700 (Q44 V42) - My journey with Target Test Prep

[MBAAspirant02]

I began my GMAT preparation journey in October 2020 on another platform, however with no movement in my proficiency. After spending a 3 months and reaching nowhere in my prep, I decided to take a 1$, 1 week trial on TTP in March 2021. Upon further researching available resources, and trying out TTP, I enrolled in their one-month program. I was impressed by the platform's UI and the analytics that catered to my needs of focused and data driven learning approach.

Balancing my rigorous 12-hour-a-day job and GMAT prep was a major challenge. To address this, I capitalized on TTP's feature that generated a study plan. This allowed me to input my daily study hours and let the platform formulate a schedule. It not only helped me monitor my daily progress but also kept me on track toward my milestones throughout the preparation process. It also gave me insights on what topics do I need to focus on more, what topic is left unfinished in terms of proficiency, requiring further practice.

I proceeded to diligently follow the study schedule, focusing on completing TTP's designated "missions." The significance of untimed practice questions became evident, as they facilitated continuous improvement. The strategy involved understanding question concepts thoroughly and applying the learned principles without concerning myself with time limits. This approach ensured comprehensive learning and proper application of concepts. Ultimately, grasping concepts thoroughly led to quicker problem-solving during the actual test. Trusting this process was crucial.

On weekdays, I dedicated approximately 3-4 hours to studying, and during weekends, I extended it to around 5-6 hours. This pace enabled me to complete TTP's course within 3 months, leaving me with about 3 to 4 weeks for refining my skills.

During the intensive practice phase, I temporarily took time off from my job. This allowed me to free up mental capacity and significantly reduce stress levels. My practice regimen included customized tests from TTP, solving GMAT problems from GMATClub, and taking free mock exams from different platforms (although I don’t recommend doing that, you only need to give the official mocks to get a real experience). My mock scores during the practice phase were:
1) 720 (V41 Q47)
2) 680 (V40 Q43)
3) 730 (V44 Q46)

Three days before the GMAT exam, I took a 4th and final mock and achieved a score of 690, which was close to my target of 700. Encouraged by this result, I scaled back my practice hours, engaging in activities that provided mental relaxation.

On test day on July 4th , I heeded TTP's recommendation to warm up by solving a few questions before entering the test center. The experience was less tense than anticipated, aided by the friendly proctor and supportive environment. These factors helped me manage my test anxiety effectively. Most of the questions I encountered felt relatively easier compared to what I had practiced on TTP hard levels. I was on time and ended up with a 700 (V42 Q44). Quant was on a bit lower side, but I knew my weakness well before getting into GMAT prep.
Although TTP requires a lot of time to complete, and the content is quite comprehensive, I chose it since I didn’t want to have multiple platforms to study if some of my concepts were left unclear.

Also, the chat feature is quite helpful, makes you feel guided at all times. Thanks Scott for such a great course!

[Scott@TargetTestPrep]

Hi MBAAspirant02,

Congrats on an awesome GMAT score!