Hi Everyone,
I am in the preliminary stages of my GMAT preparation. I am planning to take the GMAT by 15th May, 2014 and have come up with a study plan for the same.
I took the GMATPrep practice test with zero preparation and got a score of 340. I could not finish any of the sections completely. I managed to answer only 23 questions (time expired) in quant and answered 9 questions correctly. I managed to answer only 24 questions (time expired again) in verbal and answered 13 correctly. The reading comprehension and critical reasoning questions were pretty difficult. I found that I knew the concepts that the quant section was testing but I couldn't recall the concepts completely.
I have come up with a 3 and a half month study plan to attain a target score of 700+. I wanted to know whether the study plan that I have formulated will help me reach this target score if I study diligently. Here goes :
Books I am planning on purchasing :
1. Manhattan series of 8 strategy guides.
2. Official Guide 13
3. Official Guide Verbal Review
4. Official Guide Math Review
5. Kaplan verbal workbook
6. Kaplan Math workbook
7. Kaplan 800
8. PowerScore Critical Reasoning Bible
My weekly study plan :
1. Finish one MGMAT strategy guide (Including practice questions) in 5 weekdays @ 1.5-2 hours/per day.
2. Solve the OG 13 and OG review questions corresponding to the MGMAT Strategy Guide on Saturday and review everything that I studied till date.
3. Solve the Kaplan workbook questions corresponding to the MGMAT Strategy Guide on Sunday and review everything I have studied till date.
4. Repeat the above steps until all MGMAT books have been exhausted.
5. At the end of the first month, take practice tests every weekend to see where I stand (Thanks to Rich for this suggestion)
I am going to use the weekends for solving the questions from the OG and the workbooks. I am also going to use the weekends for reviewing whatever I have studied till date. I am leaving the review process for the weekend since this will take more and more time as I am going to cover more and more material as the weeks go by.
The MGMAT series has 8 books. If I stick the above plan diligently, I will finish reading the MGMAT books + Finish with all the OG questions + Finish with all the workbook questions by the end of 2 and a half months. That will give me 1 month to take practice tests and cover advanced material such as the Kaplan 800.
It would be great if anyone who has attained a score of 700+ can review my study plan and let me know what you think of it. Am I choosing the right books? Do you see any obvious flaws in the plan? Am I missing something in the plan? Will this be a good plan to follow if I am targeting a score of 700+?
One flaw that I see with my study plan is mapping an MGMAT book to the questions in the Kaplan workbooks. I know that MGMAT lists the questions that map to the OG series at the end of each book.I am not sure if the Kaplan workbook has questions categorized by the MGMAT topics so I am not sure how I am going to identify which questions to solve from the workbook. If there is no such mapping available for Kaplan, my plan is probably going to fail/needs to be changed since I can't touch the workbooks until I have finished with all the MGMAT books.
Looking forward to the help
- CK
I am in the preliminary stages of my GMAT preparation. I am planning to take the GMAT by 15th May, 2014 and have come up with a study plan for the same.
I took the GMATPrep practice test with zero preparation and got a score of 340. I could not finish any of the sections completely. I managed to answer only 23 questions (time expired) in quant and answered 9 questions correctly. I managed to answer only 24 questions (time expired again) in verbal and answered 13 correctly. The reading comprehension and critical reasoning questions were pretty difficult. I found that I knew the concepts that the quant section was testing but I couldn't recall the concepts completely.
I have come up with a 3 and a half month study plan to attain a target score of 700+. I wanted to know whether the study plan that I have formulated will help me reach this target score if I study diligently. Here goes :
Books I am planning on purchasing :
1. Manhattan series of 8 strategy guides.
2. Official Guide 13
3. Official Guide Verbal Review
4. Official Guide Math Review
5. Kaplan verbal workbook
6. Kaplan Math workbook
7. Kaplan 800
8. PowerScore Critical Reasoning Bible
My weekly study plan :
1. Finish one MGMAT strategy guide (Including practice questions) in 5 weekdays @ 1.5-2 hours/per day.
2. Solve the OG 13 and OG review questions corresponding to the MGMAT Strategy Guide on Saturday and review everything that I studied till date.
3. Solve the Kaplan workbook questions corresponding to the MGMAT Strategy Guide on Sunday and review everything I have studied till date.
4. Repeat the above steps until all MGMAT books have been exhausted.
5. At the end of the first month, take practice tests every weekend to see where I stand (Thanks to Rich for this suggestion)
I am going to use the weekends for solving the questions from the OG and the workbooks. I am also going to use the weekends for reviewing whatever I have studied till date. I am leaving the review process for the weekend since this will take more and more time as I am going to cover more and more material as the weeks go by.
The MGMAT series has 8 books. If I stick the above plan diligently, I will finish reading the MGMAT books + Finish with all the OG questions + Finish with all the workbook questions by the end of 2 and a half months. That will give me 1 month to take practice tests and cover advanced material such as the Kaplan 800.
It would be great if anyone who has attained a score of 700+ can review my study plan and let me know what you think of it. Am I choosing the right books? Do you see any obvious flaws in the plan? Am I missing something in the plan? Will this be a good plan to follow if I am targeting a score of 700+?
One flaw that I see with my study plan is mapping an MGMAT book to the questions in the Kaplan workbooks. I know that MGMAT lists the questions that map to the OG series at the end of each book.I am not sure if the Kaplan workbook has questions categorized by the MGMAT topics so I am not sure how I am going to identify which questions to solve from the workbook. If there is no such mapping available for Kaplan, my plan is probably going to fail/needs to be changed since I can't touch the workbooks until I have finished with all the MGMAT books.
Looking forward to the help
- CK
Last edited by sgnikc45 on Sun Jan 19, 2014 7:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
