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Buy MGMAT 6th ed/wait for the 7th?; Timeframe to complete th

by Pranav94 » Sat Jun 11, 2016 4:55 am
Hi,

I'll be taking the test in Q1, 2017. Should i purchase the 6th ed of the Manhattan Guides or wait for the 7th? (given that the 6th ed. is aligned with OG 2015). Are the changes/updates signifiant enough to postpone my purchase?

Further, with ~2 hrs of reading on weekdays and 7 on weekends, what is the conservative time frame within which I'd be able to finish reading each of the 9 MGMAT Guides.

P.S.- I am strong in Verbals, but quite rusty with Quants since it's been 4-5 years since I wrote my last Math paper (though I did very well in the subject in high school)
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by [email protected] » Sat Jun 11, 2016 9:23 am
Hi Pranav94,

Although I cannot offer a side-by-side comparison of the two sets of books, the consensus is that there isn't much of a difference between recent consecutive editions of those books. Thus, you would likely find either set of books to be equally helpful. Unfortunately, it's difficult to define how quickly you could work through any type of practice materials - the time it takes you to read (and potential re-read), comprehend, do the associated practice, etc. is heavily influenced by your skills, strengths and weaknesses.

Since it sounds like you're just beginning your studies, then it would be a good idea to take a FULL-LENGTH practice CAT Test; you can download 2 for free from www.mba.com (and they come with some additional practice materials). If you want to do a little studying first, so that you can familiarize yourself with the basic content and question types, then that's okay - but you shouldn't wait too long to take that initial CAT. That score will give us a good sense of your natural strengths and weaknesses and will help provide a basis for comparison as you continue to study. A FULL CAT takes about 4 hours to complete, so make sure that you've set aside enough time to take it in one sitting. Once you have those scores, you should report back here and we can talk through your study plan.

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by Pranav94 » Sat Jun 11, 2016 1:25 pm
Thanks, Rich.

Further, I am a fresher Chartered Accountant from India and shall not be applying to a B-School for at least 3 years (i.e. till I get some decent work-ex and build a well-rounded profile, since my ECs and community service are negligible at present).

I want to take the test in 6 months' time since I'll be relatively free this period and am used to intensive study routines. Since the scores are anyway valid for 5 yrs, in your opinion, is my strategy sensible? Furthermore, is there any point in giving the 5 schools' names after the test, considering the above.
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by [email protected] » Sat Jun 11, 2016 5:22 pm
Hi Pranav94,

Studying and 'locking up' a strong GMAT score a few years before you need it a great idea! In that way, when you do apply, you can focus on your applications without having to simultaneously work on the GMAT. As far as listing the 5 Schools to send your score report to - by doing that on Test Day, you won't have to pay to send your score report later on (that price is currently $28 US per School - so since you're taking the GMAT anyway, you can potentially save $140 in Score Report fees by listing 5 Schools).

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by Pranav94 » Tue Jun 14, 2016 3:15 am
Thanks for the advice, Rich.

A Manhattan Prep rep told me yest that the 7th ed. will be rolled out sometime next month. I figured I can wait a month at most in order to buy the new edition for what it's worth. In the meanwhile, I intend to purchase the OG 2017 and read the Verbal and Quant Review guides (not the main, fat one). Is it a good idea to start with those 2 books and then move on to the Manhattan books once they are out next month?
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by [email protected] » Tue Jun 14, 2016 8:38 am
Hi Pranav94,

Scoring at a high level on the GMAT requires a certain degree of content knowledge, so reading those books to increase your knowledge is fine. You might be tempted at that point to work through many of the practice questions in those books, but I would suggest that you wait until you learn more about Tactics and the types of patterns that you'll see in GMAT questions.

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by ceilidh.erickson » Tue Mar 07, 2017 10:38 am
Pranav94 wrote: I'll be taking the test in Q1, 2017. Should i purchase the 6th ed of the Manhattan Guides or wait for the 7th? (given that the 6th ed. is aligned with OG 2015). Are the changes/updates signifiant enough to postpone my purchase?
Pranav - I hope you've long-since crushed the GMAT!

But for anyone else ever wondering whether to purchase the current edition or wait for the new one... purchase the current one and get started right away!

With each edition, we tweak a few things, and maybe change the layout a bit, to maximize readability and address anything we thought could be improved. But nothing fundamentally changes about the material, so you could even purchase our 3rd editions and still get all of the content you'd need to do well on the test. There's no reason to wait.

(Just note that if you purchase books second-hand, you won't get access to the suite of Practice Exams. If you purchase the books from us, you will).
A Manhattan Prep rep told me yest that the 7th ed. will be rolled out sometime next month. I figured I can wait a month at most in order to buy the new edition for what it's worth. In the meanwhile, I intend to purchase the OG 2017 and read the Verbal and Quant Review guides (not the main, fat one). Is it a good idea to start with those 2 books and then move on to the Manhattan books once they are out next month?
You shouldn't START with the OG's, as those contain practice problems, but not the underlying strategies that will help you to do well on those problems. You should always read strategy guides first (from Mprep or another reputable company), then use the OGs to practice those skills.
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
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