GMAT Club
January 12, 2023
peerachat

Joined: Aug 12, 2019

Posts: 4

Kudos: 4

Verified GMAT Classic score:
690 Q44 V40

What I wish I knew when I first began the GMAT journey

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

Improvement 60 Points

Course e-GMAT Online 360

Location Online

Strengths:

Well-structured courses, interactive modules, easy-to-digest concepts and explanations, massive question banks, intelligent algorithms, realistic mock exams, and support from E-GMAT experts.

Would make the product better:

None. I was highly satisfied with the E-GMAT products and services.

Hi everyone. I'm Jab from Thailand. I went through up and down and up again throughout my GMAT journey. And I have a lot to share with you today, hoping that none of you will make the same mistake I did.

It began in 2019 when I followed my friend to take my first GMAT exam. I went straight to the exam without preparation because I was confident that I could make it through quickly. Needless to say, it went horribly wrong. I severely underestimated the exam, thinking it was similar to SAT.

After online research and discussions with my friends, I realized that I need professional support tutoring services, but I need to stay in my full-time employment. An online tutoring platform like E-GMAT became my most reasonable option.

E-GMAT has one of the most structured and rich GMAT preparation contents. It's arguably more impressive than the official GMAT prep. They have personalized study plans, intelligent algorithms, giant question banks, and detailed explanations for any answer you may want. The contents are arranged in perfect order, making them easy to follow and digest. They have a realistic quiz engine and mock exam to sharpen your examination skill. My first mistake was that I utilized none of them efficiently.

At that time, I was invested in my full-time job and couldn't prepare for extra hours to study GMAT diligently. I thought that by practicing the exercise as much as I could, I could go on just fine without sticking to the plan. After all, the quantitative and verbal sessions were at the first-year college level, right? Thinking that I could apply my previous lessons in college to answer the official GMAT questions was a mistake, and it cost me greatly. My second test a few months later went as terribly as my first. Something has to change.

I decided to prepare GMAT by taking a two-month leave, so I could entirely focus on it. I sailed through half of the question bank and wrote notes on all the topics I got wrong. I also checked out some of the OG questions in the GMAT Club. I even organized a study group with my friends so that I left no stone unturned. My confidence improved when I saw my mock exam score improve to the mid-600 level. My third exam was a disappointment, still. The stress kept me from thinking critically. The average time spent was nowhere close to my practice time. Poor stress management was my second mistake.

My time was running out, and I was out of the idea of doing it alone. So I seek professional advice by emailing the E-GMAT strategy Expert team. I thought they would mock my insignificant score, so I was skeptical. But they were accommodating. First, they analyzed my performance and revision activities from the E-GMAT account, then created a personalized improvement plan tailored to the time I had left. I remembered telling them I had four months to get from 630 to ~700 level in a predictable manner. Our goal was clear, and we went on the spartan mode.

At this stage, the essential point is my own diligence. If the execution were lacking, the plan would have failed regardless. I steeled myself and disappeared from social media. I first revised my mistake by looking at the practice quiz and fixing weak parts instead of going through everything. Then came the cementing quiz and strategic review. I cannot stress enough how vital these two activities were because only by focusing on solidifying your conceptual gap would I then be able to say that I can do it confidently.

Following the plan we set up diligently was not only helpful in aceing the GMAT exam but also calmed down my nerve when I walked into the actual exam room. This time, I felt I had done everything I could and managed my stress well. The result was far better than I had hoped.

I improved by 60 points from 630 (V31, Q46) to 690 (V40, Q44) just because I let go of my arrogance and studied diligently. I trusted that the E-GMAT team knew the proper method and followed their guide. The journey could have been shorter and more manageable.

If I could turn back time and give myself some advice, I would say...
Plan your study in a structured and actionable manner. Refrain from trying to brute force your way through.
Stress clouds your judgment. It would be best if you learned to manage it well.
If you ever feel stuck, seek advice from experts. You would be surprised at how willing they are to guide you.

And if you don't know where to start, I highly recommend contacting E-GMAT team.

January 13, 2023
egmat

Hi peerachat,

Congratulations on 690!

A 9-point Verbal improvement from V31(51st percentile) to V40(90th percentile) is highly commendable and the diligence and grit that you have shown in your journey is truly inspirational! 

When I look back at your journey, the one thing that stands out is, from day one, you did not shy away from hard work.

You put in all the necessary hours to build a strong foundation by learning the concepts and applications, strategically reviewing the quizzes, identifying the mistakes, and taking the corrective actions. Look at the image below to understand how diligently you reviewed to get to 100% accuracy in the CR practice quizzes.

Image Link - https://success.e-gmat.com/peerachat-reviewing-quiz-helped-attain-100percent

I am glad that you mentioned the importance of the cementing stage and reviewing the quizzes and how important these were in helping you to identify your weak areas and master even the most difficult questions.

You completed each step on the way with utmost sincerity and attention to detail to such an extent that you made following the right approach second nature to you. In SC, you internalized the meaning-based approach, which in turn helped you improve your accuracy and maintain your timing.

Image Link - https://success.e-gmat.com/peerachat-SC-ability-improved-to-90-percentile

The focused approach that you took towards your preparations, by setting aside everything else and, giving it your all to the GMAT preparations is highly commendable.

It is evident you loved the experience of the program. However, any program is only successful when the student gives their all. 

The journey was possible because you made sure you stay focused and trusted the process. It paid off, and, paid off well!   

 I, on behalf of the entire e-GMAT team, wish you all the best for the next steps! 😊 

Regards,   
Abha Mohan 

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