MBA-Prep (GMAT)

After deciding to pursue an MBA, I set out preparing in September 2006 for the GMAT. The first thing I did was to buy the following books

1) KPLAN GMAT
2) Official Guide for GMAT 11th Edition

I prepared for about 2 hours on a working day and about 6 to 8 hours on the weekends. I found the mornings the best time to prepare, as my energy levels took a dip in the evenings(I'm more of a morning person:) ). After working for nearly 10 years, it was a little tricky to recall and learn school Math and English. However, it was an enjoyable experience (especially the Math part). I did a few practice tests from the books, and it helped me to time myself and prepare a strategy for the D-Day. I also used the Free GMATPrep Test Preparation Software.

I then booked a date for the test --- November 30th 2006.

There was no test center in Pune (my work place). Hence, I had to travel to Mumbai (about 3.5 hours drive) to reach the test center. I completed the test on time (both the Quantitative and Verbal part) and got a score of 690. I was not pleased with my performance as my target was to score at least 700 (the verbal part pulled me down, as I did not prepare well).

A few tips for test takers
1) Relax - GMAT is not a difficult test.
2) Three months of preparation should be good enough to get a good score
3) The Official Guide will give you a good flavor of questions
4) Undertake a lot of Practice tests and build up your stamina (so that you will last till the very end of the test). This is very very essential.
5) There is a bounty of material available online, feel free to use those as well for your preparation
6) Balance the preparation (between the Math and Verbal parts), both are equally important (This was my biggest mistake during preparation)
7) Make sure that you time yourself. In case you get a difficult question that you are not able to answer, move on to the next question quickly.
8) Relax and enjoy your test.

Wishing the BEST to all future test takers !!!!

A few useful links (Please note the links might change and if there are any broken links, please feel free to GOOGLE to pick the right link)

1) GMAT Official Site
2) The official - Free PowerPrep Software
3) Free Princeton Review practice test
4) Free KPLAN Material
5) Free Peterson's Tests
6) Manhattan GMAT (some free stuff as well)
7) 800 Score (with some free stuff)
8) GMATScore tests