GMAT Strategy

Hi all,

I've been wanting to take the GMAT for a while, but working full time and having a pretty busy schedule, I found it difficult to invest time to prepare for the GMAT (without it taking forever). So I have resolved to taking one week off (+2 weekends = 9days) to prepare for the exam, and take it the Monday right after. I am ready to study all day, but am unsure if:

1. Is it even reasonable?
2. Best approach for preparing (I have started looking at the Self Study > 2 week plan as starting point for establishing my plan)

Did anyone try something similar, if so how was your experience?

Thanks,
Chetane

Hey Chetane - hopefully someone who's attempted such madness will add to this thread, but we would caution you against this approach. It totally depends on your learning style and work ethic etc, but in our (admittedly limited) experience, the GMAT material needs time to work through the brain. We love intense goal-setting/achieving cycles in many areas of life, yet we're nervous that this one-week extended cram session may not result in the best score possible for you.

We're not really in a position to advise on whether you should do this or not -- but you may want to also have a contingency plan in case it doesn't pan out.

Keep us posted and let us know how it goes!! Would love to be proven wrong on this one.

EssaySnark

Well, I speak from experience, and as a test taker who 'has attempted in such madness', I believe I am in a position to advise on whether you should do this or not - DON'T.

Pardon my straight answer.
Ok...I'm going to be doing some hard talking (hard typing???) here. So, if you are someone with soft sensibilities, then I apologize in advance and suggest that you refrain from reading further.

I just get the feeling that you are in the same position as I was in when I took my first GMAT (I scored a 680 with a 5 day preparation btw).Before you form any misconceptions, let me tell you I'm not recommending against a week's preparation for the obvious reasons. My opinions are solely based on your post.
You might even end up getting a 700+ with this effort, but I can assure you that it is not your true potential. You will be capable of achieving a higher score if you put in a concerted effort and actually understand the uniqueness and flavor of the GMAT.

I am ready to study all day

Don't do that. Contrary to all the textbook cramming that has been inculcated in us since school days, this method is highly unproductive for a unique test like the GMAT. I don't intend to come off as a fanboi, but it would do you good to show the test the respect it deserves.
This post by Ron Purewal (disclaimer - I'm a huge Ron fan btw) explains it all.
https://www.beatthegmat.com/550-to-720-i ... tml#330724

Best approach for preparing (I have started looking at the Self Study > 2 week plan as starting point for establishing my plan)

Evidently, you have not planned and accounted for the test, and are mentally unprepared. It's extremely tough to get into the 'zone' and peak on test day on such short notice. Normally, I would give it a month (at the least) from this stage.

I've been wanting to take the GMAT for a while, but working full time and having a pretty busy schedule, I found it difficult to invest time to prepare for the GMAT (without it taking forever). So I have resolved to taking one week off (+2 weekends = 9days) to prepare for the exam, and take it the Monday right after. I am ready to study all day, but am unsure if:

Your post doesn't mention some basic details like what your target schools are, what your target GMAT score is. You haven't mentioned if you've taken a diagnostic GMAT Prep. We don't have a clue about what your current GMAT score level is. Have you booked your test date yet? Are you confident you'll get a slot for 'the Monday right after'? If you haven't taken a mock GMAT previously, are you confident you are currently in shape and strength to stay focused and at the top of your game for four hours? Phew! that's a lot of questions

It's your post on a public forum, and you are entitled to your thought processes, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that you haven't really given much thought about the prep process and the actual test. It's no big deal. It's pretty common for a first time test taker (especially for Indians, who take the national level CAT exam in the same way). I was in exactly the same position when I gave my first attempt. I'm just saying that with the right attitude, mindset and preparation time, you can achieve a 30-50 point increase from what you would currently get.
An MBA is a huge investment. I'm sure all of us empathize with you about having a busy schedule, but I'm sorry, there just isn't another way out. If this little investment on time, effort, energy, maybe even loss of sleep and socializing, can lead to thousands of dollars saved in scholarships and opportunities to get into better schools, then I think it's a cost worth paying for. After all, an MBA / post MBA life is all about taking tough decisions, planning and prioritization...Don't you think?
Please take a diagnostic GMAT Prep including the essays. Let us know your scores along with the split.
Or, you can go ahead and take the real test. All the best!!!

Cheers!

PS - I took the test the second time, with the right mentality and again, a 20 day preparation time. I had a tough work schedule and didn't get leaves. And yes, I contemplated postponing and rescheduling several times during my preparation.
I ended up with a 730. Again, not my best shot I would say, but I think my effort-result payoff ratio was quite decent.

Hi,

Thank you for your thoughtful answer.

You might even end up getting a 700+ with this effort, but I can assure you that it is not your true potential. You will be capable of achieving a higher score if you put in a concerted effort and actually understand the uniqueness and flavor of the GMAT.

This is true, and I am aware that the "full potential" will never be reached this way. My real goal is not full potential, but rather the point of diminishing return (e.g. Good "enough"). However, after much reading on the topic, I realize one week is overly aggressive.

Your post doesn't mention some basic details like what your target schools are, what your target GMAT score is.

My original post is indeed very unclear. My GMAT goal is 710+ (inclusive), and I do not have an idea of my current GMAT score. I have already booked a test (Nov 28th), as I tend to work better towards a clearly defined objective. I am also confident in my "math" skills, and that I can prepare for the quantitative section pretty fast, considering my math intensive education (Mechanical Engineering). I am however more worried on verbal, given English is not my first language (French is).

It's your post on a public forum, and you are entitled to your thought processes, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that you haven't really given much thought about the prep process and the actual test.

You are correct Based on your feedback, I'm going to start studying as of today. Not quite as intensively as the next week, but it's better than nothing. My current plan is:

- Review study material (Nova Prep books?), taking down notes (e.g. for review cards)
- Review Beat The GMAT cards
- Test myself on the fundamentals (basic knowledge I just reviewed)
- Take a practice test to see where I currently stand, identify strenghts/weaknesses
- Re-evaluate GMAT date (e.g. need to give more time?)
- Practice, practice, practice... "smartly" (using the review methodology in the post you linked)
- Take practice exam, re-evaluate, practice... and so on until "the" day.

I suppose further down the line, I should be able to answer my own question and identify whether it makes sense to go through, or I should reschedule for a later time.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Chetane

Definitely interested in seeing what itheenigma might have to say on this, but we wanted to react to the "good enough" comment.

We don't know what schools you're targeting, nor do we have the full picture of your profile, but a higher GMAT is obviously always an advantage. Since you're French, then you already have at least a slight angle over many (there just aren't huge numbers of French candidates applying to most bschools). However note that some adcoms could expect a high GMAT from anyone with a mech eng bkgrd; as you already said, you're good at math, and your undergrad education almost raises the expectation that you'll do REALLY well on the GMAT. Often it's the engineers with the 750+ scores, since they ace the quant and they study really hard to figure out the verbal side.

A post that went up on our blog last week is semi-related to this "good enough" question so we thought we'd toss it out: https://essaysnark.blocked/2011/11/ ... sucks.html



EssaySnark

Apologies for the delay in replying...I was busy arranging my tourist visa to the UK! My visa app now rests with the higher powers (UK consulate)..Please pray for me!

Chetane,

I'm glad you took our feedback constructively. Preparing with a goal in mind (GMAT date) is definitely a good thing to do. And it's awesome that you've already evaluated your strengths and weaknesses. It's something may folks miss out on...

However, if you have a target score in mind, then why don't you take a practice test first to evaluate where you currently stand. You already have this in your plan, but it is somewhere midway into your preparation. If I want to score a 710+ and (god forbid) I end up with a 610 in my practice test, then I'd give it more than a month to smoothen out the score difference.
During my preparation, I was always confident of my English skills (considering that I'm a non-native speaker). But boy! I was in for a rude shock when I took my first practice test. I scored an abysmal 30 in verbal. I checked online and found out that GMAT performance is slightly tangential to real world skills.
For example, you gotta know certain tricks to solving critical reasoning assumptions questions, AND you need to know that the same trick cannot be applied to CR Strengthen weaken problems. I feel it's critical to make a detailed SWOT analysis in the beginning, just so that you know where you are going!

All the best with your GMAT prep brother! Use the forums profusely...And keep us updated with your progress...

Cheers!

PS - I loved Essaysnark's blog article..Now I'm trying to decode this GMAT CR style...Judging from the fact that your first language is French, I can only 'infer' that you speak French more than any other language. It would, however, 'strengthen' my premise if I conclude that you are in fact French. I was incorrect in previously 'assuming' from your username that you were Indian (Chetan is a very common Indian name). The GMAT would have punished me for this mistake

itheenigma wrote:Now I'm trying to decode this GMAT CR style...(

Ha! Love this!!

itheenigma, good luck on your visa! That process is sometimes as grueling as the GMAT!

Chetane, keep us posted on your progress! Despite all the warnings, we're all very interested in seeing you succeed!!!

EssaySnark

I really don't think it's a good idea. One week just isn't enough to cram in all the material you need to know and then practice it sufficiently to have it down cold.

itheenigma wrote:Apologies for the delay in replying...I was busy arranging my tourist visa to the UK! My visa app now rests with the higher powers (UK consulate)..Please pray for me!

No worries, I hope everything works out well for your Visa

itheenigma wrote: However, if you have a target score in mind, then why don't you take a practice test first to evaluate where you currently stand. You already have this in your plan, but it is somewhere midway into your preparation. If I want to score a 710+ and (god forbid) I end up with a 610 in my practice test, then I'd give it more than a month to smoothen out the score difference.

I will take a practice test very soon, but not as I start. As a complete test will take ~3-4hours, and given the limited time, I want every action to be efficient. From that perspective, taking an exam without preparation will give me an idea of where I stand, but will not really (without preparation) help towards practicing for the real exam. That's why I will first study for Verbal and Math and then take the exam to both identify where I currently stand, as well as practice what I have learned. This will be an important step however is determining the next steps.

itheenigma wrote: All the best with your GMAT prep brother! Use the forums profusely...And keep us updated with your progress...

Thank you, the feedback so far has been really helpful. Also reading other posts is good to both feel part of a community with a common goal (the "gaming" aspect of it is exciting), as well as hearing about existing resources and methodology everyone is using. One particular site has caught my attention, masterGMAT. Seeing "free trial" I couldn't resist but see what it was about. To my surprise, it was quite fun and addictive to learn about the verbal section with it. Without really having planned to, I ended up studying (according to the site) 3h30mn on Verbal which accounts for 12.5% of it. I think I'll continue learning with it (24.5 hours left, ~2.5 days left assuming linear progression). I really like how "logical" their approach (almost Reverse Engineering the exam) is for verbal section so far, and was wondering if you guys have any experience with this specific program? Precisely, would achieving a 100% completion mean I'm "ready enough" for verbal?

itheenigma wrote:PS - I loved Essaysnark's blog article.

Very interesting question indeed, which brings me to the following question. I apologize in advanced for not having researched the answer, but I hope you can help. Does it jeopardize an application to top MBA programs having multiple GMAT results?

itheenigma wrote:Judging from the fact that your first language is French, I can only 'infer' that you speak French more than any other language.

French is my most fluent language, and the one I have grown speaking until high school. I have however studied engineer at an English University (4 years), and currently work in the US (for 2 years). Therefore these days I speak more English than French But French definitely remains my best language.

itheenigma wrote:(Chetan is a very common Indian name).

Trivia: "Chetane" is actually my nickname, mainly used in online gaming, which means "the Devil" in Arabic.

----

Thanks again for all the replies, it really seems 1 week is a big big stretch. We'll see how the experiment goes. I'll try to update the thread with daily progress next week.

chetane wrote: I apologize in advanced for not having researched the answer, but I hope you can help. Does it jeopardize an application to top MBA programs having multiple GMAT results?

Hi Chetane--

Short answer: No.

Long answer: The schools absolutely will notice everything about the GMAT history, including number of tests, as well as frequency (how soon after one did you retest). Testing up to three times is never an issue. Sometimes people go beyond that, and then it can start to have a negative effect on the profile.

From where you're at in the process, and with our assumption that you're gonna rock it right off the bat we'll stick to the original answer of "no."

EssaySnark

Quick update:

I very quickly realized one week is not enough to maximize you score, especially given the Thanksgiving week The booked exam pressure however really helped get me started studying, and having already paid for the exam I took it regardless (as a practice exam).

I score a 680 (47Q 36V), which feels not too far from my 710 target (I might be wrong). The math section was not too hard, but I felt rushed by time. Practice should do the trick. Verbal section however felt hard, and that's where most of my future effort will go.

Thanks again for all the replies and support!

Random note -- If you take the test in the US, and are not a US Citizen -- Bring your passport!! Driving license is not enough and they'll make you go home to get it. ^^

chetane, a 680 is a respectable score, given that you say you didn't prepare as much as you would have liked!!! You're even in the running at any good school with that score, though of course a higher GMAT will help. Getting your verbal up a notch will be good (many schools like to see 80th percentile on both sides) but honestly, this is impressive! A 710 (or higher!) should not be out of reach for you.

We had to laugh though - yes, Thanksgiving is *not* an ideal time for bschool app stuff, much as it would seem to be - we often see people planning to knock out all their essays over the long holiday, and then the weekend comes and goes and they have little to show for it. Happens to EssaySnark all the time, too!!! Time has this sneaky way of slipping past us when there's both fun to be had and socializing to be done, and projects that we're "supposed" to be working on simultaneously.

Glad to see your progress - your "practice" test is impressive - keep up your solid momentum and let us know how it goes with the second sitting! And of course, we're curious to learn how the rest of the app comes together for you as well!!

EssaySnark