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GMAT study plan

by mehrasa » Mon Dec 08, 2014 9:27 am
HI

I am going to make a 3months study plan to get +700 score.. I should say I am familiar with GMAT structure since I sat the test on 2012 however, not a good result that time.. I read many materials about study plans but now that I want to write my own, I got a bit confused.
I want to study 5 days a week (2 hrs or more each) one day for review and one day off...I am wondering when for example I finished a subject in math and go for the next, what I can do no to forget the materials I learned
or when I go for verbal after quant, how and how often I need to review math materials in order not to miss my takeaways and notes..
please give me some detailed strategies in order to stay on track

regarding doing the complete practice test, Do I need to have them in the middle of my studies or one at the beginning to find out my strengths and weaknesses then after finishing all concepts, I do the complete practice test in the last 2-3 weeks?

appreciate your kind replies.. please share ur exp with me
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by [email protected] » Mon Dec 08, 2014 10:15 am
Hi mehrasa,

You ask a number of good questions. Rather than try to answer them in a general way, we can get into specifics once we have a better idea of your Test-taking abilities. It IS important to take FULL-length practice CATs at regular intervals so that you can measure your progress. At this point, since you're just starting, it's also important to take one so that you we have a better sense of your strengths and weaknesses. You can download 2 practice CATs for free from www.mba.com. A FULL CAT takes about 4 hours to complete, so make sure that you've set aside enough time to do so. Once you have those scores, you should report back here and we can put together a plan.

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by mehrasa » Mon Dec 08, 2014 11:29 am
Dear Rich
Appreciate your concern to help.. I will do so and give you back the result
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by ceilidh.erickson » Tue Dec 09, 2014 9:31 am
I think your strategy of 5 days of content learning, 1 day of review, 1 day off is a good strategy. Here are my thoughts on your specific questions:
"I am wondering when for example I finished a subject in math and go for the next, what I can do no to forget the materials I learned"
Because learning happens best through repetition, here's what I would advise:
- write notes / flashcards each day for the rules, the strategies, and the takeaways.
- each day, before starting a new topic, review the previous day's flashcards
- during your one review day each week, go over all of the flashcards from that week, and flag any that you're still unsure about
- put these in a "needs more work" pile, and go through this pile each week as well
- on your review day each week, do a random sampling of OG problems from topics you've already covered to make sure you remember them
or when I go for verbal after quant, how and how often I need to review math materials in order not to miss my takeaways and notes..
I would recommend doing both verbal and quant each day: one hour of quant, one hour of verbal. That way you're doing the quant in small doses (making it easier to remember), but you won't have days off between quant study. Reviewing the previous day's takeaways (as noted above) will keep you from forgetting.
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
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by mehrasa » Wed Dec 10, 2014 7:29 am
@Ceilidh thnx for the reply.. ur suggestion abt doing math and verbal at the same time, is something to consider about.. sounds good; however, I haven,t ever heard about any study plan with this quality.. interesting!!

@Rich I have a question. 2 years ago I got (610)31 verbal and 43 Quant..now the time has passed and if I want to do a practice test, i will definitely get a poor result and this is not that real indicator to find out my weaknesses and strengths in order to reach a suitable effective study plan based on that result
What do you think rich.. What I can do for that?! is it good idea that I assign for example 2 hrs a day for a week to just review the concepts then I take the test (i mean just read diff types of Qs and the structure and the like)
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by [email protected] » Wed Dec 10, 2014 10:09 am
Hi mehrasa,

If you want to do a bit of light review before you take a CAT, then that's fine, but we still need to know your current level of ability so that we can figure out what you need to work on. I mention this because some Test Takers refuse to take a practice CAT early on and keep pushing it back later and later. As long as you take this first CAT in the next couple of weeks and then take additional CATs at regular intervals (1 CAT every 1-2 weeks or so), then we'll have an effective way to measure your progress and a gauge for any adjustments that need to be made in your study plan.

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by manyaabroadtpr » Mon Dec 15, 2014 3:36 am
mehrasa wrote:@Ceilidh thnx for the reply.. ur suggestion abt doing math and verbal at the same time, is something to consider about.. sounds good; however, I haven,t ever heard about any study plan with this quality.. interesting!!

What do you think rich.. What I can do for that?! is it good idea that I assign for example 2 hrs a day for a week to just review the concepts then I take the test (i mean just read diff types of Qs and the structure and the like)
Hi Mehrasa,

Here's something that you should try from hereon to improve your scores and make them reach towards where you want.

Give as many mock tests as possible in next few weeks. However, more than giving the mock test, it is critical that you spend enough time in analyzing your performance in the mock tests. Typically if you spend 2 hours on mock test, spend 5-6 hours in analyzing your performance in the same. Go through each and every question and look at them for as long as you want. You need to figure out a better, smarter and a faster way of doing the same question.

Take a note of all the points and then make sure you apply them in the next test. Keep doing this consistently and you will see your score going up.

Wish you the best for your gmat preparation.
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by mehrasa » Fri Jan 30, 2015 8:38 am
I finally took the test, and I got 480 (quant 31, verbal 26) :(
i am not a native english speaker and as i said in previous posts, I got 610 3 years a go and now i am going to apply for DBA and need +720 score..I am going to choose 2 months study plan. However, i need my results to be analyzed in order to make more familiar with my strengths and weaknesses( although I had not practiced or reviewed concepts after these three years, just a little bit .
I guessed the last 5 or 6 questions in both verbal and quant since the time was up
please find the attached result in order to give me some clues on how i can reach the best and most efficient study plan that works..
Attachments
quant analysis.xls
(31.5 KiB) Downloaded 171 times
quant analysis.xls
(31.5 KiB) Downloaded 151 times
verbal analysis.xls
(36.5 KiB) Downloaded 155 times
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by [email protected] » Fri Jan 30, 2015 10:32 am
Hi mehrasa,

Using this practice CAT score as a 'starting point', and factoring in your score goal (720+), I think that you're going to need MORE than 2 months of study time. Most Test Takers spend 3 months (or more) on their studies to hit their "peak" scores, and I don't think 2 months will be enough in your case.

When is the application deadline for the School(s) that you're considering?

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by mehrasa » Tue Mar 24, 2015 3:46 am
I am going to make a study plan for myself( 3 months); however, I have some Qs

1) what is the average time to dedicate each week (I go to work from Sat to wed from 8 to 5 and on Thursday from 8 to 2 p.m) and friday is weekend

2) is it ok to have a flexible time frame during week days or from one week to another?or I need to stick to solid schedule

three years a go that i took the test and got 610, I studies a large number of hours but with not desired result. then I believe it is not about the number of hrs we study it is abt the strategies and approaches we have through each Qs. I would like to have the most effective study plan to get the best result

appreciate any help or suggestion
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by [email protected] » Tue Mar 24, 2015 6:43 pm
Hi Mehrasa,

While you do not need to study every day, studying for the GMAT is similar to having a 'part time' job. Most Test Takers spend 10-15 hours per week (or more) on their studies - but you can decide how much time you want to spend. As you study more and more and get a better sense of your strengths and weaknesses, you will likely have to make some adjustments.

You also don't need to keep to a consistent schedule, but you might find it easier to plan ahead (around your work requirements, family commitments, major events, etc.) if you keep some kind of consistency in your routine.

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by manyaabroadtpr » Wed Mar 25, 2015 10:25 pm
Hi Mehrasa,

GMAT is not about studying or cramming information, which in all likelihood will be forgotten. It is about learning a few rules and perfecting a structured approach to the test which eventually helps one to get a good score. When you read your books please jot down the important points and apply them on the OG questions.

My advice is to read one book thoroughly instead of 12 books. Trust the book you have chosen and follow the advice eked out from that book. Almost all books will deal with the important teaching points for scoring high on the GMAT hence reading too many books is a waste of time.

Do studying and test taking simultaneously. Keep doing a lot of tests and review your performance on a daily basis.

Considering your schedule, you have a good amount of time for your preparation. Yes you can have flexible time frame for your preparation. Just make sure that you do quality study in the number of hours that you are putting into your preparation.

Hope this helps.Write back to us in case you have any further queries.

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