My GMAT experience

21 Jul 2011 56 Comments

by Yatin in Reviews Tags: 760, crack, gmat, how to crack gmat

GMAT Date: 19 July 2011

Score: 760

	Scaled score	Percentile
Quant	50	92
Verbal	42	95
Total	760	99

 

Reading posts by those who had cracked the GMAT benefited me quite a lot and its time to give back to the community.  A few people asked for tips and tricks, so here goes.

It all began when I picked up Barron’s GMAT book at a Landmark book store. I didn’t really know much about the exam. To be frank, the book didn’t help much besides helping me familiarize myself with the logistics of the GMAT. The 1st chapter of any GMAT study book clearly explains the format of the exam and the types of questions asked. So if you have no idea about the exam, then I would suggest going through the 1st chapter of any GMAT preparation book or any article which explains the same. These would help you understand the format of the exam and nature of questions asked.

A must for anyone who wants to take the GMAT is to order the

1. The Official Guide For GMAT Review by Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)

GMAT is conducted by the GMA Council and this book is the only resource which provides 800+ past GMAT questions. Don’t expect to use this book to study theory, as that is not what the book intends to offer. It briefly explains concepts and then starts off with exercises for each of the sections. The questions are well ordered and detailed solutions with explanations are provided. These are extremely helpful.

If you find your concepts to be weak in any particular section, it is advisable to use one of the other publications such as Princeton review, Manhattan review etc. Barron’s has a decent theory section for Sentence correction. I would not be able to comment on the other publications as I did not use them. I made mistakes in the exercises, but I made a note of all the questions that were incorrect and went through all the explanations. On completing all the exercises in the Official guide, I again solved only those questions that I had answered wrongly and then reread the explanations again.

Note: There is a good chance you will make the same mistakes repeatedly. And in the same type of questions.

Following this, I felt I needed more practice, particularly in the verbal section and hence ordered the following two books.

2. The Official Guide For GMAT Verbal Review

3. The Official Guide For GMAT Quantitative Review

both by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)

These books again provide really good questions for practice. I repeated the same method mentioned above.

Besides this, I went through a few docs and links shared by a senior from ISB Hyderabad. They turned out quite handy.

Material: As far as material goes, I strongly believe that these 3 books should be more than enough to crack the GMAT. They cover every kind of question that you might come across. I wouldn’t recommend using the other publications unless you find yourself answering certain type of problems incorrectly consistently even after solving a large number of questions of that type.

Essays: The official guide provides a chapter for essay writing with examples about both kinds of essays -Analysis of an issue and of an argument. Besides this, one can use one of the many books which help cover this area

(Example: Analytical Writing & Essays For Admission To Foreign Universities (Paperback) by M. J. Ashok)

I didn’t spend too much time on this besides the practice tests. One evening, my roomies & I brainstormed about some of topics which appeared in previous GMAT exams. This helped gain perspective and ideas about various topics.

Practice tests:  Once you register yourself on mba.com and create a profile, you can download the GMAT prep software which gives you access to material and 2 full-fledged GMAT test simulations. These tests are extremely valuable. They provide the same user interface and fairly the same standard of questions.

Note: It is popular opinion that one should answer one of the prep tests before starting preparation and one after you’re ready to answer the GMAT. I would advise against this as these are the best testing resources available to you and I felt it was better to use them both post preparation. Instead you could use one of the diagnostic tests offered in the material mentioned.

GMAT prep 1 : 760 (exactly the same scores in both sections as my real GMAT)

GMAT prep 2 : 730 (took time for granted, had to rush at the end. learnt that it is quite important to pace yourself)

The only other test I gave was a GMAT simulation from the Barron’s CD which came with the book. The test wasn’t a satisfying experience, particularly the RC’s were messed up and there was no score at the end of it. Just percentiles. The practice tests were also largely helpful for essay writing practice.

Booking the date: I did not book the date before starting preparation as some people do. I booked it around 15 days after I had started studying as by then I could gauge when I would be ready to answer. Predict and choose a day/date you’re most likely to be comfortable with. Pressure builds once the date is booked. But this is good. Don’t wait to be fully prepared and then try to book. It might be too late to get a good date.

The exam experience: Watch this official video to get an idea of how the exam is conducted.

This would answer most of your questions about the exam experience.

Tips:

1. I know people say 4-6 weeks is enough for preparation. I’d say give it 2 months. It gives scope for damage control. Don’t rush into it. Decide for yourself how much time you need.

2. The “official books” are brilliant. They’re all you really need.

3. Its all about understanding how the exam works. Spend more time with the first few questions of each section and lesser with the later questions. But pace yourself well through those 75 minutes (of each section).

4. The centers which conduct the exam are extremely professional and well-managed. It was perhaps my best testing experience. They try their best to make things comfortable. So make the most of it and relax when you answer it.

5. Carry some snack to the exam. It’s a long exhaustive exam with 2 optional breaks. I had mine from 1:30 pm and hence did not get a chance to have lunch. A bar of chocolate or a banana would be a good option.

6. If you’re answering it from India (or other Asian countries), you need the passport! I had a big unnecessary adventure since my passport was back home in Goa and I realized this less than 2 days before the exam. My parents were my heroes and got it through to me in time, else I wouldn’t have been able to answer it.

7. I’d be happy to share the docs and links I went through. Leave a comment with your email id and I’ll send it across asap.

8. Do let me know if you would like to know more about anything in particular. I’d be glad to help.

All the best! Hope you crack it

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