting in ______________________________ for everybody.[/b]
Last edited by netigen on Fri Jun 20, 2008 10:56 am, edited 13 times in total.
