GMAT Strategy

Are you taking practice tests that provide you with any kind of analysis? I know GMATPrep doesn't, but the practice tests from most of the test prep companies do. If you've been taking something other than GMATPrep, start with whatever reports are generated by that software.

There are several different levels you need to pay attention to:

- Question type (the 5 main types) and sub-type(s) (where applicable - eg, draw a conclusion for CR, value vs. yes/no for DS).

- Content area (eg, geometry) and sub-type(s) (eg, circle, coordinate plane)

- Timing (where are you good and where are you not across the various question types and content areas?)

If you are doing circle questions in 2 minutes but getting them wrong, your issue is more with content. If you are doing circle questions in 3 minutes and getting them right, your issue is with timing - which may have to do with content or process or both. How you get better will depend on why you are doing poorly in that area in the first place.

So start with the high level picture - across the major question types and sub-types and across the major content areas, how are your content and process and timing? Set study priorities accordingly, cross-checked with those areas that are most commonly tested on the test. (If you aren't sure which things are more vs. less commonly tested, ask here!)

When you review individual problems, don't forget to do a few things beyond the obvious things (like how to do the problem correctly):
- ask yourself why you got something wrong
- figure out what you can do to minimize the chances of the same kind of error in the future, and how you can make that a habit
- check the ones you got right and make sure you got them right for the right reason (sometimes we get lucky)
- ask yourself whether there are other approaches that would have worked (there almost always are) and whether one of those other approaches is actually better for you than the way you did it the first time (this happens a lot!). "better for you" might mean it takes you less time, it cuts down on the chances for you to make careless mistakes, it's easier for you to remember, etc.

Keep a log of this stuff and review - where are you making progress on your weaknesses? Where aren't you making progress? How do you need to change your study to make more progress in the areas in which you're still struggling?

That should give you a little something to get started.