Hi all!!
I took my first GMAT on 29th Oct and scored a 650(Q49,V31) AWA-5.5
Screwed my Verbal completely.
Now I am going to retake it in Jan...(Jan end). I deliberately took two months off so dat I unlearn the questions and start fresh all again. I dont knw if dat was a rite decision. But now dat I am getting bak to my buks, I need a serious advice.
Strategy for the first GMAT
The last time I tuk GMAT I used the following buks-
1. OG11
2. Verbal OG 2
3. MGMAT SC Guide
4. Kaplan Premier Program
5. MGMAT tests (all 6)
6. GMAT Prep tests
I practiced timed tests with proper breaks and with AWAs everytime. I made proper notes for all the sections. I also kept an error log for all the sections. But I dont knw where I lost it! I had been scoring consistently 680 and above in all the tests. GMAT prep(1st-680, 2nd- 720) I was kind of confident that I would score at least 700 in the test.
The first Experience
I know I had given my best last time, but things just dint work in my favour! I was supposed to take my test in Jaipur which is 5 hrs from my town. The day before the test my train got late by 6hrs. I was supposed to reach Jpr at 12 noon....but I reached at 7 in the evening. I was completely exhausted physically and mentally by then!! As I had got up early in the morning..and reached in the evening. On my way I revised all of my mistakes I had kept a log of in Verbal. I was left wd revising Quant. I revised it at nite b4 d test after reaching jaipur.. And slept around 11. My test was at 1 in the noon. I had thought I would take a sound sleep and get up by 9. But because my uncle had to drop me at my test center, he woke me up at 8 and asked me 2 get ready by 8.30 so dat he could drop me at my relatives' place whose home was very close to the center. I had no choice...feeling sleepy I got ready 4 d test. I just dint feel fresh at all! I had thot I wud take a nap at my relatives' place, but out of anxiety I could not sleep!! At the end I went to the center trying to feel fresh.
I made it a point to go to the washroom and wash my face before the test and during all the breaks. I did that. And it definitely worked. My awa went great. My quant was also fine, not gr8. I could concentrate well through both the sections. But during the verbal section, I just could not concentrate. I could not sit through the test. And as a result I scored just 31 in verbal. Whereas I had been scoring 35 and above in all of my tests in verbal. This came to me as a real shock. I had nvr scored below 680 in my tests!!!!!!
Is it possible that I lost in Verbal just because of the exhaustion that happened due the delay of train? Or bacuse I was underslept? Or was my prep not sufficient??? I just cant figure out my mistake!! Please help!
Strategy for the second time
Now I am planning to retake it in Jan. How should I prepare? I plan to study for not more than a month. Because I also feel that one more mistake that I made last time was- I studied too much. I used to study for around 7-8 hrs everyday. And I did feel mentally exhausted by the end of 3 months. I dont want to repeat that mistake. I will study 4 hrs evryday. This is wat I have decided.
I plan to do the OG12, Exercises in Kaplans PremierCD and revise MGMAT SC Guide.
Take 2GMATPrep tests and maybe 2 MGMAT tests.
Apart from these, I have downloaded a Aristotle 100 LSAT CR questions apt for GMAT, Aristotle RC99 and 300+ Quant questions that were uploaded by Eric, an Idioms list and Nova Data Sufficiency.
I will do the awa with the tests.
Please Advise
How should I prepare this time?
What should I do to break the 700 barrier?
Is my strategy fine?
Experts please help! I really have to score 700+ this time. I am ready to put in all the effort. Please guide me through it.
Thanks a lot.
I appreciate your time.
P.S.- And this time I will go to Jaipur 2 days before the test so that I dont exhaust myself in travelling. My stamina is poor!
I took my first GMAT on 29th Oct and scored a 650(Q49,V31) AWA-5.5
Screwed my Verbal completely.
Now I am going to retake it in Jan...(Jan end). I deliberately took two months off so dat I unlearn the questions and start fresh all again. I dont knw if dat was a rite decision. But now dat I am getting bak to my buks, I need a serious advice.
Strategy for the first GMAT
The last time I tuk GMAT I used the following buks-
1. OG11
2. Verbal OG 2
3. MGMAT SC Guide
4. Kaplan Premier Program
5. MGMAT tests (all 6)
6. GMAT Prep tests
I practiced timed tests with proper breaks and with AWAs everytime. I made proper notes for all the sections. I also kept an error log for all the sections. But I dont knw where I lost it! I had been scoring consistently 680 and above in all the tests. GMAT prep(1st-680, 2nd- 720) I was kind of confident that I would score at least 700 in the test.
The first Experience
I know I had given my best last time, but things just dint work in my favour! I was supposed to take my test in Jaipur which is 5 hrs from my town. The day before the test my train got late by 6hrs. I was supposed to reach Jpr at 12 noon....but I reached at 7 in the evening. I was completely exhausted physically and mentally by then!! As I had got up early in the morning..and reached in the evening. On my way I revised all of my mistakes I had kept a log of in Verbal. I was left wd revising Quant. I revised it at nite b4 d test after reaching jaipur.. And slept around 11. My test was at 1 in the noon. I had thought I would take a sound sleep and get up by 9. But because my uncle had to drop me at my test center, he woke me up at 8 and asked me 2 get ready by 8.30 so dat he could drop me at my relatives' place whose home was very close to the center. I had no choice...feeling sleepy I got ready 4 d test. I just dint feel fresh at all! I had thot I wud take a nap at my relatives' place, but out of anxiety I could not sleep!! At the end I went to the center trying to feel fresh.
I made it a point to go to the washroom and wash my face before the test and during all the breaks. I did that. And it definitely worked. My awa went great. My quant was also fine, not gr8. I could concentrate well through both the sections. But during the verbal section, I just could not concentrate. I could not sit through the test. And as a result I scored just 31 in verbal. Whereas I had been scoring 35 and above in all of my tests in verbal. This came to me as a real shock. I had nvr scored below 680 in my tests!!!!!!
Is it possible that I lost in Verbal just because of the exhaustion that happened due the delay of train? Or bacuse I was underslept? Or was my prep not sufficient??? I just cant figure out my mistake!! Please help!
Strategy for the second time
Now I am planning to retake it in Jan. How should I prepare? I plan to study for not more than a month. Because I also feel that one more mistake that I made last time was- I studied too much. I used to study for around 7-8 hrs everyday. And I did feel mentally exhausted by the end of 3 months. I dont want to repeat that mistake. I will study 4 hrs evryday. This is wat I have decided.
I plan to do the OG12, Exercises in Kaplans PremierCD and revise MGMAT SC Guide.
Take 2GMATPrep tests and maybe 2 MGMAT tests.
Apart from these, I have downloaded a Aristotle 100 LSAT CR questions apt for GMAT, Aristotle RC99 and 300+ Quant questions that were uploaded by Eric, an Idioms list and Nova Data Sufficiency.
I will do the awa with the tests.
Please Advise
How should I prepare this time?
What should I do to break the 700 barrier?
Is my strategy fine?
Experts please help! I really have to score 700+ this time. I am ready to put in all the effort. Please guide me through it.
Thanks a lot.
I appreciate your time.
P.S.- And this time I will go to Jaipur 2 days before the test so that I dont exhaust myself in travelling. My stamina is poor!
