sebby05 wrote:
Hello,
I have taken 2 practice tests (GmatPrep, 1st practice test), in which I received the following scores:
30th September: 590 - 40Q, 31V
15th November: 640 - 48Q, 29V
I am looking for a strategy or a study plan in order to improve my current score.
Some guides state that the best strategy is to "focus on your strengths", however, with 51Q and 31V my GMAT score would be 680. On the other hand a 48Q + 37V would grant me a 700. What's the best strategy / study plan for the following 5 weeks? I've finished all 8 Manhattan guides, should I start practicing more? (doing exercises and practice tests? Note: I've completed only about a quarter of
The Official Guide 13th Edition - so I haven't been practicing much)
What should I focus on? How many hours per day should I spend on both? Any piece of advice is useful!
Help!
Hello!
Sounds like you have been working hard! But don't stop now. You have more work to do to meet your goals. This is what I recommend:
1. Finish the
OG 13th Ed. The more practice problems you do, the better you will do on the test. Period. So you should definitely make it a goal to complete this book.
2. When you get a problem wrong, spend time analyzing why and take notes. Missing a question is the best thing that can happen during your studies because you have just discovered a weakness and something to learn. Take the time to dissect the problem to figure out what went wrong. And record what you find so that you can return to it later and refresh your memory before test day. And don't just do this going forward. Go back through all the practice that you've done and look over your wrong answers. It will be great review and will help you to improve.
3. Practice tests only help if you are totally mimicking the testing environment. So make sure you are taking complete tests with writing and IR. Follow the schedule for breaks.
4. You should spend about 2 - 3 hours of studying a day.
5. Schedule your days the best you can. Map out your time and make a plan for the you next 5 weeks. Look all that you need to do and figure out how much you can do in a day. You need to have the long view in mind when you are studying. Otherwise you may not use your time efficiently.
6. Keep your strengths strong, but definitely look for places to improve. This is one reason I recommend taking the time to look over the questions you missed. You will find weakness that you can turn into strengths. Some weaknesses may be easier to correct than others, but ultimately, focusing on the areas that you struggle in will help your score.
I hope that you find these suggestions useful.
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15 Nov 2013, 10:04
