Strategy for reviewing GMAT OG problems

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Strategy for reviewing GMAT OG problems

by jbk » Sun Feb 03, 2013 3:12 am
Hi All,

I have been a member of this forum from past few months and finally I have gathered enough courage to make my first post. This forum has extremely smart people with a lot of knowledge. Sometimes that makes me apprehensive of posting. But I am very thankful to all the contributors for sharing their knowledge and helping all of us grow together.

I have been preparing for GMAT for last 4 months (on&off). My daily schedule is very fickle due to a significantly demanding job and therefore I cannot devote time everyday. But now as I get more serious about my preparation, I have started to force myself to devote more time and study regularly.

In this regard, I am wondering what is the best way of redoing the GMAT OG problems? After solving the problems for the first time and then reveiwing the ones that i got incorrect, is it good to immediately go back and start re-solving them, or is it better to leave them for a few days and then return back to solve them again?


Thanks for your kind support.

JBK,

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by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Sun Feb 03, 2013 8:16 am
Hey jbk,

The first thing I'd suggest is that you review the solutions to all questions, even those you answered correctly. The reason I say this is that the solutions may reveal a new (and sometimes faster) way to approach similar questions in the future. This is especially true for math questions. The great thing about almost all GMAT math questions is that they can be solved in more than one way. In many cases, there's a fast way and a slow way. So, if you answer a math question correctly and don't check the solution, you may miss out on a super fast technique that you can use in the future.
Since the OG often takes a longer (often algebraic) approach to solutions, I also suggest that you spend some time reviewing the responses from the Experts on this site. They model the steps you should be taking when tackling math problems.

I also suggest that you review all solutions to the Verbal questions you answer correctly. You may have correctly answered a particular Sentence Correction question, but your reasons for eliminating the other answer choices may be different from those the OG uses to eliminate answer choices. So, checking the solution every time can greatly enhance your learning.

Regarding how long you should wait before resolving the questions, I think it's better to wait a few days. Otherwise, there's a good chance you're operating on information stored in your short-term memory.

Cheers,
Brent
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by jbk » Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:34 am
Hi Brent,

Thanks for your reply. I appreciate it. You have reinforced in me the idea of reviewing even the problems that I get correct. So far I was only reviewing the ones that I got incorrect. From now onwards I will review every single problem that I do.

I am currently finishing up my first primary study of the Manhattan strategy guides and will then take up a second iteration and subscribe to the 60 day GMAT guide. I believe the 60 day guide will take me all the way to the GMAT test day.

Looking forward to contribute more to this exciting community.

JBK

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by brianlange77 » Sun Feb 03, 2013 11:52 am
Hey JBK:

My answer might seem like it's coming in from left-field, but I think your question is as much about the 'destination' you are aiming for as it is the 'path' on which you should take to get there. Here's what I mean -- I happen to agree with Brent's answer below... spot on advice.

But to me, the bigger story is "How do I know when I've gotten to where I need to get to?" And so, I share this link with you -- https://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/7 ... erence.cfm . Your initial instinct might be to look at the title and say "Well, I am not aiming for a 760, so how does that help?" But, I encourage to read the article -- it helps paint a super-clear picture of what GMAT mastery looks like, which is really at the core of your question below.

Let me know if this helps.

-Brian
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by jbk » Sun Feb 03, 2013 12:16 pm
Hi Brian,

Thanks for the tips and yes that link to the article gets me to the core of my prep. Coincidently my target score is in the range of mid to upper 700s, and ironically I am not sure how I will get to it.

For the starters, I am using manhattan GMAT guides and I have been very actively following manhattan GMAT blogs for last several months. I make a sincere effort to read every article on the blog, especially the ones posted by Stacey.

Cheers,
JBK