GMAT Strategy

I took the GMAT few weeks back with a pathetic score of 560(42Q my lowest!, 27V). I studied randomly on my own from the following books:
- OG12 (finished all prolems on PS, DS, CR, SC, (no RC!) but didn't keep track of the wrong answers and I think I didn't even review the answers I got wrong carefully enough...just wanted to finish fast...mistake!) -> Quality vs. Quantity
- Manhattan SC (finished it once and noticed that SC improved in CATs but never felt 100% grasp on the all rules since there are just too many)
- Princeton Review Cracking the GAMT (which I'm not a big fan off)
- Kaplan 2007 (borrowed from a friend)
- OG 11 (which I didn't work on much)
- I exhausted 3 Manhattan GMAT tests (640, 630, 660) and both GMATPrep (710, 660)
- I also took some KAPLAN CATs too averaging 640

In the CATs, I was averaging 650 with Q ranging from 44-50 and V ranging from 27-38.

I plan to retake it in a little less than two months and I'm adding the texts below to my study plan:
- PowerScore CR Bible (almost done reading it as of date)
- Manhattan Quantitative entire package since I feel even if Q is my strongest, I still need to gain consistency of 49+ in order to secure a 700+

What should my strategy be:
- Should I keep OG 12 CR and SC problem sets for the last few weeks since that seems to be the norm? Then what should I use to practice my CR and SC from now till then? Is LSAT CR practice exam set a good idea? I don't believe they have answer explanation though which is essential for my understanding

- I plan to read the Manhattan SC again to remind myself the rules (maybe take a week at most)
- After I finish reading SC, I also plan to read the entire Q set from Manhattan GMAT which I just received through a delivery
- Then I plan to start taking CATs. What sequence should I follow taking the CATs (Manhattan, GMATPREP ?)and how far apart?

Finally, Thanks for reading this long note. I really believe I'm 700+ material if studied smartly. Please let me know the best way to utilize my time next 2 months to achieve my goal to 700+ (Perhaps, I should set my goal to 740-750 to secure a minimum of 710 at the worst case scenario). I've been following this site since the week I took the first actual GMAT. I wish I knew about this earlier so that my preparation wouldn't be so disorganized the first time. I really value your opinion. Please guide me.....

BTW -
My weak areas:

MATH
- DS
- inequalities
- some number properties
- probability

VERBAL
- I would say all three but some more than others. SC is my strongest (after I read the Manhattan GMAT of course!) although I'm not sure anymore after the first exam. Then CR and then RC. RC is my weakest and I actually haven't done much practice sets on this either.

Please advise....

I am going to sound really biased here, but sounds like you need to take a prep course. THe key word you used in my mind is "I studied randomly..." This is a risky way to prepare for a test like the GMAT. Prep courses will be very systematic in their approach, allowing your mind to better organize its approach to the test when you actually take it again. Veritas courses are all taught by instructors who pass a rigorous evaluation on teaching technique, and also who personally scored in the 99th percentile on an actual GMAT sitting. You can also retake all or part of a course over and over until you are happy with your score. There are other good prep companies out there as well, but I have personally seen very satisfied graduates of the Veritas classes, so it's the only one I can speak to with authority. Good luck in getting the seven handle--you'll be glad you put the time in when it's all over and done.

Thanks for your response. I forgot to mention that I can't afford the prep course; neither can I spend time on it. I believe I still can prep on my own. I just need some guidence on how to go about doing it in 2 months timeframe....

Again, thanks much!

Anyone?

You need to create a more concise plan for yourself. How many hours per day will you study? What materials do you plan on using first? How many sections will you practice per day? To get you started, maybe you'd like to look at this post. I used it as foundation for my strategy and it got me a 770.

Fact is, if you study randomly, it won't get you anywhere. If you devise a plan for yourself, a plan you stick to, you'll be much better off, since there's clear structure to your practice.

IMHO, you should first cover the strategy guides and then go for the OG in your last weeks of prep. If you want more practice for the weeks of "strategy guides", you should buy the quant and verbal supplements. LSAT sets are also a good investment - I understand the Superprep book also provides explanations. If you're having trouble with understanding the answers, you can post whichever question on this forum and get feedback.

Thanks DanaJ!

I really appreciate your advice. I also read the story on the link you provided. It's truely awesome.

My only problem now is that I don't have any source to practice CR questions given that I'm keeping OG 12 aside for last few weeks before the exam. Since I just finished reading the PowerScore Cr Bible, I would like to start practicing a few problem everyday to keep it fresh. I will order Superprep which might take a week or so to arrive. Since I have no time to waste I'll practice the forum question in the meantime. What do you think?

I'm also battling wheather to buy the verbal supplement since I already spend a lot of money on books. I guess I will order it too. Hopefully it will be good investment.

Again, thanks for the advice. This forum and it's contributors rock!

Hey you could try these questions. You've got around 100 CR and 50 RC. I guess it should suffice for more than a week - depending on your study regime.

Yeah well I spent $150 on books, so... And I wasted some of that on the Barron's book, but whatever. I guess it was worth it. It's up to you whether you want to invest more money in your prep.

Thanks for all the helpful resourceful post DanaJ. I really appreciate it.