Hi buddies!
The purpose of this post is to describe and comment my strategies, material, and challenges during my preparation for the IR section in the next weeks. I hope this information will help you in defining your own strategy for this new section of the exam.
The only thing I ask you is your feedback. Please, give me your comments and ideas about how to improve my strategy. Together we will find the right path in the preparation of this section; this info also will be helpful for future GMAT takers too.
GMAT experts please feel free of providing your advice too. Ok, too much talking. Let's begin the 'IR logbook' or 'diary':
Updated on: May 31, 2012I. Preparation Material: Basic Material:1.
MGMAT IR Guide: I feel very comfortable with
MGMAT guides; they are very useful and didactic.
https://www.manhattangmat.com/storeitems ... 77&catid=62.
Magoosh IR guide: I will use it just as a complement of the
MGMAT guide.
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/gmat-integ ... ing-ebook/3.
OG 13th. IR section, including its IR questions on line.
4. New GMAT Prep. IR section. (At the end of my preparation)
Additional material:5. Didactic videos of preparation companies (Veritas, Gmat Pill, etc) about the IR questions. They are free and are floating on the web. This includes the blogs written by GMAT experts such as Stacey Koprince (
MGMAT) or Jeff Sackmann (GMAT Hacks).
6. Other useful information recomended by Bunuelin this IR forum.
II. Strategy: 1. First week: Reading the blogs that suggest how to study for this section and reading the
Magoosh book to get a general idea of this section, while I wait the arrival of my
MGMAT guide in the next week.
2. After the second week,
studying a type of IR question per week. In this way: Reading the correspondent chapter of the
MGMAT guide, practicing the questions of the OG13TH, and the questions of the
MGMAT questions bank.
In contrast to the SC section, I don't think it is effective to study the whole guide in a row and then practicing diverse type of questions. In this sections, each type is different from the others.
3. After studying each type separately for three weeks (I hope so!), I should start in practicing all the types of questions as a whole and timing my performance. This should take two or three more weeks.
III. Comments about the question types (based on Magoosh book's terminology):1. Multisource Reasoning:
My first impressions are:
a. The math is not complicated.
b. The complicated part is how to organize all that information in the small amount of time we have.
c. Strategy: a) In your first reading, divide one part of your notes page to write the important data of the clicable cards, and the other part to make the calculations. Both parts must be in the same page to visualize the data. Make sure to identify the data of each card; that must be clear, b)....
Ok, that's all at this moment. I will try to update this logbook always after two or three days. Please, don't forget in writing your comments and advice.!MetallicaFan