730 Q50 V38 - A quick prep strategy
Posted: May 28th, 2014, 11:50 pm
The first thing to do before even starting GMAT preparation is to fix a GMAT Date. All your preparation gets streamlined and focussed when you know the 'D day'.For most of us working and still trying to fit in Gmat Prep in whatever little time we get, the mantra is to take it slow and perfect. Make sure you keep all your ebooks and study materials synced across your devices:Dropbox/One drive would help you loads, you can use any free time at work for prep!!But don't stress out your weekends! May be a test or a few hours of prep every weekend would help; but keep those evenings for leisure!
While for each of us the effort and time required for each section would vary, I ll tell you what worked for me.Hopefully,you might find something that relates to you.
Preparation material:
OG13 (Book)
OG12, Quants OG 12, Verbal OG 12 (E-books)
Manhattan SC Guide (I had an older edition refering to OG12)
Kaplan 800
TOTAL Math prep (6 topic-wise e-books)
Test Material:
6 free tests (MGMAT)
Kaplan Free Test (1)
Power prep (2)
Week 1 to Week 3: Solved OG13, leisurely without time constraints.Brushed up basics of quants, basics of grammar, vocabulary etc.
Weekend 3: First MGMAT Test. Couldn't complete quant. Rushed through Verbal. Got a 640 :( !
Week 4 to Week 6:
Completed MGMAT SC guide.I made sure that I solved all the OG12 questions in the same sequence. Completed Total Math guides (with timings - aiming for <90 secs per question). This gave me a hands on timing experience for Quants! I am very bad at Quant timing.
Weekend 4,5,6:
MGMAT 2: Quants was again a problem. Verbal showed improvement, thanks to ongoing MGMAT SC prep. 670 this time.
MGMAT 3: TOTAL Math back to back practice improved timings. Got a 710 this time.
MGMAT 4: Quite a few DS and CR mistakes proved costly. Got a 680.
Week 7: Practiced weaker sections (DS and CR in my case) from respective OGs (Verbal/Quants). Timed practice.
Weekend 7: MGMAT 5 (with IR) : Got a 690. Disappointed :(.
Week 8: Finished weak sections from OGs and revised CR, RC fundamentals from e-materials.
Weekend 8: MGMAT 6. 710 :) Back with some hope.
Week 9: Sovled GMAT Club's star,Bunuel's problems.Completed anything left in OG 13. Practiced IR online.Read a few IR.
Revise MGMAT SC guide.
Weekend 9: Took Powerprep Test 1: 720.
Week 10: Complete Kaplan 800, Powerprep practice questions.
Powerprep Test 2: 750.
Weekend 10 (Saturday) : Kaplan Free Test. Got a 740.
(Sunday): Retake Powerprep Test 1: 750.
Week 11:
Monday : Chill.Do some IR, light math, light CR.
Tuesday: ACTUAL GMAT Day. Started poorly with AWA.Struggled and managed to complete IR in time.
Though Quants seemed great initially, I was too cautious and wasted time rechecking answers. As a result, I had to randomly guess the last three questions to finish in time.I made sure I did not repeat the mistake with Verbal.
I was happy to see the score 730 and promptly picked up the printout copy and left the test center.Q50 and V38, IR 8.
Final score card online showed AWA 4.0 (20th percentile), which is shockingly low. But many people reassurred me that its not worth retaking the test just for IR.
So now, I am on a school selection and application mission.Keeping my fingers crossed. :)
All the best to other GMAT takers !
While for each of us the effort and time required for each section would vary, I ll tell you what worked for me.Hopefully,you might find something that relates to you.
Preparation material:
OG13 (Book)
OG12, Quants OG 12, Verbal OG 12 (E-books)
Manhattan SC Guide (I had an older edition refering to OG12)
Kaplan 800
TOTAL Math prep (6 topic-wise e-books)
Test Material:
6 free tests (MGMAT)
Kaplan Free Test (1)
Power prep (2)
Week 1 to Week 3: Solved OG13, leisurely without time constraints.Brushed up basics of quants, basics of grammar, vocabulary etc.
Weekend 3: First MGMAT Test. Couldn't complete quant. Rushed through Verbal. Got a 640 :( !
Week 4 to Week 6:
Completed MGMAT SC guide.I made sure that I solved all the OG12 questions in the same sequence. Completed Total Math guides (with timings - aiming for <90 secs per question). This gave me a hands on timing experience for Quants! I am very bad at Quant timing.
Weekend 4,5,6:
MGMAT 2: Quants was again a problem. Verbal showed improvement, thanks to ongoing MGMAT SC prep. 670 this time.
MGMAT 3: TOTAL Math back to back practice improved timings. Got a 710 this time.
MGMAT 4: Quite a few DS and CR mistakes proved costly. Got a 680.
Week 7: Practiced weaker sections (DS and CR in my case) from respective OGs (Verbal/Quants). Timed practice.
Weekend 7: MGMAT 5 (with IR) : Got a 690. Disappointed :(.
Week 8: Finished weak sections from OGs and revised CR, RC fundamentals from e-materials.
Weekend 8: MGMAT 6. 710 :) Back with some hope.
Week 9: Sovled GMAT Club's star,Bunuel's problems.Completed anything left in OG 13. Practiced IR online.Read a few IR.
Revise MGMAT SC guide.
Weekend 9: Took Powerprep Test 1: 720.
Week 10: Complete Kaplan 800, Powerprep practice questions.
Powerprep Test 2: 750.
Weekend 10 (Saturday) : Kaplan Free Test. Got a 740.
(Sunday): Retake Powerprep Test 1: 750.
Week 11:
Monday : Chill.Do some IR, light math, light CR.
Tuesday: ACTUAL GMAT Day. Started poorly with AWA.Struggled and managed to complete IR in time.
Though Quants seemed great initially, I was too cautious and wasted time rechecking answers. As a result, I had to randomly guess the last three questions to finish in time.I made sure I did not repeat the mistake with Verbal.
I was happy to see the score 730 and promptly picked up the printout copy and left the test center.Q50 and V38, IR 8.
Final score card online showed AWA 4.0 (20th percentile), which is shockingly low. But many people reassurred me that its not worth retaking the test just for IR.
So now, I am on a school selection and application mission.Keeping my fingers crossed. :)
All the best to other GMAT takers !