Hi all,
I just passed my GMAT and got a 700, from the first time and after studying for a mere 10 weeks. I would like to share with you how I did it, maybe it could help someone.
Books I studied: Manhattan GMAT prep set + Princeton Strategy Guide + OG 13
I started studying in Mid March, first using the Princeton Strategy Guide. I honestly don't know if you should do the same. Princeton has some nice tips but lacks, in general, depth regarding the topics covered in the GMAT. In the exam, I used only a few of the material learned in Princeton. Princeton got me in my first GMAT prep software (after 2 weeks) almost 600. It is therefore the Manhattan GMAT books that really propelled me to the 700 score (90% percentile). I studied every book of the Manhattan prep set and subsequently tested myself on the OG 13 exercises, which are the best practice tools before the GMAT. I also did the exams offered by Manhattan and they are in fact, as I experienced, harder than the GMAT (I never got a 700 on them). All my studying was done in a period of almost 10 weeks. Further, I did not take one day off from work, which is a very demanding job as I never get home before 8:00 PM. My study hours were regularly between 9 and 12 PM mid week, while in the weekend I would study almost 4 hours per day.
My main advice to anyone tackling the GMAT are the following:
1- Focus on quality, not on quantity. You really are better off doing one exercise, understanding how it's properly tackled, writing down the concept learned rather than performing 10 exercises just for the sake of putting hours in the preparation.
2- Put a plan. GMAT is a war; you can't win a war without a proper plan. A plan can be simple and not written, such as mine, or detailed, in whatever way that suits you. The plan should take into consideration how much time you have, and how many books you can afford. My plan was simple: Finish studying the M Books and than tackle every problem of the OG 13, in a proper way. In the last few days before the exam, I performed 3 or 4 sample tests. Finally in the last 2 days, I didn't do anything.
3- Believe in yourself and pray that you be lucky. Luck is a fundamental element in the GMAT equation.
Thank you all for reading
Chady
I just passed my GMAT and got a 700, from the first time and after studying for a mere 10 weeks. I would like to share with you how I did it, maybe it could help someone.
Books I studied: Manhattan GMAT prep set + Princeton Strategy Guide + OG 13
I started studying in Mid March, first using the Princeton Strategy Guide. I honestly don't know if you should do the same. Princeton has some nice tips but lacks, in general, depth regarding the topics covered in the GMAT. In the exam, I used only a few of the material learned in Princeton. Princeton got me in my first GMAT prep software (after 2 weeks) almost 600. It is therefore the Manhattan GMAT books that really propelled me to the 700 score (90% percentile). I studied every book of the Manhattan prep set and subsequently tested myself on the OG 13 exercises, which are the best practice tools before the GMAT. I also did the exams offered by Manhattan and they are in fact, as I experienced, harder than the GMAT (I never got a 700 on them). All my studying was done in a period of almost 10 weeks. Further, I did not take one day off from work, which is a very demanding job as I never get home before 8:00 PM. My study hours were regularly between 9 and 12 PM mid week, while in the weekend I would study almost 4 hours per day.
My main advice to anyone tackling the GMAT are the following:
1- Focus on quality, not on quantity. You really are better off doing one exercise, understanding how it's properly tackled, writing down the concept learned rather than performing 10 exercises just for the sake of putting hours in the preparation.
2- Put a plan. GMAT is a war; you can't win a war without a proper plan. A plan can be simple and not written, such as mine, or detailed, in whatever way that suits you. The plan should take into consideration how much time you have, and how many books you can afford. My plan was simple: Finish studying the M Books and than tackle every problem of the OG 13, in a proper way. In the last few days before the exam, I performed 3 or 4 sample tests. Finally in the last 2 days, I didn't do anything.
3- Believe in yourself and pray that you be lucky. Luck is a fundamental element in the GMAT equation.
Thank you all for reading
Chady
