GMAT Strategy

So I take the GMAT again (got a terrible 540 last month) and I feel like I'm ready. My practice test scores (have taken 5 MGMAT since last real GMAT) have averaged at about 620, which I never did before. I think I've finally connected the dots and figured out what works for me.

However, I still struggle with the Quant. section. I feel my knowledge about the topics covered is solid, but I just struggle with deciphering some of the questions. My Verbal is strong, but sometimes I'm kind of patchy and get questions wrong that I should have gotten right. I think with full concentration I can handle any Verbal question thrown at me.

My biggest question is what should I do in this last week? Since my last test in August, I've done nothing but practice tests. At least one a week. I'll have 6 done by the time the test comes, finishing the last the beginning of next week. After I take a test I review all the questions. This seems to have helped much more than my previous study plan (where I basically would do questions untimed in OG, study concepts, etc. and take a test every other week).

While this has built my confidence, I feel like I'm starting to get burnt out on studying and the last week or two, I've kind of tapered off my studying and not done as much as I could have. I feel like there's not too much more I can learn (especially in with no time left), but I'm worried that my lack of motivation to study may hurt.

On the other hand, I feel super relaxed and don't feel the pressure I had last time, especially because I know there's no way I can do worse than last time.

Please help, sorry for such a long post.

When is your test? I'm going to assume you have 7 days. Here's what I would do:

1. Don't study over the weekend (2 days). It sounds like you're burned out and could use a couple days away from the exam. This will give you a much needed rest, but will also allow your knowledge to settle in to your brain.

2. Study a couple hours a day for three days next week. Don't bother doing another practice exam. Instead, focus on the two or three areas in which you think you're weakest - ESPECIALLY if you're weak at a common question type. For example, don't worry much if you're bad at permutations/combinations since that's not a common topic for someone scoring at your level. Instead, focus on, for example, knowing the common grammar rules for sentence correction.

3. Don't study the day or two before the exam. You need to let your final days of studying sink in, and you don't want to be burned out on test day.

4. I like to do 4 or 5 problems the morning of the exam, just to get warmed up. Make them easy problems that you'll probably get right (remember, this is a warm-up).

Good luck!

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it. Yea I definitely think I've burned out with the studying, but I also feel pretty relaxed about the whole thing. I really think my last score was a fluke and there is no way I'll score lower. Also when I was studying intensely (right after the last test), I improved quite a bit.

I just get worried that if I'm not constantly studying I'm going to forget what I've learned. However, I think its probably not possible to forget everything I've learned over the past 5 months just cause I didn't study hard for the 2 weeks before my test.

Thanks again.