I took the GMAT about two years ago. My initial score was a 640 (Q43, V34, AWA 6.0). I was rather dismayed that I did not break 700 since I took like 8 Manhattan GMAT CAT exams and had combed through all of the OG questions. So I put my studying on hold for about two years and didn't think about the GMAT for awhile.
Earlier this year (2013), I thought about taking the GMAT again, so I started haphazardly studying throughout most of 2013. But when it was around August 2013, I still had not signed up for a test and my studying was getting less and less structured, I finally signed up for a test date of November 2.
I know that practice tests are key, but I felt like taking practice test after practice test did not work too well for me last time, so I spent the majority of my study time pouring over questions and focusing more on content. I re-did a lot of the OG questions (using the Manhattan GMAT books as a guide - the question sets they list at the end of each section are very helpful for targeted practice). I only took about 4 practice tests this time around (as opposed to the 8+ I took the first time around). I was actually scoring 630-640 on my practice tests this time around (to my dismay yet again) so I was extra determined to get the content down.
I spent a lot of my study time reviewing all the questions I have ever gotten wrong in my Manhattan GMAT CATs - the thing about Manhattan GMAT is that your access to take CATs expires after 1 year, but if you have multiple Manhattan GMAT books, you can just use another access code and your access to the Manhattan CAT exams will be restored for another year. This time around, I only took two Manhattan GMAT exams, and then I went in and reviewed all the questions I had gotten wrong. I printed out the questions and explanations of the ones I missed, sorted them by topic tested and the difficulty level, and stored them in a binder for easy reference. I scribbled notes when applicable to remind myself of key concepts and key terms. In the margins I tried doing the problems again and checked my answers.
I was having a curious issue with verbal that I don't think most people have - in most of my prep exams, I was finishing the verbal section with about 20 minutes to spare, which meant that I was answering questions too fast and probably missing more than I should have. Hence, on test day I actually slowed down and questioned most of my answers (Is this REALLY the right answer here?) and finished with 10 seconds to spare. My verbal score actually went up from 34 to a 39, so I think the pausing and questioning each answer helped a lot - I found myself changing some answers when in previous prep exams, I would have rarely switched answers.
Forums were useful in my GMAT journey. I used the Manhattan GMAT forums a lot. Ron Purewal, Ben Ku, Stacey Koprince, and other Manhattan GMAT instructors, thanks so much for your detailed explanations. They really helped me understand a lot of the math concepts. The articles that they put out are helpful as well, especially the ones about Data Sufficiency.
Anyway, I am rather pleased with the progress I have made, especially in math because I am not a good math standardized test taker. I suppose I could go for a 750+ GMAT, but at this point I think I should focus my efforts on the rest of the application. Thank you Manhattan GMAT staff for such great books, great CAT exams, and great forums!
Key Takeaways (for me, anyway)
-If you are not strong on the math (or verbal) concepts, focus on that first. The speed will come with it once you get more comfortable with the concepts. There is definitely a finite set of topics that they test, so make sure your understanding of each topics is solid.
-Don't stretch your studying out too long - you get burned out and your test structure might not be as effective.
-Use forums for extra discussion on GMAT problems
-If you find yourself finishing a section with ample time left (I was finishing verbal sections with like 20 minutes to spare), it may be beneficial to take your time on each question and really make sure if you've selected the best answer.
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