Advice Appreciated

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Advice Appreciated

by jsasson » Sat Aug 13, 2011 4:09 pm
Hello All,

I've been preparing for the GMAT for about 6 weeks now, and this is what I have done thus far to prepare:

Books:
Manhattan GMAT Series of 8 books on the various topics covered
Official Guide + Verbal and Quant Supplements

Process:
Very simple, I read each of the MGMAT Books cover to cover, and did all the corresponding problems, both in the books and the official guide problem sets. Might not have been the most efficient or targeting way of going about it, but I had the time to do it and I felt like a comprehensive review couldn't hurt.

I recently took my first CAT, which was a GMATPrep exam, and got a 760 (Q:50 V:42). Obviously I'm pleased, but I realize I can't just assume that my practice score will translate to an equivalent score on the real exam. I would be perfectly happy with anything at or above 700 on the exam, and I've just been trying to build my confidence, get comfortable with the questions and format, and shoot for an 800 hoping that would be enough to get me at least to 700.

The essays I did during the CAT were my first essays I had done to practice for the GMAT, though I've read about the essay process. Quant I got 22 of the first 25 right, realized I was working too slowly, proceeded to get 26-30 wrong, and then got 31-37 all correct. Verbal I finished with about 20 minutes to spare, and got 36/41 correct, with none of the 5 I got wrong coming consecutively.

My test is two weeks from today, but I start working full-time next Monday, so I effectively have 8 days left to dedicate to studying. I plan to take a MGMAT CAT exam on Monday, and the second GMATPrep exam on Friday. I don't want to take more than two this week to avoid burning out.

Here is what I would like advice on:
1. How can I improve my timing? (both working faster on quant, and working a little more slowly on verbal)
2. How much practice do I need for the essays? (Are the three sets I'll do on the CAT enough?)
3. How can I study most effectively in general from this point forward (besides those CAT exams)? Like I said, I have 8 full days, and I can casually review on weeknights leading up to my Saturday test date.
4. Any general advice/reassurance? lol

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if anything needs clarification.

Thanks,
Jeremy