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Krovvidy's Journey from 680 to 740!


krovvidy

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Date: 11/17/2008

Place: San Francisco

Score: 740 (50Q, 40V)

 

Hello Folks

 

After debating for about 4 months whether I should re-take the test or not, just 3 weeks back I finally decided to give it another dash. This time, I wanted to keep my prep short & sweet as well as focused. Thanks to the earlier havoc (http://www.www.urch.com/forums/just-finished-my-gmat/93060-680-88-ile-50q-95-ile-32v-65-ile.html), this made me realize my strengths & weaknesses in black & white.

 

Preparation:

*Manhattan SC - recap of the rules

*OG11 Verbal

*Verbal SETS from 21 to 30 - under timed conditions (beware of the incorrect OAs)

*GMATPrep-1 : 720 (3 days before the real test)

*GMATPrep-2 : 710 (2 days before the real test)

 

Some take-aways from my prep:

*Time-slice the 37 Quant qns into 3 sets - each set to be completed in 25 min. (I targeted, 12-12-13)

*Time-slice the 41 Verbal qns into 3 sets - each set to be completed in 25 min. (I targeted, 12-14-15)

*Stick to OG11 for Verbal. Solve all the qns and understand the Official Explanations of every single qn

 

Test Day:

AWA: Went okay - I am not very positive because I didn't manage the time as well as I'd have liked.

 

Quant: I felt, lack of practice in Math was telling on me a little bit. By the end of Quant, I started getting restless though I was able to complete section 8 min ahead of time. During the break, I had to really calm myself down to regain the focus.

 

Verbal: The test went through pretty smooth - and had about 5 min left for the last 2 qns. However, I felt that the RC passages were lengthier than those in OG11.

 

Result: Believe me, I was prepared for the worst (even a repeat of 680), but when I saw a 740 - I had no emotions (awe-struck!). The proctor thought it didn't go well, but when he saw the score on the printout, he said "hey ... chill bud, you're so funny!" :)

 

Vote of THANKS:

I cannot forget ve_boss' words of wisdom after my 680 -

".... I'd advice you to retake. What is the risk? If you don't reach your expectations then...oh well ! Your score is already a good one ! But if you succeed in the next test as you want.. then tell the world!! You're in an ideal situation ! ...."

 

Cheers to TM ... I am so glad that I've known you folks. I've been receiving PMs with loads of encouraging words even when I was offline for months ... Thanks friends.

 

I have 12 days to go for my first app deadline - so I am not writing a long debrief. I'll be happy to assist you in any way I can. I wish you all luck. Have fun.

 

Best

Krovvidy

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Congrats krovvidy.....good show....

I m 30 days away from my test and am at around41-44 level in quant...wht shud be done to tk it to 49-50??is it manageable in a month's time???

Pls help......

Good luck for applications.....

Date: 11/17/2008

Place: San Francisco

Score: 740 (50Q, 40V)

 

Hello Folks

 

After debating for about 4 months whether I should re-take the test or not, just 3 weeks back I finally decided to give it another dash. This time, I wanted to keep my prep short & sweet as well as focused. Thanks to the earlier havoc (http://www.www.urch.com/forums/just-finished-my-gmat/93060-680-88-ile-50q-95-ile-32v-65-ile.html), this made me realize my strengths & weaknesses in black & white.

 

Preparation:

*Manhattan SC - recap of the rules

*OG11 Verbal

*Verbal SETS from 21 to 30 - under timed conditions (beware of the incorrect OAs)

*GMATPrep-1 : 720 (3 days before the real test)

*GMATPrep-2 : 710 (2 days before the real test)

 

Some take-aways from my prep:

*Time-slice the 37 Quant qns into 3 sets - each set to be completed in 25 min. (I targeted, 12-12-13)

*Time-slice the 41 Verbal qns into 3 sets - each set to be completed in 25 min. (I targeted, 12-14-15)

*Stick to OG11 for Verbal. Solve all the qns and understand the Official Explanations of every single qn

 

Test Day:

AWA: Went okay - I am not very positive because I didn't manage the time as well as I'd have liked.

 

Quant: I felt, lack of practice in Math was telling on me a little bit. By the end of Quant, I started getting restless though I was able to complete section 8 min ahead of time. During the break, I had to really calm myself down to regain the focus.

 

Verbal: The test went through pretty smooth - and had about 5 min left for the last 2 qns. However, I felt that the RC passages were lengthier than those in OG11.

 

Result: Believe me, I was prepared for the worst (even a repeat of 680), but when I saw a 740 - I had no emotions (awe-struck!). The proctor thought it didn't go well, but when he saw the score on the printout, he said "hey ... chill bud, you're so funny!" :)

 

Vote of THANKS:

I cannot forget ve_boss' words of wisdom after my 680 -

".... I'd advice you to retake. What is the risk? If you don't reach your expectations then...oh well ! Your score is already a good one ! But if you succeed in the next test as you want.. then tell the world!! You're in an ideal situation ! ...."

 

Cheers to TM ... I am so glad that I've known you folks. I've been receiving PMs with loads of encouraging words even when I was offline for months ... Thanks friends.

 

I have 12 days to go for my first app deadline - so I am not writing a long debrief. I'll be happy to assist you in any way I can. I wish you all luck. Have fun.

 

Best

Krovvidy

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Congratulations on your superb score, and I have no doubt that you deserve it! You accomplishment really inspired me to continue challenging the GMAT. I wish you best of luck in the world with your application!

 

Just one question. Last time I took the test, I got 660 (V29,Q50), which is close to your previous score. How did you make such substantial improvement on Verbal? Particularly, I have a problem with intricate RD passages.

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Thanks everyone for the wishes.

 

@cheeseburst - Are you from a Math background? Even if you're not, nothing to worry. All you need is basic math concepts and some practice. Go through the Quant topics listed in OG11 and try to identify the areas you lack. Solve those problems on OG11 or elsewhere (I actually don't have much idea about other Math material) - may be try searching some of the related qns on TM ... you need to understand how the solution is arrived at or if there is any trick that you can use ... I am of the opinion that solving 1000s of qns doesn't help; just focus on your weaknesses and the timing aspect. ... Have you done the SETS? Except for the bad OAs, they are very close to the actual test. Good Luck.

 

Congrats krovvidy.....good show....

I m 30 days away from my test and am at around41-44 level in quant...wht shud be done to tk it to 49-50??is it manageable in a month's time???

Pls help......

Good luck for applications.....

 

@TaTum - I used to get bogged down by the RC passages too. Only during my 2nd stint, I realized that RC can be tamed by developing a good reading ability. I mean, you should be able to skim through the passage but at the same time pay attention to the qualifiers, scope limitations, paragraph structures - in essence, you should create a mental map of the passage before answering the qns. In case of very long RC passages, don't focus on the details before you get to the qns. Make an index - so that you can quickly spot the specific detail qns ... And personally, I don't buy the idea of making notes while reading the passage. It's a waste of time.

 

If you've not seen this thread (& the docs attached in the thread) before, it's worth a read:

http://www.www.urch.com/forums/gmat-reading-comprehension/12306-how-improve-your-reading-comprehension-skills.html

 

Congratulations on your superb score, and I have no doubt that you deserve it! You accomplishment really inspired me to continue challenging the GMAT. I wish you best of luck in the world with your application!

 

Just one question. Last time I took the test, I got 660 (V29,Q50), which is close to your previous score. How did you make such substantial improvement on Verbal? Particularly, I have a problem with intricate RD passages.

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Congratz krovvidy for such an awesome score!

 

krovvidy --> "Have you done the SETS? Except for the bad OAs, they are very close to the actual test."

 

me --> Could u plz let us know whether SETS Quant is also almost the same (or representative) of the type of questions you got in ur actual test?

 

 

Thanks!

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SET 21-30 are certainly closer to the real test. I am not sure about the other SETS. However, GMATPrep Software has the most representative Quant & Verbal qns.

 

Congratz krovvidy for such an awesome score!

 

krovvidy --> "Have you done the SETS? Except for the bad OAs, they are very close to the actual test."

 

me --> Could u plz let us know whether SETS Quant is also almost the same (or representative) of the type of questions you got in ur actual test?

 

 

Thanks!

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Thanks so much for your quick reply, even though I believe you must be extremely busy at the moment. Your advice gives me the confidence I need!

 

Best of luck with your MBA aspiration!

 

Thanks everyone for the wishes.

 

@TaTum - I used to get bogged down by the RC passages too. Only during my 2nd stint, I realized that RC can be tamed by developing a good reading ability. I mean, you should be able to skim through the passage but at the same time pay attention to the qualifiers, scope limitations, paragraph structures - in essence, you should create a mental map of the passage before answering the qns. In case of very long RC passages, don't focus on the details before you get to the qns. Make an index - so that you can quickly spot the specific detail qns ... And personally, I don't buy the idea of making notes while reading the passage. It's a waste of time.

 

If you've not seen this thread (& the docs attached in the thread) before, it's worth a read:

http://www.www.urch.com/forums/gmat-reading-comprehension/12306-how-improve-your-reading-comprehension-skills.html

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Thanks everyone for the wishes.

 

@cheeseburst - Are you from a Math background? Even if you're not, nothing to worry. All you need is basic math concepts and some practice. Go through the Quant topics listed in OG11 and try to identify the areas you lack. Solve those problems on OG11 or elsewhere (I actually don't have much idea about other Math material) - may be try searching some of the related qns on TM ... you need to understand how the solution is arrived at or if there is any trick that you can use ... I am of the opinion that solving 1000s of qns doesn't help; just focus on your weaknesses and the timing aspect. ... Have you done the SETS? Except for the bad OAs, they are very close to the actual test. Good Luck.

 

 

Thanx krovvidy for the prompt reply....

NO m nt from maths background....But will surely do wht u have suggested...Is it possible to get a 49 or 50 in 30 days ???

Thanx

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Thanks ve_boss. To say the least, you're one of the biggest inspirations for many re-takers on this forum. You showed me the way.

 

How have you been? And are you done with apps? Any admits?

[clap] That's a great achievement ! [clap]

 

It was a long journey but through your tenacity, perseverance and determination you overcame the challenge.

Your iron-will is going to be a useful asset during your MBA.

 

Congrats and best of lucks for your application !!

 

@kirankuchi - I don't know the source of the SETS - but these are some docs (.doc or .pdf) available online free. You can search for GMAT SETS on esnips.com, if you're interested.

 

Congrats Krovvidy on wonderful score, question: when you say SETS what is that you are referring to? rather which book are you referring to?

 

And thanks a lot folks for all your wishes. Good luck to you all.

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