GMAT Prep Strategy (Feedback Requested)

[nuwalt]

Stacey,

I need your input in understanding the preparation strategy and time I allocated for the GMAT prep. Please advise. Thaks so much in advance for helping.

Background:

I took GMAT several years ago without any preparation and got 550. I am now getting ready for a top EMBA program application and would like to get atleast 700 on the GMAT. I have planned 4 months of preparation time that will include:

1. Understanding the basics: Foundations of Math/Verbal (Review of basic concepts).
2. Learning the content: Taking an in-person class, starting November 5th
3. Practice MGAT & GMAT Prep Tests.

My questions:
1. Are 4 months enough with the preparation strategy mentioned above for me to reach 700. I planned myself 2-3 hours on weekdays and 5 hours each day on weekends (totalling about 25-30 hourds each week for 16 weeks (4 months).

2. Should I only do the Benchmark problems during the class sessions? When should I plan to do ALL OG Questions including the Advanced Section of the Strategy Guides and Questions. Basically, what I want to know how should I structure my Advanced preparation (During the 9 week class or after the class ends).

3. I will have 5-6 weeks left after the class ends, what should be my target for those weeks:
a. Tests Only (Is MGAT Tests + GMAT Prep enough, 8-10 tests)
b. General OG Problems
c. Advanced OG problems
d. ALL of the above

4. My major fear is with Verbal (RCs & CRs). I also started reading some GMAT-Like material, and noticed that there is no Investigations tab in the University of Chicago Magazine website. Can you please let me know if I am looking at the right thing.

Thanks SO MUCH for your help!

[StaceyKoprince]

In general, your timeframe sounds reasonable, but obviously it varies for different people, so I can't tell you for sure this far ahead that 4 months will definitely be enough. You might discover that you're read sooner or you might discover that you need a little more time - so just be a bit flexible about that.

While you're taking the class, the homework that gets you ready for next week's class is the #1 priority. Classes never assume that you've done the Advanced Chapters, so you don't have to do them before class.

If you have the time, though, then you can start to layer in some of the Advanced material during the course. In general, if you totally get the regular chapter for any particular material, then feel free to move on to the Advanced material. If you struggle with a chapter, save that advanced material for later (and possibly never - you don't need ALL of the advanced material to get to 700).

For after the class, you can't plan that yet. You'll have to see how things go and then talk to your teacher and come back here and post at that point. At the end of class, you'll be able to sign up for a post-course assessment - your instructor will review your tests and tell you what s/he thinks you should do between then and the real test.

Hmm, looks like U-Chicago changed their site! The topic categories at the top of the page are good - use those instead (particularly business, humanities, and sciences).

[nuwalt]

Stacey,

Thanks for your response. 2 Questions:

1. How many practice exams do you think is good? 6 MGMAT + 2 GMAT Prep. Do I need to plan for taking more MGMAT Exams by resetting the exams?

2. During weekly homework during class session, should we only do bench mark problems (marked in bold) or all of them as mentioned in the OG Master Problem List?

Basically, my point for asking the above questions mean one basic question: How can I get most out of the course and maximize my output? Thanks.

[StaceyKoprince]

1) you may not even need all 8. Don't take more than 3 over the length of the course - early on, taking practice tests frequently is just a waste of time. You want to learn a TON before you both to test yourself again.

Every time you take a test, use the below article to analyze your results:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

That will help you know what you need to work on - and you can easily get 2 to 4 weeks' worth of study material out of one test.

Even when you get closer to the real test, you still don't want to take tests more frequently than once every week to two weeks (not more than one a week ever). The point of taking a test is to figure out what progress you've made and what else you need to do - so there's no point in taking another till you've done something with the results of your last one and that takes at least a week.

2) Start with the benchmark problems. If they're too easy, look at the Advanced chapter and try some harder ones (higher numbers). If they're too hard, try some of the easier ones (lower numbers). If they feel about right - challenging but not too hard - just do those for now and then move on to the next item on your homework list. Don't do all of the problems during the course - you'll want to save some for review after.

When going over problems you've already done, use the method discussed in this article:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/articles/a ... roblem.cfm

And you may also want to read these two articles:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... our-study/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... you-crazy/

:)

[nuwalt]

Stacey,

Can anyone improve on the comprehension and RC in 3-4 months timeframe? Is that even possible to control focus and comprehension while reading. Any thoughts?

I tend to loose focus while reading RC passages and then so many thoughts enter my mind that I lose concentration and pick the wrong answer. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Thanks.

[StaceyKoprince]

RC is probably the slowest thing to improve if part of the weakness has to do with reading comprehension or speed itself (as opposed to just the questions). It is definitely possible to improve in 3-4 months, though!

Do you take notes when you're reading the passages? This is CRUCIAL if you find yourself losing concentration - writing forces you to think about what you just read so that you can decide what's important and write it down in shorthand, and then when you're done, you have a nice little outline of the passage, which makes it easier to go back and find other info later.

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... p-passage/

http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/07/ ... rc-passage

If you're especially worried about your comprehension skills (particularly if you're a non-native speaker), read this:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... rehension/

Those are high level - start there and then we can worry about all of the specific detail questions later!

[nuwalt]

Thanks Stacey.

How much benefit do you get by doing the Verbal and Quant 2nd Edition OGs (The blue and green OG book)?

Should I plan to do the regular OG 12th during the 9-Week course and then go for the blue and green book during the last month of my prep while doing practice CATs every week for 4 weeks?

Just wanted to structure my plan and need some help. Thanks much again.

[StaceyKoprince]

Do save questions for review and random problem sets after the course - doesn't matter which ones, as long as you do save a decent number of questions for then.

Don't do a test every week until you get to 2 weeks before the test. Then do a test 2 weeks before and 1 week before. Prior to that time, only take a new practice test when you feel you have made significant progress from your last practice test. And if you think you've made significant progress in less than 1 week - and more like 2+, honestly - then you're not doing something right. :)

You don't learn a ton in the act of taking a test. You learn from what you analyze, then study, then review in between tests. The tests themselves are just, well, tests to see whether you really have made progress!