I just Beat The GMAT!

I scored a 700 overall (Q48, V37) about 1 and a half months after I scored a 620 (Q44, V31). I gave my previous attempt in the first week of September, and after taking a week off, I decided to give the GMAT another go in the first week of November, especially since round 1 MS applications were already open. I was already using GMAT Club and I was aware of many of the popular test prep companies. But after some research, I saw several posts from people using Target Test Prep who scored 700+ and I decided to go with the trial and then the 1-month TTP plan.

I knew from the start that verbal would be slightly easier than quant for me, especially since I do not come from an engineering/heavy math background. I had heard of how well-reputed TTP is for Quant, so I started with Quant. Although I knew the concepts, I went over all of them again, I only took notes if a concept was new to me. I began the easy, medium and hard tests for each topic. Once I got almost all questions correct at each level, I would move on to the next topic. TTP’s material for the quant component is MORE than sufficient. You don’t need anything else. If you happened to have the official guide, maybe a few questions a day from that would be beneficial, since you would have an idea of what an “official GMAT question” looks like. But for the most part, sticking to TTP’s formula of their material and questions + Taking the official GMAT mock tests is the best way to go about this exam.

Moving on to verbal, I did the entire material for SC along with all the practice tests, using the same methodology as I did with Quant, I would review my mistakes and focus on getting the maximum number of questions correct at each level. I wanted to get as many questions correct on SC and RC as possible since I felt I could perform fairly well on those questions. TTP made the methodology super simple, which I tremendously appreciated. Apart from noting down certain grammar rules, I was not the biggest fan of having a ton of notes and flashcards and other written material for verbal. Practice makes perfect. Just follow that philosophy till the end.

Speaking of TTP as a whole, I liked the error tracker. It’s a simple but effective tool, and TTP’s interface is very easy to follow, which makes progress faster and smoother. The key is focusing on your work areas and improving on them. This has been said many times, but it still holds. I kept thinking that if I improve my accuracy and take mock tests, I would achieve better results, but you need to focus on your weak areas and aim to improve. This is where TTP’s custom tests came in handy by helping me focus on my weak areas, and rectify my errors. Taking mock tests is crucial towards the tail end of your prep, but make sure not to overdo it. I would take one mock every 4-5 days, and ensure I corrected every error and improved upon it.

TTP is just a solid, all-around experience, from the start to the end of the test. I like how TTP addresses test anxiety and various other factors that can play a crucial role in how one performs on the test. I remember seeing the 700 on the screen and thinking, man that could’ve been a few points higher as well, but still in absolute disbelief that I hit the 700 mark. I contacted TTP right away and let them know how helpful they were. TTP’s team is active on GMATClub, BeattheGMAT, and the GMAT subReddit. They’re extremely helpful and assist tons of people regarding multiple queries. Overall, TTP is a solid, cost-effective programme for the GMAT, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to boost their score.