First try 700 with TTP - musician background

Hello everyone,

I passed the GMAT recently and thought I'd share my experience taking the test and using the platform I worked with, Target Test Prep.

I'll start off by indicating that I'm very far from the usual GMAT test taker. I'm a professional jazz musician, and I don't regularly deal with anything that's remotely close to the GMAT. I was good with math in high-school and although I grew up in Israel, my English is objectively very close to that of a native speaker. However, I was never good with stuff like RC.

I started out with some 2012 Manhattan GMAT material that a friend gave me. Shortly after, I realized it made more sense to go for something more recent and went for the 2020 Kaplan book. I worked through the entire thing and had an OK experience, definitely not comprehensive and thorough enough for me. I spent a bit of time on the free online resources that come with the book, including their tests, but didn't feel like that was necessarily the way to go.

After that, I took 3 private lessons that were insightful - got a couple of little tricks. Very specific work picked at random such as tricky situation with geometry, trap answers on SC regarding the use of comas, they/which, etc. Useful but was probably covered by material I could have gotten at TTP.

I don't remember exactly what i used to practice quant at the time, but that was definitely my main focus, simply cause I liked it more than I did verbal. Did a bit of Barron's GMAT math workbook too.

4 months in, studying every day but very slowly and still doing a lot of other things during my day, I took an official mock test.
I got a 620 47Q 28V 5IR. Definitely not enough. My q was fairly solid, probably because of the fact I worked it more prior to the test, but also cause q was just my stronger suit. Verbal needed a huge work, and I started looking into TTP after doing some research online.

I worked all of TTPs verbal, at the time CR and SC and and then did a couple of Quant mini exams on the platform in every subject.

I loved the platform and material on there. The mini tests were great and some very difficult. I feel they did emulate OG questions well.
By far the biggest plus is the access to a chat system where you can talk to the creators of the platform. I abused it. Every question was answered, some times faster some times the next day, but overall, I felt like I had a private tutor. They'd turn the question inside out with you till you get it and tackle it from multiple angles until it's abundantly clear.

I did a little bit of OG official guide questions on their official platform and on GMAT club, mainly for verbal and IR and moved to do mock tests.
Test 2 - 650
Test 3 - 670
Test 1 redo - 680
Test 2 redo - 700
Test 4 - 670

All, with the exception of the small downfall on the last run, with quant progressing from 47 to 49 and verbal progressing from 28 to 35.

I then went to do my first real test online, which I found easy to maneuver and didn't run in to any problems with, and scored a 700, Q 48 V38 IR6. I feel like I could've done better on Quant, but the verbal score was definitely welcomed considering it's the highest score I got.

With my unusual profile, a first try 700 will probably get me in my desired school. However if I were to redo the whole process, I'd start off with TTP, finish their whole course, which I believe now has RC as well, and then go over lots of OG questions.

All in all great experience with TTP, specifically thanks to Marty from TTP, his dedication and knowledge, .

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