GMAT Strategy

Hi everyone,

I took the exam earlier today and like anyone else who receives a low score, I was slightly depressed but I knew deep down I did not give 100% effort to my studies and did not have a specific studying plan.

Here are my exam results:

3/12/14 Official: 490 (29 Q, 30 V)
3/08/14 GMATPrep: 450 (29 Q, 23 V)
3/04/14 GMATPrep: 500 (36 Q, 23 V
2/27/14 Princeton Review: 500 (34 Q, 27 V)
2/20/14 Princeton (35 Q, 28 V)
2/13/14 Princeton (33 Q, 24 V)
1/27/14 Princeton (27 Q, 28 V)
12/19/13 Princeton (29 Q, 18 V)
12/04/13 Princeton (25 Q, 22 V)

I was a little surprised that my Verbal was higher than my Math since throughout my life I've been stronger in Math. I wish I had the explanations right away so I could specifically target my weaknesses. I know pacing is one of them since I had to rush the last few questions in both questions. It annoys me that I cannot consistently get above a 30 for both sections. I understand the basics for the most part but Math at times overwhelms me because there are so many concepts to remember. Critical Reasoning/RC are areas I need to work on in Verbal.

The MBA program at the school I'm planning to apply to had a 600 average score last year so for a couple hours after the exam, I was leaning on submitting my 490 and relying on strengthening the rest of my application, specifically my essays and outside courses I have taken. I don't think my undergrad GPA of 2.9 would wow anyone.

The program does not require relevant work experience so I am safe with that.


After doing research here and realizing I still have time to take another test (deadline is May 1st), I decided to give it another shot because I know I can do much better than how I performed.


I took online prep courses for Princeton Review and they helped refreshed concepts I last learned in high school but from my research, their practice exams are not the best indicators of how one will perform on exam day. According to the members here, Manhattan GMAT is a solid choice when it comes to practice exams. https://www.beatthegmat.com/best-practic ... t1327.html I plan to use the Satisfaction Guarantee offered by Princeton Review and inform them I was not satisfied of my score. By saying this, I hope they will extend their access to their online Office Hours.

My goal is to get as close to the 600 average as possible (if I exceed it, even better). I'm working part-time so I have plenty of time to study again however, I now understand than it's about the quality of your studying, not the quantity.

So here is the main reason why I'm writing all this.....questions.

1) What are some strategies for a 30 day plan? I found this link but it sounds like it's for someone starting for the first time https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2009/12/ ... study-plan
2) What other materials should I purchase? At the moment, I have the Princeton Review materials and the 13th Edition of the GMAT Official Guide
2) How do I practice pacing myself? Is it simply doing something such as 10 problems in 20 minutes? What other exercises are there?
3) How many hours per day/week do you suggest? I read a suggestion saying two 2hr blocks per day studying 6 days a week.
4) How often should I take a practice test with the time remaining?


I went to Barnes & Noble to see what MGMAT prep materials they had. I found this and skimmed through it. I liked it right away because it provided some sort of studying plan I failed to follow the past few months. https://www.amazon.com/The-GMAT-Roadmap- ... at+roadmap

I also liked their book dedicated to the Math section (but I believe it doesn't discuss Data Sufficiency). I feel the Official Guide's explanations to Math equations are too complicated at times.

I'm sorry for the very long first post. I appreciate it if anyone actually took the time to read all the details. Bottom line, I'm hoping for a 50+ point improvement in 30 days and I'm learning the hard way what happens when you don't have an effective studying plan.


Thanks

Thank you very much for the reply, Rich.

For the math section, I rushed through the last 10 questions in about 10 minutes. For the Verbal, I had a little over 5 min left when the last set of RC questions came (#33-#36) I skimmed the paragraph but didn't really get to soak in the information so I guessed them all and focused more on the remaining time for the last 5 questions. Last 5 were a mix of CR and SC. Didn't get to really analyze the CR questions.

I know pacing is a problem because with the exception of 1 or 2 practice exams, I was constantly feeling rushed at the end.

When it comes to Verbal, especially in CR and RC, you are correct in your assessment. I have no problem narrowing the choices and then I'll ponder for a while for the remaining choices.

I called Princeton Review and they sent me an application for their Satisfaction Guarantee. If accepted, I can access their online account and I have the option to retake another prep course. I don't think retaking a prep course will be as beneficial as opposed to targeting my specific weaknesses right? I'm not banking on it because the earliest a course will finish is April 26th.

I called the admissions office of my school of choice so I should be fine with taking the exam a week or two prior to the deadline. Part of me wants to take the exam Sat, April 19th so I'm not dragging my studies for too long and part of me wants to take it Sat, April 26th so I can get additional study time. Quite frankly, I want to get this over with it but I know that's not the right attitude if I want to see improvement.

So it seems you're saying I should get my tactics and accuracy down before focusing on pacing?

Aside from GMATPrep, are there any other CAT I can take online? If Princeton Review accepts my application, I should be good with using their CAT in the short term.

Hi Rich,

Thanks again for your response. I will definitely change up my approach....I'm leaning towards purchasing the MGMAT books. Does it make a difference on what I study per day? Example: Day 1 for Quant, Day 2 for Verbal, Day 3 for Quant, etc or should I include a variation of both sections daily? I intend to study at least 12 hours a week so the plan is to study 2 to 3 hours a day.

I will take your suggestion and take the exam at a later date.

Got it. Thank you very much for the help