I started studying for GMAT towards the second week of September. before that, all i knew was that gmat was the exam i needed to ace to get into any foreign university for an mba. i did not have any idea about anything else about the exam, let alone ways to ace it!
i started by goin thru mba.com as thoroughly as possible and gather as much information as possible. i also created an account there to get access to the few demo questions posted. Solving those gave me the initial idea about the type of questions that appear in gmat commonly. second, i made my father courier the study mat i had bought from TIME( a institution which helps to prepare for various entrance exams) 3 years back and also quantitative aptitude for the CAT by arun sharma. i understood that for the quants part these guides were more than i would require.
thus, these were the books for my maths prep. initially, to master the concepts and practice some really standard problems, these books are all you are goin to need. i feel, the LOD2 level sums from the arun sharma book are more than enough to tackle even the hardest problems in GMAT.
for verbal, go thru the points in sentence correction given in the website 800score.com These website has by far the most easy-to understand and extensive instructions on how to tackle sentence corrections, and the one i found most useful. For CR, i think the OG 12th edition is enough. it has enough questions and good explanations for each answer.
Yes, i bought the OG 12 edition when i was fairly confident that i had grasped the concepts. Also, i downloaded the free prep software available in the GMAC website( another advantage of registering there ! ). i used to practice on an avg 20 questions from 2 different sections everyday after coming back from offfice. i used to time my effort, just to see how i was fairing. but i think the most important part of this part of my prep was that i dedicated time solely to read the explanation given for each answer i got wrong. i think this is a vital part that most people overlook, but i strongly recommend everyone to do it as giving enough time to reviewing will ensure that u not only grasp the concepts but learn their implementations as well; it is true for al sections.
i gave the first of the free exams in the official prep software a few daya after starting my prep and scored 710. more than anything, this helped me to understand which areas i need to work harder in. i modified my focus areas accordingly. i retook the first exam about 5 weeks from my actual GMAT and scored 720. i took the second test 1 week before the final exam (730) and retook it 2 days before the exam(730!). my suggestion is that you time these mock tests to your advantage, but taking it too frequently can be detrimental to ur prep. Afterall, if you cannot crack a problem while practicing, chances are u won't be able to solve it in the mocks as well. So make sure ur comfortable with all kinds of problems in both sections, and then take the exams. but don't leave it too late as then u won't reap the benefits!
Lastly, i registered in this forum from the beginnning of my prep. I badgered the people here with lodas of questions, most of them stupid !! and NO, im not writing this because im posting this in the BTGMAT forum. It is very important that u register in this or similar websites dedicated to GMAT preparation. I found loads of free prep material, important tips etc from the different forums, not to mentions the elaborate replies to my questions. People here are truly dedicated, and it is sure to help you in ur prep.
On the day of the exam, i got up at 6 and left by at 7. Although my exam was from 9, i took a cab and made sure i reach there by 8. This might seem funnily anxious behaviour but believe me u don't wanna take any chances on D day due some casual attitude. But once i reached, i understood that there is nothin to panic. The people there follow exaclty the same procedure as mentioned in the GMAC website, all u need to do is read them so u know what is going on. Make sure u have ur required I. cards wid u( saw a girl being rejected as there was a problem with her name in their database and her passport; felt really sorry for her). no need to practice any problems on D Day to warm up, as the AWA is designed just for that and will make u at ease with the computer and make ur brain start working. just concentrate on reaching ur destination in time.
I also advice u, take both the optional breaks but stay with in the premises. it helped me relax, take in a few deep breaths and get ready for the next section. and before u go in, remind urself that the first 5 ( some would say 10 but i guess that's true if ur aiming for something above 750) questions hold the key. Think more than twice before confirming the answers to those, and even if u think u havn't got them correct move on, as u have both plenty of time and questions to make up for some initial goof ups!
To summarize, don't put too much stress on urself. I studied for about 2 hours in weekdays after coming back from office and a mzx of 4 hours in weekends. More than what time u give in oital, it is vital that u dedicate at least sometime everyday. Perseverance, and not isolated patches of back breaking hard work is the key.
I have already mentioned everything about my study prep. In case u need any more specific info or any other kind of help, just get in touch. this website ahs been a great help to me and i would be glad if i can respect that by helping few aspirants in turn!
All the best everyone!
