Since this forum helped me immensely, I thought I'd give a synopsis of my GMAT experience.
Target score: 700
Study duration: 4 months (April - July)
Study materials: OG (2009 & 2005), GMAT800
Practice tests:
- GMAC Test 1 (710)
- Kaplan Test 1 (610)
- Kaplan Test 2 (550)
- Kaplan Test 3 (670)
- Kaplan Test 4 (590)
- ManhattanGMAT Test 1 (670)
- ManhattanGMAT Test 2 (690)
- ManhattanGMAT Test 1 (640)
- ManhattanGMAT Test 4 (700)
- ManhattanGMAT Test 5 (730)
- ManhattanGMAT Test 1 (720)
- GMAC Test 2 (760)
Actual GMAT: 770 (99%) - Q50/V47
A couple of pointers:
- I found the ManhattanGMAT tests to be very beneficial. Their quant sections were more difficult than the GMAC (tests and actual). However, I think this is by design and the point is to learn key concepts. Upon reviewing my mistakes and solutions after each test, I was able to identify key concepts that I was unaware of. I kept a log of these and by the end of the 6 ManhattanGMAT tests, I had a list of about 30 or so new concepts/tips that I was able to use on the actual GMAT. I also felt like each successive ManhattanGMAT exam tested concepts that I had struggled with during earlier exams - I found their historical computer adaptive system very useful. The above also rang true for Verbal. Sentence correction questions were designed to test specific grammar techniques. By the end of the sixth ManhattanGMAT test, I was getting all SC questions right because I had reviewed and internalized my mistakes in the previous exams.
- On the actual exam, I struggled with the timing on the quant section, a problem that persisted during my preparation (I almost always knew how to arrive at the correct answer - however, doing so within 2 minutes was sometimes a challenge). My strategy to counter this was to work through all problems, and get to the correct answers, until question #32, even if I was falling a little behind schedule. After this, I would simply guess the last 5 answers if I was short of time. On the actual GMAT, I had to make educated guesses on the last 3 questions. I figured that saving the time-contrained-guessing for later was a better strategy because by the end of section, the test would have pretty much found an upper and lower bound for my score. Even if only a third of my guesses were correct (1 out of the 3 questions I guessed), the last two incorrect answers would not drastically hurt my score.
That's all folks. Good luck![/list]
Target score: 700
Study duration: 4 months (April - July)
Study materials: OG (2009 & 2005), GMAT800
Practice tests:
- GMAC Test 1 (710)
- Kaplan Test 1 (610)
- Kaplan Test 2 (550)
- Kaplan Test 3 (670)
- Kaplan Test 4 (590)
- ManhattanGMAT Test 1 (670)
- ManhattanGMAT Test 2 (690)
- ManhattanGMAT Test 1 (640)
- ManhattanGMAT Test 4 (700)
- ManhattanGMAT Test 5 (730)
- ManhattanGMAT Test 1 (720)
- GMAC Test 2 (760)
Actual GMAT: 770 (99%) - Q50/V47
A couple of pointers:
- I found the ManhattanGMAT tests to be very beneficial. Their quant sections were more difficult than the GMAC (tests and actual). However, I think this is by design and the point is to learn key concepts. Upon reviewing my mistakes and solutions after each test, I was able to identify key concepts that I was unaware of. I kept a log of these and by the end of the 6 ManhattanGMAT tests, I had a list of about 30 or so new concepts/tips that I was able to use on the actual GMAT. I also felt like each successive ManhattanGMAT exam tested concepts that I had struggled with during earlier exams - I found their historical computer adaptive system very useful. The above also rang true for Verbal. Sentence correction questions were designed to test specific grammar techniques. By the end of the sixth ManhattanGMAT test, I was getting all SC questions right because I had reviewed and internalized my mistakes in the previous exams.
- On the actual exam, I struggled with the timing on the quant section, a problem that persisted during my preparation (I almost always knew how to arrive at the correct answer - however, doing so within 2 minutes was sometimes a challenge). My strategy to counter this was to work through all problems, and get to the correct answers, until question #32, even if I was falling a little behind schedule. After this, I would simply guess the last 5 answers if I was short of time. On the actual GMAT, I had to make educated guesses on the last 3 questions. I figured that saving the time-contrained-guessing for later was a better strategy because by the end of section, the test would have pretty much found an upper and lower bound for my score. Even if only a third of my guesses were correct (1 out of the 3 questions I guessed), the last two incorrect answers would not drastically hurt my score.
That's all folks. Good luck![/list]
