Retake Strategy

[bhasinnik]

Hi,

I would appreciate some advice on my proposed strategy to retake the GMAT exam.

Past:
I took the in-person MGMT Complete Course for 4(?) months from September - December 2012. I learned quite a bit and kept up with homework and practice. I did not take enough CAT exams prior to test day and overall I am sure there is more I could have studied/done. (Examples being - didn't study advanced topics, didn't use OG Archer, etc.)
Took the exam in March 2013, scored a 660 (45Q, 36V). (This was pretty much in-line with practice exam scores)

Delayed B-School applications until the Fall of 2015 (class of 2015, applications to be submitted late 2014)

Now:
Starting GMAT studying up again.

Goal:
>700 (+40 points)

Strategy:
Given that it has been >10 months since the exam and since I have last studied - my goal is to review the basics. Start with reviewing each Guide, completing practice problems, and review/analyze gaps in knowledge.
Take a CAT exam after 2-3 weeks after initial (re)review, assess areas of weakness, focus on these areas for 1-2 weeks, take another CAT, repeat..

I have also purchased a few Advanced GMAT (Quant & General) books in order to get me above the 700 threshold.

----

Overall, this isn't the most groundbreaking plan, I know, but I it seems to address current and future needs.

What are your initial thoughts?

Should I focus more on Verbal given its relatively heavier weighting in overall score? (per a MGMT blog post I read)

What would you recommend overall given that it is been a lengthy break since I last picked up a GMAT book?



Thank you

[bhasinnik]

*Also - I have read this recent topic: 'Post subject: 640 (Q40, V37) - Tips for retake' and have gained some good insight into how to think about the GMAT, etc., via the various article links in the response.

My specific question is more so focused on the fact that it has been a long time since I last studied and whether or not the brief plan I laid out is sound and practical given my goal.


Thanks

[StaceyKoprince]

Yep, your general strategy looks good - that's pretty much what you do. It has been long enough since your first attempt that you will be rusty, so you'll just have to see which things have stuck with you and which need more work.

Don't delay that first practice test. It's fine to take a week or two to brush up, but really, the goal of the first practice test is simply to get that data so that you can figure out what your weaknesses are and start tackling them.

You probably already saw this in the other post, but after you take that test, use the below to analyze yourmost recent MGMAT CAT (this should take you a minimum of 1 hour):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Figure out your strengths and weaknesses as well as what you think you should do based on that analysis. Then come on back here and tell us; we'll tell you whether we agree and advise you further. (Note: do share an analysis with us, not just the raw data. Part of getting better is developing your ability to analyze your results - figure out what they mean and what you think you should do about them!)

Verbal does have a *slightly* heavier weighting, but not as much as it used to (as far as we can tell - they don't officially publish that information). Your quant percentile is lower though - the higher you go, the harder it is to go even higher, so you are going to need improvement in quant as well. People are also typically slower to get better in the weaker area, so in terms of time, you'll likely need to spend about as much on quant as on verbal (but you might be faster on verbal / get through more material, relatively speaking).

So, yes, get to it and come back here to let us know your analysis after you've taken that practice test. Good luck!