How to start studying for GMAT?

[krisp2]

Hi,

I am looking for a study plan with 3 months to take GMAT. I am looking for ways to study/take practice tests to maximize my scores. I got OG11, MGMAT SC and RC guides. I can dedicate up to 15 hours/week.

Following is my plan,
1. Review OG Quant, MGMAT SC and RC guides (1 week)
2. Take diagnostic tests and study problem areas (2 days)
3. Take GmatPrep test 1 (1 day)
4. Do OG 11 (3 weeks)
4. Take practice tests (1 a week) and review (duration 6 weeks)
5. Take GmatPrep test before the real test

Does this make sense? Are eight practice tests enough? How and when do I know if I need any additional training (such as taking MGMAT class?)

Regards,
Kris

[wgrau2]

Make sure any studying you do includes a stopwatch. It is practically worthless to study without one. Get really solid on being able to crunch a problem under 2 minutes. ANY problem.

[RonPurewal]

Hi,

I am looking for a study plan with 3 months to take GMAT. I am looking for ways to study/take practice tests to maximize my scores. I got OG11, MGMAT SC and RC guides. I can dedicate up to 15 hours/week.

Following is my plan,
1. Review OG Quant, MGMAT SC and RC guides (1 week)
2. Take diagnostic tests and study problem areas (2 days)
3. Take GmatPrep test 1 (1 day)
4. Do OG 11 (3 weeks)
4. Take practice tests (1 a week) and review (duration 6 weeks)
5. Take GmatPrep test before the real test

Does this make sense? Are eight practice tests enough? How and when do I know if I need any additional training (such as taking MGMAT class?)

Regards,
Kris

ok, whoa there.

* first of all, you've got these things in a strict sequence - that's never a good thing, especially with the official guide questions.
see, there should be a "feedback loop" between the official guide questions and the practice tests: the OG questions will prepare you for the practice tests, and then the practice tests, in turn, will show you which questions you should do MORE of in the OG's.

* you probably shouldn't load up on practice tests too early, unless you think you're almost done with learning content. the fact that you plan to take 3 practice tests in 3 days, at the very beginning of your program, is a bit worrisome, unless the prime emphasis of those practice tests is to be time management. as far as an initial diagnostic, if i were you, i wouldn't do more than one practice test - two at the absolute most. you should save the others for after you've had more practice.
don't forget to emphasize time management ALL the time. i.e., if you are ever solving a problem with five multiple choices, you should be timing the problem, and you should be stopping

second:
where are your scores?
if you are not already scoring 700 plus, then you are planning WAY too little time for the OG and for the quant OG. you seem to think that one week is enough time to go through the ENTIRE quant OG (in addition to two other books!), and you also seem to think that three weeks is enough time to go through the ENTIRE normal OG.

this isn't good. this seems to betray an attitude that you should just "do" the OG by going through problem after problem after problem, just smiling and moving on if you get the problem right, and just seeing what mistakes you made if you get the problem wrong.
that method is, in fact, close to useless when it comes to actually studying for the exam. after all, you're not going to see those actual problems again, so, focusing on those problems will mostly just waste your time.
instead, you need to REVIEW ALL PROBLEMS - including problems that you got right - for GENERAL LESSONS ("takeaways") that you could conceivably APPLY TO OTHER PROBLEMS.

i posted a long post about this here.

the fact that you allotted 6 weeks for the review of your practice tests, but only 4 weeks for the OG and quant OG combined (including time for other books), shows that you don't plan to review the OG problems very heavily. unless you're already at the 700-plus level - in which case the vast majority of problems in the OG's won't be hard for you at all - you should be reviewing those problems AT THE SAME DEPTH as you're reviewing the practice-test problems. see the link above for how.

* make sure you have an ABSOLUTELY SOLID understanding of what "review" fully entails before taking on any of these review responsibilities.

* finally:
are you mostly studying quant? i.e., why the OG and the quant OG, but not the verbal OG?
what are your current scores?
what are your current areas of greatest strength and greatest weakness?

good luck.

good luck.

[krisp2]

Ron,

I appreciate your thoughtful comments. I have not started studying and nor have I taken any practice tests yet. I would like to do OG diagnostic checks first and review problem areas before taking any practice test.

I will incorporate your comments in my plan, especially on time devoted to OG. I am planning to include OG verbal.

How many practice tests should I plan to take (I have about 200 hours total prep time?) Is three (in addition to Gmatprep) good enough measure for readiness? How and when do I know if I need any additional training (is it after first practice test?) What is the expected improvement from first practice test (some claim +50?)

Regards,
Kris

[StaceyKoprince]

Great suggestions, Ron.

Take one test at the beginning, before you study anything, to see what your strengths and weaknesses are. I suggest that you use a test prep company's test, not GMATPrep, for this - GMATprep does not give you any analysis on strenghts and weaknesses. Save GMATPrep for closer to the end of your preparation.

In our courses, we assign 3 tests to be taken over 9 weeks: one at the beginning, one in the middle, and one at the end. That's about the right spread, timewise, if you are studying every day. We tell people not to expect improvement in overall score on the second test (though some people do, obviously). Instead, people should be matching their strengths and weaknesses from the first test to see where, specifically, they have and have not improved.

Then, most people take 2-4 weeks (sometimes shorter, sometimes longer) after the course to continue to study. Generally, I think students should keep to the "once every 3 weeks" practice test until 2 weeks before the official test is scheduled. At that point, take a practice test 2 weeks before and 1 week before (so every week instead of every 3 weeks). Never more frequently than once a week.

You don't learn a ton by simply taking practice tests (though you do learn some, obviously). Most of your learning comes from figuring out your strengths and weaknesses and studying the relevant areas extensively before you try another practice test.

Anyway, so for most people, a total of around 5 tests is sufficient, yes.

Re: expected improvement from first practice test, I'm not sure whether you're asking "from first to second" or "from first to official test." As I mentioned above, a lot of people don't see any improvement at all from first to second. From first to official (when following a full study regimen, of course), I would say that a lot of people improve 50-100 points and some people improve more. There's no official expected improvement, though, because people spend different amounts of time, some study more effectively than others, etc.

Q: How do you know that you need to do more work?
A: Your practice test scores are lower than what you want to get on the real test.

Q: How do you know WHAT to do for that "more work" you need?
A: Extensive analysis of your strengths and weaknesses - across question type, content area, and timing (don't forget that last one - it's crucial).

Good luck - let us know how it goes!

[krisp2]

Stacey,

Thank you for demystifying the practice test taking. The practice schedule you suggested works very well with my timeline.

I appreciate your and Ron's guidance very much. I feel better with my updated study plan.

Regards,
Kris

[RonPurewal]

Stacey,

Thank you for demystifying the practice test taking. The practice schedule you suggested works very well with my timeline.

I appreciate your and Ron's guidance very much. I feel better with my updated study plan.

Regards,
Kris

good luck, and feel free to let us know how it's going.