4th attempt prep with 60 day guide

[vikrambansal]

Hi,

My journey so far.

Year 2006: Borrowed a test prep book from a friend. Scored 460
Year 2008: OG 11. Scored 530
Year 2010: One to one coaching; OG 10, 11 & 12; OG VR 1&2; OG QR 1&2. Scored 550
Year 2011 - 2014: Never ending GMAT fascination. On & off prep mostly OG questions

Day 1 of 60 day guide - Get Comfy with GMAT Math

1) Didn't find the "Watch This Forum" option
2) Downloaded 2 excel files
3) Already aware of MBA.com & its contents
4) Not scheduling GMAT now as I have promised myself to first score my target on mocks (but committed to 60th day)
5) Watched Kaplan video. Was familiar with the content
6) Completed math diagnostic test of OG 2015. As per interpretive guide Problem Solving: 19/24 (Excellent); Data Sufficiency: 20/24 (Excellent). Don't want to take any credit for this as I was doing those questions 3rd time

I'm committed to complete all To Dos for the day before getting next mail.

Thanks,
Vikram

[vikrambansal]

Day 2 - Getting to Know the GMAT Verbal Section

1) Completed verbal diagnostic test of OG 2015. As per interpretive guide Reading Comprehension: 13/17 (Average); Critical Reasoning: 17/17 (Excellent); Sentence Correction 15/18 (Above Average). Again don't want to take any credit for this as I was doing those questions 3rd time. Clear indication that ONLY doing questions multiple times doesn't guarantee 100% success (I also reviewed all questions 1st 2 times). Something is missing!
2) Read the member debriefing.

[vikrambansal]

Day 3 - Your Baseline GMAT Score

1) Took GMATPrep Practice Test #1. Scored 580. By far my highest score. Worried because there is a long way to go.
2) Recorded the result in Improvement Chart.

Brent: Please have a look at my 3 days progress & offer some guidance!

[Brent@GMATPrepNow]

Hi Vikram,

You're on the right track, and 580 is a solid score!
Just keep following the Guide and maintain a positive attitude.

Cheers,
Brent

[vikrambansal]

Hi Brent,

Thanks for your encouraging words.

Day 4 - General Math Strategies

1) Initially thought of skipping this but then reminded myself of diligently following each & every step. Though the content was familiar but there were new learning
2) Extra reading was also helpful

Thanks!

[vikrambansal]

Day 5 - Arithmetic and Fractions

1) Completed the sections from OG 15 & Manhattan Strategy Guides
2) Did practice & additional reinforcement questions

Hi Brent,

I have few queries:

1) On the face of it there are 46 practice ques & 37 additional reinforcement ques = total 83. Few add reinforcement ques are same as practice ques but still there are 77 unique ques. Are we supposed to do all? I read in one of your replies that questions are listed only once & one can stop if the topic is understood.
2) Very few questions also covered the areas such as Geometry & Statistics. Are they included deliberately?
3) Content reading & questions takes a lot of time leaving no time for review. Are we supposed to do only questions & / or also review all / incorrect ones?

Thanks,
Vikram

[Brent@GMATPrepNow]

Day 5 - Arithmetic and Fractions

1) Completed the sections from OG 15 & Manhattan Strategy Guides
2) Did practice & additional reinforcement questions

Hi Brent,

I have few queries:

1) On the face of it there are 46 practice ques & 37 additional reinforcement ques = total 83. Few add reinforcement ques are same as practice ques but still there are 77 unique ques. Are we supposed to do all? I read in one of your replies that questions are listed only once & one can stop if the topic is understood.
2) Very few questions also covered the areas such as Geometry & Statistics. Are they included deliberately?
3) Content reading & questions takes a lot of time leaving no time for review. Are we supposed to do only questions & / or also review all / incorrect ones?

Thanks,
Vikram

Hi Vikram,

1. I'll leave that up to each learner, depending on his/her goals. If you feel you've mastered a certain concept to the extent to which you need, then stop. If not, keep going.

2. Some questions test more than 1 concept. I have categorized each question according to the concept that plays the biggest role in solving the question.

3. Certainly review questions you answered incorrectly. Some math questions are useful to review in case there's a novel approach that you hadn't considered.

Cheers,
Brent

[vikrambansal]

Day 6 - Percent

1) Completed the sections from OG 15 & Manhattan Strategy Guides
2) Did practice & additional reinforcement questions
3) Read suggested articles

Momentum is building up but one thing I can say that it's not easy!

[vikrambansal]

Day 7 - Ratios

1) Completed the sections from OG 15 & Manhattan Strategy Guides
2) Did practice & additional reinforcement ques

Surprisingly the volume of content / ques was not too high. I was able to wrap up in less than 2 hours. Now planning to review all ques done during the weekend.

[vikrambansal]

Day 8 - Powers and Roots

1) Completed the sections from OG 15 & Manhattan Strategy Guides
2) Did practice & additional reinforcement questions
3) Read suggested articles

[vikrambansal]

I did the below topics on 3 different days but writing about them in one go.

Day 9 - Algebra and Basic Equations

Day 10 - Functions, Formulas and Inequalities

Day 11 - Coordinate Geometry

1) Completed the sections from OG 15 & Manhattan Strategy Guides
2) Did practice & additional reinforcement questions
3) Read suggested articles

It's tough but I have to do it. Discipline is required. I have seen posts requesting for all mails together. In my opinion the core of this 60 day guide is having a defined content for a day & then practice it.

[vikrambansal]

Day 12 - Word Problems I - Basic Question Types

Day 13 - Word Problems II - Rates, Work & Overlapping Sets

Day 14 - Word Problems III - Variables in the Answer Choices and Minor Question Types

2 weeks gone. Each mail starts with a motivational quote. Then there is a goal for the day. To Do is reviewing OG 2015 topic content & watching GMAT Prep Now video / completing chapters from Manhattan GMAT Strategy Guides. Then there are practice & additional reinforcement questions. Answers have to be recorded in improvement chart excel file downloaded on day 1.

For me following the pattern of 60 day guide is just like taking GMAT itself. If you can't finish the content before next mail arrives you will be under pressure.

Hoping to stay on track for rest of the days!

[vikrambansal]

Day 15 - Geometry (Day 1 of 2)
Day 16 - Geometry (Day 2 of 2)
Day 17 - Integer Properties
Day 18 - Statistics
Day 19 - Counting
Day 20 - Probability

I have to be honest with myself. I was not keeping pace with the mails from day 12 onwards. I had 2 options either to extend my 60th day mark or rush through the material. I opted for the 2nd option & just went through the content & did few questions. I know this is not a good approach but had no other option.

[Brent@GMATPrepNow]

Day 15 - Geometry (Day 1 of 2)
Day 16 - Geometry (Day 2 of 2)
Day 17 - Integer Properties
Day 18 - Statistics
Day 19 - Counting
Day 20 - Probability

I have to be honest with myself. I was not keeping pace with the mails from day 12 onwards. I had 2 options either to extend my 60th day mark or rush through the material. I opted for the 2nd option & just went through the content & did few questions. I know this is not a good approach but had no other option.

I recommend that you complete all of problems for one day before moving on to the next day's activities. Sticking to one concept at time before moving on to the next concept will help promote mastery of each topic.
It's also important to note that there are several math topics that build on previous math topics, so it's a good idea to build a strong foundation before moving on.

Don't worry if that will set you back time-wise. Day 42 is the last day that you learn new content, and the remaining days are devoted to taking practice tests and working on weaknesses. So, you can always catch up then.

Or, if you're still behind, you can always extend your studies a bit longer.

I hope that helps.

Cheers,
Brent

[vikrambansal]

Thanks again Brent for your valuable feedback. Due to some pre set commitments I can't postpone my 60th day mark so decided to move on.

Day 21 - Math Review Day
Reviewed all math flash cards

Day 22 - GMATPrep Practice Exam #1 (2nd Attempt)
Took the exam & scored 600. Brent was right.

Day 23 - Sentence Correction I (Day 1 of 6)
Started with verbal part

Now trying to figure out if I can revise some math along with verbal.