GMAT Strategy

Hello everyone, first of all, thank you for a great forum. I am starting my journey to the GMAT. I plan to take it in three months. I signed up for a Kaplan course in which i start next week. I plan to use other materials such as the Kaplan math and Verbal guides. I will also use new OG. I also plan to take a practice GMAT test every week or every other week. I have about 2-3 hours per day available to study during the workweek, and 4-5 hrs per day on the weekends. I plan to read thru both the math and verbal guides before i get into any strategies or begin taking any practice tests. Is this a good idea? It's been a long time since i've taken math and grammar. Any other ideas? My target score is 650. Should i take a practice test before i start do do anything? Thanks for any advice you can give.

I wouldn't take Kaplan. People complain about them here and on GMATClub.com all the time. I did Princeton Review's online course and their materials are FAR better. Manhattan GMAT is a sponsor on this site, so you'll probably see a lot about them too.

bates88 wrote:I wouldn't take Kaplan. People complain about them here and on GMATClub.com all the time. I did Princeton Review's online course and their materials are FAR better. Manhattan GMAT is a sponsor on this site, so you'll probably see a lot about them too.

I, of course, am going to disagree! You've made a fantastic choice for prep.

You'll do a diagnostic test to start the Kaplan course, so there's really no need to write another practice test beforehand.

In fact, if you're just starting out, doing another practice test at this point could be counterproductive. You'll learn all the key strategies you need during the course, so why waste a CAT now when your approach to it will likely radically change as you learn more about how the GMAT works.

It looks like you've set aside ample time to study. After you've written the diagnostic you'll unlock your online syllabus which will guide you through every step of the study process (i.e. exactly what to work on at what times). If you think that the program doesn't meet your specific needs, talk to your teacher for feedback on what you should do to tweak your course of study.

A big mistake a lot of people make is focusing solely on their weaknesses. Make sure you balance your study time so that, even though you'll spend more time on the areas in which you can make the greatest improvement, you don't neglect your strengths.

Since you've been out of the "study loop" for a long time, your plan to review the fundamentals is sound. The pocket reference guide you'll receive contains all of the math and grammar rules that you need to know on Test Day. You'll also review the most commonly tested concepts as part of the course.

Good luck!

Thanks Stuart. I will keep you posted on my progress.