e-GMAT helps me overcome challenges and attain a 740 on the GMAT!!

Hi Reader,

Here is my long journey to a 730 GMAT score. Please bear with me! First off, I am immensely grateful for the support of e-GMAT team throughout this journey.

I started to think about the GMAT back in May 2021, and attempted the first free OG mock. I scored a 670 on the test and thought that I am at a pretty decent score and underestimated how tough it would be to improve the score. Not knowing much about the GMAT Prep space, I took a Magoosh subscription but was not impressed with it in the first few days itself. I felt that the lessons were not comprehensive enough. When I gave the second free OG mock test in the end of June, I scored a 690. I felt this was not a good enough improvement.

So I began to look for other resources on GMAT Prep. I attended a GMAT strategy session and booked a free strategy call with one of the experts. I was convinced that e-GMAT are experts in the GMAT prep space and bought the GMAT Online focused subscription. I started with Verbal and was able to witness gradual improvement across all the subsections.Thanks to e-GMAT’s cementing process, I was able to track my progress in an efficient manner.

From August ’21 to May ’22, I was not able to focus my energies on the GMAT prep due to excessive work responsibilities. Due to the extension policies set by e-GMAT (max. 90 days of account freeze allowed), I had to keep the subscription going for most of this time period. This rigid account suspension timeline is the only drawback that I have observed with e-GMAT’s subscriptions.

Starting June ’22, I was able to refocus on the GMAT prep and started revising the Verbal modules I had previously completed. I was continuously scoring better on the mocks (700, 750, 740, 760) during this period. I gave my first GMAT Online attempt in Aug '22 and scored an underwhelming 680. I was unable to understand the reason because the mock tests had indicated my score to be in the mid 700s. This is when I reached out to e-GMAT seeking help to improve my score and understand where I am lacking. I also requested to be included in e-GMAT’s Last Mile Program (LMP), wherein one of the experts from e-GMAT works 1-1 with you to help you reach your target score.

Rida from e-GMAT’s team helped me get enrolled into the LMP and we got to work immediately. She first helped me analyze what was wrong with my GMAT Online attempt, and then charted an intensive test-readiness plan for me to help my Verbal and Quant abilities. I was able to improve my abilities across the board and this was evident in my quizzes as well. She was very responsive to my queries and our regular connects to track the progress were of immense help to me. I was able to discuss any concerns or plan changes with her.

The mocks during this time period were of immense help as they helped me get into the mindset of continued focus for greater periods of time. However, there were times when I scored 680 on a particular mock, primarily due to a weak Verbal Score. To help overcome these, Rida sent some session recordings and document links that were helpful to overcome my shortcomings. I also attempted the SC ability booster sessions that were moderated by Payal, and they helped me understand my level and refine my SC ability to a great extent.

I gave the second GMAT Online attempt in Sept with a whole lot of confidence, but the result was to my utter shock! I had scored a 660, even lower than my first attempt. I was in complete disbelief as to what had just happened, but was more determined than ever to reach my target score. Rida helped me calm down, be positive and analyze the issues in the attempt. We found that I was feeling some level of performance anxiety during the attempts which was leading to suboptimal performance in the tests. We were confident on my abilities and just needed to build upon these to reach to a better score.

Also, after this attempt, the work responsibilities increased which meant that I had lesser time to dedicate to prep. So Rida helped me with an appropriate test readiness plan that could be completed in the limited time I had. I only had 2 unattempted OG mocks left that I had to use judiciously. I scored 760 on both these tests, which was a huge confidence booster for me.

Apart from the test, I also worked on developing a detached mindset and did not focus much on the score. Discussions with Rida were instrumental in this regard. We decided to have an in-person attempt this time because of the reason that it would be a much better environment to build focus rather than attempting the test at home. And sure enough, it was a good experience at the center. I was able to score a 730 on the test this time, which is much closer to my mock scores.

The last few months have been a period of hard work and persistence. And I can’t thank Rida and the e-GMAT team enough for helping me throughout this process. I am confident that these are the best people in the business for anyone who wants to excel at GMAT.

The Unique Aspects of e-GMAT that helped me:
1. PACE - PACE helped me in charting a streamlined Quant path by guiding me exactly where I need to spend my efforts.
2. Meaning-based approach for SC - Although I was already relying on the meaning before I saw this first-hand in e-GMAT, the SC modules in e-GMAT helped me use this approach along with identifying the correct grammar and this led to immense improvement of SC scores.
3. Pre-thinking approach for RC and CR - The pre-thinking process has been a game changer for me. Earlier, I used to read the question and directly jump to the option choices. However, pre-thinking allows me to understand the question stem and get involved with the universe of the question. This helps me to understand what the option choices really mean. I am happy to state that my CR and RC scores have improved significantly by using this method.
4. Cementing - In my opinion, Cementing is a very unique strength of the e-GMAT program. It helps one truly gauge their ability in a particular subsection of Quant/ Verbal. It has been really helpful whenever I had to track my progress.
5. Expert support - What truly sets e-GMAT apart is that the team is relentlessly devoted to helping the students in the best way possible. These experts readily repspond to any student queries from a question doubt or strategy standpoint. I truly believe when I say that I would have been able to reach to my current level without the support of Rida and other experts at e-GMAT.
6. Compassion towards the students - I was able to share any personal circumstances that were affecting my GMAT prep with Rida, and she was able to help navigate these circumstances. Together with Rida, I was able to identify the mental (test mindset) barriers that were preventing me from obtaining a good score on the first two attempts. The e-GMAT team is truly invested in the success of the students from all angles.
7. Last Mile Program (LMP) - This program is a godsend for students who have limited time to attempt the GMAT and are already at a decent ability. In my case, I was able to move through some of the topics in a swift manner. The test readiness quizzes that were integrated into my plan were really helpful in emulating the actual test questions. Also, Rida used to share some additional Verbal resources and recordings that helped me obtain that last push for the target scores.
8. Sigma-X mock tests - Although I have not attempted any other tests other than Sigma-X mock tests and OG mock tests, I found that the questions and scoring algorithm from Sigma-X mock tests are very similar to those of OG mock tests. These were a good testing resource for me.

Although this seems like a long sponsored endorsement for e-GMAT, that is absolutely not the case :) e-GMAT’s results and stats within the GMAT Prep industry speak for themselves. Infact, my journey is not yet complete, as I am gearing for my next GMAT attempt within the next few days. Wish me Luck!!

[UPDATE]: I went for the 5th attempt and was able to score a 740!! Rida helped me focus on test readiness and exam mindset for achieving this score. The 1-1 session with Verbal SME Harsha was instrumental in improving my Verbal score.