So happy i found you, great resources
I m going to write here the diary of my preparation.
If anybody wants to make a remark or give me a tip, feel free and welcome, that s the reason why I do it online
)I decided to join a MBA 2 weeks and 2 days ago, it was kind of abrupt ...
-To meet the application deadline, I thought I had till the end of March to pass the GMAT. But finally, I ve till July (but on the other side, I don t want to lose my focus and I decided myself for April).
-I need this GMAT only to get a scholarship (but on the other side, I really need this scholarship, I must score in the 700+)
-I m not a maths whiz at all (a Master in European History and now working in the media)
Here s how I started my review, 2 weeks ago now
materials :
- OG 11th
- Kaplan comprehensive 2009
- ARCO master the GMAT 2007
- Peterson s Ultimate GMAT toolkit 2004
- plenty of additional material downloaded from Internet
14 years after my last maths lesson, I needed a serious review. I am also persuaded that you re never stronger than your weakest link, so, QUANT was my priority from the beginning.
Following the general advice, I am taking it section by section, while keeping up with formerly reviewed sections by daily exercises.
So, maths first.
I passed the Kaplan GMAT diagnostic, out of the blue, no prior study or review.
result : 63% correct
1/ I started with the basics for the first 4-5 days, it is necessary to build up a solid base. I didn t even open a GMAT manual
If you re a French speaker, I would recommend to go there
https://www.mathematiquesfaciles.com/?cook=1
They ve plenty of online exercises, at every level, covering basics like mental calculation, fractions, equations, percentages, geometry, etc.
drill, drill, drill ...
I started from primary school level and worked my way up.
2/ I used ARCO and Peterson for their maths review. Compared to OG & Kaplan, they really take it from the very beginning and guide you step by step, with exercises. Very useful for me.
I read and compared both, doing every exercise, started to write my own flashcards (in addition of the ones available here, thank you
Saturday 14th : maths review, I did all the exercises in ARCO/Peterson : 85% of good answers
(one week before, I confess, I couldn t do a written division and just had a vague reminiscence of powers or roots)
3/ This last week, I went through OG and Kaplan maths review, one notch higher.
By reviewing the curriculum in 4 different ways, I m sure I ve all of it covered thoroughly (except for combinations/permutations; even at high school, I have never been able to figure them out and I didn t want to dishearten myself by hitting this wall while getting my basics done, I found here yesterday great material, I ll start go through them today)
Saturday 21th : 150 first PS from OG
comb/perm put aside : 85% of good answers
mistakes : 2/3 misreading/misunderstanding of the question, 1/3 calculation errors, for only 2 PS, I was totally clueless and did not know where to start
Not bad, the progress is there, but sure not good enough for my goal.
I need now to put myself in test-like situations, to be much more focused and sharp, to pay attention to time, endurance, etc.
But if you haven t been passing tests/exams for decades like me, give yourself some time before raising the bar to this level. I think it s very important not to be burnt out by stress.
I took it slowly (but 3/4 hours every day, 7 days a week, on average) for the last 2 weeks just to gain confidence in my maths abilities. It s not only about the knowledge. It s also a way of quietly strengthening yourself before all the pressure to come.
Yesterday evening, I came back here and seriously looked around for strategies and advice (which I hadn t done for 2 weeks, my goal at this time was not the GMAT, but to master the maths curriculum, nothing else).
I realize now the absolute necessity of time and focus. But would I have started to freak out about it 2 weeks ago, I would be a real nervous mess.
This week :
-PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE : for PS (2/5) and start DS (3/5) (with a timer)
-perm/comb : I ll get you!
-start English grammar review on the side
When I m through it and cruising my QUANT section (around March 10th), I ll set up a date for the exam. And then the real pressure will be there.
I actually had a great time these last 2 weeks going through the QUANT curriculum (since I had left university, the only thing I had been studying was Chinese, which only relies to your memory, problem solving is much more interesting, trust me
) I m now feeling at ease and determined. To the point that, if I were to ace this GMAT, I ll pass the CFA 1st level next December. Well, we ll see ...
To summarize my advice so far :
-assess your weakest link (QUANT or VERB)
review the basics of it before you even consider you study for the GMAT, take your time (if you can), don t look further than that, take it step by step, but thoroughly
-don t hesitate to go through different manuals to be sure everything is covered (one very useful notion can be really put forward in a manual and just mentioned on a side note in another). With 4 ways of explaining things, you should find one you click with.
-for non native English speakers
I would recommend to review your English grammar by using manuals in your own native language first. So you refresh the correspondence between your own native language and English, getting back to your roots, before you get to the core of the VERB curriculum and its own technicalities.
And my last note : thank you Internet!
I could find so many answers to my questions, just a by a couple of clicks, not losing time or getting stuck in a dead end. It s awesome. All the available tools or explanations are there somewhere, the rest is up to you.
Good luck to you all
