RETAKE STRATEGY AFTER 600

[Psmba]

Dear Experts

after my first disappointing attempt with 3 months of study (600: V31/ Q42; IR 3; AWA 5.5) i plan to retake GMAT asap to apply in final rounds of Insead, IMD, Oxford SAID, LBS. Basically only 1 year or 15 months programs.

Please please help me device a solid study plan to be able to retake latest by mid Jan, i.e. 40-45 days from now. Or slightly earlier if things fall in place faster. Am I over expecting if I say i am aiming a 100 points improvement. I will put all my might in this attempt as i do not want to wait until next intake 2 years later.


I have a non math (fashion) background, Indian female with nearly 7.5 years of work ex. While studying math concepts i seem to be understanding them, but i mess up in the application perhaps because of the way Quant questions are twisted and formulated. especially word problems and DS.

RC is a definite weak spot with almost zero interest in reading. Over such short time, even if i somehow push myself to start reading the economist etc, will it really help?

Other areas are not too great either as you can see from my scores.

For me keeping an error log is a big hassle. I find the available formats very complicated. Is there a really simple way to maintain an error log?


i am looking fwd to your expert advise. Until then, i plan to start my prep tomorrow (dec 1st 2013) onwards by roughly following the gmat pill study method, i.e. take one thing at a time for 5 days each- RC, DS, CR, PS and SC.

I am also in two minds if i should sign up for knewton online course that guarantees a 50 point improvement.

or E -gmat just for verbal.... though i am somehow not sure about the credibility of e-gmat as they come across to be doing a lot of self-praising.

any genuine feedbacks on these two prep courses? others are just too expensive.

i have the below material:

ALL 9 MGMAT GUIDES
CR BIBLE (COULD ONLY READ ONCE. PLEASE GUIDE ME HOW TO MAKE MOST OF THIS MUCH ACCLAIMED BOOK)
OG 13
OG VERBAL AND QUANT (HARDLY STUDIED DURING FIRST ATTEMPT)
KAPLAN PREMIER (HARDLY STUDIED DURING FIRST ATTEMPT)
KAPLAN VERBAL (HARDLY STUDIED DURING FIRST ATTEMPT. EVEN I THINK ITS BIT TOO SHALLOW)
KAPLAN MATH WORKBOOK (HARDLY STUDIED DURING FIRST ATTEMPT. EVEN I THINK ITS BIT TOO SHALLOW)
WHERE WOULD I FIND PROBABILITY, COMBINATORICS AND COORDINATE GEOMETRY MATERIAL? MGMAT AND OTHERS DO NOT COVER THEM IN REQUIRED DETAILS.
WHERE TO FIND IR PRACTICE MATERIAL AND AWA SOLUTIONS TO LATEST OG13 TOPICS


thanks!
cheers!!

[[email protected]]

Hi Psmba,

A 600 is a decent first GMAT score, so you shouldn't be too down on yourself for it. While you were clearly aiming at a higher score for your first attempt, you're not in bad shape and you do have enough time to improve. You'll need to make some adjustments though, to your tactics, practice and attitude. Based on what you've written, you clearly have some resources that you hardly used and you have to get past your "hangups" (re: an error log is a "hassle"; no interest in RC). To earn the higher score that you're after, you're going to make the necessary changes to your approach.

I'm curious about your 3 months of studying. How many practice CATs did you take? How did you score on each (include your Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?

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