How much free stuff is too much?

[cburton815]

So I decided that I wanted to take the GMAT yesterday (I really only have one target school UCF) and did research on the gmat club blog and accessed some free resources (study guides, webinar, free trials). I'm on a limited budget (getting a GMAT fee waiver) and paid for Magoosh GMAT resources since it was the most cost effective option for me. Is it better to just stick to one site and their study plan or do I have a lot to gain from accessing all the resources I can? I definitely want a focused approach.

[MartyMurray]

Hi cburton815.

The resources are not the point. The point is whatever it is that you have to do in order to hit your score goal. You may be able to do that using the resources you have. You may find that you would be better off getting some more or some other resources.

After you have familiarized yourself with the test and trained for a few weeks, probably your best bet is to then take one of the free GMAT Prep exams available for download from mba.com. Once you have done that and seen your results, you will have a better idea of what hitting your score goal is going to take.

If you feel that you could use more resources at that point, come back here and we will help you to choose some.

[Brent@GMATPrepNow]

So I decided that I wanted to take the GMAT yesterday (I really only have one target school UCF) and did research on the gmat club blog and accessed some free resources (study guides, webinar, free trials). I'm on a limited budget (getting a GMAT fee waiver) and paid for Magoosh GMAT resources since it was the most cost effective option for me. Is it better to just stick to one site and their study plan or do I have a lot to gain from accessing all the resources I can? I definitely want a focused approach.

I recommend sticking with one resource/study plan for now. If you run into any issues, you can seek out other resources.

For starters, you can use BTG's tagging feature to isolate one concept. For example, here are all of the questions tagged as statistics questions: https://www.beatthegmat.com/forums/tags/ ... statistics
See the left side of that linked page for more tag options.

Also, we have a free GMAT video course if you need any extra help or want to tackle some more practice questions: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/

Cheers,
Brent

[[email protected]]

Hi cburton815,

Since you're just starting out, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on your timeline and goals:

1) What is your goal score?
2) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

Since 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 talk through your current study plan.

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

[cburton815]

Hi cburton815,

Since you're just starting out, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on your timeline and goals:

1) What is your goal score?
I would like to get a 600. I'm an A student, but I've always struggled in standardized tests. For the school I am looking to apply to, this would be a good score. I took a verbal and quant practice test and got a 460, so I have work to do, but I know I just need to start relearning concepts for the GMAT.
2) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
I scheduled my test date for October 22
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
November 15, so I really need to nail it for October.

[[email protected]]

Hi cburton815,

With an October Test Date, you have LOTS of potential study time, which is good. Many Test Takers spend 3 months (or more) of consistent study time before they hit their 'peak' scores, but your score goal is relatively 'modest' compared to the score goals of most Test Takers - so you might not need that much time to hit your goal.

Since you have some resources already, you should probably study as you see fit for the next 2-3 weeks, then take a new FULL-LENGTH CAT (with the Essay and IR sections). That score result with give us an idea of how well you're progressing.

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