I just Beat The GMAT!

I just beat the GMAT :-) and scored 770, which I am quite happy about!

Eric, many thanks for your website, I found many useful things here: the advice on what books to buy was especially interesting.

My little piece of advice to those who are still studying: try to book the appointment several (at least 2) weeks BEFORE you're ready, and then plan your studies accordingly. My error was to try and book it only when I felt I was almost ready, but they had no more room available and I had to wait for 10 more days. The hardest thing then is that you have to keep practicing to keep sharp.

Another idea: try and take a few days off before the exam, it really helps to be able to concentrate on just one thing (studying). For instance, for the last few days I have been doing a practice test each morning, and then some exercises in the afternoon.

Finally, in the few days before the exam, try to get in the right sleeping pattern. I.e. if your exam is scheduled to begin at 9:00, wake up at the same time you plan to wake up on the test day (e.g. 7:00, even though you are on vacation (see above) and can afford to wake up at 10:00), then at 9:00 sit at your desk and start a practice test. It helps to get this rythm.

All the best!

Vitali

hi Vitali,
i hv been watching your posts....
but i couldnt post here,,,,,'

Congrats for 770.

& I dont hv to tell you that this is a great score.
it IS A GREAT OUTSTANDING performance.

the post that you sent in here is also quite informative;
thanks
if i am not wrong
i remember you took a GMAT prep test a month before your actual test....

& in reply to that i said GMAT prep is exact represntation of your actual score.
well you turned me wrong

(& that is the thing worth mentioning since its a common belief that GMAT prep gives you almost exact idea where you stand )
then you advaced from 720 to outstanding 770

great simply GREAT.



i hope you still visit this site.
so i hope i am not talking to a wall here

& i also hope you will answer to my question.

dear Vitali and all other members ( non american ) members who already hv taken the test,

is it compulsary to have a PASSPORT with you while you take the test?
i learned that you do not need to have a passport when registering for the test.

but on the Examination day (on the site ) they demand for a passport

WHAT I HV HEARD, IS IT RIGHT?

Also if its not compulsary then is that depends on how lenient the authorities you get>?

aim-wsc, thank you for the nice words :)

Regarding GMATPrep: you have to distinguish between the score you get when you're just starting to study, and the score you get on the day before the exam.

When I took GMATPrep test 1, as I wrote, I finished with barely a few seconds left the Quant part (the Verbal part was ok, I had plenty of time left).

By the end of my studying, I was finishing Q with 20 minutes left - and a few questions answered incorrectly because I simply didn't care to re-read the question and confirm that I am about to answer precisely the question asked (e.g., I was choosing the answer in inches, while the question asks for feet, and of course there was the corresponding wrong answer of that number of feet in inches - not sure I am clear here...)

Because of those stupid errors, I was getting scores in the high-600 on Kaplan, and I think mid-700 on GMATPrep 2 towards the end of my studying. But what can I say - mid-700 is a nice score, so I wasn't to worried.

During the exam, I forced myself not to rush, took the time to re-read the question before validating - I finished with about 8 minutes left. This paid off - I don't think I could have done better: there was one question in Q that I had to guess, and I really had no clue, even after spending maybe 7 minutes on it...

Thinking of it, it's what everybody says: you need to have stamina. When you're doing Verbal, or even towards the end of Quantitative, you may start to be bored, and rush through the questions to get over with the test. You then have to remember that, all in all, it's just 4 hours, and that you've paid money for this thing, and that it's going to count for your application. While if you finish earlier, it won't appear on your score report :-( . Then force yourself to slow down, and double-check all answers, esp. RC and CR where errors are easily made.

As for the ID question: I think the rules state that you have to bring valid, government-issued ID with you. AFAIK (and I have travelled a lot), most countries issue some sort of "internal" ID (e.g. a plasified card), for identification within the country, usually for free; and then they also can issue a passport, which is your travel document for identification worldwide, but you're probably not required to have one if you don't travel. You usually have to pay to get a passport.

That is to say that the "internal" ID that I mentioned was accepted in my case. Just to be on the safe side, get in touch with the test centre.

Finally, don't expect the test site admin to be "lenient". That's by far the strictest test I've ever taken, worse than TOEFL. They wouldn't let you keep anything on you :)

Good luck!

Hi..

I believe that it is mentioned in the 2006 GMAT bulletin. I am quote what the bullentin says. "*If you are testing in Bangladesh, China,Pakistan, or India, you must present your passport as your identification. If you are testing outside your country of citizenship, you must present your passport as identification (unless you are a citizen of a European Union or Schengen Zone country testing in another of those countries,in which case you may present your passport, national identification card, or European identity card).
If you are a citizen of a country against which trade, export, boycott, or other sanctions have been imposed by the U.S. government, you must be able to prove permanent residence in a country not subject to any such sanctions prior to testing. If you cannot do so, you must provide evidence that you intend to use the benefit of testing outside of your country of citizenship. Pearson VUE and/or GMAC® will evaluate such evidence and determine whether you may take the GMAT® exam pursuant
to their understanding of statutory obligations and prohibitions. Note: No other forms of identification will be accepted at the test center. Unacceptable forms of ID include expired passports or driver’s licenses, social security cards, draft classification cards, credit cards, employee or student IDs, letters from your university or college, IDs with physical descriptions in place of photos, or any other kind of ID that does
not meet the requirements described above. "

I believe this makes it clear.

By the way I intend to write my GMAT in sept.

Wishing everybody all the best.

dear Vitali and Krishna,

thaks a lot
for such informative posts.

i really appreciate Vitali you replied to my post eventough you are not an Indian citizen; thanks.

@ Krishna
you posted just what i needed.
thanks
hmmm sept 2006. so that means we are in the same batch :!:

given that i cannot take a test right now...
i ll have to wait for some months
so it s gonna be sept i think.
so lets prepare together
although...i am fed up now i hv already been studying for last few months,,,, and this news made me a bit depressed........

nevermind...
THANKS ONCE AGAIN
lets beat the GMAT

vitali--

you are amazing! congratulations!