I took my diagnostic GMAT test only a few days after I registered for the official test less than two months from then. I was surprised to get a 460, but figured that it was to be expected, having been out of "student mode" for some time. I began my prepartion with, Princeton's "Cracking the GMAT" to give me an overview of the test; The OG for Quant Review and the MGMAT books on # properties and word translations to help me in the Q section; and PowerScore's Critican Reasoning Bible for the V section.
A few weeks after I began my rigorous self-study regimen, I took the test again, using one of the two free GMATPrep tests. A 560. I patted myself on the back and went back to work.
A week later, less than a month left until the big day, I took the other free GMATPrep test. I was confident that my bleary-eyed nights were going to really pay off. At the very least, I hoped to jump a few dozen points toward my goal score of 680.
Second score: 550, in the 42nd percentile. I was distraught. I was mad. I was tired. And after venting for almost a day, I shut myself up and went back to work.
I knew, however, that whatever I was doing was just not working. In my previous test, my quant dropped dramatically, but my verbal shot through the roof, putting me in the 80th percentile. This was both encouraging and confusing. I took a step back and tried to figure out what these three tests, and the preparation that went along with them, really meant.
For the last few weeks, I doubled-down on my preparation with a smarter study plan.
Here, in a nutshell, is what worked for me, and what didn't:
1. Hybrid studying. I thought I was being smart by drilling down on one topic at a time: number properties, ratios, modifiers, reading comprehension, etc. But with the short amount of time I had left to study, I was focusing an disproportionate amount of time and energy to a particular topic, and dismissing the rest. For the last few weeks I studied less per topics, but more topics at a time. I would move from geometry to sentence correction and back again. This shifting method kept me on my toes, and helped me retain more information. (Studies have shown that distractions and shifts in focus help memorization) Touching upon all of the topics here and there kept them fresh in my mind .
2. Rest. I love the gym. It has helped me stay healthy and energized. It has also taught me that in order to do more, you have to rest more. Give your body what it needs, or it will end up shutting down on you. This was true for me when I studied for the LSAT. I studied almost non-stop for three months. The month before the test had me taking 5 practice tests per week. By the time I took the LSAT I was fairly burnt out. I resisted the urge to inundate myself in GMAT study, and gave myself breaks. I studied rigorously, many hours a day, but I would let myself go out with my girlfriend/friends, exercise, sleep in on Saturdays, and watch a mindless movie every now and then. It kept me fresh and rested for the big day.
3. Intensity. This might sound as a contradiction to point no. 2, but it's not. Although I gave myself time to relax, I also approached studying with focus and intensity. This is also a gym lesson: 20 minutes of intense weight-lifting reaps more benefits than 90 minutes of lax exercise. I would study in blocs, not spurts, and shut out any distraction (my girlfriend obviously did not like this last bit). When I was studying, that is the only I was doing, and everything else was a distant second place. I averaged about 30 hours a week studying for the GMAT, broken up into 3-4 hr blocs.
4. Aim high. After reading Princeton Review's CtGMAT, I knew I needed something harder. Figuring out easy-to-moderate problems would only keep me in the range I was already in. If I wanted to make leaps in improving my score, I had to tackle the hardest problems and learn from them. I bought the notoriously comprehensive and challenging Kaplan GMAT Math Workbook, The OG 12th ed., and used MGMAT's online study tools. I focused on the harder questions, and, even though I initially bombed most of them, I spent a lot of my time reviewing and understanding my errors.
5. Know what you don't know. As I mentioned above, understanding my errors proved to be key in understanding the GMAT. After obtaining a firm-enough grasp on the basics, I moved into harder territory. I failed at most of the harder questions, but knowing what I was doing wrong in one hard question was more helpful than anything else. It taught me what NOT to do, and what traps to look out for.
6. Last minute rituals. Let me tick off some of the last-minute lifehacks, if you will, that I truly believe helped me on test day.
First, DO NOT do any studying the day before the test. It's tempting to crack the book one last time, but don't do it. You need rest, and your brain needs a breather. Don't risk being burnt out on test day (talk about nightmare).
Second, your diet. I read a study where air force pilots were given a lean-ish diet for a few weeks, then, the week before a pilot test, they were given a slightly fattier diet. This led to an increase in memory, reaction time, and analytical skills in the pilots that opted for the cheeseburger the last few days.
Third, be wary of stimulants. I decided not drink any coffee the morning of the test. I love coffee, and drink a couple of cups a day, but I knew that this may make me too rushed and jittery. So I drank one of those 5-hour energy mini-drinks instead. Not sure if it made a difference, but I definitely felt energized throughout the test, and had none of the jitters.
Fourth, warm up. Be sure to do a few GMAT problems the morning of the test. But pick easy ones you already beat. This will warm up your brain, and give you an additional confidence boost.
Fifth, earplugs. This one might seem silly, and I actually had no intention of doing before I was in the test room, but the use of earplugs was very helpful to keep me focused. I am not sure if my score would've changed if I had not worn them, but I did, and it certainly did make me feel more centered while taking the test.
This is just an outline of my study plan and tips, so it is no ways meant to be exhaustive. Please post any questions or comments below and I will try my best to provide whatever insights I gained from this grueling, but satisfying, journey.
Jaime
A few weeks after I began my rigorous self-study regimen, I took the test again, using one of the two free GMATPrep tests. A 560. I patted myself on the back and went back to work.
A week later, less than a month left until the big day, I took the other free GMATPrep test. I was confident that my bleary-eyed nights were going to really pay off. At the very least, I hoped to jump a few dozen points toward my goal score of 680.
Second score: 550, in the 42nd percentile. I was distraught. I was mad. I was tired. And after venting for almost a day, I shut myself up and went back to work.
I knew, however, that whatever I was doing was just not working. In my previous test, my quant dropped dramatically, but my verbal shot through the roof, putting me in the 80th percentile. This was both encouraging and confusing. I took a step back and tried to figure out what these three tests, and the preparation that went along with them, really meant.
For the last few weeks, I doubled-down on my preparation with a smarter study plan.
Here, in a nutshell, is what worked for me, and what didn't:
1. Hybrid studying. I thought I was being smart by drilling down on one topic at a time: number properties, ratios, modifiers, reading comprehension, etc. But with the short amount of time I had left to study, I was focusing an disproportionate amount of time and energy to a particular topic, and dismissing the rest. For the last few weeks I studied less per topics, but more topics at a time. I would move from geometry to sentence correction and back again. This shifting method kept me on my toes, and helped me retain more information. (Studies have shown that distractions and shifts in focus help memorization) Touching upon all of the topics here and there kept them fresh in my mind .
2. Rest. I love the gym. It has helped me stay healthy and energized. It has also taught me that in order to do more, you have to rest more. Give your body what it needs, or it will end up shutting down on you. This was true for me when I studied for the LSAT. I studied almost non-stop for three months. The month before the test had me taking 5 practice tests per week. By the time I took the LSAT I was fairly burnt out. I resisted the urge to inundate myself in GMAT study, and gave myself breaks. I studied rigorously, many hours a day, but I would let myself go out with my girlfriend/friends, exercise, sleep in on Saturdays, and watch a mindless movie every now and then. It kept me fresh and rested for the big day.
3. Intensity. This might sound as a contradiction to point no. 2, but it's not. Although I gave myself time to relax, I also approached studying with focus and intensity. This is also a gym lesson: 20 minutes of intense weight-lifting reaps more benefits than 90 minutes of lax exercise. I would study in blocs, not spurts, and shut out any distraction (my girlfriend obviously did not like this last bit). When I was studying, that is the only I was doing, and everything else was a distant second place. I averaged about 30 hours a week studying for the GMAT, broken up into 3-4 hr blocs.
4. Aim high. After reading Princeton Review's CtGMAT, I knew I needed something harder. Figuring out easy-to-moderate problems would only keep me in the range I was already in. If I wanted to make leaps in improving my score, I had to tackle the hardest problems and learn from them. I bought the notoriously comprehensive and challenging Kaplan GMAT Math Workbook, The OG 12th ed., and used MGMAT's online study tools. I focused on the harder questions, and, even though I initially bombed most of them, I spent a lot of my time reviewing and understanding my errors.
5. Know what you don't know. As I mentioned above, understanding my errors proved to be key in understanding the GMAT. After obtaining a firm-enough grasp on the basics, I moved into harder territory. I failed at most of the harder questions, but knowing what I was doing wrong in one hard question was more helpful than anything else. It taught me what NOT to do, and what traps to look out for.
6. Last minute rituals. Let me tick off some of the last-minute lifehacks, if you will, that I truly believe helped me on test day.
First, DO NOT do any studying the day before the test. It's tempting to crack the book one last time, but don't do it. You need rest, and your brain needs a breather. Don't risk being burnt out on test day (talk about nightmare).
Second, your diet. I read a study where air force pilots were given a lean-ish diet for a few weeks, then, the week before a pilot test, they were given a slightly fattier diet. This led to an increase in memory, reaction time, and analytical skills in the pilots that opted for the cheeseburger the last few days.
Third, be wary of stimulants. I decided not drink any coffee the morning of the test. I love coffee, and drink a couple of cups a day, but I knew that this may make me too rushed and jittery. So I drank one of those 5-hour energy mini-drinks instead. Not sure if it made a difference, but I definitely felt energized throughout the test, and had none of the jitters.
Fourth, warm up. Be sure to do a few GMAT problems the morning of the test. But pick easy ones you already beat. This will warm up your brain, and give you an additional confidence boost.
Fifth, earplugs. This one might seem silly, and I actually had no intention of doing before I was in the test room, but the use of earplugs was very helpful to keep me focused. I am not sure if my score would've changed if I had not worn them, but I did, and it certainly did make me feel more centered while taking the test.
This is just an outline of my study plan and tips, so it is no ways meant to be exhaustive. Please post any questions or comments below and I will try my best to provide whatever insights I gained from this grueling, but satisfying, journey.
Jaime
. Best luck with apps . BTW what was your split score ?
