New to GMAT preparation, where to start??

[olivar17]

Hi everyone,

My name is Adrian Olivares. Graduated from Michigan State University from college of Social Science with a major in Economics. I have a managerial gob within a good company and they offer tuition assistance for a masters.
I obviously want to take advantage and also continue my education. that being said...

I plan to apply this upcoming fall either for a corporate mba program or a masters in Finance which would require GMAT. Im starting to look for the proper materials and books, which there are many and thought I could use advice from someone that has been there before.

what would you guys recommend to start off and what books would be more helpful to use, and maybe upgrading in level of difficulty as I progress through the studying...

any recommendations??


Thanks alot in advance...

[[email protected]]

Hi Adrian,

Since it sounds like you're just beginning your studies, then it would be a good idea to take a FULL-LENGTH practice CAT Test; you can download 2 for free from www.mba.com (and they come with some additional practice materials). If you want to do a little studying first, so that you can familiarize yourself with the basic content and question types, then that's okay - but you shouldn't wait too long to take that initial CAT. That score will give us a good sense of your natural strengths and weaknesses and will help provide a basis for comparison as you continue to study. A FULL CAT takes about 4 hours to complete, so make sure that you've set aside enough time to take it in one sitting. Once you have those scores, you should report back here and we can come up with a study plan.

I'd like to know a bit more about your timeline and goals:
1) What is your goal score?
2) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
3) Which Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

[OptimusPrep]

The first step would be to go to mba.com and research a bit about the test. Since you are starting your GMAT preparation, you need to build the concepts/fundamentals before you jump in solving the problems. You can do so by choosing one of the following ways:

1. In person classes/private tutoring
2. Online classes
3. Self paced online preparatory course
4. Book heavy approach

Whatever you choose, make sure that you choose one. Because GMAT tests you on some concepts and fundamentals that you can learn from a course. Most of the preparatory companies including ours offer a free trial of our course. You can take the trial and see if the course suits your needs.
In addition to the preparatory material, buy the Official Guides(both the Official Guide and the Verbal Review), Question Pack 1 and the 4 official mock CATs. They should be an indispensable part of your preparation.

You need close to 3 months to prepare well for the GMAT, so I would recommend you the same too if you are not facing any deadlines.

1. Understand the concepts and fundamentals before jumping into problem solving
2. Solve full length CATs including AWA and IR. You can get two free GMAT Prep mock CATs and can purchase 4 more from mba.com
3. Make sure you solve the official questions from the Official Guide