610 to 730 - PsychoDissection - Not your average debrief

[brain_filth]

Warning: The below might encourage you to take the GMAT too lightly. Though the factual information is true, please critically analyze before you come to a conclusion.

Yeah this is just my 2nd post, but I have used these forums as a bystander so much that I feel obligated to share my experience.

So I could say that I punched the GMAT in the face with a 730, but I would be missing something. Why? read on.

• 0) I am a BMS grad. Passed in first class with distinction. 3 years work ex. in investment bank forex operations.
  1) My previous GMAT score was 610 (Sep 08)
  2) Registered in Sep 09 in a hurry with only 1 month to go for prep
  3) Studied for the 1st week. (solved only OG 11 quant)
  4)My mock exam results looked like this: (Imagine the graph!)
  • 650 (GMAT Prep1)
    680 (GMAT Prep2)
    620 (Powerprep)
    610 (800 Score)
    550 (Kaplan)
  5) Lost motivation and energy because of work and quit studying. Enjoyed life for the next 3 weeks. Booze, movies et al.
  6) Fell sick on G-Day (tummy upset).
  7) I reached the center on my trusty Bullet, which probably helped improve my mood. (Yes, she does deserve a mention here.)
  8) Gave the test. Yes, i was still giving it my best, only difference being I was indifferent to the outcome knowing I would be able to give the test again and definitely kick it between the legs.
  9) I saw only very few weird questions, not really knowing or caring about how I was doing but still pushing on and focusing on the question of the moment. It was like playing Mortal Kombat just because you are bored and not because you want to finish the stage. (IMO it somehow increases my brutality)
  10) When i saw "730" on the screen, I whispered some profanity to myself, at which moment the attendant ushered me out of the testing room.

What can I tell you from my experience? definitely not what books to read or which question sets to solve, but yes, i can attempt at a psychological dissection of the entire episode:

• Your own mind is your biggest enemy in the GMAT. Demotivation and Overconfidence are the twin blades that you will constantly face. These blades attack you when you do the below:
  
  • Try to judge a question's difficulty and analyze how you are faring
    Think about the previous question when the current is at hand
    Thinking about whether you have seen this type of question before
    Fearing a question that seems to require knowledge that you might not have
  At a certain point, you "know" that you have the knowledge and technique necessary. Believe in that intuition. Beyond this level it is only mind-play.
  
  Do NOT fret about the difficulty of the current question. You CANNOT judge the difficulty of a question. It is this thing about relativity. What is difficult for one is not for the other and vice versa.
  
  Most of the quant questions that I encountered during the test were really easy. I am NOT exaggerating to show off my intelligence. They were of more or less the same difficulty as the OG 11 Quant(Yes, they did seem that easy!)
  
  There are NO tough questions. Only questions that
  • 1) are confusing enough to make you paranoid and waste time.
    2) require you to use already existing knowledge in a new way

All in all, my point is this. It is like kung-fu.

I don't hit. It hits by itself.
I don't hate my enemy. it is just destiny that he should be destroyed.
I am stupid. I do not think, I only feel.

And yes, use the earplugs. helps drown out irritating typing and clicking noises.

Would love to see people actually get something out of this one.

[gmatgolfer]

i am glad someone finally put something up that can offer a different perspective.

i like your approach and i think that is exactly what i need to batttle, and let go for that fear of a bad score.

thanks for the post.

i hope to do the tiger woods silent fist pump at the end of my GMAT, and no I don't need a 700+. A nice 680 will suffice. I wont say no if GMAT felt like just being generous and swing a 700 my way