15 DAYS to study GMAT from scratch. HELP NEEDED

[Manassampat]

Hi,


I am in a crisis situation, I need to give gmat in 15 days and I have just started today. I applied for GMAT waiver but I got declined. PLEASE help me in structuring/time table my study plan.

1- I have basics in Math cleared.
2- Vocab is not so strong. I just scored 103 in toefl recently.
3- I need to make a study plan, I have 15 days leave starting tomorrow. I can devote 15 hours if need be, but realistically I would be able to concentrate for 10 hours.

PLEASE HELP ME IN MAKING A SUITABLE TIMETABLE AND A ROAD MAP.

Thanks

[DavidG@VeritasPrep]

Hi,


I am in a crisis situation, I need to give gmat in 15 days and I have just started today. I applied for GMAT waiver but I got declined. PLEASE help me in structuring/time table my study plan.

1- I have basics in Math cleared.
2- Vocab is not so strong. I just scored 103 in toefl recently.
3- I need to make a study plan, I have 15 days leave starting tomorrow. I can devote 15 hours if need be, but realistically I would be able to concentrate for 10 hours.

PLEASE HELP ME IN MAKING A SUITABLE TIMETABLE AND A ROAD MAP.

Thanks

If you haven't taken a practice test, I'd suggest taking one ASAP: https://www.mba.com/us/the-gmat-exam/pre ... tware.aspx

Next, give us a breakdown: (how you do on this test vs. your goal score; weak areas, etc.)

[[email protected]]

Hi Manassampat,

Since you're starting from scratch, is it safe to assume that you have no experience studying for the GMAT? Have you done any practice at all (looked at any questions, etc.)?

There is so much material to cover that, with just 15 days, I'm not sure what you can really accomplish.

1) What is your goal score?
2) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
3) Why exactly do you have no choice but to take the GMAT in 15 days?
4) If you don't score well, would you take the GMAT again? When would you plan to do so?

As David mentioned, taking a FULL-LENGTH CAT (including the Essay and IR sections) is a MUST - we need to get a sense of your current strengths and weaknesses. You can download 2 CATs from www.mba.com. Once you have that first score, you should report back here.

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

[Brent@GMATPrepNow]

15 days isn't a lot of time to prepare, so I suggest that you focus on concepts that have the greatest return on investment (ROI). These are concepts that are tested frequently and require the least amount of time to learn. In my opinion, these concepts are:
- Sentence Correction
- Data Sufficiency strategies
- Percent
- Integer Properties
- Powers/roots
- Algebra
- Geometry

I say all of this because I often see students spending a lot of time agonizing over concepts like Probability and Counting, when these concepts are not tested nearly as much as concepts like integer properties and geometry.

CR and RC questions probably have the lowest ROI. I'm not saying that you shouldn't prepare for them; I'm just saying that improvements take a long time, especially for non-native English speakers. For CR, be sure you understand the various question types.

Finally, try to take several practice tests in order to perfect your time management skills and build your endurance.

Cheers,
Brent

[Manassampat]

Hi Everyone,

Firstly thanks a lot for replying to my query and all the help. I would like to answer a few questions-
1- I am required to give GMAT as my MBA application is in process, but the deadline is approaching and GMAT waiver has not been accepted.
2- I recently gave toefl and scored 103
3- I will give my prep test and enter the scores here tomorrow
4- I have brushed through gre quant a year ago and never gave the exam. It was just a brush through
5- Weakness- To sit for 3+ hours and concentrate, I always tend to loose focus after 2 hours.
6- If I dont score well, I plan to reattempt ASAP. Admissions is due second week of Feb,
7- Score goal is close to 700
8- I am applying for executive MBA, where some schools do not require GMAT.

Thanks a lot everyone. [/list]

[Manassampat]

Hi Everyone,

Firstly thanks a lot for replying to my query and all the help. I would like to answer a few questions-
1- I am required to give GMAT as my MBA application is in process, but the deadline is approaching and GMAT waiver has not been accepted.
2- I recently gave toefl and scored 103
3- I will give my prep test and enter the scores here tomorrow
4- I have brushed through gre quant a year ago and never gave the exam. It was just a brush through
5- Weakness- To sit for 3+ hours and concentrate, I always tend to loose focus after 2 hours.
6- If I dont score well, I plan to reattempt ASAP. Admissions is due second week of Feb,
7- Score goal is close to 700
8- I am applying for executive MBA, where some schools do not require GMAT.

Thanks a lot everyone. [/list]

[Manassampat]

Hi Everyone,

Firstly thanks a lot for replying to my query and all the help. I would like to answer a few questions-
1- I am required to give GMAT as my MBA application is in process, but the deadline is approaching and GMAT waiver has not been accepted.
2- I recently gave toefl and scored 103
3- I will give my prep test and enter the scores here tomorrow
4- I have brushed through gre quant a year ago and never gave the exam. It was just a brush through
5- Weakness- To sit for 3+ hours and concentrate, I always tend to loose focus after 2 hours.
6- If I dont score well, I plan to reattempt ASAP. Admissions is due second week of Feb,
7- Score goal is close to 700
8- I am applying for executive MBA, where some schools do not require GMAT.

Thanks a lot everyone. [/list]

[Manassampat]

Hi Everyone,

Firstly thanks a lot for replying to my query and all the help. I would like to answer a few questions-
1- I am required to give GMAT as my MBA application is in process, but the deadline is approaching and GMAT waiver has not been accepted.
2- I recently gave toefl and scored 103
3- I will give my prep test and enter the scores here tomorrow
4- I have brushed through gre quant a year ago and never gave the exam. It was just a brush through
5- Weakness- To sit for 3+ hours and concentrate, I always tend to loose focus after 2 hours.
6- If I dont score well, I plan to reattempt ASAP. Admissions is due second week of Feb,
7- Score goal is close to 700
8- I am applying for executive MBA, where some schools do not require GMAT.

Thanks a lot everyone.

[Bara]

My colleagues have given you good advice.

My $.02:

5- Weakness- To sit for 3+ hours and concentrate, I always tend to loose focus after 2 hours.

you'e going to need to deal with this, and find ways to go into the test with optimal focus and the best mindset, so whatever points you have the capability of racking up, you'll rack up. For 30 minutes of help in getting in the zone, go to our audio sampler. It's 30 minutes and sometimes does the trick instead of the full course. Click https://testprepny.com/full-potential-audio-program/.

6- If I dont score well, I plan to reattempt ASAP. Admissions is due second week of Feb,

That's defiantly a plan; But lets see what you can do now.


Keep us posted!

Bara

[[email protected]]

Hi manassampat,

Did you get a chance to take that FULL-LENGTH CAT? How did you score (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?

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

[Manassampat]

My scores-

400- 35 in quant, Verbal- 12, Integrated reasoning- 4

410- 31 in Quant, Verbal- 17, Integrated reasoning- 4

Problem areas- Unable to focus in Verbal, especially after first 90 mins in the exam

[[email protected]]

Hi Manassampat,

With practice CAT scores in the low 400s, you are too far from your score goals to hit them in the next 2 weeks. So now we have to talk about alternative plans. If a GMAT score is required as part of the Programs that you plan to apply to, then you're going to need far more time than you've allowed to score at a competitive level.

1) When is the next application deadline after February? Is it in the Fall (September or October of 2016) or is it sooner?

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

[GMATinsight]

Hi,


I am in a crisis situation, I need to give gmat in 15 days and I have just started today. I applied for GMAT waiver but I got declined. PLEASE help me in structuring/time table my study plan.

1- I have basics in Math cleared.
2- Vocab is not so strong. I just scored 103 in toefl recently.
3- I need to make a study plan, I have 15 days leave starting tomorrow. I can devote 15 hours if need be, but realistically I would be able to concentrate for 10 hours.

PLEASE HELP ME IN MAKING A SUITABLE TIMETABLE AND A ROAD MAP.

Thanks

Well 15 days is too less time to do anything properly.

I hope by now you already know that GMAT doesn't expect you to be too good with Vocab. It checks your ability to deal with RC, CR and SC.

The only way forward to do bets in very small span of time is focussing on Strength and capitalize on them, also carefully checking the weakness and working on the ones that you can improve quickly.

With your opinion that your Quant is fine, I consider that you should be able to do well on CR part as well and for that you only need to practice questions. You can refer Official Guide to practice questions of CR and exhaust it completely to get greater command.

For RC, you really need to practice and for SC you need to sit and know the rules and find the application of SC rules where applicable. I find Manhattan suitable to help you well with SC at this juncture but solving all questions from Official Guide still remains equally important.

Now comes the most important point and that is Quant.

Since you find yourself comfortable with basic concepts of quant therefore I suggest that you don't take it in light spirit and understand various types of Data Sufficiency questions where students good with QUant basic more often make mistakes. For practising all catagories of DS questions of Quants from various topics you may refer to the tagging feature of these forums (Beat the GMAT and GMAT CLUB) and select the level of questions that you want to practice.

You will find good quality questions with various solutions to learn from. Do exhaustive exercise and the final thing is PRAY that you don't get too many surprises because 15 days is too less to face all types of questions and all types of topics.

I wish you all the best and hope the best for you. However since Ex. PGDM won't be possible without a score less that 700 so I am a little concerned and hope you crack it with your brilliance instead of brilliance with flavour of perseverance that most candidates use to get the good score.

A proper preparation takes about 2-3 months so keep it in mind if you ever try to take GMAT again to improve score.

Good Luck!!!