Bombed the GMAT - 460 (V25, Q29) - Help Please...

[stubmw]

Hi All,

I took my first GMAT test at a local testing center in Dec/2007 and my score was 460 (V25, Q29).

I took the Princeton Review instructor lead course, but that did not help me enough I guess.

I am again back dreaming of going to B-School and I only need about a 620 to get in to the local B-School I have applied for. My GPA and job roles are enough to warrant an acceptance with a lower GMAT score.

I'm at the point where I don't know what to do. What books to study, how to study, etc.

I have about 3 months to take the exam again and hopefully get a score of 610-620.

The books I've used are the OG11 and the manual that was given to me by the Princeton Review. What books should I use?

I work full-time but do work from home a lot which allows me to spend an entire day on GMAT studying plus the weekends. I think I would have on average 3 full days a week to study and evenings are always free.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[VP_Jim]

If you've taken a prep course, all the tools are there: you might just need to tweak your approach to studying.

A problem that a lot of students have is that they view the homework as a chore to get done - so, they fly through it as quickly as possible, assuming that doing 20 problems in 20 minutes is the same as doing 20 problems in 200 minutes. It's not.

When you're studying (and, personally, I think the OG and any book from a reputable test prep company are all you need), take your time. It's not unreasonable to spend 10 minutes on every problem, figuring out why exactly every answer choice is right or wrong. Note that even if you get it right, you should still be doing this - there may be a better/more efficient/easier way to solve that problem.

How were your practice test scores? Did you drop a lot on the real thing, or was your score consistent?

[ssimon]

Check out Manhattan GMAT books/online course. I think you can do it for around $1000. They are by far the best. If you study diligently their material for three months, there is no reason you can't get 600+ (or better, depending on your aptitude).