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New to GMAT. Study Plan advice Needed

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New to GMAT. Study Plan advice Needed

by ps2007 » Sat May 21, 2016 3:40 am
I took some advice from one of my friends already pursuing MBA about GMAT.
And he told me to give a shot at one of the GMAT Prep test. So i did (Without any preparation)
Scored 560(Q43,V24). What i realized from my score was that i need great improvement in Verbal. And also DS questions in Quant.

I am planning to give my GMAT exam(First attempt) in the first week of September.
So i have a whole 3 months time to work on my score. Any particular study plan that i could work on.

Is it possible to improve my score to a 700+ , considering i would be start preparation from today onward (21/05/2016). I can afford 2-3 hours on weekdays and 8 hours on weekends.

Your suggestions would be really helpful.
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by [email protected] » Sat May 21, 2016 12:30 pm
Hi ps2007,

This initial diagnostic score is pretty good (the average score on the Official GMAT hovers around 540-550 most years). Since you've also given yourself plenty of time to study, you can absolutely achieve your goal score in the time allotted. You'll still have to be consistent with your studies, work with the proper materials and learn/practice the proper Tactics, but I think that you have a good chance to score 700+.

At this point, you have to think about how YOU learn best and work the resources that best match your personality.

1) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
2) Do you know which Schools you plan to apply to?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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by ps2007 » Sun May 22, 2016 1:15 am
Thanks [email protected], for the uplifting words.

I am planning to apply in the month of october and september. And i have a random list of programs in my head that i want to apply for. But i think it would be better if i wait for the score to get a bit clearer and better. Maybe around August would be a nice time to look for colleges that would be better for the score that i am consistent with.
What do you think?
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by [email protected] » Sun May 22, 2016 9:18 am
Hi ps2007,

If you're planning to apply for the Round 1 deadlines, then waiting until August to research Schools/Programs is NOT a good idea. It often takes several months to put together a well-written application that properly 'markets' you to each of the Schools that you plan to apply to. Thus, you'll either want to begin your research earlier or push back your applications to a later Round.

1) What GMAT materials are you currently working with?

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by ps2007 » Sun May 22, 2016 9:57 pm
I am currently working with mainly MGMAT material.
For Quant i am relying on Manhattan's study guides and also OG 2016 and OG quant 2016
For Verbal i am doing SC from Manhattan study guide, CR- Powerscore LSAT. And for RC mainly going through Manhattan material.

Is this sufficient? Or should i have some other material for reference as well?
Please let me know your thoughts
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by ps2007 » Mon May 23, 2016 5:31 pm
I am not really sure. How to work with the OG yet?
Do i finish my Quant and Verbal material first, and then work on the questions in OG?
How do i go about it.
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by [email protected] » Tue May 24, 2016 9:11 am
Hi ps2007,

Many Test Takers who use a 'book heavy' study approach end up getting 'stuck' at a particular score level, so you'll likely end up needing to invest in some non-book resources. Since you've already acquired some practice materials, you can get started with those though. The OG books are great sources for practice questions, but they're not designed to teach you Tactics, patterns or the little 'secrets' behind the GMAT - for those, you'll need Course-oriented materials. To that end, you should work on the OG a little later on in your studies. I suggest that you study as you see fit for the next 2-3 weeks, then take a new FULL LENGTH CAT (with the Essay and IR sections). That score result will give us a better idea of how well you're improving and what changes might be necessary.

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