GMAT 710 High Score Tips: A Working Professional’s 580-to-710 Comeback on Second Attempt, and A2 & Dustin Terminator Course Review

September 2019 (HTCsopp) GMAT 710 V36 Q50 (7-Week Elite Training Program)

Author: HTCsopp (HTC-SOPP)
Board: GMAT
Title: [Experience] My GMAT 710 Prep Journey as a Working Professional (Second Attempt)
Time: Sat Sep 21 18:10:38 2019

Test Scores:

• First Attempt 580 Q48 V23 2019/06/04 (Cancelled)
• Second Attempt 710 Q50 V36 2019/08/12

Educational Background:

Master’s degree from National Taiwan University, College of Engineering

Self-Assessment of Abilities:

TOEIC 900 (TOEFL not yet prepared)

Preparation Time:

March 2019 ~ August 2019 (approximately six months)

Preparation Materials:

OG, A2 Training Program + Advanced Program, Dustin Verbal Terminator Class, Dustin’s Blog & Youtube channel, A2GMAT GMATPrep Class

Foreword:

Although I am currently preparing for my third attempt, I wanted to share some insights from this journey with all the hardworking GMAT test-takers who are also working professionals. Since working professionals have very limited time for preparation, I decided from the beginning to rely on a systematic training program to conquer the GMAT as quickly as possible. Since March of this year, I have successively taken A2’s Training Program, Advanced Program, and Dustin’s Verbal Terminator Class (I pretty much took all the classes available, haha). Looking back now, I’m glad I seized the abundant preparation resources provided by A2GMAT.

First Attempt:

This was about a month after the training program ended. I rushed into the exam without even finishing reviewing the training program handouts or completing the OG. At that time, my proficiency was so poor that I couldn’t even understand sentence structures or identify parenthetical clauses. For Math, it was almost a cold test, and as expected, my scores were terrible. However, thanks to pushing myself to take the first attempt, it not only helped me see the gap between reality and my ideals but also helped me familiarize myself with the test environment and overcome my fear of the exam.

Second Attempt:

After the disastrous first attempt, I quickly enrolled in the A2 Advanced Program for re-takers (the price was incredibly reasonable) and Dustin’s Verbal Terminator Class. Because my SC score in the first attempt was abysmal (23rd percentile), I spent almost 80% of my time on SC before the second attempt, and my SC score successfully improved to the 85th percentile in the second attempt. Therefore, the following sharing will mainly focus on my SC preparation experience.

SC-

This can be divided into four main points:

1. Categorize “Testing Point Levels”:
   The SC testing points are thoroughly organized in the A2 Training Program/Advanced Program handouts. Whenever I encountered something unclear while solving problems, I would go back to the A2 handouts to review the relevant testing points. The Terminator Class further emphasized the concept of “testing point levels,” clearly understanding the level of error for each incorrect option. When asking questions in the Terminator Class study group, everyone would first map their hypotheses to the testing point levels before discussing. This step might seem redundant, but in actual practice, when two or three options seem grammatically correct, the testing point levels become extremely useful.
2. “Meaning First”:
   To quote Dustin’s famous saying, “Grammar always serves meaning.” After joining the Terminator Class, I realized that reading comprehension truly cures all ills. During this period, I strictly followed the Terminator Class’s training method, forcing myself to first understand the meaning. I could only move to the options after reading the question and getting a clear, human-understandable sentence. I believe everyone has experienced SC questions where they couldn’t understand the meaning at all and directly looked at the options to identify testing points, relying solely on memory of grammatical rules to decide. However, when reading comprehension improves, problem-solving starts from meaning, then considers whether each modification relationship is reasonable, whether there is ambiguity in meaning, whether the expression is concise, and so on. This ability also effectively helped in subsequent CR and RC preparation.
3. “Don’t blindly drill questions,” fully develop each practice problem:
   Actually, for my second attempt, besides the class handouts, I only repeatedly reviewed the OG, accompanied by A2’s explanation videos, to ensure I mastered every testing point in the problems I had done. And the OG solution videos provided by A2GMAT were truly helpful; almost every problem I completed allowed me to learn more testing points from the videos and reinforce my weak concepts. Additionally, during review, I would follow Dustin’s method for rewriting exercises, simulating the test-maker’s perspective to examine the question patterns of testing points.
4. “Basic Grammar, Sentence Structure”:
   Honestly, when I was preparing this part, I felt very anxious. Firstly, as a working professional, time was already very tight. Secondly, there was a lot to review in the A2 handouts, and I was afraid I wouldn’t finish. However, I sincerely advise everyone, no matter how tight your time is, to firmly establish your foundational grammar. Although it seems like the most time-consuming path, it might be the key to conquering the exam. I also watched Dustin’s basic grammar videos on his channel, slowly gaining a more complete understanding of English grammar. I started to be able to distinguish sentence structures, their modification relationships, and even parenthetical clauses (blushing) XDD.

CR-

I think the most important things are “reading comprehension” and “establishing the premise”: If CR questions were translated into Chinese, I believe everyone would have no major problems. This means the real key still lies in reading comprehension. A2 thoroughly organized CR testing points in the training program. After class, I carefully reviewed the handouts and audio recordings, gradually grasping the logic of the questions. CR training in the Terminator Class was similar to the SC training mentioned earlier: before looking at the options, you need to understand the question in plain language and have a predicted answer for the premise before evaluating the options. Furthermore, for me, “establishing the premise” is the most crucial step in CR; for most questions, once the premise is clearly understood, the options often fall apart on their own. For me, the concepts taught by A2 and Kory in the training program, including horizontal and vertical summarization, as well as Dustin’s critical thinking methods, were all extremely helpful in the exam.

RC:

A2’s logical diagram method taught in class helped me grasp article structure and tone more effectively. However, perhaps due to insufficient practice, my RC progress was minimal before the second attempt, and my scores were not ideal, so I won’t elaborate much here for now. I am currently still preparing for my third attempt, and I hope to share more once my RC improves.

Q:

My math performance in these two attempts was a complete misstep. I only practiced GMATPrep questions before the exam and didn’t finish the KH handouts/GWD, which led to me being very unsure about some DS questions in the actual test. The results also proved that partial effort is not enough to get a Q51. Therefore, after this exam, I reflected deeply and decided to thoroughly review the KH math handouts, familiarizing myself with every concept before facing the third attempt.

Verbal Terminator Class:

(I believe many test-takers are curious about this class XD)

I have to say, when the course first started, it really felt like starting from scratch, which was quite painful, honestly. But it was also through this process that my understanding of the GMAT changed. I re-evaluated the meaning behind the questions and practiced rewriting from the perspective of the test-maker. The class constantly emphasized understanding one’s own blind spots in problem-solving and then proposing methods to improve and prevent weaknesses. In addition, I think the Terminator Class’s online consultation community is truly amazing; you often see Dustin helping everyone solve problems until the early hours of the morning, living a life even more dedicated than a test-taker. Furthermore, the study plan set by the Terminator Class is like a reassurance; whenever I felt overwhelmed, I would look at it and pull myself back from going off track. I believe many classmates can feel Dustin’s dedication and passion for teaching in this class. I’ve mentioned many advantages of the Terminator Class, but this class is truly only suitable for test-takers who can commit a significant amount of time and effort; otherwise, you’ll probably find it very painful after enrolling XDD (For details, please refer to Dustin’s Terminator Class introduction).

Conclusion:

I often feel that this process is like deciphering a martial arts manual. The A2 Training Program/Advanced Program is like a refined set of external martial arts moves, while the Terminator Class is like an internal cultivation method; both complement each other. In Dustin’s Terminator Class, I discovered that I must truly strengthen my reading comprehension to more effectively master the problem-solving methods I had learned before. Finally, I sincerely thank the strong consultant team at A2GMAT. Thank you, A2, Dustin, Kory, and KH, for providing test-takers with systematic learning methods, helping working professionals effectively conquer the GMAT in a short period. I also hope that all working professionals will persevere, successfully achieve their ideal high scores, and smoothly advance to the next stage of their careers.

Related posts:

GMAT 690 on My Sixth Attempt: A Working Professional’s Journey and Recommended Study Methods Boosting My Score: A2 and Dustin’s Advice My 710 GMAT Score: A Six-Time Test Taker’s Hard-Won Victory GMAT 710 High Score Insights from an Office Worker (Fourth Attempt): The Recommended Study Method of Waking Up at 6 AM Daily