5 months till test, when is a good time to start studying?

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jriz1991: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 1; Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2014 9:58 am

by jriz1991 » Fri Aug 29, 2014 5:05 am

Hi,

I plan to take the GMAT in about 5 months and I'm not quite sure how to best utilize the study time I have till then. I've taken the test before and scored a 620 but I'm very unhappy with my results and would ideally like to score around the 700 range. With 5 months of time, what's the best way to prep for the test? I plan on taking an in person course but I figured it'll probably be best to start the course so that it ends pretty close to test day. My initial thoughts were to spend the next two months brushing up on basic arithmetic, statistics, English, how to use, a comma, and the remaining three attacking the GMAT directly. I'm very interested to learn how others study for the test over long periods of time. I have a feeling that for me at least, too much time can dilute my studying so I want to be very strategic in how I approach this. Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

James

Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy | Fri Aug 29, 2014 5:05 am

GMATinsight: Legendary Member; Posts: 1100; Joined: Sat May 10, 2014 11:34 pmFollowed by: 24 members; Location: New Delhi, India; Thanked: 205 times

by GMATinsight » Fri Aug 29, 2014 8:26 am

jriz1991 wrote:Hi,

I plan to take the GMAT in about 5 months and I'm not quite sure how to best utilize the study time I have till then. I've taken the test before and scored a 620 but I'm very unhappy with my results and would ideally like to score around the 700 range. With 5 months of time, what's the best way to prep for the test? I plan on taking an in person course but I figured it'll probably be best to start the course so that it ends pretty close to test day. My initial thoughts were to spend the next two months brushing up on basic arithmetic, statistics, English, how to use, a comma, and the remaining three attacking the GMAT directly. I'm very interested to learn how others study for the test over long periods of time. I have a feeling that for me at least, too much time can dilute my studying so I want to be very strategic in how I approach this. Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

James

Usually, Majority of test takers crack the exam and get best scores in the preparation of 3 months. For a systematic approach, you can also subscribe 60-days Beat the GMAT guide.

In fact if you can elaborate a bit more about your plan then possibly we can make it stronger however you idea about starting the preparation seem a good idea by brushing up easy concepts of Quant and starting to work on CR

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by [email protected] » Fri Aug 29, 2014 9:58 am

Hi James,

I'd like to know a bit more about your prior GMAT score. A 620 is a solid performance, so you were clearly doing some things well.

1) When did you take that GMAT?
2) What were the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for that Test?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
4) What resources did you use to study with?

For someone who is starting "from scratch", I typically recommend a 3-month Study Plan. Assuming that you're not too "rusty" though, you might be ready to retest in less time than that (and you may or may not need a live Course to help you prepare). With 5 months of potential study time, you've given yourself a great opportunity to improve.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Contact Rich at [email protected]

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Brent@GMATPrepNow: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 16207; Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pmFollowed by: 1268 members; Location: Vancouver, BC; Thanked: 5254 times; GMAT Score:770

by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Fri Aug 29, 2014 10:10 am

If you plan to take a classroom-based course in a couple of month, you can get a bit of a head start by signing up for Beat The GMAT's free 60-Day Study Guide (https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide).
Each day, you'll receive an email with a series of learning activities that guide you, step-by-step, from Day 1 to test day. You can complete as many of the learning activities as you wish. It's just an easy way to keep track of everything that the GMAT tests.

Here's an outline of all 60 emails: https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/gmat-guide-outline

Cheers,
Brent

Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com

BestGMATEliza: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 103; Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:31 pmFollowed by: 12 members; Thanked: 25 times; GMAT Score:770

by BestGMATEliza » Mon Sep 01, 2014 4:09 am

Hi James,

If you are planning for a 700+ score, I would recommend taking the course earlier and then having time at the end to work out the final kinks and improve on your weak areas. I think a lot of people will be starting the course having not studied at all and you can review topics as you go, if need be. In addition, I think it is valuable to take 5-10 full length practice tests in the final weeks before your test so that you can train your brain to function on high capacity for the full 3.5 hours.

Hope this helps!

Eliza Chute
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