MGMAT Organizer Spreadsheet

[emad.radwan]

Hi there,

I am a repeat MGMAT customer. I took the 9 session course back in March 2009 (did not take the exam), then received an offer from a co. that I couldnt refuse and new it would only better help my future B-school app.

2 years have passed, and I made the decision and commitment to prep for the GMAT again, but this time I am going "all-in". I am registered for a 9-session course which will begin on June 14 and have already received and started reviewing the materials. I am also using the GMAT Organizer spreadsheet, which was downloaded from the Course Downloads section. I plan on following it religiously,but my question is "If my test date is scheduled for end of August, will I have sufficient time to study and score mid 700s by the time I hit my test date? Again, I am using the organizer, so there is studying and review every single day.

I have not taken a practice exam as of yet. When I took the first exam back in 2009, I scored in the mid 500s which really shot my confidence down. Is there anything MGMAT recommends before taking the first practice exam? Should I quickly skim over all of the material, then take the first CAT in order to put me on an efficient study timeline so I am ready to take the real exam by end of Aug? I'm concerned if I continue following the study organizer I might be ready "too early"

Thanks,
Eddie

[emad.radwan]

Bump...Any advice is appreciated...Thanks

Eddie

[StaceyKoprince]

Please don't "bump" your own posts unless you have new info to add! We answer every single post and we do so oldest first. The time stamp on a thread is based on the most recent post - so all you do when you "bump" your post is put yourself later in line.

Do take your first practice test ASAP, and make sure to take it under 100% official conditions (including essays). If your score is low, don't worry - you haven't even started studying yet, it's fine. :) You just want to know your baseline strengths and weaknesses because that will help you to set priorities as you study.

I'm sure you've noticed that the study organizer is HUGE. You don't need to do every single thing listed in there, and in fact, you don't want to. You want to adjust based upon your own strengths and weaknesses - where you're really good, move faster or move on to harder material more quickly, and where you're struggling, take more time.

If your course starts June 14th, it will finish around mid-August, right? That will give you about two weeks of review after the course ends, and I would say that that is the minimum review that you want. Most people need 3-4 weeks of review after the end of the course. I wouldn't worry too much about peaking too soon given that timeframe - there's a lot to do (as you probably remember from last time around). We'll keep you busy!

If I were you, I wouldn't decide on an exact test date right now, but know that you're generally aiming for 2-4 weeks after the end of the course. As you get towards the end of the course, you'll be in a better position to decide, and you'll also be able to get the advice of your instructor (who will have learned a lot about you during the length of the course).

One more thing: after you've taken your first practice test, see whether you need to review any of the Foundations of Math or Foundations of Verbal material. Ideally, it's best to review that material before the course starts, or at the very beginning, so that's where you can get started right now!