From subpar to a 750 thanks to TTP

Background:
I’m a Peruvian Business graduate. My quant knowledge is pretty average (or even low compared to people from other nationalities), but my English background is rather strong. I started my prep journey in early June 2022 with a target of at least 680. I ended up getting a 750, Q46 and V48.

Materials:
Paid: Target Test Prep 4-month plan and MBA mock tests
Free: GMAT Club free tests, Magoosh free test, and Manhattan books (free online version)

Journey:
Around April 2022 I decided to resume my idea of obtaining an MBA, which had been postponed due to the pandemic. The first step was to choose a course. I spent around three weeks reading dozens of articles and watching many videos comparing different GMAT prep courses, which got pretty overwhelming. After narrowing down my list to just Magoosh and TTP (the two most affordable, yet tried and true options) and taking both courses’ free trials, I ended up opting for the latter because of it’s well designed platform, the analytics section, and the fact that the topic’s explanations were written rather than presented in video format, the former being my preferred learning method. During my free trial, the results from my diagnostic test were rather discouraging: even my supposed strength (Verbal) still showed great areas of improvement, particularly in CR. Thus, I decided to pay for the 4-month plan, which I guessed would be enough time to review the whole course from zero.

For the first two months, my daily routine consisted of studying four to five hours. I made sure to understand well every section before moving on to the next one, and I completed every single question and quiz. I read that it was wise to take notes (for which TTP has a feature), and I tried to do it in the beginning; however, I soon got tired of doing it and just used TTP’s bookmark feature to save the topics that I knew I would like to brush up on in the future.

One part that I always enjoyed/feared were the end of chapter tests. I followed TTP’s advice of taking as much time as needed to solve the questions rather than focusing on answering them within a certain time frame. Though at first I wasn’t sure if this was the best approach, in the end the advise proved to be spot on. Another good tip was to review past mistakes via the error log. Though not perfect, this section is quite useful.

At the beginning of the third month, I hit a slump and started feeling bored and overwhelmed, so much so that I only studied one or two hours daily for the following three weeks. In retrospect, I wish I hadn’t done this because I wasted valuable time that I could’ve used to take the official test sooner.

The last month I was focused on finishing the course before my plan expired, so I resumed my four to five hours of daily studying. It’s worth mentioning that during this time I also found some of Manhattan’s free books. I quickly read all of them, but I found them pretty boring and I don’t believe that I learned anything of value from.

The last two weeks were dedicated solely to practice tests. First I completed almost all of GMAT Club’s free tests and then I proceeded to complete the first four MBA mock tests (I hadn’t taken any official mock test at the beginning of my journey because TTP’s diagnostic test was enough for me to know that I was starting from the very bottom). Though I read that it wasn’t advisable as it could lead to mental fatigue, I decided to take a full test every couple of days. I don’t remember each score, but all of them hovered between 740 and 760, always with a higher score in Verbal. Because the scores were pretty consisted, I decided that I was ready for the official test.

By the way, before the mock tests I hadn’t read anything about AW and IR, so my scores weren’t very high, but I didn’t care, since these scores don’t count towards the main score.

Regarding the test, I chose to take it in person because it was slightly more affordable, but most importantly because I wanted to take it in a silent environment. It’s also worth mentioning that if you take the online test, the test proctor can be quite strict at enforcing the rule of not looking away from the computer while taking the exam, which can be stressing for the test-taker (as mentioned by a person I met at the test center who told me about his online experience). I came to the test center pretty relaxed; however, I made a huge mistake during the Math section: I took too long to answer one question, which affected my time management. I knew that I hadn’t performed terribly, but I was so upset for making such a rookie mistake that I was sulking all the way to the Verbal section. Thankfully, this didn’t prevent me from getting a high score, which came as an unexpected albeit welcomed surprise.

Overall:
Choosing the TTP course was definitively the right choice for me, and I have recommended it to some friends. It’s stronger in Math, which was my weakness, while it’s Verbal part is good enough for most English learners, specially the SC section. The reason why I say Math is TTP’s strength is because this section has greater question bank compared to Verbal.

I honestly think that for most learners (particularly the ones who prefer to learn by reading), paying for the 4-month TTP plan is all one needs, apart from paying for the MBA mock tests. I think that I would be kicking myself if I had spent thousands of dollars when there is such a good alternative at a much more affordable price. Nevertheless, in order to succeed, one has to take full advantage of all the features that the program offers (explanations, questions, quizzes, analytics, error log, etc.); a cursory review will amount to nothing.

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