-
dbnoho
- Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:27 pm
- Followed by:1 members
- GMAT Score:720
I took the GMAT on the last day before the implementation of the IR section. Score Breakdown:
Overall: 720 (94%)
Quant: 48 (80%)
Verbal: 41 (92$)
Resources:
All Manhattan subject books and Manhattan advanced quant book
OG 11 and OG 12
Private Tutor (4 sessions)
Plan:
I spent about 6-8 weeks slowly going through the Manhattan subject books. I highly recommend working through each book in order to build a conceptual foundation. I have been out of school for about 5 years and so it took me some time to again become familiar with the basic math concepts.
I have a demanding job that prevented me from doing much, if any, studying during the week.
I then spent roughly two months going through the OG books, focusing on ares of weakness, and eventually working with a tutor to overcome some conceptual hurdles. I spent relatively little time on the verbal section, as I considered this a strength. I wish I spent a bit more time on the SC section! The Manhattan SC book is all you need for this.
I took my first practice test roughly 2 months before the exam. I scored a 590 on Manhattan CAT #1! This was very humbling.
I took the remaining 5 Manhattan CATs and the two GMATPrep CATs over the final 3 weeks before the test. My scores on these exams ranged from 690-750, with my scores settling around 720-740 during the week prior to the test. I was averaging 48-50 on Quant and 41-45 on Verbal.
I found the Manhattan CATs to be slightly more challenging that the actual test, but perhaps only in that the Manhattan CATs are more forgiving. You will not see the same level of challenging questions on the actual test as you will with Manhattan. The actual test is far better at identifying the limits of your abilities - Manhattan seems to give you more opportunities to tackle the highest level of problems.
The exam:
I was a bit nervous but overall I felt comfortable. I ran short on time during the quant and I believe that this may have lowered by score a bit.
I came away with a score that was on the lower end of my average practice CATs. I was hoping to pull out my best score yet on the actual test, although this was clearly wishful thinking. Practice is key!
My takeaways:
Do not worry about timing until you are very comfortable with the material. I read another success story in which it someone approached the first few CATs without a timer. I wish I did this!
Build up a foundation of the basics before you even look at the OG questions. You need to be very comfortable with algebraic manipulations and concepts before you'll be able to actually absorb and learn from the harder OG questions.
My tutor explained how the GMAT attempts to be an IQ test, and that engineers do well on the exam because they "like to pull things apart and see how they work." I wish that I had taken this approach during my prep.
I became overly focused on the algebra and on pattern recognition. You cannot just learn a standard approach to one problem and expect to do well! The test will quickly determine that you do not fully understand the material. Break down problems to their core and go through the steps to solve them in a variety of ways. You'll read people say "know multiple ways to do the same problems" - this is true! But it's not enough to know multiple methods; you must know how to manipulate different problem types so that you understand why and how to solve them in a variety of ways. If you don't have this level of comprehension, you'll miss 700+ level questions that you understand. The timing of the test and awkward presentation will prevent you from figuring out how to solve the problem.
Focus on number properties. If you have any strength, let it be number properties.
Check out Ron Purewall's video archive! I found his lessons to be a great resource - although I recommend that you become somewhat familiar with the material before watching. I believe his video's are best utilized to supplement previous work.
Practice how you perform. I "understood" how to pick numbers and set up grids to test numbers for D.S., but I preferred algebra. On test day, I reverted to my comfort zone and missed on one or two questions because I didn't quickly adjust my approach to picking numbers or writing out clear, organized charts.
Finally, sleep is incredibly important. I absorbed little information after sleeping 5-6 hours/night and studying at my office before work. I would have been better off sleeping a full 8 hours and spending 30-60 focused minutes. Your brain needs to be rested in order to absorb and pull together all of the information contained in this test. The test rewards a proactive approach! I struggled when I thought that I could just look at problems, recognize structure/patterns and go through the motions. The test will find the limit of your ability - your score will better reflect your actual ability if you approach practice problems with the same level of tenacity.
Overall, I'm satisfied with my score. I felt that I could have and should have done better, but it's incredibly difficult to bump up your score at this point. I do not plan to retake, as my efforts are best put into a strong application.
Overall: 720 (94%)
Quant: 48 (80%)
Verbal: 41 (92$)
Resources:
All Manhattan subject books and Manhattan advanced quant book
OG 11 and OG 12
Private Tutor (4 sessions)
Plan:
I spent about 6-8 weeks slowly going through the Manhattan subject books. I highly recommend working through each book in order to build a conceptual foundation. I have been out of school for about 5 years and so it took me some time to again become familiar with the basic math concepts.
I have a demanding job that prevented me from doing much, if any, studying during the week.
I then spent roughly two months going through the OG books, focusing on ares of weakness, and eventually working with a tutor to overcome some conceptual hurdles. I spent relatively little time on the verbal section, as I considered this a strength. I wish I spent a bit more time on the SC section! The Manhattan SC book is all you need for this.
I took my first practice test roughly 2 months before the exam. I scored a 590 on Manhattan CAT #1! This was very humbling.
I took the remaining 5 Manhattan CATs and the two GMATPrep CATs over the final 3 weeks before the test. My scores on these exams ranged from 690-750, with my scores settling around 720-740 during the week prior to the test. I was averaging 48-50 on Quant and 41-45 on Verbal.
I found the Manhattan CATs to be slightly more challenging that the actual test, but perhaps only in that the Manhattan CATs are more forgiving. You will not see the same level of challenging questions on the actual test as you will with Manhattan. The actual test is far better at identifying the limits of your abilities - Manhattan seems to give you more opportunities to tackle the highest level of problems.
The exam:
I was a bit nervous but overall I felt comfortable. I ran short on time during the quant and I believe that this may have lowered by score a bit.
I came away with a score that was on the lower end of my average practice CATs. I was hoping to pull out my best score yet on the actual test, although this was clearly wishful thinking. Practice is key!
My takeaways:
Do not worry about timing until you are very comfortable with the material. I read another success story in which it someone approached the first few CATs without a timer. I wish I did this!
Build up a foundation of the basics before you even look at the OG questions. You need to be very comfortable with algebraic manipulations and concepts before you'll be able to actually absorb and learn from the harder OG questions.
My tutor explained how the GMAT attempts to be an IQ test, and that engineers do well on the exam because they "like to pull things apart and see how they work." I wish that I had taken this approach during my prep.
I became overly focused on the algebra and on pattern recognition. You cannot just learn a standard approach to one problem and expect to do well! The test will quickly determine that you do not fully understand the material. Break down problems to their core and go through the steps to solve them in a variety of ways. You'll read people say "know multiple ways to do the same problems" - this is true! But it's not enough to know multiple methods; you must know how to manipulate different problem types so that you understand why and how to solve them in a variety of ways. If you don't have this level of comprehension, you'll miss 700+ level questions that you understand. The timing of the test and awkward presentation will prevent you from figuring out how to solve the problem.
Focus on number properties. If you have any strength, let it be number properties.
Check out Ron Purewall's video archive! I found his lessons to be a great resource - although I recommend that you become somewhat familiar with the material before watching. I believe his video's are best utilized to supplement previous work.
Practice how you perform. I "understood" how to pick numbers and set up grids to test numbers for D.S., but I preferred algebra. On test day, I reverted to my comfort zone and missed on one or two questions because I didn't quickly adjust my approach to picking numbers or writing out clear, organized charts.
Finally, sleep is incredibly important. I absorbed little information after sleeping 5-6 hours/night and studying at my office before work. I would have been better off sleeping a full 8 hours and spending 30-60 focused minutes. Your brain needs to be rested in order to absorb and pull together all of the information contained in this test. The test rewards a proactive approach! I struggled when I thought that I could just look at problems, recognize structure/patterns and go through the motions. The test will find the limit of your ability - your score will better reflect your actual ability if you approach practice problems with the same level of tenacity.
Overall, I'm satisfied with my score. I felt that I could have and should have done better, but it's incredibly difficult to bump up your score at this point. I do not plan to retake, as my efforts are best put into a strong application.
