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jonathansoler
- Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
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- Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 9:39 am
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So I took the GMAT today after 3 weeks study and got the aforementioned score. Rather satisfied.
I think there are mainly three factors that determine your GMAT score. Quant Preparation, Verbal Preparation and Psychological Preparation. For all, OG, Official Q&V Reviews, MGMAT Strategy books and this forum are all you will need. Some thoughts:
- I usually got 45-46 in Quant in CAT practice tests. The difference this time was the insanely high proportion of DS questions that thing threw at me, which affected my performance, since I'm much weaker in DS than in PS. I figure around 65-70% of all the questions were DS. I handle all the basics well, and am quite fast for calculations and problem solving, but DS is just different. It requires a different approach and I didn't practice enough. PRACTICE a lot of DS. Don't think that because you can tackle greatly any PS question you are all set for the DS battle. They're different.
- Verbal was great. What really makes a difference is SC. I recently took the TOEFL and scored very high, and never had any problems regarding RC nor CR during my GMAT study. I did benefit from the CR MGMAT guide to an extent. Last PrepCAT I took, a week ago, ALL the 6-7 questions I got wrong were SC. The MGMAT SC Guide is a miracle worker for this matter. Just get the MGMAT SC guide and realize what it is that you don't know and what you have been saying 'wrong' all your life and that will cut it.
- Psychological stuff: VERY important. No general truths can be spilled about this subject since each person may have a different way of feeling motivated, but I can share what gets me going.
-- Rest well the night before.
-- Be sure that you will get to the test center in time and do so. A test-drive a couple of days before the D-Day should be enough.
-- Take the goddamn breaks. You won't score higher for not taking them, you will grow tired or thirsty eventually and you might faint and screw up. No need to risk it.
-- The GMAT might try to throw you off balance as it did with me. He seemed to know how I disliked DS and it kept hitting me with it. Had I not been strong enough to handle the semi-beating I got in Quant, I would have screwed up Verbal and would have never gotten the pretty 7 on my results screen. After Quant, I went to the bathroom, panicked, realized I still had a chance, pulled myself together and went back to kick some verbal ass.
-- Music. Before the test. Whatever gets you feeling like you WILL beat up your worst enemy, conquer the girl (or the guy, whatever gets you off), win the war and still look good.
-- Sports. I am a huge soccer fan and I'd die for FC Barcelona. I remembered many situations when the team was against the wall and managed to get the strength out of nowhere and work a miracle. If you like sports, you can always play the video in your head of that very special moment when you saw something that made you believe in mankind and yourself. Feeling like Djokovic when playing Nadal can also work. Just saying.
-- The GMAT's a bitch. Face it. And prepare consequently.
Best regards,
Jonathan
I think there are mainly three factors that determine your GMAT score. Quant Preparation, Verbal Preparation and Psychological Preparation. For all, OG, Official Q&V Reviews, MGMAT Strategy books and this forum are all you will need. Some thoughts:
- I usually got 45-46 in Quant in CAT practice tests. The difference this time was the insanely high proportion of DS questions that thing threw at me, which affected my performance, since I'm much weaker in DS than in PS. I figure around 65-70% of all the questions were DS. I handle all the basics well, and am quite fast for calculations and problem solving, but DS is just different. It requires a different approach and I didn't practice enough. PRACTICE a lot of DS. Don't think that because you can tackle greatly any PS question you are all set for the DS battle. They're different.
- Verbal was great. What really makes a difference is SC. I recently took the TOEFL and scored very high, and never had any problems regarding RC nor CR during my GMAT study. I did benefit from the CR MGMAT guide to an extent. Last PrepCAT I took, a week ago, ALL the 6-7 questions I got wrong were SC. The MGMAT SC Guide is a miracle worker for this matter. Just get the MGMAT SC guide and realize what it is that you don't know and what you have been saying 'wrong' all your life and that will cut it.
- Psychological stuff: VERY important. No general truths can be spilled about this subject since each person may have a different way of feeling motivated, but I can share what gets me going.
-- Rest well the night before.
-- Be sure that you will get to the test center in time and do so. A test-drive a couple of days before the D-Day should be enough.
-- Take the goddamn breaks. You won't score higher for not taking them, you will grow tired or thirsty eventually and you might faint and screw up. No need to risk it.
-- The GMAT might try to throw you off balance as it did with me. He seemed to know how I disliked DS and it kept hitting me with it. Had I not been strong enough to handle the semi-beating I got in Quant, I would have screwed up Verbal and would have never gotten the pretty 7 on my results screen. After Quant, I went to the bathroom, panicked, realized I still had a chance, pulled myself together and went back to kick some verbal ass.
-- Music. Before the test. Whatever gets you feeling like you WILL beat up your worst enemy, conquer the girl (or the guy, whatever gets you off), win the war and still look good.
-- Sports. I am a huge soccer fan and I'd die for FC Barcelona. I remembered many situations when the team was against the wall and managed to get the strength out of nowhere and work a miracle. If you like sports, you can always play the video in your head of that very special moment when you saw something that made you believe in mankind and yourself. Feeling like Djokovic when playing Nadal can also work. Just saying.
-- The GMAT's a bitch. Face it. And prepare consequently.
Best regards,
Jonathan
