GMAT 1 Debrief

So here is my GMAT Debrief that I put on GMAT Club :)


I took the real GMAT yesterday and got a 630 (Q42, V35). Though I was expecting a higher score, should say that I appreciate the precision of these scores because I never scored anything above 690 on my GMAT Prep. I want to share this GMAT debrief because I think I owe the improvement in my scores mainly to GMAT Club members, GMAT Club Tests and debriefs of other members.

A quick background on me. I am a Japanalogist and unlike typical Indian GMAT enthusiasts, have a liberal arts background. Many of my friends mentioned that my background would be quite interesting for B-schools and any GMAT score above 670 would lead to a compelling profile. Naturally, I was expecting to improve my Quant skills and was fairly confident on the Verbal aspect. So the target that I set for myself was somewhere around 670+. However, the real GMAT scores that I got are off by about 40 points. Needless to say, I will be taking the GMAT again to at least reach 680+ score, mainly trying to improve the V35.

I took the first GMAT Prep in April this year, and got a 540. Since I had practically not prepared for any aspect of the exam, I decided to devote more time. Juggling work, family and GMAT Prep left me with only fragmented patches of time to study. Got a 640 on GMAT Prep around June and then lingered on that score for a couple of months. In the mean time, I had already postponed my real GMAT a couple of times to make sure I was better prepared before taking it. Finally around October, I got two GMAT Prep scores which showed 690 (though many questions were repeated), and I decided to take the real GMAT. The real GMAT scores show a different story though.

Let me share the details with you:
Books & materials used:
1. GMAT Official Guide
2. MGMAT Guides
3. Kaplan Premier and Kaplan CATs
4. GMAT Club Tests 

GMAT Official Guide: I was doing pretty well on RC and PS (75 to 80% correct answers). The areas which were most difficult were DS, CR and SC. Honestly speaking, I did not work to the level that I would know each and every question in detail.

MGMAT Guides: Really helped me during my phase to learn basic concepts. Just used those parts which I was not confident about (Coordinate Geometry, Combinatorics, Probability, SC, CR, etc.). I think a good strategy for resuming my preparation will be to go over again.

Kaplan Premier and Kaplan CATs: I came across Kaplan in August and really found it to be a great help towards improving my test-taking skills. I focused mainly on PS, DS, SC and CR. The bad part, however was the scores on my Kaplan CATs. Will discuss them further in the debrief.

GMAT Club Tests: These were fabulous, making me get a feel of what 700 level problems looked like. I heavily relied on the Quant tests and did only 1 complete test for Verbal. I am still left with at least another 10 tests and can use them as practice.

Test scores:
GMAT Prep (April) : 540 (Q30, V32)
GMAT Prep (June) : 640 (Q42, V37)
GMAT Prep Re-test (July) : 600 (Q39, V34)
GMAT Prep Re-test (July) : 640 (Q44, V34)
Kaplan CAT 1 (September): 530 (Q32, V31)
Kaplan CAT 2 (September): 570 (Q35, V33)
GMAT Prep (Re-installed): 690 (Q47, V39) 
GMAT Prep (Re-installed): 690 (Q47, V39)
Kaplan CAT 3 (October): 590 (Q37, V35) 

Length of study:
Studied from June to October but in patches. So there was a good patch in June, and also a good patch in October, but on the whole the whole process was pretty patchy.

General strategy:
I thought I should focus more on improving my Quant, since the last serious quant questions I had taken were about 13 years ago. I found MGMAT Guides extremely helpful. At the same time, after I came across Kaplan, I got a real taste of the required test-taking skills for GMAT.
I should say that the general strategy was first to get a general overview of all the topics for Quant and Verbal, then focus simultaneously on SC, CR, DS, PS and RC.
I tried to take as many tests as possible, and thought that if I can hit somewhere up to 700 on practice tests, it would lead me to my required 670+ score.

Learnings:
1. Consistency:
As is in any game, consistency pays off. I could see consistent patches of study (even though it was for 1 hour per day) warmed up my grey cells to perform better.

2. Simulation:
It is common knowledge that professional players simulate actual conditions in order to prepare for real matches. I started only by taking the Quant and Verbal sections (without AWA), but in the final month, took all sections (starting with the Kaplan CATs). It really helps.

3. Preparation:
A week before the test, visited the test center to avoid any hiccups. There are some really good videos on mba.com website about what to expect on exam day. 

I am sure you must be wondering why the hell this guy is writing so much if he scored a paltry 630 on the score.
The problem is probably my experience at the exam 

I started off the day badly, because I was too anxious to take the exam. I would suggest all those who are taking the exam to get a good night's sleep, and that was exactly what I did not do. Was not able to sleep well and was already sleepy when I reached the test center. In spite of this, AWA started well. I could tackle both the argument as well as issue essays well. Quant started with an interesting question on number properties. The level of difficulty was almost similar to the questions faced on GMAT Prep. I should say that GMAT Prep is a very accurate indicator of scores as well as difficulty levels of problems. I also got a couple of probability problems, a combinatorics problem and was expecting a good Quant score. Verbal started off well, but somewhere around the 21st question, I started showing signs of fatigue. A weird headache had started and I just made sure I cross-checked my answers before moving ahead and completed the section. I also remember there was one SC question that was probably taken right out of the OG, or that is what I feel.

I thought I had done well on the exam and moved ahead. The questions that ask for your information basically have some information that you have already entered when registering on mba.com, so you just need to confirm the information on most pages. Finally, when I pressed the button to report my scores, I saw this 630 (Q42, V35) which left me with mixed feelings. I should say I cannot cry as the level of preparation I put in deserved this score, but at the same time, I also was surprised that though Quant gave me indications that I would get a good score, things just did not go my way.

One thing I would like to share with all is that I depended too much on chance and thought I could reach 700 even though I did not hit those scores on GMAT Prep. This is probably the biggest mistake on my part. Will start preparing again with more concentrated efforts from tomorrow, and will make sure I hit 700 at least on one of the exams.

I just wanted to make sure this message goes to everyone, so that others do not make the same mistakes as I made. I lacked consistency, did not keep a track of my weak areas (No error log), did not take mock tests seriously (should have hit 700 on at least one Non-GMAT Prep CAT) and goofed up the run-up to the test. I would love to get more suggestions from people who have been able to overcome these difficulties.

And of course, I will keep you all posted on my progress on retaking the GMAT  Really want to thank GMAT Club for motivating me in many ways, and hope this debrief helps fellow gmatters 

The Final 24 hours

Nothing much to write actually.

Got up late today, took some time off, and then brushed some basics.
Did a few problem solving questions and the good thing was that got just one problem wrong.
I was not equally lucky in Verbal and got only 6 correct out of 10. Did not do anything after that.

Am about to sleep. Will take at least 8 hours of sleep before I leave for the exam hall.
Passport, exam confirmation, all things are in place.

Finally, the G-Day has come.
Will post the debrief once I am back.
Hoping for the best!

Manhattan GMAT CAT

Got a 640 (Q42, V35) on Manhattan GMAT. This means that I should be looking at somewhere between 650 and 690 as a realistic score on my first GMAT. I am sure that I need to do well on my Verbal to pull up the actual GMAT score.

The plan for tomorrow is to review the Manhattan GMAT Test, look at the Sentence Correction Section on OG and review the Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency sections in OG. I will be revising some key concepts on Friday, one day before the exam. These include Rate Problems (Work and Distance), Probability and Combinatorics, and also looking at formulas.

Will not be taking any more tests and will concentrate only on keeping my cool on the G-Day.
Am hoping for the best!

2 days to go...

Final Prep goes on...

I reviewed my Kaplan CAT and found that there were quite a few mistakes on understanding the questions. Probably I was not really prepared to take on the ultra-difficult questions thrown by Kaplan and got too bogged down. Not that I am complaining, rather it has given me a good estimate of what I should actually expect from GMAT, considering the fact that many questions were repeated during the GMAT Prep exams where I got high scores.

Today, I just made sure I sit back and relax. Now am about to take Manhattan GMAT CAT. This will be another objective evaluation of my performance and will give me more realistic estimate of where I stand. Basically, I want to make sure that the 690s that I have got on GMAT Prep (or even the 590 on Kaplan) do not give me a false sense of confidence (or lack of confidence), and I don't stop studying right till the last day.

All and all, I still have a good feeling about my GMAT coming up on the 5th. Most of the areas have been covered in my studies and now I just need to make sure I deliver my best performance on the G-Day.

Let's see what happens in the MGMAT CAT.

2 days to go...

Kaplan CAT 3

I am not sure what to say. Got a 590 (Q37, V32) on Kaplan CAT.

I think somehow my preparations are not really in sync with the Kaplan Strategy, though I am happy to see an objective evaluation of my abilities on Kaplan. After seeing the score drop from an 690 (Q47, V38) to a 590, I think I need to make sure I maintain my calm on the actual day of the test.

Will continue to strengthen my basics, mainly focusing on the questions from the OG. Will attempt another CAT tomorrow, just to make sure I am able to last for 4 hours. Guess relaxing after that and taking the exam on Saturday will be a good strategy.

Did not study much before the CAT and was just focusing on basic problems from OG. I have to make sure I get good sleep and revise the basics once more in the coming 3 days.

3 days to go!

Four days to go!

I could not study much today. Just browsed through a few SC and CR problems.
Have got another 60 odd hours to prepare for the G-Day. Have taken off from work and hopefully things fall in place on November 5.

Planning to take MGMAT CAT tomorrow and Kaplan CAT the day after. After that, I will be only focusing on strengthening some key concepts.

Hoping that the last spurt would take me beyond the dream 700+ score.

4 days to go...

Test Center Visit and GMAT Prep

Visited the test center in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. I was a bit confused initially, as the entrance to the Test Center was closed and there were no signs of people inside the building. However, I could talk to the receptionist through the intercom and enter the center building. It is just like any other center, with the biometric identification and all that. Since I will be taking the Test on a Saturday, yesterday's visit was helpful because I got to know the procedures that are followed on Weekends to enter the building. I hope nobody goes to the Test Center on G-Day, already stressed out, only to find out that the doors to the Center are not opening!

Started off the day slowly today. Read about the drop in number of applicants to B-Schools in 2011 and also how that has forced increase in numbers of students accepted in top schools. The detailed article is here.

As the speed picked up, took another GMAT Prep. In fact it was a repeat of an earlier test in which I had scored 640. This time, there was improvement, but the score read an identical 690 (Q47 V39), which I had got last week.

Will focus on not losing the momentum over the next four days. Will take one full Kaplan CAT and 1 GMAT Prep before I take the exam on Saturday. Hopefully, things will work out positively.

5 days to go... 

GMAC Videos and Test Center Visit

Just went through a couple of videos by GMAC. These are amazing videos to lower your stress during the build-up to the G-Day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kK-QuuZeuw

The other video on the page shows real test-takers giving some much-needed advice and counseling. Really good way to start the build-up to the test.
http://www.mba.com/the-gmat/test-day.aspx

Since I am an Indian, working in Japan, I need to make sure I have a passport as identification proof at the test center. Along with the passport, I need to take 5 names of schools to which I will be sending my test scores (Wharton, Booth, Harvard are already fixed. Am thinking of Kellogg and Cornell to fill up the 5).

Solved some 15 700+ questions from GMAT Club Quant set. I will now head to the Test Center near Koujimachi, Tokyo. I am quite excited already!

Will put in updates at the end of the day now.

6 days to go...

Last Lap towards the G-Day!

I am left with last 6 days for my G-MAT. Will be taking the exam on November 5 and hopefully reaching somewhere around 680+, as that is the minimum score I need for getting into the B-schools I have aimed at.

To be honest, I have a pretty good feeling about the exam. Maybe it is because I have started focusing well over the last couple of weeks, and also due to an assuring 690 on the GMAT Prep last weekend. The bottom-line is I have been able to concentrate better over the last two weeks and have consistently solved questions with higher difficulty levels.

A few thoughts on the process till now. It was at the end of April that I started with my prep, got 540 on first GMAT Prep. Then May was totally dry. June was the time when I could really concentrate. July, August and September were really full of trouble due to some issues on the professional front. And frankly, it was only in October that I found my rhythm. I would like to say that I am yet to peak and I hope the best performance comes on the G-Day.

Now a bit about the exam prep. Since I have been told that the most important part is SLEEP, I have avoided business trips over the last 3 months, and also made sure I don't get in any irregular schedules. Have taken 4 days off before the exam to reinforce my preparations. Will visit the Test Center tomorrow to make sure I am comfortable about the directions and location of the Test Center.

I think what GMAT expects from you is just an ability to use the basics of Math and Logic to solve various problems. 600-level problems have just once concept, 650 have two concepts and a twist, 700 have three concepts and a twist, and so on. The key is to keep your cool over the 4 hour Stress-Test. That is what I will be focusing on.

Will keep updating my status on the blog over the next 6 days to make sure I am focused on my cause!

6 days to go!

Balance Sheet October 24

Today was a day to take things easy. Lazed away whole day, and just studied in the evening.

Reviewed the problems that went wrong. Will need another review to make sure I am clear on my weak points.

Plan for tomorrow is to continue the GMAT Club Tests while continuing to work for Verbal. The next 7 days will be mostly dedicated to improving my Verbal scores, though I think there can not be much to be improved now.

All and all, a 710/720 (Q46/47 V42) is something I should be aiming at.

11 days to go...

GMAT Prep Debrief: October 23

I am actually living the process of sustained improvement :)

Yeah, after a couple of months of uncertainty, lots of fluctuations in scores, was able to inch forward to the dream 700+ score. Got a 690 (Q47 V38) and missed the 700 by a whisker. I am sure it was due to the sluggish performance on Verbal that I missed the dream 700+ score. At the same time, I should also say that since it is the 7th or 8th time that I took GMAT Prep, I should not be really banking on GMAT Prep scores, but should be looking at Kaplan or some other CATs to get a realistic score.

Quant started off well, and I could see a few questions on coordinate geometry and probability pretty early in the test. Was stuck up on probability, but on the whole the section went pretty smooth. As far as Verbal was concerned, the sentence correction questions were quite different, and 1 RC was also new. But I believe I made some unforgivable mistakes and that is the reason why my Verbal was so low. I need to put in most of my time strengthening my Verbal concepts so that I can score at least a 40 on G-Day.

Nevertheless, this result is very encouraging. I was kind of doubting myself when I had repeatedly ended around 640 last couple of times. I can see myself peaking now, and need to study consistently to keep the momentum going.

A pat on my back, my mission is excellence :)

12 days to go...

Revising Concepts and then a Full CAT!

That is the plan for today.
I was faced with a dilemma some time ago. Do I go ahead and churn out some more problems or do I revise some weak concepts? I decided for the latter, mainly because of two reasons. The first one being the Full CAT that I will be anyways giving later in the day. The second reason was because I should not be burning myself out 10 days away from the G-Day. Bottom line is to stay as fresh as possible to take on the challenge.

Plan for today is 2 to 3 hours of study for Quant, revising Coordinate Geometry, Combinatorics and Probability. Then moving on the the Full CAT.

I did not realize that the blog has already crossed over 100 posts. That makes it an average of 2 posts every 3 days. Need to make sure all this effort doesn't go in vain!

12 days to go!  

Balance Sheet October 22

Completed Verbal Question Set from GMAT Club Tests. Also solved 1.5 Quant Sets from GMAT Club Tests (64 problems).
Was not able to do the revision on Combinatorics, Probability and Coordinate Geometry. Will do it in first half tomorrow before taking the full test.

On the whole, I am getting more and more comfortable with tough questions now. Things are not looking as bleak as they looked earlier. Retaining my concentration all the while is going to be the key on test day.
That is the reason why I am trying to simulate test conditions to the extent possible. Look forward to the score tomorrow.

13 days to go!

Balance Sheet for this week: October 19 to 21

Since it was a working week, I tried my best to come back home and work on at least 1 Quant set from GMAT Club. I was successful in doing that for last 3 days. At the same time, I am also working on CR while I am commuting. Awesome 3 days and I am slowly feeling confident about my prep again.

Plan ahead.

1. Solve another Quant Set tomorrow, revise concepts of Coordinate Geometry, Combinatorics and Probability. 

2. Take a full Kaplan Test on Sunday.

I am sure I am slowly working towards my goal. Consistency is the name of the game!

14 days to go!

Balance Sheet October 17 and 18

Was totally glued to OG CR during my commutes to and from the office. I think I solve almost 25 problems of CR.

Have also started with GMAT Club tests. Completed the Math Question Set 1 and now on Set 2. Have 25 sets to do, add to it the 2 Kaplan CATs and Kaplan 800 Questions. Need to make sure I complete at least a few of those this week.

Maybe it is the panic, but I find myself more alert in answering questions now. Hope I am able to crack the exam on the G-Day!

17 days to go...

GMAT Prep Debrief: October 16

With barely 3 weeks to go for the exam, panic sirens have started ringing. My score yesterday was a meager 640 (Q42 V37), identical to what I had achieved way back in June. That means, almost 4 months of patchy studies have got me nowhere :(

Well, some positives were that I took the full exam, was not scared of any questions (and guessing answers) whatsoever, and have started feeling the heat of the occasion (probably) at the right point in time. The exam was a full 4-hour, 3-session exam, and I thought I managed to do fairly well, considering my verbal score peaked instead of falling down, showing that I had sapped my energy. I just want to see a 4 to 5 point increase in my final scores (Q46 V42) and will be working towards that over the next couple of weeks.

I need to be more frequent with updating the blog, so that I can keep a track of where my studies are going. All in all, I was not able to follow my time-table as well as I could, and I should say that unless I really give my 100% to GMAT in the coming weeks, the 700 score may be a bit difficult to achieve. Kind of low on morale, but I believe this should get the best out of me now. Looking forward to working consistently over the next two weeks.

Plan forward includes:
1. Revision of MGMAT Guides: Go through key concepts this week of October 17 to 22 and take exam again on October 23 or 24.
2. Complete focus on materials like Kaplan 800, GMAT Club Test, etc. This will give me the much needed practice.
3. Review of Official Guide 12th Edition. Am already onto this.

Now that the going has gotten tough, the tough should get going!
Will update the blog every day to share the progress.

18 days to go...  

Plan for today: October 16

With just over 2 weeks to go, I will be taking another GMAT Prep test today. Plan to take the whole 4 hour test.

Will revise some main concepts of PS, DS, CR during next couple of hours. Will try to simulate actual exam conditions this time.

On the whole, I should say the prep has gone well. Need to make sure that I am in best mental and physical conditions to handle the stress of the exam. I am feeling that my energies start fagging out in the last one hour of the test, where I am not able to handle the Verbal section well. I need to make sure my stamina lasts.

Will post a debrief by the end of the day.

19 days to go...

Updates on Prep and Wharton Admissions Reception, Tokyo: October 6

I am embarrassed that my resolve to update the blog had weakened over the last couple of weeks and now I am visiting after almost 2 weeks of procrastination. I think I should not waste my time sulking about the past and should talk about what I have been up to for the last two weeks.

First of all, was at the Wharton Admissions Reception, Tokyo on October 6. Met the vibrant Alumni of Wharton and got inspired with the whole outlook towards MBA. I should say my Essays will now be much balanced as I go on the lines of self-reflection and think about why I need an MBA and also why Wharton/Booth/Harvard MBAs. The most important thing that struck me about Wharton was their offer to allow Alumni revisit B-School once in every 7 years, free of charge, and take up particular courses for 7 days to brush up their knowledge or learn something new. Another aspect was also that the course itself will be changing, with more flexibility introduced in the 1st year course starting second semester. Seems exciting!

Apart from that, I spent the last weekend at work. It was very frustrating to work over a long weekend, sacrificing my holidays, but I hope I can compensate myself by taking off just before the GMAT. I still should not forget that initially I planned the exam on September 22, then pushed it to October 11 and now will try to give it on November 5. 

I am almost done with the SC, CR, PS and DS sections of Kaplan Premier. I should say Kaplan was an eye-opener. If MGMAT Guides gave me the basic concepts which I needed to tackle GMAT Problems, Kaplan gave me the test taking strategies and confidence to handle any question. Though I should say that I am yet to gain the confidence to handle the full exam, I am much better prepared at test-taking that what I was a month back. In the mean time, I took a full-time test last week and scored only 540 on Kaplan, but since I know the level of my preparation and Kaplan's level of difficulty, I am yet to give up on the dream 700+ score on actual GMAT.

Long post, but I should sum up that last two weeks have been really good as a buildup towards the test. Looking forward to next two weeks and the G-Day on Nov 5th!

20 days to go...

A very good Sunday!

When I get more than 8 hours sleep, I call that day a very good day :)

Work has been hectic and last week was one of the most hectic weeks I experienced during my professional career. Higher responsibilities make things complex, so that is what I am experiencing right now.

Back to business...Worked in a very concentrated manner to brush problem solving basics and did Kaplan CR Quiz. Also started with the PS Quiz, but could not get enough time.

Good thing is that I am now in the groove both from test preparation and test taking strategy perspectives. I am much more confident about the concepts that I would see in the problems, and also about the ways in which I can tackle the problems. I am really getting higher sense of comfort now.

A good day is about to end and I can see a long weekend coming my way. So will continue the good work. Woods are lonely, dark and deep, but I think it's just the right time to sleep ;-)

33 days to go...

More updates

Have been slow over last 3 days. Could just cover about 15 CR problems.

Plan to accelerate things from today. Looking at some good CR and PS practice in the evening.

35 days to go...

Long weekend updates

The long weekend was quite fruitful. Was able to complete the Math skill refresher in Kaplan premier and now looking at the CR section. It's only CR that's getting in my way now, as am more confident with analytical aspect of Quant. So this week will be dedicated to Verbal studies and hopefully, I'd hit a good score over the weekend. Will make sure I give my best this week too.

39 days to go...

Another postponement of the G-Day!

It is very difficult to put my feelings in words. I think I should console myself by saying that I don't want to make a half-hearted try  to the exam. Rather I would like to make sure I am confident to get at least 700+ score and then schedule the G-Day. I should have thought about this much earlier and given myself time before scheduling the exam, but there are some mistakes you need to make in order to get wiser.

And I would also not call this a mistake. I was cruising along well with the preparations till I got back to Japan. There were a few professional hiccups and the subsequent fire-fighting (not my fault, of course...but if you have colleagues who end up having police cases on them, you have to fire-fight as an account manager) left very less space for GMAT Prep. It all meant starting off right from the beginning. And especially after the Kaplan CAT, I am sure I need to really work my way towards the top again.

Am now aiming my GMAT on Nov. 5. This will be almost 2 months before the deadline of Round 2 applications for the B-Schools I have chosen. In the mean time, I will have an admissions event for Wharton on October 6. Look forward to some systematic studies in the time to come.

In any case, the mission remains on! Am not going to abandon it of course. It is just a good way to learn that lack of preparation, lack of planning, lack of good execution is a perfect recipe to disaster ;-)

42 days to go...

Kaplan Destruction!

Was completely destroyed by Kaplan CAT Test and managed to score only 570 (Q34, V32).
However, this was the very first full test I took and I still have a very good feeling.

The reason for this destruction was that I had just taken the Kaplan Diagnostic test. This means I was already tired when I started the CAT. Add to it the extra 1 hour for AWA. I was doing well at the beginning of the Quant section, but faltered and had a streak of 7 wrong questions which did me. Was never able to recover after that.

Am yet to do the post-mortem analysis of my Verbal section, but somehow I think I am back on track. All of a sudden there is this enthusiasm in me to really beat the GMAT. And I am really happy that I am now in this mode. I just hope I don't need to postpone the exam.

The Kaplan Online Companion videos are awesome. They were just the kind of motivation I needed. Now I am sure that the GMAT is not at all a monster, but just a test where I need to apply my analytical skills. And to be able to do that, I need good sleep :)

Am really pumped up and will make sure I put on more updates now!

20 days to go! 

Balance Sheet Sept 17

Put in 2 hours in Sentence Correction and did 50 problems. Got 41 correct. Kaplan method for SC is really helping me.

Will do a bit of Math tomorrow. Planning to put in at least 4 hours of good study.

Looking forward...

22 days to go...

Chicago Booth Event Sept 14

Attended the Chicago Booth Summer Event by Booth students on September 14. It was great to meet some wonderful people from Second Year of Full-time MBA.
There were some really good inputs that I got.

1. GMAT Score should be around or above 700 (common sense as Booth is one of the top 10 B-Schools)
2. Applicants with multi-cultural exposure are encouraged. I guess this is because of the varied perspectives they can bring to the class. Hopefully I can highlight this aspect of my application....
3. Got good inputs about the strategy classes held by Prof. Keg.
4. Got to know about pre-term courses I can do and also about the convenient location of Chicago Booth when it comes to the job-hunting season.

All and all, got motivated and sat down to study...Hopefully I am able to tame the GMAT :)

Balance Sheet Sept 12

Worked a bit on DS, and also looked at some basic CR and SC concepts of Kaplan SC Strategy.

1. Quant: Solved OG DS problems from #25 to #48. It was a good revision of some basic concepts. The real test starts when the problems cross # 125.

2. Verbal: Went through theory of CR and solve 5 problems in Kaplan. Also went through introductory theory of SC.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant:
Theory: Revisit MGMAT Number properties
Practice: Continue solving OG DS.

2. Verbal:
Theory: Go through Kalplan SC theory
Practice: Kaplan CR and SC.

27 days to go!

Updates for today...

The prep is going pretty well as of now, partly because of low workload. Even though I did my daily volume of work and attended a sudden meeting, I was able to squeeze in some time to revise OG DS from problem 25 to almost problem 50. I should say I am slowly getting confident.

Plan to go home and put in a couple of hours for CR and SC practice. That will be really awesome!

Look forward to updating the blog in the evening...

Plan for tomorrow!

Didn't notice that I had stopped putting up targets and updates on the progress of the preparation. I can really use this as the best example of how procrastination destroys someone :-(

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant:
Theory: Revisit MGMAT Number Properties
Practice: OG DS, problem 15 to 25, i guess.

2. Verbal:
Theory: MGMAT SC and CR Guide

Practice: Kaplan CR & SC

Blogger iPhone App!

Probably this is what I needed the most!

I have realised that I desperately need to do some self-talking when I have to focus on things. In case of the GMAT Prep, my blog has served as the best medium to self-talk. It was a shame that I did not discover the iPhone Blogger app before.

Thanks for this app, Blogger! I will be able to connect back to my blog and focus better!

Way to go!!!

Back on track?? GMAT Prep #5

Well that 610 the other night had scared the daylights (and all other lights) out of me!
I was working on Quant ever since and today's GMAT Prep showed that Quant is slowly getting within my grasp...

I put up an okay show with 640, and the breakup is really interesting...It was a Q44 V34, making me believe that if I put in systematic study of Verbal, the dream 700+ score is not really out of my reach. Of course, it will mean some effort from my side, and the score today has been encouraging enough to get me back on track.

The business trip that is looming large on my October 11 G-Day will not be able to deter me from putting in my best efforts. I should be back to the blog tomorrow night, live and kicking!
Here I come, you b$%%#rs!!!

29 days to go...

Another debacle...

Took GMAT prep again just to reach a meager 610 with Q39 and V34. I am seeing a steady decline in my Verbal scores, whereas Quant has always been at a constant 39. This means I need to look at improving Verbal up by at least 10 points, and Quant by 7. I am working towards it, but it seems a bit difficult with all the pressures on the work front.
But I can't give up now. Need to get back on track and improve!
Will put the next update tomorrow, and make sure there are no more hiccups!

30 days to go....

Still trying to get back on track...

Am trying to get back on track by looking at flash-cards, etc. but am not able to get the momentum. I guess I need to work on it for another couple of days and I will be there.

In any case, will take up Kaplan and MGMAT Guides. Won't really give up. Another business trip to Europe may force me to postpone the exam again, but want to be completely prepared before that, i. e., start hitting 700s.

Will get up in the morning and study....

33 days to go...

Pathetic preparation forces me to postpone the exam...

Well after a real long absence, here I am with the latest post..

Not much to write. Did nothing over last two weeks. Got a V37 Q39 and 620 on the exam today. Was surprised Quant has not been as bad as I was expecting. In any case, need to pull my socks.

Had to postpone the G-Day to October 11. Need to slog till then and start getting 700+ at least on GMAT Prep.

Attended the Chicago Booth Event and was pleased to meet some nice people. Will continue to update on that as well. Nothing much, just frustration all around me!

Will post tomorrow morning when I am in a better mood :)

No time for studies...

Contrary to what I had expected, I am not really getting any quality time for studies. Hope I will be able to recover the lost time and be able to increase my score.

Talking to people around, I got to know that Kaplan is really not something that will motivate me with a higher score. Rather I will have to take up whatever Kaplan throws at me with a pinch of salt. It has been evaluated even on GMAT Club as a tough test. Now what remains is just me slogging hard for the test. Hope I am able to do it.

At the same time, I am enjoying a good break at home. Will be surely fresh to resume my studies in the last 4 weeks of GMAT Prep.

30 days to go...

GMAT Prep 3

After reviewing the GMAT Prep 3, I have realized that the main reason for my stagnant score is lack of consistent practice. I have not been able to work on GMAT in a dedicated manner. This has led in gaps in preparation and consequently, inability to discover the ways in which problems should be solved. This reflected in consuming too much time in Quant, leaving me with only 1 minute per question during the last 10 questions. I got 6 questions wrong in the last 10.

1. Quant: Need to brush the basics again. Realized a lot of silly mistakes that could have been avoided.

2. Verbal: Need to focus on CR. SC has improved considerably, but CR is still weak.

Also bought Kaplan Premier yesterday. This gives me another 6 tests to practice in the coming month. Will give my best in the days to come.

32 days to go....

Off to India!

I have another 4 hours before I start my final packing for the flight to India.
I will be there for about 10 days on vacation, and look forward to recharging my emotional and mental energies. There is so much to do for my GMAT, and I would love to give a GMAT prep in India where I can get a 700+ score. Will work on that.

My verbal looks in quite a good shape and what is bothering me is the drop in Quant from 42 to 39. In fact, I just need to get 5 correct answers each to hit 720 (Q44 V44). I know this will be a tough task, but I believe I should be able to achieve this much at least before I take the actual GMAT.

Will work my a** out in the coming days!

35 days to go....

On your marks...

The third GMAT Prep got me back to 640. This was a great relief, especially after the debacle a couple of weeks back. I was scared the score would fall further, but to my relief, I could see another 640 with Q39 and V39. That was my level before I really got wayward, but now I can't afford losing focus or even being complacent. The plan is to take more exams in coming weeks and make sure that I get to my targeted score. What I need to do now is to revisit the basics. Will start revision from tomorrow itself.

On the whole, the takeaways were as follows:
1. Time management: I need to be better prepared with the Quant section as my time management cost me a couple of questions. This should not be the case in future exams.
2. Improvement in Verbal: Verbal jumped up 2 points, although some questions repeated. I am happy that I kept up the good work of getting all RC correct, and improved Verbal score. The ideal will be V44 or 46, and for that I really need to take efforts.
3. Quant weakness: I was able to see a couple of Quant questions on coordinate geometry and probability, though didn't get any question on combinatorics. I think I started well, but then let go of the edge. Will work on improving Quant over the next 30 days.

So that is all for now. I just know that I have to put in lots of efforts to get 700 or 720 even. Will work towards 750, and try to get it though!

37 days to go...

Continuing the good work...

I slept late last night, but was still able to squeeze and hour of study today. Revised coordinate geometry and I guess I will need to continue revising it till I get the concepts strongly rooted in my system.

Will take another couple of GMAT Prep tests in the coming week, so that I don't lose focus even if I am in India. I think this is the best way to keep myself on my toes, especially when time is running out.

Most of all concepts have been dealt with, and now what remains is just practice under test environment. Way to go!

38 days to go... 

Back to normal!

I should say by far the last couple of days were most productive out of the last 3 weeks. I have been able to concentrate better and it seems that I am now finally on my way. The last leg of preparation has started as I was able to run through the PS section of the OG at brisk pace. Was able to do as many as 35 sums yesterday and another 20 today, and am planning to take another GMAT Prep test tomorrow.

Balance Sheet for today:

1. Quant: Reviewed PS and will go for DS tomorrow. Am focusing now on the last 50 difficult questions only. Have to specifically look into good old concepts of Coordinate Geometry, Combinatorics and Probability. Also need to touch Mixtures, Inequalities and Rate problems...

2. Verbal: Need to refresh CR and SC. RC has been smooth all the while.

Will take another GMAT Prep before I head to India. Once in India, will purchase Kaplan tests just to make sure I have enough Tests under my belt before the real GMAT.

38 days to go....

Painful climb back!

Well, I am happy. Did 20 PS sums today. Did not really work on any verbal section, but at least the ball has started rolling. Will surely claw my way back.

That's it for now. Cheers!

Erratic schedule is doing me in!

Yeah I know the blog now seems to be a bunch of posts by a frustrated man!
Sorry for this but i think I should let out my frustration here and also reprimand myself. No study over the weekend, except review of my GMAT Prep last week.

1. Quant: Did silly mistakes. Also did not read the questions properly. I think most of my issues lie in basic prep strategy. Should make sure I do the last 50 problems in PS and DS from OG. Also have to do the tests on GMAT Club.

2. Verbal: Took a setback in CR. Got no wrong questions in RC. Did some basic mistakes in SC, again because i did not read the questions properly.

I need to start afresh now, as this is the only time I get to prepare. From now on, it will be more of exams!

45 days to go!!!

Back to the basics!

After reviewing my GMAT Prep 2, I have realized that I am still not good at the basic number properties. Blame it to the laziness that crept in, or the lack of focus, I should say I really squandered the opportunity. Now, I need to focus on Number properties and basics of problem solving.

Will take up the MGMAT guides once again from tomorrow and focus real hard. The biggest concern is that I was not able to do anything over the last week and things are getting worse day by day. My confidence is low, and I am not getting any time to study, pushing it further below.

Hope I am able to come out of this vicious circle. Till then, need to focus hard and get good sleep.

Will sleep as it is already 11 now and need to leave home tomorrow at 7 a.m.

Weekend needs to be really full of studies!!!

47 days to go...

Real low in GMAT Prep

Suddenly I seem to have no time at all. The weekdays are so hectic, I am not able to take out any time. And weekends are even worse.

I should really rethink my strategy of preparing for GMAT. Hopefully, the holidays from August 17 to 28 make some difference.

Really need to get my act together!

So many things are going through my mind. I am just trying to find the root cause and can see I am not doing a single right thing. Not sleeping on time, not writing the blog, not reflecting on what I need to do throughout the day and so on. Just crazy!

Will sleep now and get up early tomorrow. Hopefully I can study for an hour.

50 days to go...

GMAT Prep 2

Lack of preparation, focus and efforts has put me down below on 600. Got 37 in Quant (decrease of 5 points) and 42 in Verbal (increase of 5 points). 

A few lessons I learnt are:

1. Do not party one day before GMAT (I did that last night and took the exam too lightly).

2. Sleep well (have completely destroyed my sleeping schedules over the last couple of weeks).

3. Maintain consistency. I should say I have almost floundered away the advantage and tempo I had reached after studying one month in the US. I could see this happening every day after the last GMAT Prep exam.

So now, it is time to get things back in order. I still think the dream 750 is still in my reach, provided I apply myself well and work as per plan. Sincere efforts are the key now!

Am not in the best of my moods, but I think I deserved this. Now, off to the last lap in the GMAT journey. I will make sure things are turned around in the days to come.

51 days to go....

I gave up drinking....

Not that I was any alcoholic, but I have really stopped taking any alcohol in my system. The resolution came a couple of days back when I realized that being in Japan exposed me to parties that invariable included drinking with my clients. And that would eventually lead to ZERO productivity over the last couple of weeks.

In the last couple of days, I could practically do NOTHING. I was planning to take a test today, but am really low on confidence as I haven't practiced Quant at all. But I believe I will take it tomorrow, and will take tests every subsequent weekend.

There are only 53 days left now, and hopefully I will be able to take out time for my GMAT Preparation...

53 days to go... 

Balance Sheet July 27

My conscience has really been biting my mind now.

It has already been another couple of days that I haven't updated the blog.

Here is what I did today.

1. Quant: Practically nothing!

2. Verbal: Did 10 CR from GMAT Club Kaplan Test. Got 7 right, 3 wrong.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Start with last 50 problems in PS and DS. Really understand the concepts well.

2. Verbal: Continue CR set on GMAT Club.

Have to really keep track of what is happening. And plan to stop drinking from this week.

55 days to go... 

GMAT Pitfalls...

I almost fell in one now.
Haven't updated the blog for last 3 days. Haven't really studied any specific topics or solved any sums. Now I can really feel the importance of being in the US and having all the time at my disposal. Being in Japan, it has become a bit difficult to maintain the speed and sincerity in my efforts. This is a big pitfall in the GMAT journey and I am lucky that I have more than a month to gather myself again and work towards my goal.

Over the last three days I have worked on Sentence correction mainly. I also talked to a couple of friends from Wharton and thought about my application essays. So now, it is high time I get back to GMAT prep. Will write in detail about my exact plans later this week.

I think I have got into a comfort zone ever since the 640 last month. It is high time now that I move out of this and make sure my GMAT Prep score is consistently around 750. Let me work hard now...

57 days to go...

Balance Sheet July 22

It was my birthday yesterday, so took it light.

1. Quant: Did nothing.

2. Verbal: Did 10 CR from GMAT Club Knewton Test and got only 5 right. Partly because I took it while working. Need to improve the performance!

Plan for today:

1. Quant: Continue OG PS and DS.

2. Verbal: Continue GMAT Club Knewton Test for CR.

My calculations about the countdown were very vague till now. Now I will count from tomorrow (July 24) till the day before the test (September 21). This is coming up to 59 more days left to go!

Balance Sheet July 21

Was not able to work much...

1. Quant; Did about 15 PS problems from OG.

2. Verbal: Started with GMAT Club CR test.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Continue OG PS and DS.

2. Verbal: Continue GMAT Club CR. Also read MGMAT SC Guide.

60 days to go...

Balance Sheet July 20

One more post with jetlagged eyes!

Well I could study well early in the morning today as I got up at 5 am.

1. Quant: Did 15 PS and 5 DS problems. OG going well.

2. Verbal: Continued reviewing MGMAT SC Guide.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Continue OG PS and DS.

2. Verbal: Continue MGMAT SC Guide. Have to start with CR tests on GMAT Club.

Am really sleepy now....

Balance Sheet July 19

Jetlag continues. I was very happy to see Japanese businessmen without suits today morning, for a change. It was a pleasant surprise.

1. Quant: Did a couple of problems from OG.

2. Verbal: Continued MGMAT SC Guide. Almost half done.

Plan for tomorrow:

First need to get rid of my jetlag.

1. Quant: Move ahead with OG PS and DS Review.

2. Verbal: Continue MGMAT SC and start GMAT Club SC Test.

Looking forward to a productive week.

62 days to go....

Balance Sheet July 18

A day with a heavy jet-lag!
Was able to work a bit on Quant. Progress on verbal has been slow, but at the same time, was able to focus on MBA Applications and B-School research.

1. Quant: Did 15 PS sums from OG and 5 DS. Revised Coordinate Geometry.

2. Verbal: Was not able to work on CR. Will do it tomorrow during office hours.

Plan for tomorrow:

1. Quant: Continue OG PS review. Revise Coordinate Geometry.

2. Verbal: Start GMAT Club test for CR.

Tomorrow may be a hectic day, but looking forward to the first day in office after 2 months in the US.

63 days to go...

Balance Sheet July 16/17

Just realized I missed out on 2 days by travelling from US to Japan.
I started from Dallas on July 16, at 8:30 a.m. and reached Tokyo on July 17, at 7 p.m. Reached home finally around 10 p.m.

Had taken the route from Dallas --> Minneapolis --> Tokyo. In the process, was awake for more than 30 hours and ended up dead tired to do anything yesterday (July 17). Thus, two valuable days of GMAT Prep were lost! Those of you who are balancing their GMAT prep with a job that involves lot of international travel, make sure that you are aware of this phenomenon. "When traveling East to west (e.g. Japan to USA), you gain a day, but when traveling west to east (USA to Japan), you lose out on a day.

That means the sirens are blowing now, and I need to get my act together. This time, it is really really serious and I don't want to miss out on anything. There has been a change in my attitude towards the exam ever since I scheduled the appointment. Each moment has become priceless and has started forcing me to regret that I did not use it for GMAT Prep. In my case, a lot depends on this exam and I hope the stress and crazy feelings don't lead to a nervous breakdown!

Was a great start to the day today. Will just brief you on what I did in the flight and my plans for today.

1. Quant: Did not do anything. I was sure I would be short on sleep and did not venture out in the territory of complex problems. Was rather content reading the book "Ahead of the Curve" by Philip Delves Broughton. It's a great insider's view in HBS Full-time MBA program and is really inspiring.

2. Verbal: I take reading the book as RC practice. Also read through another couple of chapters in MGMAT SC, but may have to review them as the study conditions were not the best.

Plan for today (July 18):

1. Quant: Revisit OG PS and DS. Will now focus on the weak areas only.

2. Verbal: Will start with GMAT Club CR. I believe my CR may be rusty by now.

Plan for the week ahead:
1. Work: Get back to the work habits of Japan. Long commute to and from the office, hell long working hours, drinking 3 nights a week (have vowed I will not drink till I crack the GMAT) and lots of stress. However, after the 2 month break, I should say I will be much more refreshed to rejoin work in Japan. Looking forward to good things at the workplace :)

2. GMAT Study: Plan to leave office at 6:30. Get back home by 8, have dinner by 9:30 and study 2 hours every day, from 9:30 to 11:30. Main focus will be studying for Quant and taking GMAT Mock tests once August starts.

3. Applications: Have already chalked out the Applications strategy. Chicago-Booth will be my first try. Once things warm up, will take on the Penn-Wharton App, which is actually top in my wish-list. Harvard will be last, partly because it's deadlines fall one week after Booth and Wharton deadlines. Have dedicated 2-4 hours every weekend for brainstorming, structuring and writing Applications. Will keep you posted about this too.

That's all for now. Will post a balance sheet in the evening on the progress today.

Time to start work!

63 days to go...