-
David(GMAT2011)
- Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2011 5:51 pm
I have not posted here before but I picked up some good strategy tips here when I had no idea what was involved in the GMAT, what resources would be useful or how to approach test prep. So I thought I should share my experience and hopefully someone else can benefit from it.
Background:
Non-US English speaker with strong quantitative background and strong verbal communication skills and deductive reasoning.
But not particularly strong on formal grammar rules and unfamiliar with the style of this SAT-like test, i.e. short multiple-choice questions, no particular knowledge set being tested, computer-adaptive system and associated scoring, etc.
Prep materials used:
GMAT official review, 12th Ed
Kaplan Premier Review
Kaplan 800
I did not attend any test prep sessions or seminars.
Period for test prep:
4 weeks, mainly weekends and evenings around a busy work schedule that includes a lot of travel.
Test prep process:
I started by doing one of the two official prep tests on MBA.com (as recommended here). I scored 730 and I identified some areas for improvement. It felt like a positive start. V was stronger than Q. I was stumped by some Q questions, especially data suffiency and questions about divisibles; both were unfamiliar.
Next I picked up the GMAT Official Review and worked through it over the next week. I became more comfortable with the style of questions and time management. I got 90-95% of questions right in all areas and I kept watch on patterns in wrong answers (usually carelessness when reading the question). However, I found the answer explanations to be not that helpful in situations where I disagreed with the answer.
Then I turned to the Kaplan Premier Review and I spent just over a week on that. I found the style much more helpful, even if a lot of the material and questions were not really challenging. The description of what is (and, by implication, what isn't) tested in the GMAT Q section helped me to tone down the level of math I was throwing at some questions. It was a big revelation to be assured that there would always be a relatively simple factorization available.
At that point, just over a week from the test, I did the second official prep test on MBA.com. I scored 750 but ran out of time very badly in the Q section, resulting in rushed attempts and guesses for the last 10 questions (9 wrong out of 10). It was a real eye-opener. 750 was a nice score, but my Q performance had dropped dramatically. I realized that it takes much less time to work out a solution on paper, where you can scribble notes next to the question and answer choices, than it does to solve a question posed on a computer screen. In my first official prep test, I finished Q with 10 minutes to spare, but I had not done hundreds of practice questions on paper at that stage. The test prep books created their own bad habits.
Then for the last week I worked through the Kaplan 800 and I did four more computer-based practice tests using the CD companion to Kaplan Premier. Kaplan 800 was a very good resource for someone already scoring 700+ and needing some more examples of the harder questions that would likely be generated by the CAT. The computer-based practice tests from Kaplan helped me to get used to working with that medium and managing my time accordingly. However, I did find the Kaplan screen format to be very difficult to read for the V section. The question window was too small and the font was too fine. Some of the V questions were really more challenging because of eye strain than anything else, especially after a long day working on a computer screen. I don't wear corrective lenses, but perhaps I should. The GMAT screen is not nearly so difficult, although it is still much less efficient then being able to actively mark the question text and answer choices. I scored 710-730 on all four of the Kaplan computer-based practice tests, with a big scoring advantage in Q.
Tips from my experience:
The GMAT has ADD. If you are used to exams that test significant depth of knowledge with progressive layers of questions on each given topic (e.g. CFA or actuarial exams), then first you need to get familiar with this style of exam.
I should have started with the Kaplan Premier Review rather than the GMAT Official Review. I think the insights on what is and is not within the scope of the GMAT would have been helpful to know earlier. But the GMAT Official Review is still the better source of practice questions by far.
Know where to spend your time. Apart from the very first computer-based practice exam, at the very start of all my test prep, I did not bother with the AWA questions. They did not seem to be worth the time. I felt pretty confident about that section. On the morning of exam, I spent 30 minutes reading through the tips and sample answers for AWA in Kaplan Premier Review. I picked up some very valuable pointers, e.g. no bullet points or use of numerals, but that was all I really needed.
If you spot a weakness, whether time management or a pattern in wrong answers, then learn from it. Consciously focus on improving that element in the next practice test.
Do a lot of practice tests, particularly on a computer. It's much easier to do questions on paper, so don't kid yourself.
Once you are scoring above 700, you need to spend more time practicing difficult questions, because that is what the CAT will throw at you.
Understanding how the CAT scoring works is important, especially for time management. It does not pay to run out of time and get several consecutive questions wrong at the end.
Data sufficiency questions were the hardest Q questions for me because I had not seen that type of question before. Familiarity is worth a lot. Take advantage of it where it exists and work hard to compensate for its absence.
Sentence correction questions were the hardest V questions for me because I cannot recall any formal grammar instruction. I am sure there was some in grades 1-3, but nothing that was helping here. Perhaps the US education system focuses more on this. I relied on my "ear" and paid attention to wrong answers. I was successful in actively cross-comparing answer choices, but then I found that difficult to do on a computer screen for long text.
Business travel was a good opportunity to study. There can be some unproductive hours when traveling to and from airports and during the no-electronic-equipment period of the actual flights. I squeezed in 10+ additional hours of study by bringing my unwieldy test prep book with me on business travel.
Background:
Non-US English speaker with strong quantitative background and strong verbal communication skills and deductive reasoning.
But not particularly strong on formal grammar rules and unfamiliar with the style of this SAT-like test, i.e. short multiple-choice questions, no particular knowledge set being tested, computer-adaptive system and associated scoring, etc.
Prep materials used:
GMAT official review, 12th Ed
Kaplan Premier Review
Kaplan 800
I did not attend any test prep sessions or seminars.
Period for test prep:
4 weeks, mainly weekends and evenings around a busy work schedule that includes a lot of travel.
Test prep process:
I started by doing one of the two official prep tests on MBA.com (as recommended here). I scored 730 and I identified some areas for improvement. It felt like a positive start. V was stronger than Q. I was stumped by some Q questions, especially data suffiency and questions about divisibles; both were unfamiliar.
Next I picked up the GMAT Official Review and worked through it over the next week. I became more comfortable with the style of questions and time management. I got 90-95% of questions right in all areas and I kept watch on patterns in wrong answers (usually carelessness when reading the question). However, I found the answer explanations to be not that helpful in situations where I disagreed with the answer.
Then I turned to the Kaplan Premier Review and I spent just over a week on that. I found the style much more helpful, even if a lot of the material and questions were not really challenging. The description of what is (and, by implication, what isn't) tested in the GMAT Q section helped me to tone down the level of math I was throwing at some questions. It was a big revelation to be assured that there would always be a relatively simple factorization available.
At that point, just over a week from the test, I did the second official prep test on MBA.com. I scored 750 but ran out of time very badly in the Q section, resulting in rushed attempts and guesses for the last 10 questions (9 wrong out of 10). It was a real eye-opener. 750 was a nice score, but my Q performance had dropped dramatically. I realized that it takes much less time to work out a solution on paper, where you can scribble notes next to the question and answer choices, than it does to solve a question posed on a computer screen. In my first official prep test, I finished Q with 10 minutes to spare, but I had not done hundreds of practice questions on paper at that stage. The test prep books created their own bad habits.
Then for the last week I worked through the Kaplan 800 and I did four more computer-based practice tests using the CD companion to Kaplan Premier. Kaplan 800 was a very good resource for someone already scoring 700+ and needing some more examples of the harder questions that would likely be generated by the CAT. The computer-based practice tests from Kaplan helped me to get used to working with that medium and managing my time accordingly. However, I did find the Kaplan screen format to be very difficult to read for the V section. The question window was too small and the font was too fine. Some of the V questions were really more challenging because of eye strain than anything else, especially after a long day working on a computer screen. I don't wear corrective lenses, but perhaps I should. The GMAT screen is not nearly so difficult, although it is still much less efficient then being able to actively mark the question text and answer choices. I scored 710-730 on all four of the Kaplan computer-based practice tests, with a big scoring advantage in Q.
Tips from my experience:
The GMAT has ADD. If you are used to exams that test significant depth of knowledge with progressive layers of questions on each given topic (e.g. CFA or actuarial exams), then first you need to get familiar with this style of exam.
I should have started with the Kaplan Premier Review rather than the GMAT Official Review. I think the insights on what is and is not within the scope of the GMAT would have been helpful to know earlier. But the GMAT Official Review is still the better source of practice questions by far.
Know where to spend your time. Apart from the very first computer-based practice exam, at the very start of all my test prep, I did not bother with the AWA questions. They did not seem to be worth the time. I felt pretty confident about that section. On the morning of exam, I spent 30 minutes reading through the tips and sample answers for AWA in Kaplan Premier Review. I picked up some very valuable pointers, e.g. no bullet points or use of numerals, but that was all I really needed.
If you spot a weakness, whether time management or a pattern in wrong answers, then learn from it. Consciously focus on improving that element in the next practice test.
Do a lot of practice tests, particularly on a computer. It's much easier to do questions on paper, so don't kid yourself.
Once you are scoring above 700, you need to spend more time practicing difficult questions, because that is what the CAT will throw at you.
Understanding how the CAT scoring works is important, especially for time management. It does not pay to run out of time and get several consecutive questions wrong at the end.
Data sufficiency questions were the hardest Q questions for me because I had not seen that type of question before. Familiarity is worth a lot. Take advantage of it where it exists and work hard to compensate for its absence.
Sentence correction questions were the hardest V questions for me because I cannot recall any formal grammar instruction. I am sure there was some in grades 1-3, but nothing that was helping here. Perhaps the US education system focuses more on this. I relied on my "ear" and paid attention to wrong answers. I was successful in actively cross-comparing answer choices, but then I found that difficult to do on a computer screen for long text.
Business travel was a good opportunity to study. There can be some unproductive hours when traveling to and from airports and during the no-electronic-equipment period of the actual flights. I squeezed in 10+ additional hours of study by bringing my unwieldy test prep book with me on business travel.
