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[sinotranslator]

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[DanaJ]

Wow, congrats! I rarely see stories of people who score more on the real thing than on their practice CATs, so obviously you perform really well under pressure! Heh, no surprise here, given the military background...

Good luck with the apps!

[sinotranslator]

Thanks Dana!

I found BTG to be invaluable. I got good advice from the experts and support from peers in regard to both the GMAT and to admissions. I've especially leaned on the articles on b-school application essays and resumes.

[jonnyslide]

Thanks Sino this is great motivation. I too have served 4 years in the military and did 3 overseas tours (OIF II veteran 1st ID). I got out of the service in 2006 and went to Penn State. I graduated last year and am now looking to take on the next challenge, so far this site has been a great help, and I have the ManGMAT set, the OG companion guide, and the 12th edition OG. I have about 90 days before my test and am studying 2-3 hours a day.

I haven't taken a CAT yet, probably will do so this weekend, I just started studying last week so I am trying to review and get back up to speed first. I did the diagnostic test and did okay but don't think I would beat a 550 at this point. My problem solving was above average, everything else was average, and my SC was below average. Hopefully over the next 3 months I can make some really nice improvements.

Thanks for your story!

[sinotranslator]

Jonny, it's good to hear from another vet going the b-school route. I'm always happy to hear other soldiers who use their educational benefits when they get out. You'll find that vets are warmly welcomed by MBA programs, a benefit that I didn't foresee. Your materials and study plan sound great; just make sure you don't get burned out too early in your study period. I would recommend using the official practice test for your first attempt (you can get 2 with the GMATprep software free from mba.com). That will be the most accurate picture of where you are right off the bat. Then you can take advantage of the more difficult practice tests of the test prep companies as you go along; save the second official practice test as your last assessment right before you test.

[jonnyslide]

Thanks for the tips Sino I really appreciate it! I will keep you posted on how I do...

[manikceo]

how u studied u did not confirm

I beat the GMAT! With a score of 730 (Q47, V44), I bested all of my previous attempts on practice tests. It is worth noting that the tests of test-prep companies, while challenging, were less accurate than the GMAC tests in predicting my ultimate score. This is still an upside in terms of rigorous preparation, but don't get defeated by practice scores. Only the real thing counts.

The score is great and all, but the real story is my drive to the test center. As I sped up 295-N towards Baltimore, my under-rested and over-caffeinated brain was going full throttle. "Am I making a mistake?" I thought. After five years in the military, I have been tested in much more trying circumstances than a comfy testing booth; after going all out on physical fitness tests I usually find myself retching beside the track before I can enjoy my high scores. Yet this was still outside of my comfort zone. Funny how that is; we may have experienced many difficult and trying times, yet the unknown may still be a source of fear and uncertainty.

Fortunately, my mind was tracing familiar routes. I'd been down this road before, and knew where it led. For all my worrying, I've gotten to know who I am, and what I can and can't do. I know that I can learn Chinese and chat comfortably with a native on the Great Wall within a year of beginning my studies; I also know that I'm not a quant and will not turn into an investment banker type overnight. So as my nervous thoughts ran their course, I was able to settle my mind, confident in my preparation and ability. I encourage anyone who doesn't believe that they can say this of themselves to do some introspection. I believe the key to the calm, quiet confidence that we desire lies not in a specific level of aptitude or achievement, but in knowing ourselves. That means being familiar with flaws and blemishes as well as strengths and successes.

Finally at the test center, I prepared to face my foe. The last thing I realized moments before entering the testing lab was that I'd forgotten to call in to work; fortunately that awareness dawned on me just in time to make the call. I don't know what I would have done if I had figured that out halfway through, but it wouldn't have been pretty!

Now the nitty-gritty of actually beating the test: the essays were not a major concern, although I will find out in a few days whether my nonchalant confidence was merited. I breezed through with time to spare, and prepared to face my nemesis: quant. On all of my practice tests, I had struggled with the timing for the quant section. Although by the end of my preparation I felt that I could handle any problem I'd seen if given the time I needed, I knew that that wouldn't cut it for the GMAT; two minutes or less is all that I was afforded. So I approached the real test with the most stringent approach to time-management that I had taken yet. I decided I would not allow myself to spend too much time on any question, knowing that I would have to take a few guesses in order to economize my time. I don't like admitting defeat, even on just one question, but by using this strategy I scored higher on quant than ever before. After the quant section was over, I felt very confident, and although the verbal section felt very tough, I knew I had it in the bag. When my score flashed on the screen, I didn't know what to think, but I'm sure I was beaming!

I beat the GMAT!

For those who are interested, my practice scores and real test scores:

Test Company Score Quant/Verbal Essays

1) GMATPrep (GMAC) 700 (Q41, V44)

2) GMATPrep (GMAC) 720 (Q46, V42)

3) Veritas Prep 650 (Q44, V39)

4) Princeton Review 710 (Q43, V45)

5) Manhattan GMAT 690 (Q39, V45)

Average 694 (Q42.6, V43)
Range 70 (Q7, V6)
Median 700 (Q43, V44)

The Real Thing 730 (Q47, V44)

[sinotranslator]

manikceo,

My Study Focus:

In my case, my quant score when I began was 40 points lower on the percentile ranking than my verbal (V 97% vs Q 57%). I brought my score up by 30 on the overall GMAT score by focusing only on quant, and raised my quant percentile ranking by 19 points (from 57% to 76%). Furthermore, my initial practice test score on quant (Q41, 57%), was only after a comprehensive review of algebra, which I conducted by watching the algebra videos on the nonprofit khanacademy.org.

If you have any weak points in the quant fundamentals, I would highly recommend that you visit the Khan Academy (khanacademy.org). Mr. Khan is a graduate of HBS and provides free videos teaching a variety of subjects, including the algebra and geometry which you need for the GMAT. He also has a specific GMAT prep section, as well as a large volume of videos on finance.

My Study Methods:

Post-Khan Academy and post-practice test, I got down to mastering GMAT math questions. I went through every single quant question in the OG in two weeks, then used the Manhattan GMAT advanced quant guide to hone my ability. I found that by the end, I could answer 99% of GMAT quant questions correctly; the hang-up was that I couldn't do them all in 2 minutes or less. By using good pacing methods I still raised my quant and overall score significantly.

You'll notice that I didn't mention the AWA or Verbal. I regret to say that I can't offer much help with studying for these sections, because I did not study for them. Some people are natural quants; I'm a natural poet. I make a living with languages so I found that the GMAT verbal section came naturally to me.

[cvsmech]

Many many congratulations on the great score. 730 is an excellent score. Really impressed to see your improvement on verbal.

How did you find Sentence correction the GMAT (Since the changes have been implemented regarding idioms and meaning issues.).

Do you still have to memorize idioms such as not x but rather y, Differentiated x from y and so forth?

Thanks.

[IWillSurvive]

Hello there,

I applaud you on such a wonderful score.

I agree with you - it is VERY hard to control your fears when facing this exam. I am having so much trouble with that. I will sit down to do a practice test, and I will totally blank. My drills and tests have not gone that well, mostly because I seem to have some kind of mental block.

I am so tired of this exam. I have taken it twice already, and I have also done numerous examples. I have been through every problem. At this point, nerves are getting the best of me.

Any suggestions on how to bust through that? I have about six weeks left, until the real thing. I want this to be the LAST time!

Thanks again for any suggestions!

~A

[sinotranslator]

Thank you cvsmech, although my improvement was primarily in quant.

I've never memorized idioms, and I didn't see many on the GMAT sentence correction.

The most important thing that I noticed is verifying that grammar and parts of speech remain consistent throughout the sentence.

[sinotranslator]

IWill, thank you for the congrats.

As far as dealing with test anxiety, I have a few thoughts.

The more familiar you are with the (agonizing) process of taking the test, the less daunting it will be. I have never been a nervous test taker, but I used to dread Physical Fitness tests in the Army, even though I am a high scorer, because I knew how torn up I would be afterward. Over a period of a year and a half I had to take an abnormally high number of these tests in order to maintain my privilege of designing my own workout regimen, and I just got used to the discomfort afterward. The takeaway: take as many practice GMAT CAT's as you can get your hands on.

If you know yourself and your abilities, that will also reduce your anxiety. I knew my quant would lag behind my verbal, no matter what. I was able to approach the test calmly and actually improve my quant. Also, learn to "talk yourself off the ledge" as it were. Remind yourself that the level of anxiety which you are experiencing is disproportionate to the situation. Be your own coach in that situation; say what would you say to someone else to calm them down.

Lastly, I viewed the GMAT as a set of questions, not a test. The GMAT will not tell you how smart you are or how successful you will be. It will provide you with quantitative feedback based on your answers to 78 questions. View each question as a two-minute exercise. Once a question is answered, you are done with it. It is over- finito. Alright, next question. Remember to focus on one question at a time. Your score is an aggregate of how well you will do on each of those two-minute exercises, but don't focus on the score; focus on the problem that is before you.

I hope this helps. You have shown good perseverance, and I know you can be successful. Good luck!

[IWillSurvive]

Hello Sino,

Thank you for the response. Your response was greatly appreciated.

I have to agree with you. I think this is a problem I have - disconnecting from the test as a whole. I think many of us are overachievers, and we measure everything according to our performance. Ordinarily, this would be "OK", but this is a whole different animal. I liken it to attempting to understand the thought patterns of a tiger when you have lived as a gazelle. Totally different!

I digress. Anyway, in terms of difficult questions, I have one of my own:

When you see a question that is a truly epic monster, do you just guess and move on? I encountered one like this in my prep about two nights ago. My first step was to find the initial product of x and y. I got the answer "99". At this point, I knew it would take forever to get to the right answer. Since I knew the result would have to have a "9" somewhere, I chose the answer with a 9. It was the only one. Sure enough, this answer was correct. The level of the question was about 700-800. Crazy!

Thanks again for providing your help here. I work with military officials - I am a business professional with the Department of Defnese. I must say I have always admired the leadership and nerves of steel that the soldiers have. It is amazing! The stories I have heard!

Have a great night,
A

[abhinav khanna]

I beat the GMAT! With a score of 730 (Q47, V44), I bested all of my previous attempts on practice tests. It is worth noting that the tests of test-prep companies, while challenging, were less accurate than the GMAC tests in predicting my ultimate score. This is still an upside in terms of rigorous preparation, but don't get defeated by practice scores. Only the real thing counts.

The score is great and all, but the real story is my drive to the test center. As I sped up 295-N towards Baltimore, my under-rested and over-caffeinated brain was going full throttle. "Am I making a mistake?" I thought. After five years in the military, I have been tested in much more trying circumstances than a comfy testing booth; after going all out on physical fitness tests I usually find myself retching beside the track before I can enjoy my high scores. Yet this was still outside of my comfort zone. Funny how that is; we may have experienced many difficult and trying times, yet the unknown may still be a source of fear and uncertainty.

Fortunately, my mind was tracing familiar routes. I'd been down this road before, and knew where it led. For all my worrying, I've gotten to know who I am, and what I can and can't do. I know that I can learn Chinese and chat comfortably with a native on the Great Wall within a year of beginning my studies; I also know that I'm not a quant and will not turn into an investment banker type overnight. So as my nervous thoughts ran their course, I was able to settle my mind, confident in my preparation and ability. I encourage anyone who doesn't believe that they can say this of themselves to do some introspection. I believe the key to the calm, quiet confidence that we desire lies not in a specific level of aptitude or achievement, but in knowing ourselves. That means being familiar with flaws and blemishes as well as strengths and successes.

Finally at the test center, I prepared to face my foe. The last thing I realized moments before entering the testing lab was that I'd forgotten to call in to work; fortunately that awareness dawned on me just in time to make the call. I don't know what I would have done if I had figured that out halfway through, but it wouldn't have been pretty!

Now the nitty-gritty of actually beating the test: the essays were not a major concern, although I will find out in a few days whether my nonchalant confidence was merited. I breezed through with time to spare, and prepared to face my nemesis: quant. On all of my practice tests, I had struggled with the timing for the quant section. Although by the end of my preparation I felt that I could handle any problem I'd seen if given the time I needed, I knew that that wouldn't cut it for the GMAT; two minutes or less is all that I was afforded. So I approached the real test with the most stringent approach to time-management that I had taken yet. I decided I would not allow myself to spend too much time on any question, knowing that I would have to take a few guesses in order to economize my time. I don't like admitting defeat, even on just one question, but by using this strategy I scored higher on quant than ever before. After the quant section was over, I felt very confident, and although the verbal section felt very tough, I knew I had it in the bag. When my score flashed on the screen, I didn't know what to think, but I'm sure I was beaming!

I beat the GMAT!

For those who are interested, my practice scores and real test scores:

Test Company Score Quant/Verbal Essays

1) GMATPrep (GMAC) 700 (Q41, V44)

2) GMATPrep (GMAC) 720 (Q46, V42)

3) Veritas Prep 650 (Q44, V39)

4) Princeton Review 710 (Q43, V45)

5) Manhattan GMAT 690 (Q39, V45)

Average 694 (Q42.6, V43)
Range 70 (Q7, V6)
Median 700 (Q43, V44)

The Real Thing 730 (Q47, V44)

Hey Sino,

Great achievement would you guide me on how to find those five free Practice tests ?

Thanks
Abhinav

[sinotranslator]

Abhinav,

The first two are available at the official GMAC website: MBA.com (download their GMATprep software- the tests are included). The other three are all available via links on BTG under "Free GMAT Prep Resources."