Where do I start? Experts please help!

[finicky16]

Hi all,

I am new to this forum though I had registered years ago. I am registered to take the GMAT on Jan 16 and I took my Kaplan Diagnostic test yesterday (670 Q44 and V35). I didn't take the AW section but took the IR section. I definitely ran out of time in the IR and the Quant sections. Right now, I am analysing my scores and figuring out my strengths and weaknesses. However, I am at a loss as to where to start. Should I go topic by topic from the OG or start working from weakness to strength? I have the 2015 OG and am wondering if I should go with Kaplan or Manhattan as a companion to the OG.

I am a non-native speaker and would say that RC and SC are my strong points while I definitely struggled with CR.

My biggest constraint is of course time. I have just about 7 weeks before I take the exam and I can spend about 2 hours during the weekdays and 7-8 hours during the weekends. I am aiming for that magic 700 and above that everyone aspires for. I would say that I am fairly self-disciplined and I can sit and concentrate on studying for hours.

So, I have been going through these threads and everyone says that it is very important to make a plan. Honestly, I have no idea how to go about doing that. What should my starting point be? Any tips anyone?

Thanks!

[DavidG@VeritasPrep]

Hi all,

I am new to this forum though I had registered years ago. I am registered to take the GMAT on Jan 16 and I took my Kaplan Diagnostic test yesterday (670 Q44 and V35). I didn't take the AW section but took the IR section. I definitely ran out of time in the IR and the Quant sections. Right now, I am analysing my scores and figuring out my strengths and weaknesses. However, I am at a loss as to where to start. Should I go topic by topic from the OG or start working from weakness to strength? I have the 2015 OG and am wondering if I should go with Kaplan or Manhattan as a companion to the OG.

I am a non-native speaker and would say that RC and SC are my strong points while I definitely struggled with CR.

My biggest constraint is of course time. I have just about 7 weeks before I take the exam and I can spend about 2 hours during the weekdays and 7-8 hours during the weekends. I am aiming for that magic 700 and above that everyone aspires for. I would say that I am fairly self-disciplined and I can sit and concentrate on studying for hours.

So, I have been going through these threads and everyone says that it is very important to make a plan. Honestly, I have no idea how to go about doing that. What should my starting point be? Any tips anyone?

Thanks!

Given your starting point, you shouldn't have much trouble breaking 700. Just don't make the Official Guide your primary study resource. The OG is good for practicing once you've mastered concepts, but you'll want a more structured plan that allows for some conceptual drilling first. Any course you enroll in, even a self-study one, will have such a plan. So do a bit of research and see what material resonates for you - every company provides some free resources to sample before you have to make a commitment. (Speaking of which, here's our question bank https://www.veritasprep.com/gmat-question-bank/

Or you can follow a slightly condensed version of the 60-day plan on this site: https://www.beatthegmat.com/the-60-day-g ... e-f60.html

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HI finicky16,

A 670 is a fantastic baseline score; with your Scaled Scores, you also have an opportunity to pick up points in the Quant and Verbal sections. Since you're on a limited timeframe, it's important that you make sure you take your CATs in as realistic a way as possible (including taking the ENTIRE CAT - with the Essay and IR sections).

1) What resources do you currently have?

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