My GMAT Journey: Four Attempts, 645 (PR89), and Escaping a Two-Year Rut with Dustin GMAT
August 2024 GMAT New Structure 645 (PR89) V80 Q86 DI79 (Online Course)
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Fu Jen Catholic University, Finance and International Business GMAT New Structure First Attempt 645 (PR89) Thanks to A2GMAT and Terminator Training!
After two years of hard work, I finally conquered the GMAT!
– Academic Background: Fu Jen Catholic University, Department of Finance and International Business
– English Proficiency: College Entrance Examination (Xue Zha) 14 credits, TOEIC 900
– Preparation Time: Old Structure: November 2022 – October 2023, New Structure: March 2024 – July 2024
– Study Materials: A2 Training Class + Terminator Materials, OG, GMAT Official PP1 & PP2, GWD, Mock Exam Questions, Dustin’s Blog
Exam Score:
- First Attempt 560 (Old Structure): Q50 V17 IR:5 | February 18, 2023
- Second Attempt 620 (Old Structure): Q48 V28 IR:6 | April 20, 2023
- Third Attempt 620 (Old Structure): Q50 V25 IR:5 | October 3, 2023
- Fourth Attempt 645 (New Structure): Q86 V80 DI79 | July 19, 2024
▌Introduction:
I originally planned to prepare for the Taiwanese graduate school entrance exams during the summer of my junior year in 2022. However, I changed my mind and decided to apply for overseas graduate programs instead. Starting my application prep in September meant I was already behind. I also realized the GMAT is a big deal for top business school admissions, so I signed up for a cram school to catch up fast.
After searching online, A2GMAT came up a lot. Reading several testimonials, I didn’t hesitate to sign up for their full-course program. But after failing multiple times, a long prep period, and facing military service, I decided to enroll in the Terminator course with a do-or-die attitude, committing to one final shot at the GMAT.
▌Timeline:
First Attempt:
During regular classes and self-practice, I thought I was progressing well. I believed I “understood” why each option was correct and the others weren’t. After finishing the OG and a few PP practice tests, I felt ready. The result? A disaster – I didn’t even hit the median score, getting a dismal 560 (37th percentile).
Second Attempt:
With the sting of the first attempt fresh, I redid all the OG questions and completed PP1 through PP4. I also took several GWD practice tests. I figured all this extra practice would surely lead to a good score. But I completely missed the severe issues with my reading comprehension quality. My overall score improved, but that was mostly because I hammered the Verbal section, while my Quant score actually went down.
Third Attempt:
Fourth Attempt:
Following the third attempt, I decided to enlist in the military. During my four months of service, I kept going back and forth on whether to continue with the GMAT or apply with my current scores. In the end, I decided to give myself one last chance. If I didn’t improve, I’d apply with my highest score. As soon as I was discharged, I enrolled in the Terminator course and started my final training. This led to finally hitting my target score.
▌Section-Specific Insights
CR:
In the Terminator course, I learned a solid method for breaking down arguments. This wasn’t just helpful for CR questions; it’s actually applicable in everyday life. The course clearly laid out how to tell arguments, reasoning, and claims apart. It also really stressed understanding the question itself – something I hadn’t grasped the importance of before. A tiny change in the question can flip a wrong answer into the right one! So, the question is the most straightforward yet most critical part of CR, and you need to pay close attention.
During daily practice, Dustin’s GPT tool was incredibly effective in identifying the argument and core concepts of a passage. This made my review sessions feel like Dustin was guiding me step-by-step, correcting my misconceptions and improving review efficiency.
RC:
For RC, reading every single word can eat up time and might not even lead to full understanding. By focusing on the structure and only digging into the details when needed, I could grasp the main idea of the passage as I read and then remember the content afterward, without getting lost in jargon. When answering questions, I treated each one like a quick fill-in-the-blank, forming my own answer first before looking at the options. GMAT distractors are designed to be tricky, and it’s way too easy to fall into a trap if you’re not careful. Following Dustin’s training, I drilled my reading skills daily. Once I got used to the patterns of GMAT passages, I could handle even complex ones by relying on the structure.
Q:
I started by really digging into the concepts and problem-solving methods from KH’s math materials. Combined with consistently practicing KH’s daily timed exercises (aiming for 2 minutes per question), and then working through mock exam questions before the test, I’m confident most students can achieve a score with at most one mistake, or even a perfect score.
DI:
I used to struggle with finishing DI questions on time. But after learning Dustin’s step-by-step approach, my ability to understand the questions improved a lot, and I saved significant time. Plus, using Dustin’s GPT tool during reviews drastically cut down review time, and the GPT even offered quicker ways to solve problems – that really impressed me.
When I first started tackling DS questions, I’d get bogged down trying to calculate the exact answer. But watching KH’s video solutions, I gradually learned to focus on whether a unique solution existed, instead of forcing myself to find the answer. This approach makes a huge difference in speed, freeing up time for other question types. Also, setting time limits is key. During practice tests before the exam, you absolutely must stick to time limits to perform consistently on the real test and stay calm. Instead of wasting time on a question you’re completely stuck on, it’s better to move on and ensure you nail the ones you know. That’s the best strategy for the exam.
▌Sincere Advice
For students like me who have taken multiple attempts without significant improvement, I highly recommend enrolling in the Terminator course. Dustin provides a customized study plan tailored to your abilities and schedule, reducing stress during your preparation and genuinely building the skills needed to conquer the GMAT.By following Dustin’s phased approach, I believe everyone can effectively improve their skills and naturally achieve their desired scores.
