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Experts’ Global: Hi Rajdeep, thanks for joining us today! Could you share your GMAT results?

Rajdeep: Sure! I was able to score a GMAT 750 on my first exam attempt in 2022.

 

Experts’ Global: In your opinion, what factors made all the difference?

Rajdeep: Sticking to the basics was essential. I practiced around five verbal questions daily during my GMAT prep. My work week often ran as long as 55 hours, which meant that I had barely a couple of hours for prep left each day. I listened to video and audio resources for the GMAT on my drive to and from the office.

I also made sure to pay close attention to the official material on the GMAT website. Moreover, knowing that I needed a longer timeframe to get my studies in order, I did not schedule my actual GMAT until after I had finished learning from the official material. All in all, I took five months to complete my prep and take the GMAT.

Practicing questions in a timed fashion and taking GMAT mocks regularly was something I began to do in the fourth month of my prep. This approach helped me condition my body to the actual GMAT conditions in the last fortnight of my studies.

 

Experts’ Global: What part of the GMAT did you find most difficult and how did you overcome the challenge therein?

Rajdeep: Coming from an engineering background, I was pretty good at Quant. Critical Reasoning was quite difficult for me, until I came to realize that the trick to solving Critical Reasoning questions was pattern recognition. I used the GMAT online course from Experts’ Global to keep exploring the structure of Critical Reasoning questions until I understood it fully.

I also found Reading Comprehension challenging initially as I would forget what a given passage was all about by the time I finished reading it. I overcame this challenge by making short notes of what each section of the passage was about as I read it. I did well with Sentence Correction questions in practice but failed to excel in the same on my actual GMAT because I overthought a few of my answers.

 

Experts’ Global: In hindsight, what mistakes did you make?

Rajdeep: I would say that the official material does not do well at explaining the basic concepts of the GMAT syllabus, especially those for Verbal. I made the mistake of learning from the conceptual section of the official material and then starting my question-based practice. This meant that when I encountered questions that needed a deeper conceptual understanding, I struggled, and this also happened with certain Quant questions.

I did not focus much on improving my reading comprehension performance either, which is something I should have put effort into. The day before my actual GMAT, I revisited all the mistakes I had made on the official material’s practice questions. This helped me in Quant, but was a waste of time for Verbal, which is more about identifying patterns.

 

Experts’ Global: What advice do you have for our readers on the entire GMAT journey?

Rajdeep: Try and set reasonable targets for yourself, in terms of both prep timelines and the score you are aiming for. When I began my GMAT prep, a lot of friends told me that I could complete my studies and take the test in three months. However, I felt that would be a rushed process that would lower my eventual score. Similarly, make sure to work at a pace that is optimal for you.

Stick to the official material’s practice questions for Verbal as much as you can. When practicing questions, do not start timing yourself right away. Try and figure out the different question patterns and clarify your concepts fully before you begin timing yourself.

Mock testing is a good practice. Take a free GMAT practice test when you begin your studies to understand what your strengths and weaknesses are. Thereafter, start taking mocks weekly when your prep is almost complete. On the day of the actual GMAT, do your best to compartmentalize your stress and remain calm. Minimize your guesswork and you will be fine.

 

Experts’ Global: How was your experience with applying to business schools?

Rajdeep: I am applying to some Tech MBA programs for the fall intake. For most of the schools I am targeting, I am already working on drafting their application essays and waiting for the application windows to officially open to get a sense of what my next steps will be!

 

Experts’ Global: What is your final message to MBA aspirants out there?

Rajdeep: For the GMAT, the best approach is to focus on getting your concepts in place. If you do not have adequate resources to understand the GMAT’s syllabus, you can search around online or even reach out to MBA admissions consultants for assistance.

Try and answer the first few questions on your actual GMAT correctly. Often, encountering the first question when the exam begins can be unnerving for some applicants, and keeping your composure at the beginning of the GMAT will help you get off to a good start and maintain your confidence as you take the exam!

 

Experts’ Global: Thank you for the insights into good GMAT prep you have shared with us today, Rajdeep!

Rajdeep: I hope my words prove helpful to the readers!