My GMAT Preparation Story!

[beagleboy]

Hello all,
One of the forum members here,Ivyaspirant asked me to post my GMAT experience as it will be helpful to those intending to take the test in future.
I started my preparation in October 2010 .I had initially planned to take the GMAT on 28th Jan but since I was not sure whether I’d be able to get my target score, I thought that it was a better idea to postpone the GMAT and take the exam only when I feel that I am prepared enough.

Verbal:
Sentence correction : Manhattan SC Guide and Aristotle SC Grail. I think the combination of these two books should be sufficient to sail you through the sentence correction on the GMAT.

Critical Reasoning : I used Powerscore CR bible for CR and found it to be quite helpful. I took my own notes so that I am able to revise the things fast

Reading comprehension : This was an area I was particularly weak in . I used OG12 for practising the passages and then moved on to the passages in RC99.

Strategy for preparation :
I was quite incosistent with my preparation during the first two months and that’s the very reason I was not able to take the GMAT on 28th Jan because I din’t want to rush in. I seriously started studying in end Jan .So in all I prepared for around 4 months.

Quant
I used Manhattangmat Quant books and found them to be quite helpful. I don’t think that you’d need anything else apart from these books to make you conceptually strong.

Advice to future test-takers

1. The GMAT is a test for which you’ll really need to build your concepts well if you’re aiming for a 700+,so be very thorough with your concepts

2. Divide your preparation into stages. This will help you set milestones for yourself and you’ll know how much progress have you made and how behind are you from your schedule.

3. Maintain discipline while preparing. I wasn’t able to study in a disciplined way in the initial few months and hence wasted those months. Once I started studying with a proper schedule, things fell in place. So it is very important that you make a proper schedule for yourself and then stick to it

4. Using the right books and resources is also very important so as to make sure that you do not end up wasting time using the resources which will not guide you to your target score.

I hope that my this post will be of some help to the people here. Let me know if you any have questions and i’ll be glad to be of some help to you all.
Cheers!

[van_austin]

This is very helpful. Thanks Beagleboy! I had been lurking on your other thread for a while. How much time in total do you think you spent studying?

[beagleboy]

Thanks,van_austin.Actually I prepared on and off for 2-3 months, so I really wouldn’t call it preparation. As I said, I started my preparation in Dec and took the exam in April, so in all I prepared for 4 months.
Do you also plan to take the GMAT ?

[mod]

Congratulations beagleboy and thanks for the great contribution!

[van_austin]

quote:

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Originally posted by beagleboy

Thanks,van_austin.Actually I prepared on and off for 2-3 months, so I really wouldn’t call it preparation. As I said, I started my preparation in Dec and took the exam in April, so in all I prepared for 4 months.
Do you also plan to take the GMAT ?

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Some time later this summer.

How many hours do you think you invested in studying?

[beagleboy]

In all , I probably sent something around 250 hours preparing for the GMAT!

[bryaniam]

Great info and inspiration for all of us! Thanks Beagleboy!

[beagleboy]

quote:

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Originally posted by bryaniam

Great info and inspiration for all of us! Thanks Beagleboy!

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I’m glad that I could be of some help. Feel free to discuss here if you need any help.

[Author]

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