carriedinterest wrote:
My target score range is 700-720, and I am registered to sit the exam on August 10. I am particularly weak on the quantitative section, as I haven't done basic math sice high school. I've been studying for the past three weeks according to the following (daily) schedule:
- Each day, I go through 1-2 sections of Jeff Sackmann's "Total GMAT Math" - this involves reading the explanation, completing the drill / practice questions and thoroughly reviewing my mistakes. I've found the book to be a pretty solid overview of all question types, from simplifying expressions to permutations and advanced probability. (If any of you have any thoughts on the utility of the book or the resemblance of its questions to the actual test, I'd be greatful if you would share!).
- For the past week or so, I've been supplementing the above with 20 PS and 15 DS questions from
the Official Guide to Quantitative Review (I'm saving
OG 12 until I've finished Sackmann's book).
I took my first practice exam over the weekend (
MGMAT CAT #1) and scored 670 (41 Q, 38 V). I plan to stick to the above plan for the next 2 weeks before switching to the following daily routine:
1) Work through and review 30 PS and 20 DS questions from
OG 12
2) Work through c. 35 RC, SC and CR questions (I haven't started prepping Verbal yet, as I am fairly confident in my ability to score well)
3) Buy and work through a verbal workbook (considering Veritas, though suggestions are welcome!)
4) Take practice CATs on a weekly basis, carefully reviewing my mistakes and re-focusing my efforts on areas where my performance is weakest
Does the above seem like a reasonable routine? Any obvious omissions? Advice greatly appreciated!
I've been reviewing a couple weak areas with Sackmann's Total GMAT Math and I really like it. This is a really great book for someone who's just beginning their GMAT journey, but it has a lot of gems for veterans who need a review or missed a concept earlier in their preparation.
Your study routine looks fine, as long as you're not overwhelming yourself with too many problems. Be sure to keep track of the questions you get wrong, guess on, or take longer than 2 minutes to complete.
Verbal Resources - Definitely use
MGMAT SC, but you might want to use some CR or RC resources as well if those areas are giving you trouble. Generally, the easiest sections to improve via textbook are SC, then CR, then RC.
Practice CATs - Take them as needed. There's nothing wrong with taking them once a week, but don't feel obligated to. I take them once every 1-2 weeks, but it's really based on what I've accomplished. If you think you can spend the weekend learning some big new concepts, you might choose to push the CAT to the next weekend so you'll see a bigger increase in your score. Toward the end of your prep, it's natural to start focusing more on practice CATs and less on "new" concepts.