I took my GMAT in November 2009. I got a GMAT score of just 750, but I scored a 95 percentile in Verbal. An THAT is some thing I consider to be an amazing achievement.
I am a working professional from India, which means two things- first English is not my first language and second I did not have a lot of time to prepare. To be precise, I gave myself just 2 months (I absolutely had to apply for the second round of admissions) and for most parts of those two months, I was working nearly 14/15 hours everyday.
Although I did not do very well, there are a few important things that I learnt along the way, things which I am sure would help people.
1. Quantitative Section – Speed is very important here. The questions asked in the actual test involved a lot of calculations. This tends to slow you down. So try to improve your elementary math skills. Get used to trick questions. If the question involves a circle say, the question might be asking about the diameter, while what you might have derived is the radius. And the radius WILL be among the options. So before you mark the answer, make sure that what you are marking is what you have been asked.
Another tactic GMAT test uses is answer disguise. After some calculations, you might have arrived at an answer of say 39. However, it is very much possible that instead of having 39 as one of the choices, the options be some thing like 1/2*sqrt(156)*sqrt(39) . This finally turns out to be 39 itself!
Another important point to remember is that you will definitely encounter at least 2 questions which will stump you. Its always better to make a guess for such questions and move on to the next one. So make sure that the questions you do solve, you get them right.
2. Verbal – For some reason I found the verbal section very easy. These are some of the tips i wold like to share.
Reading and Comprehension- During preparation, do not waste a lot of time doing RC passages. Be assured that the passage you get during the test will not be one that you have encountered before. And if you have the ability to understand what is being said, you are surely going to get the answers right. In fact I did just 2 RC passages during my preparation, just to get an idea of the kind of questions asked.
Critical Reasoning - Again do not waste a lot of time preparing for this one. Try out a few questions to see the common mistakes that people make, or to familiarize yourself with the type of questions being asked. For example, the GMAT test disguises out of scope answers as very tempting ones and its important to know how to avoid falling into the trap. Answering about 10 such questions is more than sufficient practice. Other than this, there is no need to waste time on RC. Every passage you encounter wil be different and entirely new. And if you have problems understanding one passage, you wil have problem understanding the next one too. So whether you do 10 or 100 RC questions, once you have got hold of the common pitfalls and the type of questions asked, it is the same.
Sentence Correction – This one is a little tricky. However, the test almost always asks questions which adhere to a set of rules. So once you know the common errors that you are supposed to be on the look out for, you are done! The GMAT official guide is a very helpful source for sentence correction. One thing I realized is that if one has the habit of reading, sentence correction comes naturally to him/her.
During the test, remember that not all given sentences are incorrect and if you are confused, its better to trust your instincts, especially if you are from an English Medium school/college, it is more or less likely that your instincts are correct. Be a little wary of questions that involve correcting the middle parts of a sentence. After you have decided on an option, fit it into the entire sentence and check to see that the entire sentence is now correct.
3. Essays/ AWA
I scored 5/6. This what I did:
a. Picked up the GMAT official guide and read 2 essays. Then from the one that the guide claims is a 6/6, I picked up the starting sentences. One for the “Analysis of argument Essay” and another for “Analysis of Issue” essay. Doing this is really important as it will save you valuable time on the day of the test. I took help of the sample essays in the official guide for doing this.
b. Prepared 3 concluding sentences. One for “Analysis of Argument” essay. Basically I picked out the last paragraph of the 6/6 essay in the GMAT official guide and modified it a bit. Then I prepared 2 concluding paragraphs for the “Analysis of Issue” one for the argument and the other against the argument.
c. While taking the mock test, I did not always write the entire essays. Instead I used to jot all the points which came to my mind in 7 mins and based on these points, frame the structure of my essay.
Well this is pretty much what I had to say. I hope this helps you guys. My best wishes for your test!!!
Bangalore GMAT Test Centre – Route Map to Pearson Center :
How to get there:- From Bangalore Central proceed towards Airport Road (meaning in the opposite direction of Brigade Road). At the first Traffic point, the Manipal Center junction, turn left (this road leads towards Ulsoor). On this road, the test centre is located to the right, immediately after the first traffic point. To be precise just where the manipal Centre compound wall ends is Bheema Jewelers. Pearson is located right above this jeweler.
The test centre opens at 8:30. Not before that. I reached the centre at 7:45 for my 9 o’clock appointment. Since I was early I went to PINX, the 24 hour coffee shop at Royal Orchid and had a lovely cup of tea.
Test Center Rules
1. After you enter the test center, you are asked to hand over your passport and you are given a document which contains all the rules are regulations. If you have any additional questions ask the test centre staff, they are very friendly and helpful.
2. Jackets / Over coats are not allowed inside. The test room is pretty pleasantly air conditioned and I did not face any inconvenience.
3. No electronic gadgets including watches and mobile phones, are allowed inside. In fact you are not supposed to carry anything inside the test room, not even a handkerchief or a pen. In fact, I had a very bad cold on the day of my test and was therefore carrying tissues. I was not allowed to carry them inside. However, I was provided some tissues by the test centre staff. Mobile phone should be switched off before storing in the lockers.
4. The lockers are sufficiently big. I was carrying a back pack and had no problem storing it in the locker along with my heavy jacket.
5. Even medicines are not allowed inside. However, if you are ill (like I was on the test day), during the ten minutes breaks I was allowed to open my locker and take my medicines.
6. Before entering the test room, you will be photographed. Also you will be video taped during the time you are taking the test.
Can you tell me the rules for what you can carry in? Watch? Pen? Wallet? Do they have a locker facility?
Hi D,
I have updated the post with the details you had requested. Hope I have answered your questions sufficiently and all the very best for your exam.
Thanks! Appreciate it.
Thanks buddy, for an honest and useful post.
Thanks bro. For the tips, am sure this is going to help me.
You are fantastic. It helps a lot. Can you please share how you balanced, professional personal life along with preparation?
Leave a Reply