Strategy for next 9 weeks

[NGL]

Hello,

I'm scheduled to take the GMAT on October 2nd, and I would love some feedback on my study strategy. I started studying at the beginning of June, using Knewton's online program and focusing on quant. On July 7th I took the GMATPrep test and scored 690 (Q40, V44). Then, work became insane and I didn't have much time to devote to studying for 3 weeks. Suddenly, I now have 9 weeks before my exam, and I'm feeling anxious.

I'm very confident with verbal, but weak in quant. I've tried to analyze my practice tests, but there's not a specific area of quant that is weaker than any other area. I'm also equally weak in DS and PS. The only thing I've been able to identify is that many of my mistakes are in problems involving inequalities.

I am only able to finish the quant section on time because I stick to MGMAT's timeline. I just guess on questions that are taking me too long to solve. I can't figure out how to solve questions faster, so I give up on them.

Can I realistically expect to bring my quant score from 40 to 48 in 9 weeks, and studying for 10 hours/week?

I've gone through the MGMAT Fractions, Decimals, Percents guide and feel relatively confident with that material. My plan is to spend one week on each of the next 4 quant guides. Then, I've built in a one-week buffer in case I get sick or fall behind. And then, I have 4 weeks to review and continue working on OG problems.

Does this plan seem logical?

Thanks,

[StaceyKoprince]

I like your plan in general! A few important things:

I've tried to analyze my practice tests, but there's not a specific area of quant that is weaker than any other area.

Have you tried analyzing an MGMAT CAT using the below article?

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

If not, do so. Then come back here and tell us the results of your analysis. (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!)

I just guess on questions that are taking me too long to solve. I can't figure out how to solve questions faster, so I give up on them.

To some extent, this will ALWAYS be true. On the real test, you'll always see some questions you can't do and you'll have to give up - no matter how much you studied beforehand.

Plus, in the actual moment (while the clock is ticking), if you don't already have a good solution, you're very unlikely to figure out what a good solution is during the 2 minutes while the clock is ticking.

You actually learn how to get better / faster afterwards, while you're reviewing. It might take you 10 minutes to figure out a better way. (Or you might read a better way in the explanation. :)

Read this; pay particular attention to the How To Study section:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -the-gmat/

This is HUGELY important because if you're not studying in an effective way, then it doesn't matter how much you study - you're not going to get the improvement that you want.

Okay, having said all that, what are the odds of going from 40 to 48 on quant in 9 weeks? That's a lift of about 25 percentile points. It's doable, but it could take more time - you'll just have to go for it and see what happens. But make sure that you are actually studying in an effective way (as described in the above article). Otherwise, you're going to need a lot longer than 9 weeks!

[NGL]

Hi Stacey,

I thought I'd check in, give an update on my progress, and ask a few questions. I took a MGMAT CAT 2 weeks ago and scored 690 (Q44, V39). So, since my last GMAT Prep test, my quant score has gone from 40 to 44. I'm very excited about that. Verbal has fluctuated, but I'm not very concerned since I haven't devoted much time to studying for it yet, since quant is my weakest area.

I used the article you recommended to analyze my practice test. Overall, my biggest issues seem to be with timing and number properties. I'm having difficulty keeping an internal clock for how long 2 minutes is when I'm working on a problem. In order to avoid rushing at the very end, I'm sticking to the benchmark timing guidelines Manhattan recommends. However, I have a couple of questions that I spent 4 minutes on, and then I had to rush on a couple to get my timing back on track.

I also performed the worst on questions involving number properties. I've gone back and reviewed the MGMAT Number Properties guide. When I'm reading the guide I understand the concepts, but on the actual test, I have trouble recognizing when/how most number properties are being tested.

I now have 5 weeks before my test. At this point, does it make sense to just practice and thoroughly review OG problems? I'm trying to get my quant from 44 to 48.

Also, what's the most effective way to work through the OG guides? My initial plan was to complete some of the OG problems as I worked through the MGMAT guides, but it didn't end up working out that way. Does it make sense for me to work on 10-20 problems per weekday, starting at the beginning of the book and working my way through? Or, should I work on a mix of problems, some from the beginning, some from the middle, and some from the end, each day? I'm also planning take a practice test each weekend for the next 4 weekends to measure my progress and analyze my strengths/weaknesses.

[StaceyKoprince]

For timing, read these two articles and start doing what they say. Pay particular attention to section 4 of the time management article (the first section in the 2nd half of the article):

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... to-win-it/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... nt-part-1/

You mention that you have 5 weeks till test day - just FYI, people often find that it takes at least 4 to 6 weeks to properly address timing issues (such as developing the "1 minute sense," as discussed in section 4 of the above time management article). If you aren't working against a deadline, just be aware that you might need a little bit of flexibility on test date in order to work this out.

When I'm reading the guide I understand the concepts, but on the actual test, I have trouble recognizing when/how most number properties are being tested.

This is so common for number properties that I actually had to write an article that then points to a whole bunch of other articles, all of which address this. :) See here:

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -gmatprep/

Re: OG problems, read the "How to learn" section of this article:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... an-part-2/

As a general rule, it is a complete waste of time to do any problem if you aren't actually analyzing it in the way described in the How To Analyze article (linked in the above article).

In terms of which OG problems to do, when you first complete a chapter or a particular book, it's a good idea to do a couple of problems from that area right then, just to familiarize yourself with them, but most OG problems should be saved for after you've completed a book or multiple books. It's not a good idea to do a set of problems all of the same type, becaue the real test is (a) never going to give you 5 divisibility problems in a row, and (b) even more importantly never going to tell you that you're about to be given a divisibility problem in the first place. :)

So, for the most part, we want to do OG problems in random sets. In terms of whether those should be easier, medium, or harder, that depends on your current scoring level. Do a mix, but in general try to range things around how you're actually doing in that section (Q or V) overall. If you're scoring in the 75th percentile (or higher) in quant, don't even bother with the first 20 or 30 OG questions. By the same token, don't only do the hardest questions (unless you're already scoring 95th+ percentile). But do stuff in the vast middle with some lower-numbered Qs and some higher-numbered ones, and moving the overall mix up as you realize that you're getting better.

I'm also planning take a practice test each weekend for the next 4 weekends to measure my progress and analyze my strengths/weaknesses.

Don't decide in advance exactly when you're going to take a practice test. Take a practice test when you feel that you have made substantial progress in at least several of the major problem areas you identified after your last practice test. If this only takes a week, great, but if it takes 10 days or 2 weeks, don't force yourself to take a practice test after only 7 days simply because you put it on the calendar. That's a waste of your very valuable study time - you already know what you should be working on!