Fortunately, the Princeton Review online course bumped up my overall scores to the mid 600s within two weeks. After hitting the 650 mark, the struggle to clear the "700" hurdle became an uphill treadmill run.
That was when my friends gave me preparation tips, which included an introduction to this FABULOUS website (!!!)
I finished all the questions in the Official Guide to the GMAT review. Score is now 680 with 2.5 weeks to go.
Oh dear the essays count?! Rushed through a couple of AWA essays and the Kaplan writing workbook in hopes of getting a "4". Having my essays graded by the Princeton review trainer is certainly helpful.
Then I switched to an ROI increasing strategy to raise the Verbal scores. Kaplan for the tougher quant questions and English Grammar, Manhattan GMAT to jolt my memory on quant concepts and to solve critical reasoning questions systematically. The test scores consistently ranged between 680 and 710.
Without the luxury of a 30 point buffer days before the actual test, my mental state in the examination room would either make or break the chances of scoring that elusive 700........
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Several "test day" tips which I hope you'll find helpful in attaining peak performance on the actual GMAT test day:
1. Schedule the test during off peak hours so that you won't be stressed out by rush hour traffic.
2. Sort out all the test day logistics, including proper ID.
3. Pack 3 bananas + 1 large flask of warm coffee during the breaks. Bananas not only protect your stomach, they are also a good source of instant energy.
4. Exercise 2 hours before the test. Arrive at the test center with your adrenaline pumping!
5. Sleep well - which means exercise regularly anyways.
6. Pray and meditate for 30 minutes before leaving for the test.
7. Eat high protein, low starch foods just before the test to raise your mental alertness. Avoid raw food (e.g. fruits, sushi) to lower the risk of stomach upsets.
8. During the test, focus primarily on the question at hand and secondarily on your pacing. Try not to think about whether the difficulty of the questions is increasing, even though it is only too human to do so during the quant section.
9. Boo boos are human -- move on
. I started the quant section 2 minutes late but made up for the lost time by plodding away calmly.10. Trust that whatever happens in the test, the doors for the right schools will open.
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p.s. I forgot to give thanks about the topics assigned to me in the AWA section (pls see other post). The subject matter could not have been more relevant to my life! Starting the GMAT on a high note definitely boosted my morale from that point onwards
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