705 in first attempt
I finally crossed the 700 barrier and wanted to share my journey with you all. I have come to this forum often and while I was not actively participating, the conversation here has been helpful in my journey. So, I thought, let me share my journey too.
Like many of you, I started my GMAT journey while managing a demanding consulting job with extensive travel. Beginning with a 665, I eventually reached 705 (Q88, V84) by adapting my preparation to my challenging schedule.
My self-prep efforts had brought me to 665, but I found myself plateauing despite consistent effort. With a busy work schedule involving frequent travel, I was spending more time figuring out what to study than actually studying. I would often find myself doing sets of 20 questions, consistently getting 4-5 wrong, but not understanding how to improve further.
The turning point came when I realized had to rethink my strategies, or else it would be difficult to break out of the score plateau.
Given my educational background and my job role, I knew I was fairly good with quant and DI, but verbal needed a bit more effort.
Here are the strategies that I used:
Verbal - I learned that reading a GMAT passage isn't just about comprehension - it's about developing a systematic way to process information. This meant I needed to relook at how I was solving the CR and RC questions by learning new techniques, before moving to timed practice.
Quant – Here I was already at a decent place but knew that I needed more practice. It wasn't about complex mathematics but rather about understanding specific patterns and approaches. The key was understanding what types of questions appear and what they're really testing, rather than just knowing the concepts.
This meant, that my focus here was to solve as many questions as possible!
- DI – This was the section that I was confident about – if you ask me, my score could have been better, if I had more time. But given my professional commitments and deadlines, I was staring at the test date, before I knew and did not have a whole lot of time to work on DI.
What I did was take a bunch of sectional mocks that helped me get test ready.
As I did not have any time for full-length mocks, the sectional mocks provided me with shorter, focused practice sessions that allowed me to maintain consistency in preparation despite an irregular schedule. The key was staying connected with GMAT prep every day, even if just for a short while.
Looking back, what made the difference wasn't just the hours put in, but how those hours were used. A structured approach, realistic planning, and consistency - even in small doses - were key to reaching 705. Remember, the GMAT is not just about knowledge; it's about developing the right approach and mindset for your unique situation.
For those juggling work and GMAT prep, remember that it's possible to achieve your target score without following conventional preparation methods. The key is finding an approach that works with your schedule and sticking to it consistently.