I just Beat The GMAT!

Hello all!

First of all, I would like to thank all of you in the forums. I never posted any message before today but I enjoyed a lot all the answered questions I could find and I think it helped me a lot.
I took the GMAT a couple of weeks ago. I scored 750 (Q49, V42), still expecting my AWA score...
The feeling was really weird. I'm a French engineer so I expected to perform better in the quant section than in the verbal one. But the percentiles are 85th for the quant and 95th for the verbal. So strange...
I studied the GMAT during 2 months approx. My bible has been the GMAT Center study book. It helped me a lot on the verbal section. I did a lot of paper tests. My pace was one section every night (One paper test every two days). I don't really recommend the paper tests because they are from unofficial sources and sometimes I really could not understand why I was wrong. (And beatthegmat.com's forums confirmed me that the paper tests seemed to be wrong)
I focused my revision on the verbal part.
The mistakes I was making on the quant part were bad calculations or Data Sufficiency errors that I was easily able to understand why I was failing.
For the verbal part, my worst points were SCs and RCs questions. So I practiced it with the material I found on the internet and the MBA Center book.
I also enjoyed all the pieces of advice I found on this web site. Especially for the RCs questions.
I did not work so much the AWA part, until a week before the test. For the AWA prep, I read some AWA scored 6 on the internet and prepared a template for the introduction, conclusion and main parts.
I took the 2 GMAT Prep test and scored 720 and 760. I think they are quite accurate after all.

My GMAT Day
I had my appointment at 14h30, so I had to be at the test center at 14h. I woke up as usual at 8, prepared myself until 10-11 and walk in the street (in Madrid Center) during an hour or so. At 12, I had a lunch (Burger King... no other restaurant is open at 12 in Spain...) then another 30 minute walk.
At 13h45, I was there. I did the paper stuff.
The analysis on an argument went quite well, and kept me confident.
The analysis of an issue was harder, it was like I could not have any idea in English, but I managed to write something after all.
Then I took the quant part. So weird... all the questions seemed so easy. I tried to double-check my answers but I guess there were several hidden traps in which I fell. Finished the quant part with 15 minutes left (bad time management I guess)
I enjoyed the break to go to the bathroom then started the verbal part. I found all the questions difficult and I was running after the clock.
Then, I confirmed the test and got my score.
My first reaction was a disappointment because I focused on the quant score. I expected a 50+ score on it. Then I saw the 750, and could barely understand it. Then I saw my score on my verbal section.
It was a very strange feeling because I think I would be happier if I scored 50 on the quant and had a lower global score (like 730). I would have understood it better. I think I'm good at math and not so good at English so it would have been more representative of what I am (or what I think I am)
Anyway, I'm happy to score 750, I hope it will help me to be admitted to the B-School I want.
Thanks again for all the help I received from your forums, and I hope I'm not the only one to have experienced the same feeling as I did (good score but I think I could do better in quant, but I will do worse at verbal)

Cheers,
Mickaël.

Congrats, as 750 is fabulous score

Hey could u please tell me what were ur strategies while preparing for verbal part. What type of stuff u had for verbal section?

Congrats, Mickael! Nice to see a little Burger King helped

Hi Mikael

What is the GMAT center study book and could you post the link please?

Did you use any other books like the official guides / Manhattan 8 prep guides?

Thanks and well done!

Hi Mike

I will be giving my exam on April 2012 ,so could you please help us with the strategy as well as with the verbal and quant questions or links, if you have with yourself,certainly those would be very helpl for me.

Congratulations. Great score and a great debrief.

Thanks all !!!

Here was my bible... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Total-Gmat-Prep ... 498&sr=8-3
Some pages (quite a big part actually) on google books... https://books.google.es/books?id=GklpwocdTzMC&hl=fr

No other prep book. Actually, I was stolen by backpack (with my book inside) after I read one time the book but before I could take the notes I wish I took... Anyway... A lot of paper tests but actually they were from unofficial sources and the solutions were sometimes wrong (in my opinion and the one of experts in Beat the GMAT).

Then, the 2 GMAT Prep test you can download from mba.com.

I enclose my AWA short preparation. Some useful sentences to quickly start introduction, development and conclusion...

Hope it help.

Regards.

Mickael,

Wow this is ironic. I also have background in engineering, took the GMAT last week, ended up with almost an identical score breakdown, and I had the same mixed feelings after I received the report. My overall was a 730 with a 48Q and 42V.

In all but maybe my first practice CAT I was consistently scoring at least a 49 or above in quant but I knew after the end of the section it wasn't my day for math. Actually, I thought I did so poorly in quant I debated cancelling my score. The verbal score was a bit of a shock. For two reasons, I never hit a 42 in any prep exam and I broke a cardinal sin of not completing all the questions in time. I think I had two left when the clock ran out.. Does anyone actually know how that penalty works?

Honestly, the whole scoring of this exam is still mystifies me. Anyway, congrats on the score, I hope it helps you get where you want to go.

Great recap here. Congrats on the score!