Need to prepare for GMAT but I don't have a lot of money...

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Hello there

well, as I said above I don't have a lot of money
and because of that I'm only allowed to take the test once
can you help me?
the college I'm applying for is a local one and they require 300 minimum
my goal is 600 - 640
I'm intended to take the test early 2019, so I have a really long time to prepare and that's a good thing

where should I start? what books/ essentials should I buy?
what's good for Q and what's good for V?
I'm thinking about ordering OG 2018 from Amazon but they have a bad reviews about the Online part and it's worries me
should I order them or try different edition?

and is there any advices about my situation?

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by [email protected] » Thu Apr 26, 2018 10:52 am
Hi Farah_1995,

You've given yourself plenty of time to study - which is good.

Since it sounds like you're just beginning your studies, then it would be a good idea to take a FULL-LENGTH practice CAT Test. Earlier this month, GMAC made a formal announcement defining some changes that will be taking place to the format of the Official GMAT (beginning April 16, 2018). These changes primarily impact the overall length of the Exam (meaning the number of questions in the Quant and Verbal sections as well as the amount of time that you'll have to complete each of those two sections). In theory, a shorter Exam could make it easier for a well-prepared Test Taker to score higher. Unfortunately, Official practice CATs in the new 'format' don't exist yet - but they are supposedly becoming available this week. Once they're available, you should plan to take one (so that we can get a better sense of how you perform under these new conditions). If you want to do a little studying first, so that you can familiarize yourself with the basic content and question types, then that's okay - but you shouldn't wait too long to take that initial CAT. That score will give us a good sense of your natural strengths and weaknesses and will help provide a basis for comparison as you continue to study. A FULL CAT takes about 3.5 hours to complete, so make sure that you've set aside enough time to take it in one sitting. Once you have those scores, you should report back here and we can come up with a study plan.

I'd like to know a bit more about your timeline and goals:
1) If the School that you are interested in has a minimum 'score requirement' of 300, then is there a specific reason why your Score Goal is 600+? Is that for scholarship considerations? Are you planning to apply to any other Schools?
2) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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by Farah_1995 » Fri Apr 27, 2018 2:15 am
[email protected] wrote:Hi Farah_1995,

You've given yourself plenty of time to study - which is good.

Since it sounds like you're just beginning your studies, then it would be a good idea to take a FULL-LENGTH practice CAT Test. Earlier this month, GMAC made a formal announcement defining some changes that will be taking place to the format of the Official GMAT (beginning April 16, 2018). These changes primarily impact the overall length of the Exam (meaning the number of questions in the Quant and Verbal sections as well as the amount of time that you'll have to complete each of those two sections). In theory, a shorter Exam could make it easier for a well-prepared Test Taker to score higher. Unfortunately, Official practice CATs in the new 'format' don't exist yet - but they are supposedly becoming available this week. Once they're available, you should plan to take one (so that we can get a better sense of how you perform under these new conditions). If you want to do a little studying first, so that you can familiarize yourself with the basic content and question types, then that's okay - but you shouldn't wait too long to take that initial CAT. That score will give us a good sense of your natural strengths and weaknesses and will help provide a basis for comparison as you continue to study. A FULL CAT takes about 3.5 hours to complete, so make sure that you've set aside enough time to take it in one sitting. Once you have those scores, you should report back here and we can come up with a study plan.

I'd like to know a bit more about your timeline and goals:
1) If the School that you are interested in has a minimum 'score requirement' of 300, then is there a specific reason why your Score Goal is 600+? Is that for scholarship considerations? Are you planning to apply to any other Schools?
2) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Hi, Rich

yes, I'm just beginning my studies, I liked your idea about taking initial CAT test first!
but have a few questions about them:

- are they free?
- should I download them or just take the test online without downloading anything?
- Do you have a link? because I prefer to take them online

and for your questions:
1\ GMAT test have an expiry date and it's 5 years, if I applied and got into MBA program and finished it in 2 and half years
I can use the same test result to apply to PhD, so it's about saving time, and even if they requires another test it'll be a lot easier for me and I'll be more confident.
and who knows maybe if I got a high score it'll bring opportunities I've never thought of!

2\ I can study for 3 hours a day in working days and 4 hours in the weekends

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by Farah_1995 » Fri Apr 27, 2018 2:24 am
Hi, Rich

Yes I'm at the beginning of my studies, I liked your idea about taking initial CAT test first!
but I have a few questions about them:

1\ are they free?
2\ should I download them or just take them online?
3\ do you have a link? because I prefer taking them online

and for your questions:

1\ every GMAT test have a expiry date, if I got into MBA program using this test and finished the program in 2 and half years
I can use the same test to apply into PhD, so it's about saving time, and even if they requires another test I'll be more confidant.

2\ I can study for 3 hours a day and 4 on the weekends.

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by ceilidh.erickson » Tue May 01, 2018 8:01 am
Farah_1995 wrote:Hello there

well, as I said above I don't have a lot of money
and because of that I'm only allowed to take the test once
can you help me?
the college I'm applying for is a local one and they require 300 minimum
my goal is 600 - 640
I'm intended to take the test early 2019, so I have a really long time to prepare and that's a good thing

where should I start? what books/ essentials should I buy?
what's good for Q and what's good for V?
It's certainly possible to study on your own without spending a lot of money on prep programs.

Here are the things that you absolutely must budget for:
- a copy of the Official Guide (OG). You can buy used ones online, and it doesn't matter which edition you get. Ignore Amazon reviews. Buy OG 2018, 2017, or whatever you can get cheaply.
- if you buy a used copy, make sure it doesn't have any writing in it.
- the test itself. Don't just set aside $250 to take the GMAT once. Set aside enough money to take it at least twice. Many students don't do as well as they hoped the first time. Take the pressure off by telling yourself you'll take it twice - then if you get the score you want the first time, bonus $250!

Things you need, and that most people purchase, but that have optional workarounds:
- Practice tests (CATs). Most prep companies allow you to take *one* practice test for free, so you could just take one from each company. However, purchasing a bundle from a single company will allow you to run metrics and track patterns in your strengths and weaknesses. Otherwise, you'd have to do this by hand.
- Content explanation. There is a lot of content tested on the GMAT, which is why we publish giant bundles of strategy guides! But - you can certainly assemble (almost all of) this information on your own if you're organized. Use Khan Academy or this forum, and compile your own notes on rules and strategies.

Here are the free resources you should use:
- GMATPrep software from mba.com: https://www.mba.com/us/the-gmat-exam/pre ... tware.aspx
- this forum
- blogs from prep companies. Manhhattan Prep's is full of useful advice on general strategies and specific problem types:
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/

Here's your Study Plan:

1. Take a full diagnostic CAT (from a prep company, so you'll get explanations. GMATPrep doesn't provide explanations).

2. Review the test in depth - right and wrong answers - and compile a list of topics that need work.

3. Research each topic (in strategy guides or online free resources), and take notes.

4. Then find problems (ideally 6-10 on each topic) in the OG that correspond specifically to that topic. Search on this forum for problems by topic, or use a tool like Mprep's Navigator: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/stor ... navigator/
If you don't use Navigator, track your accuracy on OG problems in a spreadsheet.

5. Aim to cover 2-5 quant topics and 2-3 verbal topics per week, alternating btw quant and verbal.

6. Take a practice test every 2 weeks. Review deeply, and record your errors.

7. When you're 2 weeks away from test day, take 1 test a week for the last 2 weeks. Save the GMATPrep tests for last.

Look through this forum for a more detailed study plan, but that's the basics. Good luck!


If you're interested, here are the Mprep resources that might be helpful to you:
Blog: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/
Free CAT: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/stor ... tice-test/
Bundle of CATs w/ analytics: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/stor ... ice-tests/
Free OG tracker (Navigator): https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/stor ... al-guides/
OG tracker full access: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/stor ... navigator/
How to track yourerrors: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog ... -studying/
Other: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/store/
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education

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by [email protected] » Tue May 01, 2018 3:43 pm
Hi Farah_1995,

Potentially using your Official GMAT Score to apply to two different Programs over the next 5 years is a smart choice. To get started, here is the link to mba.com where you can take your initial practice CATs using the new online interface:

https://www.mba.com/us/the-gmat-blog-hu ... tions.aspx

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
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