This has been a long GMAT journey, but I'm finally glad to say it's over (I hope). Just about 6 months ago after my second GMAT I was freaking out and thinking about backup plans...
Test 1
I started studying about Feb 2012 - I got all the MGMAT books and planned to study for about 3-4 months. I never took a diagnostic or anything. It took me a while to get through all the books, especially since I was working a 10-11 hour job. After finishing all of them in August or so, I decided to schedule my first test in October (because without scheduling a test, you'll never buckle down!). I took three MGMAT CAT tests. However, my biggest mistake here was that I took the Quant portions untimed, because I had heard that the Quant was way harder than the real test. I also took two GMAT Prep tests, on which I got in the high 600's to low 700's. At this point, I was confident I could break 700. On test day however, things went downhill as soon as I started quant - on question 8 or so, I spent about 3 minutes on the question, still got it wrong. The next few questions the same thing. By question 14, I had only 38 minutes left! I knew I couldn't pick up the time, and decided I had to cancel.
Materials Used:
-OG 13
-MGMAT Set of GMAT Guides (4th Ed)
-MGMAT CATs 1-3
-GMATPrep
Test 2
I realized the importance of taking timed tests. I took a few months off, and decided to take the test again in early March. I took the remaining MGMAT tests, and retook the GMATPrep tests (and the old versions). Again, I was scoring in the low 700's or high 600's. However, I would always neglect the IR and Essays, and just skip straight to the Quant section. As I realized, this was probably the biggest mistake in my second preparation. On test day, I breezed through the essay and IR. Quant was also relatively easy. And then came verbal. I honestly have no idea what happened - every word that I was reading was gibberish in my head, I couldn't understand simple sentences that were thrown at me. In my mind, I thought, "oh, this is probably an experimental question", and realized by the end of the test that I'd probably said that for over half the questions. Nevertheless, I chose to report my score, and got a 640 (6.0 AWA, 7 IR, 49 Q, 27V). A 27 in V! When I saw that, I was shocked, appalled, angry at myself. How could I score that low, when ALL my other verbal test scores were above 35? I guess at this point I was at such a low point. All I could hope for was that this was not a measure of my true ability, and just a statistical anomaly - I just had a bad day.
I then came to the most important realization - the GMAT is an endurance test, nothing else. While it does test skill and ability, it's more meant to induce fear in you and conquer you emotionally. Don't let it get to you! It's all in your head, how you approach it. At this point, I decided to pick up a few things: long distance running, and meditation. I have come to the conclusion now (you can weaken if you want![8-)]( "Cool")
) that a great parallel can be drawn between running a marathon (or any long distance race) and taking the GMAT.
Parallels - Running a marathon requires very good knowledge of your legs and body and your pace. Taking the GMAT requires a very good knowledge of your body and it's response to stress, and devoting enough energy to each section. Running a marathon takes approximately 4 hours - the approximate length of the GMAT. Running a marathon requires you to train for 3-4 months, not just run it cold. Same with the GMAT - you have to do a lot of full practice tests to train for it. While running a marathon, you have to "refuel" yourself to prevent your muscles from breaking down. While taking the GMAT, you have to properly refuel your body with appropriate drinks and snacks, or else your brain cells will be fried. Finishing a marathon can give you a great runner's high. Finishing (and doing well) on the GMAT can leave you elated.
Materials Used:
-PowerScore CR
-MGMAT Tests 4-6
-Repeat some OG and OG Verbal Review
-GMATPrep V. 1, some GMATPrep Paper tests (this was way too easy though)
-GMATClub Tests - I only did the Quant tests, and I think I got a 50% every time, UNTIMED. I cannot tell you how valuable these are though. They will clean up all your lose corners in Quant, and make sure you think of all the corner cases for each problem that you wouldn't think of otherwise. I don't think a single problem like these ever showed up on the GMAT, but boy, it was definitely useful for understanding the nuances of positive/negative, primes, etc., especially for Data Sufficiency.
Also, one more thing I realized was that, no matter how much you study your MGMAT SC notes or PowerScore CR Bible, at the end of the day the GMAT is a logical test. It's not going to ask you, "are these two statements parallel?" or "is this verb in agreement with the subject?". The questions will focus on the overall logic, meaning, and structure of the argument/sentence. This was quite an important realization because, there is only so much you can study with grammar theory and argument theory - most of your gmat skill will be recognizing the types of questions that the GMAT can ask, and the traps it may put forth. This can only be achieved by months of practice.
Test 3
After a couple of months off, I decided to take the test today, right in the middle of the summer. This is the absolute worst time to take the test, because while all of your friends are out on the beach and partying at bars, you're stuck at home or in the library studying. I really made it a conscious effort this time, forcing myself to forgo everything - not seeing my friends at all, not making time for my girlfriend, not attending birthdays...Anyway, I focused on taking full-length tests this time, and keeping a very detailed log of everything I did. I also bought the Kaplan Premier 800 just for the 5 CATs. The log included any theory I had learned, as well as anything I had gotten wrong (especially in SC, CR). When I look back on it now, I realized that most of my mistakes in SC were "idioms/usage", further proving my point about how the GMAT is more a test of meaning and structure than simple grammar. I was scoring in the low 700s to mid 700s, but I was taking full tests. As I said earlier, I also picked up running on the side, and did routine breathing exercises (just focus on your breathing for 5-10 minutes - it will leave you focused and more relaxed!). I also tried to get 7/7.5 hours of sleep a night a week before the test. I'm pretty sure all of these measures helped, as I didn't burnout toward the end of my actual exam.
On the actual test day (today), I ate a pretty heavy meal for lunch (bad idea!), and took a couple of bananas, a snickers bar, and some coconut water. I just did a couple of breathing exercises at the test center, and calmed myself down. I was feeling good through the AWA and IR (I think they were okay, but don't want to count my chickens before they hatch). My first break, I ate a banana and drank some coconut water (this is really good for electrolyte replenishment - just like running (and no, I don't care if that was grammatically incorrect) ). However, when I went back to the room, it said I exceeded my time by 43 seconds! I was a bit derailed mentally, but it could have been worse. I got the first question right, but I could not figure out how to do the second question. I must have been delirious or something - it was definitely an easy question, but I just didn't understand what it was asking. I decided just to randomly guess and skip it. I think I got some pretty tough questions (esp in Geometry) toward the end, but powered through them. Thankfully, NO probability! I did the last question in 53 seconds, was pretty proud of that. I came for my second break, ate another banana, and made sure this time to go back in time. I also took a few deep breaths, calmed myself down before I went in and made sure I wasn't repeating March 2013. I initially got a lot of SC's - which worried me a little bit, because that meant I was going to get a lot of CRs at the end. I got 4 passages, 3 short and 1 long one. The long passage was very difficult to comprehend! Anyway, I powered through that last section, and came to the screen to report my scores. Seriously, the worst two minutes of my life! When I saw the score though, I was so ecstatic. I don't think I even saw the 10's and 1's digit, when I just saw the "7" I couldn't be happier.
Materials Used
-MGMAT 1-6 Redo
-Kaplan CATs 1-5
-PowerScore LR (CR was definitely my weak subject, so I decided to use the LSAT's version of the book). I definitely think this is the book to read for the people a bit weak in CR.
-LSAT PrepTests - Since I was weak in CR and ran out of official questions after a while, I used some PrepTests (initially 1-10 and later on 45-50 once I realized they later ones were harder) and just did the questions which were relevant - assumption, weaken, strengthen, must be true, paradox, etc. It's hard to pick and choose them though. I think it may have been overkill, but it was better than doing questions from other test prep companies. The format of LSAT LR questions is a bit different - because of the way they're structured, I think they can be much easier sometimes (for formal logic especially), and much harder (just because of the length of the prompt). Overall, it was helpful I think - but again, only if you furiously google every mistake you make! God, I'm so glad I don't have to take this test.
-GMATPrep Questions Packs for SC and CR (found somewhere in this forum) - This is INVALUABLE! Everyone should go through these, and clearly try to understand every single mistake you make (and other problems which you don't really understand...), and write it down in a log. And don't ever make the same mistake again. I would say do this multiple times.
-Did not use any GMATPrep tests as I had exhausted the material, same with OG
-I'm saving the best for last - The MGMAT Test Simulation Booklet. Sounds stupid, but I took all my practice CATs using this booklet and the marker - I think it made a huge difference. I wasn't as overly nervous as I was for the first two, and was definitely more at ease knowing I had seen the marker/booklet before. I don't think it's so weird anymore using a laminated booklet and a marker doing math problems...
My two cents
- Don't go overboard with your preparation - focus more on the WHY then the quantity. Doing obscure, difficult quant problems is pointless (unless you really want to get that 51).
- Take full-length, timed tests!
- Remember, this is an endurance test! GMAT loves fear tactics and tries to suck all the blood out of you. Don't let them.
- RELAX!!
- Trust me, If I can do it, YOU can do it too! I'm not a genius or anything like that - you can tell from my 640 score the first time. It just takes a lot of dedication, hard work, and persistence.
"Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you will land among the stars" - Anonymous
I'll try to post my error log at some point if that's helpful. Kudos if you thought any of this was helpful!
-Fosterizer.![]()
Test 1
I started studying about Feb 2012 - I got all the MGMAT books and planned to study for about 3-4 months. I never took a diagnostic or anything. It took me a while to get through all the books, especially since I was working a 10-11 hour job. After finishing all of them in August or so, I decided to schedule my first test in October (because without scheduling a test, you'll never buckle down!). I took three MGMAT CAT tests. However, my biggest mistake here was that I took the Quant portions untimed, because I had heard that the Quant was way harder than the real test. I also took two GMAT Prep tests, on which I got in the high 600's to low 700's. At this point, I was confident I could break 700. On test day however, things went downhill as soon as I started quant - on question 8 or so, I spent about 3 minutes on the question, still got it wrong. The next few questions the same thing. By question 14, I had only 38 minutes left! I knew I couldn't pick up the time, and decided I had to cancel.
Materials Used:
-OG 13
-MGMAT Set of GMAT Guides (4th Ed)
-MGMAT CATs 1-3
-GMATPrep
Test 2
I realized the importance of taking timed tests. I took a few months off, and decided to take the test again in early March. I took the remaining MGMAT tests, and retook the GMATPrep tests (and the old versions). Again, I was scoring in the low 700's or high 600's. However, I would always neglect the IR and Essays, and just skip straight to the Quant section. As I realized, this was probably the biggest mistake in my second preparation. On test day, I breezed through the essay and IR. Quant was also relatively easy. And then came verbal. I honestly have no idea what happened - every word that I was reading was gibberish in my head, I couldn't understand simple sentences that were thrown at me. In my mind, I thought, "oh, this is probably an experimental question", and realized by the end of the test that I'd probably said that for over half the questions. Nevertheless, I chose to report my score, and got a 640 (6.0 AWA, 7 IR, 49 Q, 27V). A 27 in V! When I saw that, I was shocked, appalled, angry at myself. How could I score that low, when ALL my other verbal test scores were above 35? I guess at this point I was at such a low point. All I could hope for was that this was not a measure of my true ability, and just a statistical anomaly - I just had a bad day.
I then came to the most important realization - the GMAT is an endurance test, nothing else. While it does test skill and ability, it's more meant to induce fear in you and conquer you emotionally. Don't let it get to you! It's all in your head, how you approach it. At this point, I decided to pick up a few things: long distance running, and meditation. I have come to the conclusion now (you can weaken if you want
) that a great parallel can be drawn between running a marathon (or any long distance race) and taking the GMAT.Parallels - Running a marathon requires very good knowledge of your legs and body and your pace. Taking the GMAT requires a very good knowledge of your body and it's response to stress, and devoting enough energy to each section. Running a marathon takes approximately 4 hours - the approximate length of the GMAT. Running a marathon requires you to train for 3-4 months, not just run it cold. Same with the GMAT - you have to do a lot of full practice tests to train for it. While running a marathon, you have to "refuel" yourself to prevent your muscles from breaking down. While taking the GMAT, you have to properly refuel your body with appropriate drinks and snacks, or else your brain cells will be fried. Finishing a marathon can give you a great runner's high. Finishing (and doing well) on the GMAT can leave you elated.
Materials Used:
-PowerScore CR
-MGMAT Tests 4-6
-Repeat some OG and OG Verbal Review
-GMATPrep V. 1, some GMATPrep Paper tests (this was way too easy though)
-GMATClub Tests - I only did the Quant tests, and I think I got a 50% every time, UNTIMED. I cannot tell you how valuable these are though. They will clean up all your lose corners in Quant, and make sure you think of all the corner cases for each problem that you wouldn't think of otherwise. I don't think a single problem like these ever showed up on the GMAT, but boy, it was definitely useful for understanding the nuances of positive/negative, primes, etc., especially for Data Sufficiency.
Also, one more thing I realized was that, no matter how much you study your MGMAT SC notes or PowerScore CR Bible, at the end of the day the GMAT is a logical test. It's not going to ask you, "are these two statements parallel?" or "is this verb in agreement with the subject?". The questions will focus on the overall logic, meaning, and structure of the argument/sentence. This was quite an important realization because, there is only so much you can study with grammar theory and argument theory - most of your gmat skill will be recognizing the types of questions that the GMAT can ask, and the traps it may put forth. This can only be achieved by months of practice.
Test 3
After a couple of months off, I decided to take the test today, right in the middle of the summer. This is the absolute worst time to take the test, because while all of your friends are out on the beach and partying at bars, you're stuck at home or in the library studying. I really made it a conscious effort this time, forcing myself to forgo everything - not seeing my friends at all, not making time for my girlfriend, not attending birthdays...Anyway, I focused on taking full-length tests this time, and keeping a very detailed log of everything I did. I also bought the Kaplan Premier 800 just for the 5 CATs. The log included any theory I had learned, as well as anything I had gotten wrong (especially in SC, CR). When I look back on it now, I realized that most of my mistakes in SC were "idioms/usage", further proving my point about how the GMAT is more a test of meaning and structure than simple grammar. I was scoring in the low 700s to mid 700s, but I was taking full tests. As I said earlier, I also picked up running on the side, and did routine breathing exercises (just focus on your breathing for 5-10 minutes - it will leave you focused and more relaxed!). I also tried to get 7/7.5 hours of sleep a night a week before the test. I'm pretty sure all of these measures helped, as I didn't burnout toward the end of my actual exam.
On the actual test day (today), I ate a pretty heavy meal for lunch (bad idea!), and took a couple of bananas, a snickers bar, and some coconut water. I just did a couple of breathing exercises at the test center, and calmed myself down. I was feeling good through the AWA and IR (I think they were okay, but don't want to count my chickens before they hatch). My first break, I ate a banana and drank some coconut water (this is really good for electrolyte replenishment - just like running (and no, I don't care if that was grammatically incorrect) ). However, when I went back to the room, it said I exceeded my time by 43 seconds! I was a bit derailed mentally, but it could have been worse. I got the first question right, but I could not figure out how to do the second question. I must have been delirious or something - it was definitely an easy question, but I just didn't understand what it was asking. I decided just to randomly guess and skip it. I think I got some pretty tough questions (esp in Geometry) toward the end, but powered through them. Thankfully, NO probability! I did the last question in 53 seconds, was pretty proud of that. I came for my second break, ate another banana, and made sure this time to go back in time. I also took a few deep breaths, calmed myself down before I went in and made sure I wasn't repeating March 2013. I initially got a lot of SC's - which worried me a little bit, because that meant I was going to get a lot of CRs at the end. I got 4 passages, 3 short and 1 long one. The long passage was very difficult to comprehend! Anyway, I powered through that last section, and came to the screen to report my scores. Seriously, the worst two minutes of my life! When I saw the score though, I was so ecstatic. I don't think I even saw the 10's and 1's digit, when I just saw the "7" I couldn't be happier.
Materials Used
-MGMAT 1-6 Redo
-Kaplan CATs 1-5
-PowerScore LR (CR was definitely my weak subject, so I decided to use the LSAT's version of the book). I definitely think this is the book to read for the people a bit weak in CR.
-LSAT PrepTests - Since I was weak in CR and ran out of official questions after a while, I used some PrepTests (initially 1-10 and later on 45-50 once I realized they later ones were harder) and just did the questions which were relevant - assumption, weaken, strengthen, must be true, paradox, etc. It's hard to pick and choose them though. I think it may have been overkill, but it was better than doing questions from other test prep companies. The format of LSAT LR questions is a bit different - because of the way they're structured, I think they can be much easier sometimes (for formal logic especially), and much harder (just because of the length of the prompt). Overall, it was helpful I think - but again, only if you furiously google every mistake you make! God, I'm so glad I don't have to take this test.
-GMATPrep Questions Packs for SC and CR (found somewhere in this forum) - This is INVALUABLE! Everyone should go through these, and clearly try to understand every single mistake you make (and other problems which you don't really understand...), and write it down in a log. And don't ever make the same mistake again. I would say do this multiple times.
-Did not use any GMATPrep tests as I had exhausted the material, same with OG
-I'm saving the best for last - The MGMAT Test Simulation Booklet. Sounds stupid, but I took all my practice CATs using this booklet and the marker - I think it made a huge difference. I wasn't as overly nervous as I was for the first two, and was definitely more at ease knowing I had seen the marker/booklet before. I don't think it's so weird anymore using a laminated booklet and a marker doing math problems...
My two cents
- Don't go overboard with your preparation - focus more on the WHY then the quantity. Doing obscure, difficult quant problems is pointless (unless you really want to get that 51).
- Take full-length, timed tests!
- Remember, this is an endurance test! GMAT loves fear tactics and tries to suck all the blood out of you. Don't let them.
- RELAX!!
- Trust me, If I can do it, YOU can do it too! I'm not a genius or anything like that - you can tell from my 640 score the first time. It just takes a lot of dedication, hard work, and persistence.
"Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you will land among the stars" - Anonymous
I'll try to post my error log at some point if that's helpful. Kudos if you thought any of this was helpful!
-Fosterizer.