I just Beat The GMAT!

Re-took this morning -

Didn't feel good on the verbal, yet scored about what I had been on my practice tests. Felt great on Verbal, yet scored lower than usual!

Oh well, the monkey is off my back for more. I still think I could do another 30-35 points, but I doubt I will take it again, just not worth the effort studying , not to mention the $250 bucks!

Thanks for everyone on the forum, I read much more than I posted!

I am not going to go through my whole study process - but I do have a few thoughts -

- Do not underestimate timing issues. I always finished early, yet rushed through questions! I wish I would have always studied with a clock set to 2 min a question.

- Practice tests - don't just look at the ones you got wrong, analyze each question.

- The MGMAT books for math are really good. The SC book is also a must. I also had the Kap800 book. This thing rocks, really breaks down the CR and SC questions. Also had an LSAT book laying around, and that was good practice for CR and RC.

Something very big to consider is having TOO many books. I think this is a problem that is not always addressed. Don't try to pack in a book just because everyone says too. Pick your weaknesses and concentrate on those - use the OG to practice your strengths.

Happy to answer any questions -

Thanks again everyone! (especially Eric)

Fantastic! What a load off your shoulders right? Great observations also; in particular, the point about too many books. I made the same mistake - I have 3 or 4 books that I never had a chance to do a single problem from. They've been sitting around for months and months now.

Picking the right books at the right stage of study combined with a concentration on quality not quantity is a winning formula.

That's an awesome score Sam !
How much did you improve by ? What did you do differently while preparing and taking the test ? How long did you prepare before the second attempt ?
I need a massive improvement. I spent 3 weeks before my first attempt and got a 620 (about 50 points below my scores on GMAT PREP 1 & 2). Took it again a month later after just doing Verbal (300 questions from the GMAC Verbal Review book) but did not put as much effort as I did in the first 3 weeks. Felt confident going into the TEST but once the verbal section started drew a complete blank. Guessed through the first 4-5 questions, I knew I was doomed. Got a 600 (Verbal 47th percentile) !. This time around took the VERITAS Prep class. Just did their homework and nothing else so far. The class was just about OK and I don't recommend it to someone who is in the 600s already.
Scheduled to take the TEST for the third time in a month's time. So please tell me what did you that helped you improve your score and how much did you improve by ? Thanks a ton.

In response to above, I improved from 690 to 710.

What I did differently the second time around was concentrate on quality, and used the MGMAT books to review my math. I really felt they did a good job, and provided the opportunity to learn outside just doing problems over and over again.

I prepared about a month for the second attempt, and I feel it was about right.

One thing I also did my second time around was guessed and moved on when I knew I didn't have the time. I did not do this the first time, and rushed a little. Although I ended up guessing on about 5 problems that I KNEW I could solve had I had 4 minutes, in the end, it allowed me to concentrate on the ones I could solve in 2.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I am happy to help!

Many Congratulations Sam, you've demonstrated the result of being optimistic

That certianly helps ! But unfortunately, I need to improve by a lot more. My preparation for the earlier attempts was random ..sometimes this sometimes that ..but this time (after reading several helpful posts on this forum) I am trying to prepare in a more systematic and organized manner. Focusing on my weaknesses, using flash cards, timing myself earlier in the game, etc. Let's see if I can get to where I need to be..
Good luck with your applications !