GMAT prep strategy

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GMAT prep strategy

by triple5soul » Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:25 am
Hi all,

This is my first post and I would first like to thank the community for providing great insight into each individual's experiences and strategies. I would appreciate any feedback that may be given on my current study strategy. I began my preparation in early November, beginning with Verbal. I've been using the following study materials: OG10, OG11, MGMAT SC,RC and CR. My hit rates are as follows:

SC: OG10, OG11 - 85% (all problems solved). Flashcards made and error analysis log created. Most frequent errors occur on Qs with idioms, comparison (like things) and verb tenses (present perfect/past perfect).
RC: OG10 (100 Qs), OG11 (all) - 80% (mostly careless errors)
CR: OG11 (100 Qs) - mid 70% (unable to really grasp a consistent strategy despite the tactics presented in MGMAT and the forums)

I plan to move onto Quant at the beginning of January. My current work schedule forces me to travel and weekdays are quite difficult. Therefore, I put in roughly 1-1.5 hour on weekdays and 4-5 hours on weekends. I plan on doing 20 Qs per verbal topic until the end of December (by then, I'm hoping to have 90% hit rate - my GMAT goal is 700+).

How do you feel about taking the test when one "feels" ready. I'm looking for quality over quantity, and therefore prefer taking the exam only when I feel most confident in my performance and understanding of the material. Any suggestions for increasing my hit rates and should I bring any changes to my prep strategy? What about Quant study strategies?

A little background information: I'm an international buyer (travel to SE Asia) currently residing in Montreal, Canada and bilingual in English and French. I also speak Mandarin (unfortunately this does not help in any way!)

Thank you!
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by Jen Kedro » Fri Dec 05, 2008 1:56 pm
Hi,

Congrats on your determination thus far and your detailed plan. A couple of additional suggestions and considerations:

-it's generally going to be more beneficial to mix up your math and verbal practice a bit more than you are now. While it's good to repeat skills in succession to really improve, you also don't want all of your verbal skill to weaken while you focus on quant, for example. Plus there is a lot of material in quant, keep that in mind. So try to get to a point where you alternate every other day, or at least every 2 days, math and verbal.

-If you have not taken a full computer adaptive practice test yet, I encourage you to do so soon. That will give you a feel for what the testing environment will be like, and also give you a good assessment of your strengths and weaknesses under timed, realistic conditions.

-In addition, moving forward as part of your studies, it is a good idea to take practice tests at regular intervals, to build up your skills in that realistic environment. Taking the actual test in the real format can sometimes be a jump or a change to studiers who have only been working from a book. Remember, on the real thing, you are tested not on your % correct from OG problems or a book, but on your ability to take a computer adaptive test—so be sure your training includes plenty of realistic experiences.

-Be sure to focus on your timing, not just your % correct. It makes a difference, if you haven’t been timing yourself appropriately!

Good luck with your studies!
Jen Kedrowski
Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions
GMAT Teacher
MBA Admissions Consultant
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