Hi, I have leeched off pagalguy but never really contributed to it. But after my recent success, I feel duty-bound to give back whatever little I have so that I might inspire someone, as few who inspired me; especially david_cro and nami_shar…
Hi,
I have leeched off pagalguy but never really contributed to it. But after my recent success, I feel duty-bound to give back whatever little I have so that I might inspire someone, as few who inspired me; especially david_cro and nami_sharma.
If you've read their posts then mine is kinda redundant; you can stop reading and go back to whatever you were doing.
If not, and for those who are kind enough to still read on since I've put time and energy into writing this, you can proceed... this is for you :D
I will (try to) keep it short and simple --
Profile
Indian IT Male 
fed up of his job and facing a quarter life crisis.:drinking:From GMAT Prep point of view, I guess this much is enough.
Preparation Time
3 weeks (well actually 5 weeks but 2 of them were spent wasting time 
, getting over the hangover of Leh Trip, collecting stuff to read/practice and wondering if I am doing the right thing since there was so much stuff to study!! 
)
Inspiration
This is very (if not most) important. My inspiration was not getting a promotion after working my ass off (ok not that much but I deserved it still). The promotion meant a title change and little salary hike. The salary hike was not important to me but the title change was. This was the last straw (yes, there were other straws) for me and I could no longer waste time here. So I went for a biking trip to Leh 
, returned, 5 weeks... here you have it.
So get inspired.. cause if there is no driving force, your performance will be sub-par. While it was a negative experience that got me inspired, I hope its a positive one for you.
Material Used
This is again important and also very relative to who you are. More on this later in my strategy section. For now --
Quant : OG12th Edition
DS : OG12th Edition
SC : OG12th Edition, Manhattan SC guide, Aristotle Prep (for theory only, did not get time to practice from it; read this before Manhattan SC theory, if at all)
CR : OG12th Edition, Sanjeev Gupta's notes
RC : Nothing...
AWA : Read few online articles and examples.
Also, I got a lot of practice from giving various tests. I analyzed each test thoroughly -- whether my methodology/reasoning behind getting a question right was in fact correct and if I was wrong, how so.
Remember, it is very important to analyze each and every option during post-test review esp. so in the case of SC and CR. No matter if you got it right, make sure you were right in your reasoning behind it too.
Tests Given : Free tests of --
- Knewton
- Princeton Review
- Manhattan
- Kaplan
- GMATClub
- GMATPrep (of course!)
I purchased additional 5 manhattan tests, by buying the SC book. One of the best decisions I made. Buy it!
The Manhattan tests are awesome mainly because of the way the processing of your test performance happens. The difficulty level of questions was bit on the higher side as compared to GMAT though.
to be contd...
Congrats Buddy....
One small query. Which college u r applying for? and maximum how much scholarship one can get in top colleges after scoring such a high mark.
I will (try to) keep it short and simple --
to be contd...
Awesome score, Congrats !
I had never seen anyone with Q52, now I know where to point to when people ask me if it is possible to get a Q52
Do elaborate on your school choices and other details.
Strategy
Now for the main part of the story.
I am above average with quant and good with verbal in terms of CAT level questions. I've already given the CAT 2 times, and this kind of helped with GMAT. The best part about GMAT, as compared to CAT is that everything that can be known, is known. To explain more clearly, all the types of questions that can come in any topic are known to us. The format is known, the marking system is more or less known. Only thing that is not known are the questions themselves and their GMAT-rated difficulty level. With CAT, nothing is known :P
Quant: Practice, practice, practice ! If you are weak, there is no other way. Giving tests gives you an idea on how to time yourself If you are good at quant, well ... just need to keep track of time.
Verbal: You have to really get engrossed in CR. Initially I was baffled by some of the correct answers but later realized that there is a pattern to it. It is not random. Sanjeev Gupta's notes helped me a lot. A must read.
For SC, I first read Aristotle's book to get a basic idea about grammar. Later I gave few tests and saw not much of a difference in my performance -- I was still not able to discern the various rules in a question and was solving in pretty much the same way I had solved till before I had read the Aristotle book. I then read Manhattan's SC book. It is exhaustive but it is very easy.
Once I had read both, I solved the remaining OG SC questions and saw my performance increase.
Finally, RC. I did no practice for it as I practically had no time. All the practice I got was from the various tests I gave. I guess they were enough for me.
For AWA I read the first website that came off google and that was it. I am not sure how much I scored in AWA as I have not received the official score yet.
For tests, as I have mentioned, I gave the MGMATs religiously. I scored something like 710, 690, 730, 660, 720, 730. I was bit disappointed since my original aim was a 750+ and I had not broken the 730 barrier even. Finally, 2 days before the actual GMAT I gave the GMATPrep tests. Got 760 in the first one and 740 in the second one. Or maybe the other way round. I am not sure -- but I was happy and confident.
I realized this was one of the major contributing factors on D-Day... you gotta be cool and confident.
D-Day
I had an afternoon slot since I am not a morning person. Reached on time, the formalities were done.. started with it. The AWA were ok-ok. I was making corrections till the last second.
Then started quant. The questions seemed pretty easy which got me bit worried that maybe I was doing something wrong but on the whole, the level of questions was tricky at best (mainly because of DS) but not tought at all. When I compare them to MGMAT, I have to say, MGMAT questions are a lot tougher.
Then started Verbal. This is the frist time where I felt like I was losing the plot. I had never had any timing problems with Verbal since I am a very fast reader but I remember I was stuck for 5 minutes on the first question. I think I got it right 😁 eventually. Usually during tests I had a fair idea that which all rules of grammar are being tests but in the actual GMAT I was reduced to answering by ear. But I guess all the practice paid off
When the score finally flashed, I was grinning from ear to ear. Got out of the center with shoulders broad... asked a fellow test taker how much he scored.. thinking I'll show off. Bloody he also scored 750... :P
Maybe there was something broke with the GMAT system :D
Anyway, I wish all the best to all future GMAT takers.. !
As corny as it sounds, yet its true -- Just chill and be confident and you will get what you want.
Now for the main part of the story.
I am above average with quant and good with verbal in terms of CAT level questions. I've already given the CAT 2 times, and this kind of helped with GMAT. The best part about GMAT, as compared to CAT is that everything that can be known, is known. To explain more clearly, all the types of questions that can come in any topic are known to us. The format is known, the marking system is more or less known. Only thing that is not known are the questions themselves and their GMAT-rated difficulty level. With CAT, nothing is known :P
Quant: Practice, practice, practice ! If you are weak, there is no other way. Giving tests gives you an idea on how to time yourself If you are good at quant, well ... just need to keep track of time.
Verbal: You have to really get engrossed in CR. Initially I was baffled by some of the correct answers but later realized that there is a pattern to it. It is not random. Sanjeev Gupta's notes helped me a lot. A must read.
For SC, I first read Aristotle's book to get a basic idea about grammar. Later I gave few tests and saw not much of a difference in my performance -- I was still not able to discern the various rules in a question and was solving in pretty much the same way I had solved till before I had read the Aristotle book. I then read Manhattan's SC book. It is exhaustive but it is very easy.
Once I had read both, I solved the remaining OG SC questions and saw my performance increase.
Finally, RC. I did no practice for it as I practically had no time. All the practice I got was from the various tests I gave. I guess they were enough for me.
For AWA I read the first website that came off google and that was it. I am not sure how much I scored in AWA as I have not received the official score yet.
For tests, as I have mentioned, I gave the MGMATs religiously. I scored something like 710, 690, 730, 660, 720, 730. I was bit disappointed since my original aim was a 750+ and I had not broken the 730 barrier even. Finally, 2 days before the actual GMAT I gave the GMATPrep tests. Got 760 in the first one and 740 in the second one. Or maybe the other way round. I am not sure -- but I was happy and confident.
I realized this was one of the major contributing factors on D-Day... you gotta be cool and confident.
D-Day
I had an afternoon slot since I am not a morning person. Reached on time, the formalities were done.. started with it. The AWA were ok-ok. I was making corrections till the last second.
Then started quant. The questions seemed pretty easy which got me bit worried that maybe I was doing something wrong but on the whole, the level of questions was tricky at best (mainly because of DS) but not tought at all. When I compare them to MGMAT, I have to say, MGMAT questions are a lot tougher.
Then started Verbal. This is the frist time where I felt like I was losing the plot. I had never had any timing problems with Verbal since I am a very fast reader but I remember I was stuck for 5 minutes on the first question. I think I got it right 😁 eventually. Usually during tests I had a fair idea that which all rules of grammar are being tests but in the actual GMAT I was reduced to answering by ear. But I guess all the practice paid off
When the score finally flashed, I was grinning from ear to ear. Got out of the center with shoulders broad... asked a fellow test taker how much he scored.. thinking I'll show off. Bloody he also scored 750... :P
Maybe there was something broke with the GMAT system :D
Anyway, I wish all the best to all future GMAT takers.. !
As corny as it sounds, yet its true -- Just chill and be confident and you will get what you want.
Awesome score, Congrats !
I had never seen anyone with Q52, now I know where to point to when people ask me if it is possible to get a Q52
Do elaborate on your school choices and other details.
Is it so? Then I might be mistaken.. I just remember 50-something and 40-something.. I looked at the scored of mani and david and thought it'll be something like that.
As for my school choices, I have just started looking at them. I would love to go to one of the top 10 US schools, but the fees is a challenge.
I have 3.5+ years of work-ex which includes lot of onsite and client-interaction. Acads are average. Dream schools --
Harvard
Stanford
Wharton
Kellogs
Yale
Seriously targeting these schools --
NUS, ISB, Wharton, Kellogs, Fisher, Columbia. Haven't started yet with anything since its not even a week since my GMAT. Will update if anything comes up. What about you?
Strategy
Now for the main part of the story.
I am above average with quant and good with verbal in terms of CAT level questions. I've already given the CAT 2 times, and this kind of helped with GMAT. The best part about GMAT, as compared to CAT is that everything that can be known, is known. To explain more clearly, all the types of questions that can come in any topic are known to us. The format is known, the marking system is more or less known. Only thing that is not known are the questions themselves and their GMAT-rated difficulty level. With CAT, nothing is known :P
Quant: Practice, practice, practice ! If you are weak, there is no other way. Giving tests gives you an idea on how to time yourself If you are good at quant, well ... just need to keep track of time.
Verbal: You have to really get engrossed in CR. Initially I was baffled by some of the correct answers but later realized that there is a pattern to it. It is not random. Sanjeev Gupta's notes helped me a lot. A must read.
For SC, I first read Aristotle's book to get a basic idea about grammar. Later I gave few tests and saw not much of a difference in my performance -- I was still not able to discern the various rules in a question and was solving in pretty much the same way I had solved till before I had read the Aristotle book. I then read Manhattan's SC book. It is exhaustive but it is very easy.
Once I had read both, I solved the remaining OG SC questions and saw my performance increase.
Finally, RC. I did no practice for it as I practically had no time. All the practice I got was from the various tests I gave. I guess they were enough for me.
For AWA I read the first website that came off google and that was it. I am not sure how much I scored in AWA as I have not received the official score yet.
For tests, as I have mentioned, I gave the MGMATs religiously. I scored something like 710, 690, 730, 660, 720, 730. I was bit disappointed since my original aim was a 750+ and I had not broken the 730 barrier even. Finally, 2 days before the actual GMAT I gave the GMATPrep tests. Got 760 in the first one and 740 in the second one. Or maybe the other way round. I am not sure -- but I was happy and confident.
I realized this was one of the major contributing factors on D-Day... you gotta be cool and confident.
D-Day
I had an afternoon slot since I am not a morning person. Reached on time, the formalities were done.. started with it. The AWA were ok-ok. I was making corrections till the last second.
Then started quant. The questions seemed pretty easy which got me bit worried that maybe I was doing something wrong but on the whole, the level of questions was tricky at best (mainly because of DS) but not tought at all. When I compare them to MGMAT, I have to say, MGMAT questions are a lot tougher.
Then started Verbal. This is the frist time where I felt like I was losing the plot. I had never had any timing problems with Verbal since I am a very fast reader but I remember I was stuck for 5 minutes on the first question. I think I got it right 😁 eventually. Usually during tests I had a fair idea that which all rules of grammar are being tests but in the actual GMAT I was reduced to answering by ear. But I guess all the practice paid off
When the score finally flashed, I was grinning from ear to ear. Got out of the center with shoulders broad... asked a fellow test taker how much he scored.. thinking I'll show off. Bloody he also scored 750... :P
Maybe there was something broke with the GMAT system :D
Anyway, I wish all the best to all future GMAT takers.. !
As corny as it sounds, yet its true -- Just chill and be confident and you will get what you want.
Awesome score buddy! Wish you all the best for the next stage.!
Can you throw some light on sanjeev gupta's notes for CR?? Never heard of them..M terrible at CR, can they be downloaded from somewhere?
Is it so? Then I might be mistaken.. I just remember 50-something and 40-something.. I looked at the scored of mani and david and thought it'll be something like that.
As for my school choices, I have just started looking at them. I would love to go to one of the top 10 US schools, but the fees is a challenge.
Didnt u get an unofficial report printed out by the center? It would show you the percentile scores as well.
And generally it is recommended to keep that print safely because it has some reference number on it, which is required later.
All schools are TOP grade !
I am looking at ISB, NUS , NTU , not decided on the rest of the colleges yet.
One more thing, I just received my official scores, it will ask you for the authentication code provided along with the unofficial test report printed out by the center. If you have misplaced that print then you will need to call up the call center and ask for your authentication code separately, painful process, I guess !
I really hope I am wrong but I just get a feel that there is more to it than meets the eye here.
1. The top score is 51 in Q and not 52. Even then Q51 V42 would have given you 760 and not 750.
2. It is IMPOSSSIBLE for people to score so high and NOT remember the raw score. If you really worked your posterior off for the score then you will be living/ breathing your scores.
3. I am usually cautious about posters whose 1st posts are about their out of the blue GMAT scores. But as you mentioned you were a stalker and didn't really contribute so that explains but I am still a bit wary.
Again, I hope I am wrong. Enjoy your scores - irrespective of what I say! 
Arun
@psychodementia...
I have to agree with you. It does look suspicious, don't it?
But you'll be surprised at whats possible and whats not in this world :)
I have no problems with your this post until I reached the word "stalker" ... come on man. Stalkers is for rapists and molesters and really bad people. I used Pagalguy like a newspaper.. or a dictionary... and you're calling me a stalker ! 
Second, david_cro got a Q51V42... he's a 750.
Third, lets say I am a complete bullshiter... :splat:
But why would anyone do that? 
What could possibly be an ulterior motive to this post? A post like this is not going to get make me more popular with the ladiess 
or any monetary gain. I am asking a sincere question here.. Why would anyone do this?
Fourth... I again say I am a bullshitter.. but then why should you be "wary" of the post? I am not advising "drink booze, shoot drugs, do illegal stuff, buy this expensive stuff" etc. Just gave advise I think most other non-bullshitters have given...
I see you're here since 2003. You're a pretty senior member then. So, could you please tell me?
@psychodementia...
I have to agree with you. It does look suspicious, don't it?
But you'll be surprised at whats possible and whats not in this world :)
A) You should have got your official scores by now, so you can easily stop all this by posting your actual break-up.
B) If you have gone through PG and studied for GMAT, not knowing PsychoD is literally -> IMPOSSIBLE !
C) I dont think there is any motive behind his post, its just that there have been some people who have done that in the past and it is just an utter waste of time of fellow puys to read debriefs of frauds.
D) I totally agree with him that you should definitely remember your score, how can you not ! I gave the test a week ago, I can still recall my break up, and I probably will till I do not give it another shot, and you should remember it more so because you got such an awesome score.
I am sorry I meant "stalker" to replace what you meant: "I have leeched off pagalguy but never really contributed to it."
Wikipedia defines it as "Stalking is a term commonly used to refer unwanted, obsessive attention by an individual or group to another human being." But I was still off it - so sorry.
Let us not take this conversation off-track as it will offer no value to others. I perhaps should have resisted making this comment but did not do so.
Arun
Hi,
I have leeched off pagalguy but never really contributed to it. But after my recent success, I feel duty-bound to give back whatever little I have so that I might inspire someone, as few who inspired me; especially david_cro and nami_sharma....
to be contd...
Hey first of all congrats for your score...and with the time you say of 3 weeks its just commendable!! now even I have stepped into this 5 weeks ferry and considering that I have never been so Brainy i dont intend to spent a week on leh trip;)...
quant use to give me nightmares
I fall in so called poet catagory and numbers apparently are foes to me. I have practiced a lot from various sources including OG11.. OG12 still left untouched... have gained confidence now..but I am skeptical, if really, actual GMAT quant has same level as in OG11 ( I mean I did OG11 quite comfortably)..... I feel I am OK with the verbal section....though my punctutation when I write does'nt coincide with the fact:splat:...but during the last gmat preps that I took I have been scoring arnd 33 or so...I believe RC and CR might just need practice without much of strategising ..and SC need to have lions share of my practice time...please suggest me how should I go in next 5 weeks
also abt CR notes of sanjeev Gupta????/
@Sausi & @Psycho
Unfortunately (for me) my unofficial printout won't be available to me till Saturday when I go home and hence I am unable to open that link from the email I got ..
Also, i never paid attention to the Q, V breakup of GMAT score.. I always looked at the x-out-of-800. I spent literally just 5 weeks on GMAT and I didn't realize that Q, V breakup can be (so) important
Its probably why i didnt look at my breakup at all. But, not wasting any more of your time. On Saturday, I will post my breakup..
@ratinarace,
I will get back to you on this by tomorrow... the CR notes by the way are the notes made by Sanjeev Gupta for his students. He runs an excellent GMAT coaching class in bangalore..
@Sausi & @Psycho
Unfortunately (for me) my unofficial printout won't be available to me till Saturday when I go home and hence I am unable to open that link from the email I got ..
Last I heard the unofficial printout was given to you in person after you take the test. Has it changed now?
Anyway this is just for my curiosity
Arun
Last I heard the unofficial printout was given to you in person after you take the test. Has it changed now?
Anyway this is just for my curiosity
Arun
No it has not ..
@Sausi & @Psycho
Unfortunately (for me) my unofficial printout won't be available to me till Saturday when I go home and hence I am unable to open that link from the email I got ..
Also, i never paid attention to the Q, V breakup of GMAT score.. I always looked at the x-out-of-800. I spent literally just 5 weeks on GMAT and I didn't realize that Q, V breakup can be (so) important
Its probably why i didnt look at my breakup at all. But, not wasting any more of your time. On Saturday, I will post my breakup..
Its best that you forget all this talk and concentrate on your apps and helping our fellow puys. Enough pages have already been wasted. 😁
@ratinarace,
I will get back to you on this by tomorrow... the CR notes by the way are the notes made by Sanjeev Gupta for his students. He runs an excellent GMAT coaching class in bangalore..
Hi can you mail the Sanjeev Gupta notes. will pm my email id if you can mail
congr8 nirvana
I'm targetting minimum 51 - Q and 40+ - V . Which material should i solve for practice besides OG?
Is Quant a cake walk in GMAT for engg. background?
To score 42 in Verbal how many ques. shud b correct? I knw it depends on consistency also bt still how accuracy is needed?