Updated on 3.27.12:
My exam is coming up in exactly 2 weeks.

For the past three weeks, I have gone through the 8 MGMAT books excluding the CR one and substituted it with the Powerscore GMAT CR Bible. I'm a bit behind compared to my original plan. Plus, even though I have studied in depth the above 8 books, I think the amount of information is so overwhelming that I need to sit down and do a big summary of all the rules and strategies that the books provide. I think there is a thread on GMAT club about the AWA that I will study from. It should be enough, correct?

Last week I took the GMAT Club Quant set 1 and didn't do that well. I got tired from dealing with so many different types of questions, one after the other. My timing was not too off, which was the only good thing. That was the only practice test that I have done so far. I think this means that I just need to do a lot more practice.

I still have the OG 12th ed. left, which I will use just for questions. I have the official gmat prep test and 6 mgmat cats. As I'm doing these practices, I'll be able to tell better which my strengths and weakness are.

Do you guys think all these are enough to get a 700+ score? Also, are they doable / effective to try to do ALL in these last two weeks?

I'm worried because 1. There are just an overwhelming amount of preparation for the GMAT out there that I feel like I'm not doing enough even as I have gone through 8 books.

2. What if I only have weaknesses and no strengths, can I still achieve the score that I want with this short amount of time? Should I still give it a try in 2 weeks and maybe take another test later or should I just extend the test date?

Thank you in advance for all your guidance and support!



Original post:
Hi,

I'm taking the GMAT for the first time in about 5 weeks from now. I'm aiming for 700+. I plan to devote 6-8 hours of intense study per day since I don't have a lot of time left.

I'm familiarizing myself with the GMAT Club and thought of starting a study diary to keep myself on track. I hope to receive advice from other GMAT takers on the forum. If there is anything that I can help from my end, please let me know as I am happy to do so.

I haven't taken any practice tests yet. Right now I have access to the official prep tests (I registered for the exam already) and a free MGMAT CAT (I'm thinking of purchasing the other 5). Honestly, I'm a little confused to when I should take the practice tests. I plan to go through the 8 MGMAT books by the end of next week, 03/11/2012. Then take my first practice test. I am not a great test-taker. Thus, I want to get my foundation down first then tackle the practice exams. Does anyone suggest otherwise?

Books:
OG 12th edition
8 MGMAT books
Powerscore GMAT CR Bible by Killoran
GMAT Club tests
Any other books that you think is a must?

Background:
Non-native English speaker. I read frequently but I'm sure I still have to spend some time on Verbal. I'm good at Math but a bit rusty.
Recent grad. Going into investment banking for full-time.

Thanks for reading and thank you in advance for all your help and guidance!

GMAT here I come

I also used a very similar strategy plan. I'm supplementing the same books you are using with 3 more:

Aristotle Holy Grail - (I just needed a simple grammar primer)
MGMAT Advanced Quant - (I feel that at this point hard math questions are what I need to boost my Q score)
Total GMAT Math - (same as above)

With 5 weeks left, your practice CATs will probably be a strong indicator of what your current standing is. Good luck with your prep!

Hi

I think you're thinking about it the right way. I would go through the 8 guides (except RC and CR), and then do one MGMAT CAT, as you really want to save the official Gmat PREP CATs til the end to gauge your eventual progress.

I would only go through the basic sections of every guide. You can focus on advanced sections after your first CAT, if you notice a need. After all, not all subjects are created equal in the GMAT exam; the GMAT is heavily focused on Numbers Properties, Word Translations, and VICs. You may get intimidated by the number of combinatoric and probability questions you see on the MGMAT, but in actuality, the proportion tested on such subjects are insignificant at best on the real test.

Try to get in the habit of taking 1-2 CATs a week, to track progress, and to redirect your studying efforts going forward. I will be doing the same.

How did the test go? I hope and believe that it went well for you.