I just Beat The GMAT!

Bear with me till the end please, this is a long one...

I've been an avid reader of this forum and kept dreaming that perhaps one day I would write my success story. In fact, some stories were truly inspirational and I'd be in awe of people posting 700+ scores and I'd be like 'I'd love to get that kind of a score, but honestly I don't think so....'.

Seriously though, I've been fairly good at my academics during my high school/university days, nothing great but I'd place myself in the above average category. So my simple mindset tackling the GMAT was 'Put in the hours, work bloody hard and be tactically smart.'

Bearing in mind R1 deadlines for most of the schools I was aiming at, I booked my test date for the 26-Sept originally and started prep on the 1st August. Having to juggle 10-hour working days and take care of my expectant wife, it was unbelievably hard to get into exam/study mode after a gap of almost 9 years! Typical study schedule would be around 3-4 hours during weekdays after work and then pretty much a 9-10 hour slog during weekends. In addition, I took a day off work every week (either Fri or Mon to get a long weekend) for study during August.

I suppose I'm more of a 'poet' than a 'quant' in that my verbal abilities trump my math skills. So SC and RC were relatively OK for me but I used to implode on the CR initially. I just couldn't get a grip on the CR fundamentals and kept getting most of the those questions wrong in the early mock tests. In terms of Quant, the same used to happen to me on DS - initially, I just couldn't get the basics of DS and kept tripping over myself conceptually and getting most of the DS questions wrong in mock tests.

So I'd planned out my study strategy (or atleast I thought...) to be heavier on Math basics, DS questions and CR fundamentals. Towards the latter part of my 2-month period, the EMPOWERgmat online study sessions enormously helped me sharpen this appreciation, but more on that later.

Having trawled through the umpteen sites and online forums for advice on study material, I settled for the following:

Books
GMAT Review OG 13
GMAT Quant Review 2nd ed.
GMAT Verbal Review 2nd ed.
MGMAT Foundations of GMAT Math
MGMAT Sentence Correction
PowerScore GMAT Critical Reasoning Bible

Software/Online-based material
GMATPrep Default Exam Pack
GMATPrep Question Pack 1 + GMATPrep Exam Pack 1 (add-on purchased mid-Sept)
MGMAT online CATs
EMPOWERgmat online course

With regard to the mock tests I took, here's where it got interesting. I'm posting the scores from the mock CATs below:

• OG 1 530
  MGMAT 1 590
  OG 1 (Retake) 620
  MGMAT 2 570
  MGMAT 3 590
  MGMAT 4 570
  OG 2 640 (Almost a month after my first mock test, finally broke the 600 barrier in GMATPrep tests!!)

Ten days before my test date, I took an MGMAT 5 test and got 590 and that completely devastated my confidence - I had to honestly re-evaluate if I was prepared for the test or if I needed more time. I wasn't getting anywhere close to even touching the high 600s, let alone reaching a 700 score! Also I was having major pacing issues in Quant and I was messing up the last 5-10 questions due to lack of time.

It was a tough call but I cancelled the 26-Sept date and moved it by another two weeks to 11-Oct. This would mean me foregoing the R1 deadlines and going for R2 instead, but if I was going to do well on the GMAT, I had to be prepared psychologically as well as from a skills perspective.

I junked my entire study plan and created a brand new one from scratch for the 14-day period, with the following mantras:

· Do every question in the OG13 guide in blocks of 45 every day, alternating between Quant and Verbal (helps build mental stamina)
· Declare war on silly mistakes and careless errors - be meticulous and laser-focused in attacking every question
· Sharpen CR skills
· Do a mock test once every 2-3 days, focusing on the OG tests
· Most importantly - review, review and review wrong answers!!

Continuing with the new study plan, scores began to climb slightly:

• MGMAT 6 610
  OG 2 (retake) 640
  OG 3 660
  OG 4 680 (last mock test 2 days before the GMAT)

On Test Day, I mentally conditioned myself to only think of the 1st question of every section. Not a particular target score. No thinking of 'dream schools'. Just focus on the 1st question and then one by one, take it from there. Cycle the concepts in your head. Be calm, yet confident and in control.

Essay was nice and easy. I knew I bombed IR, as I was stuck for ages on the first question and that rattled me a bit. Quant was OK to begin with but in the middle, I started to get a bit jittery on questions that looked simple. I knew for sure I got the last question wrong...hahaha. Verbal went well - I had 4 RC passages, some of the SC ones in the middle were tricky and took longer than average. CR was tricky though.

At the end of the test when I clicked to see my score, I got a technical error ! Reported this to the test proctor and he apologised saying there was an issue and I couldn't get my scores immediately. He logged an incident report with Pearson Vue and said I should be getting my scores within 2 days. The 2 days turned into 12 days with me frantically shooting emails back & forth with Pearson customer services - that was really stressful and frustrating because I just didn't know whether I needed to re-take the GMAT or not. They finally managed to retrieve my scores and sent them to me by e-mail, also got the official score report last week...so it's all good!:D

Special mention here about the EMPOWERgmat study modules that really helped me sharpen my test-taking skills - I picked up crucial advice on how to spot patterns in questions, break down wordy PS questions and extract what's needed and also not be scared of dropping a few questions as well, particularly if they were super hard. In addition, I think the real gem of a benefit I got from that study package was the podcasts from Rich that prepare you psychologically and reduce the 'fear factor' just before and on Test Day. So, big shout out to Rich and his team at EMPOWERgmat and a heartfelt Thank You for helping me achieve my dream score!:D

Piece of advice - Don't kill yourself over the odd 700-800 level questions or concepts which appear relatively infrequently on the GMAT. You're either sharp enough to get those right instantly or if you're like me, it's an uphill battle trying to decode the question and apply the concept in the right way. For me, given the time constraints I had, what worked was to hit all the Easy and Medium level questions (Num. properties, algebra etc.) and get them right rather than sweating a crazy Geometry or a Probability question.

By the way, on AWA I must've hardly spent more than 2 hours to prep during the entire 2-month - just went through some format ideas through EMPOWERgmat. I ended up getting a 5.5, so I'm happy with that!:D (Having a day job where you argue most of the day by email on issues/decisions helps.)

Thanks for reading you all - appreciate your patience and I hope this helps you reaching your goal of a dream GMAT score.

I wish you all good luck in your journey and thank you for this great forum!

Cheers
RB

[email protected] wrote:Hi RB,

I'm sorry that I didn't notice your post until today; the Forums have been pretty busy and this Forum fills up with posts quickly. I wanted to congratulate you on your success. You worked hard, put together a solid plan and "rolled with the punches." Make sure to bring that same attitude and energy to your applications and I'm sure you'll have a number of Business Schools to choose from. Congrats again.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Hi Rich,

Thanks for the kind words. Let's hope next steps go as per plan and I'm able to make it into my dream B-school.

RB

Hello RB,
I am going thru exactly what you have been, only difference is that I still not reach my dream score (700 btw).
I find it really hard to distribute my time for gmat while working full time 6 days a week. So I have been studying on and off for like 4 months and still not getting anywhere. I cant hundred percent focus while studying, I would be thinking 'oh, I forget to make a call to Ms A, I will have to do this and that tomorrow...' On the other word I start think about work anytime I do gmat. It's family business and specially our one has season so you cant just forget about it once you're off if you see what I mean. Do you have any advice?
I was reading you post and I was like ' yeah, i can see that, I was like that too.' I also have problem with CR, its hard to get around it'!
So ur story is really inspiring for me personally, thank you for posting it. Would be great to get your advice.
Best,
JT

chestnutlover wrote:Hello RB,
I am going thru exactly what you have been, only difference is that I still not reach my dream score (700 btw).
I find it really hard to distribute my time for gmat while working full time 6 days a week. So I have been studying on and off for like 4 months and still not getting anywhere. I cant hundred percent focus while studying, I would be thinking 'oh, I forget to make a call to Ms A, I will have to do this and that tomorrow...' On the other word I start think about work anytime I do gmat. It's family business and specially our one has season so you cant just forget about it once you're off if you see what I mean. Do you have any advice?
I was reading you post and I was like ' yeah, i can see that, I was like that too.' I also have problem with CR, its hard to get around it'!
So ur story is really inspiring for me personally, thank you for posting it. Would be great to get your advice.
Best,
JT

Hey JT,

Thanks for reading my post and I'm glad you found it inspiring.

First off, I know exactly how you feel juggling different aspects of life (work, family, home etc.) and on top of that, you've got the GMAT as a hurdle to get through to your dream B-school. But think of the GMAT as 78 questions (discounting IR and AWA) - that's all you need to get through and that stand between you and your dream B-school! Don't be fearful or threatened by them, don't let it consume you and stress you.

Given what you've described as your study pattern, I'd make two simple points/suggestions:

1. Quality over quantity - yes you can do hundreds of question sets and lick every book dry, but in the end, the GMAT tests concepts at varied levels. If you get the concept, you can tackle most of the GMAT questions that really matter (I'm talking easy/medium level)

2. You have to space out of your daily routine - if you're not showing full commitment/dedication to your prep, the GMAT will be harsh and unforgiving, thus reflecting on the score. So don't get to that stage, even if you can dedicate 4-8 hours in a week, break it down and forget everything around you. I know it may be difficult with a family business to manage, but if you can deputise the business for a few hours weekly, perhaps that could be a solution for you.

For CR, I would definitely recommend the 'POWERSCORE GMAT Critical Reasoning Bible' - it can come across as a burden to read at first, but trust me, if you give 100% focus to the book, you will be rewarded back.

I hope my response helps you.

Good luck!
RB

Hello aarbee_1754,

Congratulations on the score and on getting the results you wanted.

I am in the middle of the same dilemma you were 10 days before your exam date in Sept, with pretty much similar preparation method and resources.

I started in August with MGMAT books, OG13 and the quant/verbal official review guides. Finished quant in Sept, verbal in Oct and gave my first MGMAT CAT on Nov 3rd and got 610. I realized my approach to problems, esp in quant, was incorrect. So I enrolled in the EMPOWERgmat course last week and learned the different tactics that Rich teaches in the modules. Gave my second MGMAT CAT on Nov 10th and got 590.

I have realized that I am getting jittery on even the easy questions and not able to concentrate fully due to pressure build up to get the easy-medium level questions right. After getting some advice from experts here, and from Rich himself, I realized I was trying to do too much too fast (I finished all the TestIt, Test the answer, DS and Number properties modules in 4 days and then took CAT 2).

Still planning out a definitive strategy but expert opinion is that I first need to practice my new strategies on OG13 (as in re-do all the questions cover to cover and analyze the mistakes very carefully), the do sectional tests (37Q and 41V) to get used to time and pressure, and then AND ONLY then, give my 3rd CAT (not MGMAT, but from GMATprep). I am planning to buy the GMAT question pack as you did for my sectional practice.

I am finding the quant and RC on MGMAT CAT to be exceptionally tough.

Any suggestions from you would be very helpful due to the similarity of our situations and goals (I am too seeking a 700+ score).

Thanks.

josh80 wrote:Hello aarbee_1754,

Congratulations on the score and on getting the results you wanted.

I am in the middle of the same dilemma you were 10 days before your exam date in Sept, with pretty much similar preparation method and resources.

I started in August with MGMAT books, OG13 and the quant/verbal official review guides. Finished quant in Sept, verbal in Oct and gave my first MGMAT CAT on Nov 3rd and got 610. I realized my approach to problems, esp in quant, was incorrect. So I enrolled in the EMPOWERgmat course last week and learned the different tactics that Rich teaches in the modules. Gave my second MGMAT CAT on Nov 10th and got 590.

I have realized that I am getting jittery on even the easy questions and not able to concentrate fully due to pressure build up to get the easy-medium level questions right. After getting some advice from experts here, and from Rich himself, I realized I was trying to do too much too fast (I finished all the TestIt, Test the answer, DS and Number properties modules in 4 days and then took CAT 2).

Still planning out a definitive strategy but expert opinion is that I first need to practice my new strategies on OG13 (as in re-do all the questions cover to cover and analyze the mistakes very carefully), the do sectional tests (37Q and 41V) to get used to time and pressure, and then AND ONLY then, give my 3rd CAT (not MGMAT, but from GMATprep). I am planning to buy the GMAT question pack as you did for my sectional practice.

I am finding the quant and RC on MGMAT CAT to be exceptionally tough.

Any suggestions from you would be very helpful due to the similarity of our situations and goals (I am too seeking a 700+ score).

Thanks.

Hey josh80,

Thanks for reading my post and your wishes.

Yep, your story does ring a bell - one thing I would say, and I've read this in other BTG posts, is that the quant section of MGMAT CATs is of a tougher level than the OG mocks or for that matter, even the final GMAT.

Incidentally, I was hitting the same score range of 590-610 on the MGMAT CATs and it was incredibly frustrating....I mean it took me 5 mocks to break the 600 mark!

Anyway, you're getting the right advice from Rich and the other experts on the forum - only thing that I can add from personal experience is that once I'd decided to reschedule my test date, I then made a 14-day study plan and tried to religiously stick to it. It was a simple Excel spreadsheet wherein I would (a) rotate (CR, RC, SC) and (PS,DS) questions in blocks of 35-40 from the OG13 guide and (b) Do a mock OG test once every 4-5 days.

In addition, I also purchased the add-on Question Pack and the Exam Pack for additional practice and I ONLY focused on the Easy and Medium level questions - I had to get all of them right, conceptually.

So, depending how close you are to your test date (and if you're planning an R2 submission), you may want to stay away from the MGMAT CATs and solely go full throttle on OG.

Last thing, I know you mentioned 'pressure build-up' - it's not easy I admit, but try not to put too much pressure on yourself, go cool and focus on the question rather than what score you're going to see at the end.

Sorry if this went on a bit too long...

Good luck!
RB

Thanks for the reply RB.

My initial date was Nov 17th but after the first MGMAT CAT, and suggestions from experts here, I pushed it back to Dec 23rd (I wanted somewhere around Dec 3-4 but there were no available dates in Dec except 23rd). I've read on some BTG posts here that smart work is more important than brute hard work, and I think that's what I had been doing - just trying to solve as many questions as I could.

I was thinking of doing this: pick up the OG13, do 35-40 questions of PS-SC-CR-DS-RC each in that order for a week, analyze the wrong questions, give sectional tests from the GMAT question pack for a couple of days, and then start giving GMATprep CATs once every 4-5 days.

I would be applying in R3 with deadlines in Jan 2014. R2 was in Oct-Nov and I was never going to make that anyways.

One last question: EMPOWERgmat is great for quant and SC but I didn't find it's CR to be of any use to me. Is there any resource, besides this and MGMAT, that you can recommend?

josh80 wrote:Thanks for the reply RB.

My initial date was Nov 17th but after the first MGMAT CAT, and suggestions from experts here, I pushed it back to Dec 23rd (I wanted somewhere around Dec 3-4 but there were no available dates in Dec except 23rd). I've read on some BTG posts here that smart work is more important than brute hard work, and I think that's what I had been doing - just trying to solve as many questions as I could.

I was thinking of doing this: pick up the OG13, do 35-40 questions of PS-SC-CR-DS-RC each in that order for a week, analyze the wrong questions, give sectional tests from the GMAT question pack for a couple of days, and then start giving GMATprep CATs once every 4-5 days.

I would be applying in R3 with deadlines in Jan 2014. R2 was in Oct-Nov and I was never going to make that anyways.

One last question: EMPOWERgmat is great for quant and SC but I didn't find it's CR to be of any use to me. Is there any resource, besides this and MGMAT, that you can recommend?

Hi josh80,

Your plan sounds good and should help you progressively get better and gain more confidence. Perhaps something you may want to consider as you get better, is doubling up and doing a PS+SC or DS+RC combo (a Q+V combo essentially), to make the most of your time and also build stamina.

For CR, as I mentioned in my post, I studied the PowerScore GMAT Critical Reasoning Bible - that should really polish your skills in terms of decoding CR and getting them right.

Hello Everyone,

First of all, congratulations to aarbee_1754 on such a great score.

To date, this is THE POST which I've been looking for on the BTG forum. I can relate to aarbee_1754, chestnutlover and josh80 on the prep, dilemma and rescheduling experiences.

A bit about me, I am working full time in a day job as a Business Development Manager (small company size but demanding at times!) and "hoping" to achieve the magical 7XX score in the GMAT. As the experiences are already mentioned in the post by all 3 of you, I've no different story to tell. I had scheduled my exam on November 12, 2013 but 10 days before the actual date I realized that I was not prepared, so I rescheduled the GMAT to December 14,2013. Its been 2 weeks since I rescheduled the exams and till date I haven't prepared much in these 2 weeks) and now I have exactly 25 days to go before the new date.

I took 4 MGMAT with an score range of 530 to 570 and 1 GMAT Prep Test (440). Also, I refer to the same study material -- MGMAT Set of 8 Guides, OG 12, OG Section Books.

@Aarbee-- Could you please give suggestions on how do I chalk out my study plan for next 25 days such that I cover all the concepts and questions from OG and sectional books and take the mock tests? Also, just like josh80, "My mind wanders too..thinking about things which may not be important for the exam", any suggestions on how to overcome this one ??

Your help is highly appreciated.

Regards,
StarWalker

StarWalker wrote:Hello Everyone,

First of all, congratulations to aarbee_1754 on such a great score.

To date, this is THE POST which I've been looking for on the BTG forum. I can relate to aarbee_1754, chestnutlover and josh80 on the prep, dilemma and rescheduling experiences.

A bit about me, I am working full time in a day job as a Business Development Manager (small company size but demanding at times!) and "hoping" to achieve the magical 7XX score in the GMAT. As the experiences are already mentioned in the post by all 3 of you, I've no different story to tell. I had scheduled my exam on November 12, 2013 but 10 days before the actual date I realized that I was not prepared, so I rescheduled the GMAT to December 14,2013. Its been 2 weeks since I rescheduled the exams and till date I haven't prepared much in these 2 weeks) and now I have exactly 25 days to go before the new date.

I took 4 MGMAT with an score range of 530 to 570 and 1 GMAT Prep Test (440). Also, I refer to the same study material -- MGMAT Set of 8 Guides, OG 12, OG Section Books.

@Aarbee-- Could you please give suggestions on how do I chalk out my study plan for next 25 days such that I cover all the concepts and questions from OG and sectional books and take the mock tests? Also, just like josh80, "My mind wanders too..thinking about things which may not be important for the exam", any suggestions on how to overcome this one ??

Your help is highly appreciated.

Regards,
StarWalker

Hey StarWalker,

Thanks very much for your kind words and I must apologise for the delay in getting back to you - just like many other members on BTG, juggling a day job and b-school applications has completely consumed my life (and I thought post-GMAT, I could slow down a bit...).

Anyway, I hope your preparation is going well - not very long to go before your test in December.

I'll answer the second part of your two-part question regarding the mental challenges when studying - my strategy was to constantly keep reminding myself that the GMAT was the only thing that stood between my dream b-school and me. When prepping, it's all too easy to drift off into unnecessary thinking mode, to start dreaming and wandering off track. The GMAT will uncover and punish you if your prep is rusty so you've got to fight back those mental blocks, visualise success and tackle each question one by one.

With regards to the study plan, I'll send you a private message with my study plan spreadsheet which should help you break down the topics and focus areas on a day-to-day basis.

Hope this helps you and good luck...remember to stay laser sharp when studying and hitting those questions one by one...towards your dream score target.

RB

Hi aarbee_1754!

I find your story so motivational. Its good to see that there are others within the same boat as us. I really hope you have already been accepted to the schools you wanted!!

Right now I have 14 days until my test date and I'm beyond devastated. I too have been scoring the same as you have mentioned in your story and now want to change my study plan but cant seem to come up with a logical plan that is doable for next two weeks. You mentioned taking OG mock test, can you elaborate what tests those are please? I've been taking the MGMAT and the two gmatprep tests that are offered. Not sure what else I can do. Lost and confused and would appreciate any feedback. Many thanks!

Hi perchsweet,

I'm glad you found my post useful - I've accepted an offer from INSEAD and am totally over the moon about it, it was my dream school and I'm really happy about it.

More the reason for you to believe that you can reach your goal as well, if approached methodically and with a strong mental focus.

In terms of the OG tests, I was referring to the GMATPrep Default Exam Pack, GMATPrep Question Pack 1 + GMATPrep Exam Pack 1, the latter two can be purchased as an add-on to the default exam pack, which you can download off mba.com.

Hope this helps and good luck with the prep!

Cheers
RB

Congratss on your huge success !

I have around 45 days before GMAT and finding it hard to take out 2-3 hrs everyday for study.
Planning to start your recommendations of concentrating on easy/medium level questions first.

GmatPrep 1 -530 (Q33,V24)- Guessed around 10 question in Quants and 8 question in Verbal.

congrats for the success.
Would like to have such good score.