I just Beat The GMAT!

I gave the GMAT ~20 days back. Scored a 740 with 10 days of prep.

Let me know if anyone wants any help in strategizing..

Cheers!

I took a 7 week Veritas course, but feel as though I did a crap job in writing practice CATs in the last 3-4 weeks leading up to the exam. I would give up part way through the Quants thinking that my timing just wasn't right. I wrote a 610 on Saturday, with my Verbal decent, but my math in the 55th percentile.

I'm planning to take the test again on June 14th and am trying to devise a plan to improve my timing. I feel as though I have the content, I'm just moving too slow.

Suggestions?

Assuming that you are well prepared for the GMAT (at least in terms of content), I will try and give you some tips on time management in the Quant section.

For starters, give the quant section test of one of the CATs that you have with you (GMATprep is indicative). Here are some tips for you to manage your time:

1) Don't spend too much time on the first 10 questions. Although many test takers stress on the importance of the initial questions, I tend to think that managing time in the beginning goes a long way in building your confidence. Pace yourself.

2) Don't get too bothered the time per question. Pace yourself and look at the time at comfortable intervals. I followed a policy of trying to complete ~18-19 questions by half time (~37 mins). This reduces the pressure considerably. Even if you have completed just 15-16 questions, there is no need to panic. You know that you just need to take up the pace a little bit. A few questions completed in 1.5 mins and you are back on track!

3) Don't get worried if you are getting easy questions. While it is true that when you get difficult questions, it means that you are doing well, it is equally true that you can turn the test around at any point in time (at least I was able to).

4) Don't panic!

Let me know how you performed. I am sure that you will be able to get 750+ if you learn to keep your confidence level high.

Best of Luck!

Cheers!

walktall wrote:I gave the GMAT ~20 days back. Scored a 740 with 10 days of prep.

Let me know if anyone wants any help in strategizing..

Cheers!

Awesome! Can you detail what you did for those ten days and what books you used? Thanks!

I had limited time. So, I concentrated on the following:

1) OG11
2) OG - Verbal Review (Last 50 questions of each section)
3) OG - Quant Review (Last 50-80 questions of each section)
4) Manhattan Review - Sentence Correction Only

Hope this helps..

Best of Luck!

Cheers!

Hii
I want to give my GMAT in August-September time frame.
I have very poor vocabulary and an average Math.
I am starting my preparation from today. I want to score 700 +
Please guide me how to prepare..where to prepare..what books etc..
Is there any good online source as well?


Your help is appreciated...
Thanks in advance

Hi,

Since you have enough time to prepare, I suggest that you read other people's suggestions in this forum. It will serve you well to take advice from a person who has prepared for 2 - 3 months for the exam.

As for your vocabulary, I don't think it matters much. You need to use a lot of logic and it helps if you are well versed with grammar rules.

I would start with the "Official Guide for GMAT Review, 11th Edition".

Hope this helps!

Cheers!

Hi There,

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it
And one question I had was is it worth to write essay in GMAT?
I heard some people just skip the essay sections, as it requires time,and one never get full marks on it...

Any idea??

Thanks,

Most schools just care that you did well enough on the essay that they can be confident you wrote your own application essays, and that your language abilities are high enough to succeed in their program.

However, some schools want to see you do really well on the AWA. I learned that directly from some of my students that were in touch with admissions committees.

You should check with the schools that interest you, to see how they feel about the AWA score. Unless they tell you that they don't care about it at all, I would recommend writing your essays. Otherwise, it could send a message that you are not motivated.

You can get full marks on AWA, by the way. ; )

Best wishes,

Tatiana

Hey,

I suggest that you take Tatiana's advice, since she is the GMAT expert here and definitely has a lot more experience with the exam than I do.

However, if you ask me, my answer would be a very stern YES. It is very important to attempt the AWA section. Although some schools might not take your score very seriously, skipping the AWA section is not worth the risk.

Think of it this way.. why would the GMAT contain TWO essay questions if they were not important. AWA assesses your analytical (not creative)writing skill, which is considered an essential skill for every prospective manager and leader.

Although I did not score too well in this section (I got a 5.0 out of 6), I suggest that you give it your best shot. PM me in case you need any help with material. I will send across the material that I used. Again, use any material that you find with caution and try and write original essays.

Best of Luck!

Cheers!

Thanks so much Tatiana and walktall for your responses. I appreciate it.
walktall, that would be great if you could help me with the material.
I am just nervous, as English is not my first language, I can speak very fluently but because of poor vocabulary I am afraid I won't be able to write creatively..you know what I mean,,,


again thanks a lot,
Regards

Hey there,

Don't worry about the AWA. I am sure you'll do well..

I am also not a native speaker of the language but I managed a decent score. As I mentioned earlier, the AWA tests analytical writing skills and not creative writing.

PM me and I will send across the material that I have with me.

Cheers!

hey,

could you tell me if you used any online tests for preparation apart from the mentioned books...
if so, do provide me with the links..

Hey there,

No, I did not use any online tests. However, I did borrow the Kaplan Tests CD from which I gave 1 test.

Hope this helps..

Cheers!

did u do the prep tests from mba.com??
how much is the co-relation between these prep tests score and the actual test score??