Gmat Game Plan 325 Days

[november22]

I'm preparing from 9 manhattan guides & 3 official guides between March 30 - August 31, 2016.



Then I intend to do review during Sept 1 - Dec 31, 2016 for 9 manhattan & 3 official guides+Egmat+Magoosh Videos+Gmat club tests quant section only+Advanced quant guide manhattan + every week 1 cat.



January 2017 - February 17, 2017
Remaining cat's to 37 cat's



Game Day
February 18, 2017



Questions

1. Do I need review between sept - dec 2016 as per my plan or I can just do Cat and review mistakes ?.
2. I asked this question as I don't want to make error in plan.


CAT's used
Manhattan free cat+Princeton review free cat+Kaplan free cat+veritas free cat
Manhattan 6 cats
Mba.com 6 cats (2 free+2 exam pack 1+ 2 exam pack 2)
Mba.com IR tool
Mba.com Gmat write 1+Gmat write 2
Mba.com additional practice questions
Veritas 7 cat's
Mba.com 9 Paper test

[november22]

Forget to add that review between Sept - Dec 2016 is for manhattan & offical guides only. Other things will be done for first time.

[MartyMurray]

That plan sounds a little book heavy, as if you can read something in a book and then find on the GMAT a question that asks for you to respond by repeating what you read, or something along those lines.

Actually the GMAT is basically a reasoning game, a game that you score high on by developing certain skills.

So while given its scope your plan would probably work, it may not be exactly optimal for preparing for the test.

I think that one change that you would benefit from is taking some practice tests earlier in your schedule than when you are currently planning to take them. Then you will have a sense of the game and what you need to actually get better at in order to score higher, as opposed to having little sense of what the GMAT is actually like and just learning pretty much everything that a bunch of books have to say, some of which, by the way, may not be entirely accurate or optimal for scoring high.

Along similar lines, regarding what you are wondering about, you don't necessarily have to review everything that you will have already read. What you would be best off doing is taking CATs and using your results to determine what to work on. If improved accuracy were to turn out to be what would get you a higher score, then you would work on accuracy. If being better at handling rate questions were to be what would get you a higher score, then you would work on rate questions.

Overall, when training for the test, remember that what you need to be doing is not really just learning about a bunch of concepts and strategies but more developing skill at getting to RIGHT answers.

Meanwhile, if that February 18 date is close to your application deadlines, then I suggest moving your test date up, as even with months of preparation you may blow the test and want to take it again. Some time in December would make more sense, and if your practice test scores were to match your goal score sooner than then, then it would make sense to take the test at that point, rather than to wait.

[[email protected]]

Hi november22,

Since you've tried studying off-and-on for a couple of years now, have you taken all of those CATs before?

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

[november22]

Rich---- Due to personal reasons not studied but plan to study this exam since 2014.

Marty Murray --- Ok, I'll take some cat's to see my situation.

I'll not review again and will review weak areas of cat only.

Do I need to see egmat+magoosh videos+advanced quant guide+college practise test ?????

Is there advantage of doing MBA.com paper tests

[MartyMurray]

Do I need to see egmat+magoosh videos+advanced quant guide+college practise test ?????

Is there advantage of doing MBA.com paper tests

The overall answer to most of your questions is that any of those things could be useful if they make sense given what YOU need to do in order to hit YOUR score goal.

I personally think that training for the GMAT is best done as an iterative process. You prepare some, and then take a practice test, and then based on the results of that test you determine what to do going forward.

You could very well hit your score goal, and many people do, just by going over the questions in the Official Guide. On the other hand it may be the case that you use all of the Manhattan guides, the Official Guide and other materials and don't hit your score goal. At that point you would figure out what to do next.

Maybe this will help. There are people who become strategy and explanation junkies. They feel as if if they just learn enough strategies and read enough explanations they will hit their score goals, and many of them don't. Why? Because the point of training is to learn to basically write the explanations yourself. You can get to that point without answering every GMAT question ever written. For verbal you just need to know about a few dozen sentence correction concepts and have a basic understanding of certain things having to do with critical reasoning and reading comprehension. Other than learning about those things, getting the right answers really just takes seeing details and understanding the logic underlying questions. You could learn to do that with the help of three guides and thirty practice tests, or you could do it using one guide and two practice tests.

So the point is that you can start by reviewing the quant basics and some key quant concepts and strategies and by learning some key things that you will use in answering verbal questions, and then take a practice test and see what's what. If at that point you were 100 points below your score goal, you would need to get better at maybe a dozen things to get to your score goal.

That's the way I usually look at it, not as a matter of learning everything there is to know about the GMAT, but more as a matter of learning enough and developing the skill you need in order to hit your score goal.

[november22]

Thanks for detailed answer.

[[email protected]]

Hi november22,

If you've never used any of those CATs before, then you can choose a set (or two) and just use those. You will NOT need to complete 20+ CATs during your studies (and trying to do so should NOT be part of your goals).

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

[november22]

After 9 Manhattan Guides, I'll write manhattan cat 1 then I'll study 3 official guides and write mba.com free cat.

All this will be done by July 31, 2016.


Then my weak areas based on 2 cat's result will study from August 2016.

Please comment.

[MartyMurray]

That sounds good, except I say to take at least one CAT before you go through all of the Manhattan guides. Maybe after reviewing some quant, take a first CAT. That way you will have results and experience that you can consider as you work through the rest of the guides.

The whole point of this is to get good at the game. So playing the game and letting your game results at least to a degree drive your work makes a lot of sense.

[november22]

Thanks Martin.

Will post results of 2 cat's at end of July to find what direction should I take next.

[MartyMurray]

Thanks Martin.

Will post results of 2 cat's at end of July to find what direction should I take next.

OK Sounds good.

Enjoy the GAME!!!