Vaibhav3005 wrote:I appeared for my first mock exam today from the official GMAT Prep Software without any prior preparation. I have the material from Manhattan and an online version of the Official GMAT Guide which I haven't touched yet. I do not have much idea about the exam as I've just started preparing but as I'm free from work right now, I can very well spend 6-8 hours daily. I need guidance as to how should I approach to score above 700. Also, I'm planning to appear for the exam somewhere in the next 2 months as I'll be burdened with work after that. Kindly guide me with a plan.

That's a very solid starting point. There's no need to make preparation any more complicated than it needs to be. You'll want to work through a set of strategy books and tackle every question in the Official Guide. (Make sure you do these questions slowly and thoroughly. Dissect why every incorrect answer is wrong. Look for clues in the language about what makes certain answer choices both incorrect and tempting.)

Two important things to note. First, your quant is much stronger to start than your verbal, so you'll want to allocate your time accordingly. There's no magical ratio, but 2:1 in favor of verbal sounds about right to me. Second, there's a lot of evidence that studying too much can actually harm performance. So I wouldn't do 6-8 hours a day. A few shorter intense sessions will be more beneficial and less painful. (And consider changing rooms when you study. There's interesting research about how we retain more when we alter our study environment.) Just make sure you're consistent.

Last, you'll want to make sure you're taking regular practice exams throughout the process. Carefully note what is and isn't working and make notes to yourself about what areas require improvement. And have specific goals. (Roughly: 49+ on the Quant and 38+ on the verbal.)