Forum Home > GMAT > Quantitative > Problem Solving (PS)
All Reviews > Target Test Prep > Target Test Prep Flexible Prep Reviews |
Working with Jeff Miller was the best thing I did to get the score I needed. Prior to purchasing the Target Test Prep, I had been using a different method and was feeling extremely hopeless and frustrated about the exam.
The Target Test Prep course was extremely helpful for me because it allowed me to practice questions from each topic, both in between and at the end of each lesson. Additionally, I met with Jeff once a week for about two months. Jeff was very helpful. I was able to ask all questions I had, and at the same time was challenged to think critically about the problems I was given. With the help of Target Test Prep and my tutoring sessions with Jeff, I made really good progress and ultimately was able to reach the score I needed for the GMAT.
In 2014 I studied for the GMAT with the help of Target Test Prep. Before working with TTP, I had interviewed three different GMAT tutors from other prep companies. I was most impressed with TTP. My TTP tutor Jeffrey Miller was a great teacher, who knew the GMAT inside and out. He was very professional and was able to clearly explain many different types of GMAT math concepts. He was patient and helped calm me down when I was frustrated. I also used the TTP GMAT Quant course, which is an online self-study course. Using this course in tandem with private tutoring was a perfect combination. I researched almost all of the GMAT prep materials on the market, and the TTP Quant course offers what is BY FAR the most clear and comprehensive discussion of GMAT math concepts that I’ve ever seen.
In the end, with one month of study I scored a 700! I am very happy to have worked with TTP and recommend it with the highest regard.
TargetTest Prep is amazing. The layout of their website is clean and attractive, and is really easy to follow. They have a specific compressed study schedule for people like me who planned on taking it in a short amount of time (3-4 weeks from when I took it last). After taking the diagnostic test, I dove into the areas that it said I was weak in and started hammering away at them. Jeff was amazing at this time. Even though I had only signed up for the one-month flexible program, he still reached out to me and asked if I wanted to talk or needed any advice.
I dove into all of the tests to make sure I knew exactly where my weaknesses were. And this is where the strength of TargetTest Prep lies. It identifies where you’re weak, but it also dives into the sub-categories. What I didn’t realize, or didn’t focus in on enough, was that within each area, I had my strengths and weaknesses. TargetTest clearly indicated this on their dashboard. They not only showed how well I was doing in that subcategory, but they also linked to explanations on the theory being tested and other questions that I could practice. When I discovered that I was really weak in factorization, this was a surprise to me. But it made sense. And so I went through a bunch of their practice tests and questions, and read their clear explanations (and watched their videos too). I felt the improvement.
When I took the actual test 4 weeks later, I had it in my head that my earlier score of 640 (Q39 V38) wasn’t the worst thing in the world and that I was just going to do my best. When I got to Quant, I recognised the questions, I moved on from the ones I didn’t, the section flowed. When I finished, I was really unsure how well I did. Was it because I was that much better now? Or because I had failed? When my final score of 720 (Q48 V41) came up on the screen, I was in total disbelief. All of that work finally paid off.
I wouldn’t have got there without TargetTest Prep. It was my unifying force in those last few weeks. By helping me to focus in on my weakness, providing clear explanations and have so many practice questions to choose from, it was the answer to my problems. I just can’t believe I didn’t find it 18 months earlier when I first started studying!
Guys, I took the test in Sep 2016 and scored a disappointing 540 (over 110 pts below my GMAT prep practice exams). I had been studying for 3 months prior to this and was pretty disappointed because my Quant was hovering around a 46, but on the actual test I scored a 42. I walked out of that test so confused..... I couldn't sleep that well the night before and I think my nerves got the best of me.
Fast forward 2 months, I took the GMAT again and scored a 710 (Q50, V35) thanks to TTP.
Okay, going back to the 540. Something was wrong... There still had to be gaps in my conceptual understanding. I remembered interacting with Jeff Miller towards the beginning of my prep and decided not to go with TTP (what a freakin mistake and a time sunk). After my 540, I called Jeff. Explained my situation and he immediately mapped out a plan. I bought the flex plan and Jeff suggested that I go straight to the chapter tests. Take 1 at a time and review the solutions carefully, he said. Within a week of taking the tests I was able to have a better handle of my common mistakes. TTP's brilliant analytics (BTW NO TEST PREP AGENCY OFFERS SUCH DETAILED ANALYTICS...NO ONE) allowed me to isolate my mistakes. More importantly, it allowed me to pick and choose my battles on the real test. I made a list of all the problem types in which I took more than 3 mins (anytime I saw those on test day, I gave myself 30 seconds, if I didn't see myself going anywhere, I guessed and moved on). This test is about picking your battles wisely. I know it sounds simple, but it's difficult to execute. TTP helped me create a blueprint for myself. Once I effectively identified my weaknesses, I worked with Jeff once/week to challenge myself on my weakest topics. This dude allowed me to challenge my thought process; he tested the core of my conceptual understanding; he found the gaps. Working with him, we filled them together. Slowly I started building my confidence again.
At this point I had gone back to all the chapters and studied my weaknesses. I used the awesome print outs TTP provides to jot down tips and tricks by topic/sub topic. TTP provides fantastic structure to the GMAT math -- they break it down to a science (literally). 2 weeks prior to my exam, I took a GMAT prep practice test -- I got a 710 (Q49, V38). I stopped taking practice tests. That's it. I knew my stuff and I just needed to perform on test day. I reviewed my notes every day. Did a few customized problems on TTP and got plenty of sleep every day.
Test day: Math section was going pretty well. I knew I did well on my first 10 problems. I took my time, but I was keeping pace. After problem 15, things got HARD, but I was catching the tricks. Nothing I hadn't seen before. All of a sudden I find myself on question 35 with 7mins to go. I finished the math section with 5mins to go....! It's crazy, but possible. If I can do this, you can as well. Just two months ago, I would find myself randomly guessing on the last 5 problems and today I finished the most daunting section of this test with 5mins to go? After I saw that 50 on the screen, my jaw dropped.
Nothing in life is easy. If you want to achieve something significant, you have to work at it. Excellence doesn't come over night, it's silently built with practice day-by-day. Don't give up guys -- persistence is key. Be patient and trust yourself. The results will come. Just focus on learning the right way -- there are no shortcuts here. Oh and while you're at it, do yourself a solid and sign up for TTP.
I wish you all the success in your preparation and I want to sincerely thank TTP for helping me through mine.
Scott at Target Test Prep has done a phenomenal job putting together the quantitative curriculum. I have worked with many other resources from larger test prep companies but none of them have matched the condensed yet extremely effective approach that TTP uses in their approach. In a few days time you will cover what other companies cover in weeks. They also have a very good focus on the type of questions that will actually show up on the GMAT versus just teaching you everything and hoping luck is on your side.
I also had tutoring sessions with Jeff, he was extremely helpful and supportive throughout the entire process. I could not ask for a better tutor and program
Jeff and TTP were critical in me scoring a 50Q on the GMAT. THANKS SO MUCH!