-
cosmin
- Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2010 12:31 pm
- Location: Bucharest
- Thanked: 1 times
- GMAT Score:740
First of all I want to thank Beat the gmat admins and all other members that participate on the site. They have been great at inspiring and have to admit that eventhough I took the gmat 3 weeks ago I still enter the site daily.
I scored a 740 (Q51/ V 39) and AWA 5, though my target score was 720 and I needed just 600.
I am 22 years old and I needed a score above 600 to enter a masters programme at a university in top 10 Europe ( the best choice in regards price/ quality ratio) and will have to take the gmat again when to enrol in MBA � .
Brief history: final year student, working part time in consultancy industry- finance sector and ex tennis player (this still helps me a lot).
Books: OG 11, Kaplan and Princeton review.
Time to prepare: started visiting this site in October, got acquainted with the gmat style in November, bought real books in January and take the test in April 29.
I took the first test from mba.com in order to see my real standing, and score a 600, this was not motivating. The good thing was that I realised I had problems with the verbal section ( I have the CPE score B but still have problems).
As I am a student and work part time from February till start of April I studied after 8 in the evening (getting up at 7, go to university and then to work, reach home and eat). End of March settled the test date; this would motivate me more to work. I took 2 weeks off and in that period I just went to some seminars and course at university and work for the gmat.
I did the OG once as I have problems remembering the questions, but I did the SC twice, as that was my real problem (I had about only 40% right) the Kaplan once and Princeton a couple of questions. The worrying thing was that colleagues at university were asking me how many books I have finished, well I think enough.
As I said, math was working fine, but the verbal section was not at all as I expected. I took the grammar books, read a tone of post about verbal and did a lot of only verbal questions but was not helping me at all. Even now I don't know how to do better in verbal (maybe the SC bible would have helped).
I took again the first test from mba.com and scored 660, with a verbal of 30. This was almost 10 days before the test. I had the test on Thursday 29 so from Friday 23 took a test simulation each day excluding AWA ( i didn't want to waste time with essays, but don't advice anybody to do so). Scores were:
OG Second test 680
Princeton free test 650
Kaplan test 600
OG First test 680
In all the tests I scored in verbal between 26 and 31.
Accepted the fact I was bad at verbal and worked on reducing careless mistakes in maths (I think this helped me a lot, working on strengths and the weaknesses to be brought at an acceptable score).
Just before the test day read something about the essays and found an amazing post about essays https://www.beatthegmat.com/argument-ess ... 38032.html and read some examples. I thought, I cannot get a 3 or 3.5 and I am satisfied with 4. Have to mention that I was a debater for 4 years and now a coach and judge so it is possible that helped too.
I mentioned tennis helping me every day because due to tennis I am able to get in the zone and to focus, and also ignore thoughts like the ones telling me the last questions was too easy - so I am doing wrong, or gush missed 2 questions.
The day before the test I visited the test centre which luckily was in the same city (Romania is not that big and has only one test centre in the capital city Bucharest, where I also live). The test was in the morning as after lunch I am usually in the mood for sleeping (doing efforts at work to maintain focused).
The essays went ok, did not really cared much. Took the break did some stretching for the neck and spine and went for the math. I had a few questions were I thought I missed; about 2 I thought were very hard. Took the break, stretching and some mental positive thoughts, and took the verbal. I though it smashed the verbal in the negative point of view, as in the last 10 minutes I had 11 questions and in the last minute I had to answer 2. Honestly never though in not submitting the score so I went on waiting. Appeared an amazing 740 (51/ 38). What can I say, more than happy
Sorry for the long story, now to summarize:
- Have a diversity of questions (remembering the question I thinks doesn't help that much, I did though the questions I missed twice to see if I improved).
- Simulate the exam as often as you can
- Do some stretching in the breaks as they stimulate the blood flow
- Take time to get accustomed with the questions and work really hard for at least 1 month, this if you do not want to be stressed.
For math focused on the DS where I missed questions because failed to check the second statement. In PS tried to speed things up and realise concepts from the start.
For verbal, I think I am not suited to give any advices, just work on the grammar and logical thinking. Also reading or doing reports in English (in my case) really helped.
Most important I think is focusing on strengths and on weaknesses just enough to get the right score. I really do not know how I can pass the 40 limit in verbal. By strengths I mean doing every thing possible to have a predicted score in that section were you feel most comfortable (I was expecting a score above 45 in maths) by eliminating careless mistakes by leading the questions.
You cannot play tennis without a backhand strike but you can play tennis with a very good forehand and good speed and just an average backhand.
Also, try not to be pressured by the score or time. I had the 600 limit so was low. Time is important because if it happens to fail to have time available to relax and take it over.
My problem is that in 5 years I have to take the test gmat again, and have the disadvantage that I will not be used anymore to study. I am also thinking that the MBA admins will look at my math grades from university years and will not even consider my application, does that grade matter in the light there is a math score around 50?
Thank you again and hope did not waste your time to much cause I lacked the hints for test takers
Cosmin
I scored a 740 (Q51/ V 39) and AWA 5, though my target score was 720 and I needed just 600.
I am 22 years old and I needed a score above 600 to enter a masters programme at a university in top 10 Europe ( the best choice in regards price/ quality ratio) and will have to take the gmat again when to enrol in MBA � .
Brief history: final year student, working part time in consultancy industry- finance sector and ex tennis player (this still helps me a lot).
Books: OG 11, Kaplan and Princeton review.
Time to prepare: started visiting this site in October, got acquainted with the gmat style in November, bought real books in January and take the test in April 29.
I took the first test from mba.com in order to see my real standing, and score a 600, this was not motivating. The good thing was that I realised I had problems with the verbal section ( I have the CPE score B but still have problems).
As I am a student and work part time from February till start of April I studied after 8 in the evening (getting up at 7, go to university and then to work, reach home and eat). End of March settled the test date; this would motivate me more to work. I took 2 weeks off and in that period I just went to some seminars and course at university and work for the gmat.
I did the OG once as I have problems remembering the questions, but I did the SC twice, as that was my real problem (I had about only 40% right) the Kaplan once and Princeton a couple of questions. The worrying thing was that colleagues at university were asking me how many books I have finished, well I think enough.
As I said, math was working fine, but the verbal section was not at all as I expected. I took the grammar books, read a tone of post about verbal and did a lot of only verbal questions but was not helping me at all. Even now I don't know how to do better in verbal (maybe the SC bible would have helped).
I took again the first test from mba.com and scored 660, with a verbal of 30. This was almost 10 days before the test. I had the test on Thursday 29 so from Friday 23 took a test simulation each day excluding AWA ( i didn't want to waste time with essays, but don't advice anybody to do so). Scores were:
OG Second test 680
Princeton free test 650
Kaplan test 600
OG First test 680
In all the tests I scored in verbal between 26 and 31.
Accepted the fact I was bad at verbal and worked on reducing careless mistakes in maths (I think this helped me a lot, working on strengths and the weaknesses to be brought at an acceptable score).
Just before the test day read something about the essays and found an amazing post about essays https://www.beatthegmat.com/argument-ess ... 38032.html and read some examples. I thought, I cannot get a 3 or 3.5 and I am satisfied with 4. Have to mention that I was a debater for 4 years and now a coach and judge so it is possible that helped too.
I mentioned tennis helping me every day because due to tennis I am able to get in the zone and to focus, and also ignore thoughts like the ones telling me the last questions was too easy - so I am doing wrong, or gush missed 2 questions.
The day before the test I visited the test centre which luckily was in the same city (Romania is not that big and has only one test centre in the capital city Bucharest, where I also live). The test was in the morning as after lunch I am usually in the mood for sleeping (doing efforts at work to maintain focused).
The essays went ok, did not really cared much. Took the break did some stretching for the neck and spine and went for the math. I had a few questions were I thought I missed; about 2 I thought were very hard. Took the break, stretching and some mental positive thoughts, and took the verbal. I though it smashed the verbal in the negative point of view, as in the last 10 minutes I had 11 questions and in the last minute I had to answer 2. Honestly never though in not submitting the score so I went on waiting. Appeared an amazing 740 (51/ 38). What can I say, more than happy
Sorry for the long story, now to summarize:
- Have a diversity of questions (remembering the question I thinks doesn't help that much, I did though the questions I missed twice to see if I improved).
- Simulate the exam as often as you can
- Do some stretching in the breaks as they stimulate the blood flow
- Take time to get accustomed with the questions and work really hard for at least 1 month, this if you do not want to be stressed.
For math focused on the DS where I missed questions because failed to check the second statement. In PS tried to speed things up and realise concepts from the start.
For verbal, I think I am not suited to give any advices, just work on the grammar and logical thinking. Also reading or doing reports in English (in my case) really helped.
Most important I think is focusing on strengths and on weaknesses just enough to get the right score. I really do not know how I can pass the 40 limit in verbal. By strengths I mean doing every thing possible to have a predicted score in that section were you feel most comfortable (I was expecting a score above 45 in maths) by eliminating careless mistakes by leading the questions.
You cannot play tennis without a backhand strike but you can play tennis with a very good forehand and good speed and just an average backhand.
Also, try not to be pressured by the score or time. I had the 600 limit so was low. Time is important because if it happens to fail to have time available to relax and take it over.
My problem is that in 5 years I have to take the test gmat again, and have the disadvantage that I will not be used anymore to study. I am also thinking that the MBA admins will look at my math grades from university years and will not even consider my application, does that grade matter in the light there is a math score around 50?
Thank you again and hope did not waste your time to much cause I lacked the hints for test takers
Cosmin
