Kudos to EGMAT's cementing strategies - Helped me improve my technique

I started preparing for GMAT 2.5 months back. With a full-time job, I used to find 2 hours a day on weekdays and 4-5 hrs on weekends for test preparation. I started by taking a diagnostic test by Manhattan Prep in which I scored 640. I completed OG verbal and quant first and then gave another Manhattan Prep test in which I again scored a 640. I realised that there were gaps in my preparation and I needed to get a strong hold on fundamental concepts first. I used the study materials available on GMAT club for all Quant and Verbal topics and made notes on all the concepts. I found Manhattan GMAT study material quite helpful for verbal. For quant, I focussed on solving more and more questions and building my approach by reviewing solutions. And this is where my Quant strategy did not improve at all!

I gave the Free Sigma Mock Test available on EGMAT and found myself scoring a 43 on Quant and a 43 on verbal. After weeks of practice, this score led me to seek support in understanding gaps in my preparation. I reached out to Dhananjay Lowe, an expert with EGMAT. He helped me analyze my Sigma Mock Test and devised a preparation strategy that could cement my work thus far. My exam was exactly a month away. And how EGMAT works is that they analyze your latest mock (only MBA.com mocks or Sigma Mocks btw!) and highlight gap areas to you. In my case, my preparation was at varying stages in different topics. For e.g., I needed a stage 1 (conceptual and process skill development) training in Algebra and Geometry whereas Stage 2 (Cementing Quizzes) in NP, Word Problems and Advanced topics. Similarly in verbal, I needed to go through Stage 1 again (Concepts and Process development) in CR and Stage 2 in RC and SC.

What is amazing about EGMAT is that it is very logical and structural in approach. It won't let you leave things to chance. Payal's videos on Quant helped me improve my techniques drastically. After practicing quizzes in concept files and scholaranium, my confidence went up a lot and I found my test anxiety also going away.

If I were to do it all over again, I would honestly start my preparations with EGMAT (not an exaggeration). They help you save time, get your approach right and get a strong grasp on fundamentals.

Oh, and please don't forget to check out their new Quant course. The section on "GMAT skills" is amazing! If you take that up, you are going to seal a great score.

I do feel that if I had more time in hand, my preparations given all the study material and quizzes available on EGMAT could have been better and I would have gotten Q50 on the D-Day which I really hoped for. :-P

Thank you DJ, Rajat and Payal for helping me out at the right time with the right strategy.