I just Beat The GMAT!

I scored a 740 on April 15 (Q49 V42). It took plenty of preparation, but knowing what I know now I could have achieved the same improvement in way less time if I had studied the proper way. Let's breakdown my practice score progression (my early scores were heavily inflated due to not using actual testing conditions, etc.):

12/29 610 Q40 V34
1/20 590 (forgot splits)
2/16 650 Q42 V37
3/2 640 Q43 V34
3/25 680 Q47 V36
4/10 730 Q49 V41
415 740 Q49 V42

The first four exams were Manhattan prep tests, the next two were GMAT prep tests, and the final test was the real thing. I do feel that Manhattan tests (especially quant) are quite a bit harder than the real thing, but they were a great study tool. I followed a study outline provided by GMATwarriorguide.com with my own variations in the studying. The most important things to take away:

1. Do EVERY problem in the GMAT OG and the Quant and Verbal OGs. Review every mistake you make. This will help you make your biggest increase overall.

2. Review every mistake you make on any practice test. You will likely see very similar (to nearly identical) problems on the real thing.

3. Take the practice tests under as close to real conditions as possible.

I really feel that anybody can increase there score by 100 points if they start somewhere as low as I did. It just takes a lot of dedication and discipline. Most of my 130 point increase came in the final 3 or 4 weeks when I was extremely consistent and disciplined in studying at least 2-3 hours per day. Best of luck and feel free to ask my any more questions about my approach for more detail!

Congratulations! It's a great achievement. I'm preparing for a retake. My last score was 560 (in 2010). This time I'm aiming for 700+.

Congratulations for your grand success and wish you luck for wonderful career ahead
I have some doubts I want to clear, let me first make you aware of my background, I am working professional belonging to non-native English country.
1) I have average academic record till now, I am planning to prepare on my own without any tuition, I am following this forum actively for any updates, tips and tricks etc.
2) I have taken whole new set of Manhattan preparation guide: "Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set, 6th Edition"
I will follow each and every instruction thoroughly in order not to miss on any points and will cover line by line of study material.
3) I am planning to take out approx of 2 hours of time daily for preparation and total of approx 5-6 months before I give my official GMAT exam.
I need your help in confirming if I need to join any tuition also to get score of 700+ ? Is it mandatory to join any tuition for scoring 700+?
I can assure you that I will try to be disciplined about my plan of study which from my reading earlier discussion I came to know if most critical part in preparation of GMAT, With only Manhattan strategy guide help , if all goes as per plan, will I be able to score 700+ ?

Suyog A wrote:Congratulations for your grand success and wish you luck for wonderful career ahead
I have some doubts I want to clear, let me first make you aware of my background, I am working professional belonging to non-native English country.
1) I have average academic record till now, I am planning to prepare on my own without any tuition, I am following this forum actively for any updates, tips and tricks etc.
2) I have taken whole new set of Manhattan preparation guide: "Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set, 6th Edition"
I will follow each and every instruction thoroughly in order not to miss on any points and will cover line by line of study material.
3) I am planning to take out approx of 2 hours of time daily for preparation and total of approx 5-6 months before I give my official GMAT exam.
I need your help in confirming if I need to join any tuition also to get score of 700+ ? Is it mandatory to join any tuition for scoring 700+?
I can assure you that I will try to be disciplined about my plan of study which from my reading earlier discussion I came to know if most critical part in preparation of GMAT, With only Manhattan strategy guide help , if all goes as per plan, will I be able to score 700+ ?

I fully believe that an "average academic record" means you have the ability to score above a 700. My strongest recommendations for you are to really focus on the Manhattan verbal guides (SC and CR in particular). They are the best on the market. The study guide I purchased for like 10 or 20 bucks at gmatwarriorguide.com was a huge help in organizing my study process and refreshing me on important formulas and concepts in a timely manner without having to go back into my entire arsenal of materials. I believe those two resources and an undying desire to succeed are really what allowed me to score a 740, and could help you achieve the same.

Suyog A wrote:Congratulations for your grand success and wish you luck for wonderful career ahead
I have some doubts I want to clear, let me first make you aware of my background, I am working professional belonging to non-native English country.
1) I have average academic record till now, I am planning to prepare on my own without any tuition, I am following this forum actively for any updates, tips and tricks etc.
2) I have taken whole new set of Manhattan preparation guide: "Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set, 6th Edition"
I will follow each and every instruction thoroughly in order not to miss on any points and will cover line by line of study material.
3) I am planning to take out approx of 2 hours of time daily for preparation and total of approx 5-6 months before I give my official GMAT exam.
I need your help in confirming if I need to join any tuition also to get score of 700+ ? Is it mandatory to join any tuition for scoring 700+?
I can assure you that I will try to be disciplined about my plan of study which from my reading earlier discussion I came to know if most critical part in preparation of GMAT, With only Manhattan strategy guide help , if all goes as per plan, will I be able to score 700+ ?

I fully believe that an "average academic record" means you have the ability to score above a 700. My strongest recommendations for you are to really focus on the Manhattan verbal guides (SC and CR in particular). They are the best on the market. The study guide I purchased for like 10 or 20 bucks at gmatwarriorguide.com was a huge help in organizing my study process and refreshing me on important formulas and concepts in a timely manner without having to go back into my entire arsenal of materials. I believe those two resources and an undying desire to succeed are really what allowed me to score a 740, and could help you achieve the same.

Suyog A wrote:Congratulations for your grand success and wish you luck for wonderful career ahead
I have some doubts I want to clear, let me first make you aware of my background, I am working professional belonging to non-native English country.
1) I have average academic record till now, I am planning to prepare on my own without any tuition, I am following this forum actively for any updates, tips and tricks etc.
2) I have taken whole new set of Manhattan preparation guide: "Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set, 6th Edition"
I will follow each and every instruction thoroughly in order not to miss on any points and will cover line by line of study material.
3) I am planning to take out approx of 2 hours of time daily for preparation and total of approx 5-6 months before I give my official GMAT exam.
I need your help in confirming if I need to join any tuition also to get score of 700+ ? Is it mandatory to join any tuition for scoring 700+?
I can assure you that I will try to be disciplined about my plan of study which from my reading earlier discussion I came to know if most critical part in preparation of GMAT, With only Manhattan strategy guide help , if all goes as per plan, will I be able to score 700+ ?

I fully believe that an "average academic record" means you have the ability to score above a 700. My strongest recommendations for you are to really focus on the Manhattan verbal guides (SC and CR in particular). They are the best on the market. The study guide I purchased for like 10 or 20 bucks at gmatwarriorguide.com was a huge help in organizing my study process and refreshing me on important formulas and concepts in a timely manner without having to go back into my entire arsenal of materials. I believe those two resources and an undying desire to succeed are really what allowed me to score a 740, and could help you achieve the same.

Thank you, your reply have boosted my confidence I will surely dedicate time and would try to reach targeted score.

I have given a Manhattan test. I feel Quant questions in these tests are much harder than anything i have seen in either Manhattan guides or official guides. I think they are not representative of actual GMAT questions & therefore not needed. What do you have to say about this?

I think Manhattan math questions are important to practice with, review, and learn from. Yes they are much harder generally, but they still teach the correct concepts. And like lifting weights, if you lift heavy weights for a while and then go light, it will feel much easier just as the GMAT will if you practice with these tougher problems.

Thanks for your post and congrats! You have boosted my confidence too - I have 3 weeks left and am looking for a 70-100 point increase. Hopefully with dedication and strategic practicing I can reach my goal in just three short weeks!

I'm particularly what you did differently between these two practice tests:

1/20 590 (forgot splits)
2/16 650 Q42 V37

It looks like that was your biggest jump. Can you recall anything you did differently then, or even perhaps what you changed in your mindset?

nlisauskas, Hey. You mentioned that it's important to review your mistakes, but if all you were doing is just practice problems, what framework were you using to evaluate your mistakes? How did you know how to re-approach a similar question. I ask because I feel that sure I can review a problem from the OG, but the explanations are not strategic at all, so I'm very curious to get hear how you were able to capitalize on your review? Much appreciated1

Fantastic achievement, nlisauskas! Thanks for sharing your GMAT experience and your encouragemen.
All the best!

Congratulations, mate!