About to start preparing for GMAT and please I need guidance

Question

Hello,

I have been postponing writing GMAT for years and I finally want to take the exam.

However I am lost in the tons of materials, tutors, tests, guides on the internet so I would please like to find out the following:

+ What is the best (and affordable) study pack/materials to read?
+ What tutor would you advice me to use? (affordable too)
+ Who offers the best practice tests (actually like the real exam)
+ How many hours a day should I study in order to achieve my target score of 720 (My job is quite hectic)
+ How do you think I should space my studying over a 3 month study period?
+ How many months do you think I should study to get my dream score?

Please any other advice would be welcomed. I plan to take the exam at the end of August, 2018 in order to give myself enough time to prepare.

Cheers.

Chima

AjiteshArun · Answer

You could take one of the two free  GMATPrep tests  to evaluate how far you are from (or how close you are to) your target score of 720. This initial test will help you plan your prep strategy better.

AkshdeepS · Answer

+ What is the best (and affordable) study pack/materials to read?  (Magoosh, EmpowerGMAT, GMATPrepnow) 
+ What tutor would you advise me to use? (affordable too)  (e-gmat is good) 
+ Who offers the best practice tests (actually like the real exam)  (GMAT Prep is best, Manhattan, Veritas) 
+ How many hours a day should I study in order to achieve my target score of 720 (My job is quite hectic)  (Consistency is the key) 2 hours daily, and at least 5 to 8 hours on weekends will do it to you. Rest depends on your basics and current level) 
+ How do you think I should space my studying over a 3 month study period?  In working conditions, it would be difficult for you to reach 720 or more. 
+ How many months do you think I should study to get my dream score?  3 months dedicated study can take you to your dream score

Please any other advice would be welcomed. I plan to take the exam at the end of August, 2018 in order to give myself enough time to prepare. (I will PM you)

Cheers.

Chima

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Onyewuchi,

Since it sounds like you're just beginning your studies, then it would be a good idea to take a FULL-LENGTH practice CAT Test; you can take 2 for free at www.mba.com (and they come with some additional practice materials). If you want to do a little studying first, so that you can familiarize yourself with the basic content and question types, then that's okay - but you shouldn't wait too long to take that initial CAT. That score will give us a good sense of your natural strengths and weaknesses and will help provide a basis for comparison as you continue to study. A FULL CAT takes about 3.5 hours to complete, so make sure that you've set aside enough time to take it in one sitting. Once you have those scores, you should report back here and we can come up with a study plan.

I'd like to know a bit more about your timeline and goals:
1) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
2) What Schools are you planning to apply to?
3) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Onyewuchi · Answer

Thanks a lot, I will take the test tomorrow and get back to you with my score.

Please see answers to your questions below:

1) When are you planning to apply to Business School? September
2) What Schools are you planning to apply to? Kellogg, Booth and HaaS. basically looking for one that gives scholarships to Africans
3) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week? 10 hours/week and 8hours/weekends

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hi

Best Books

For Concept Learning

Manhattan Quant Guides
Manhattan Verbal Guides
For CR: The Powerscore GMAT Critical Reasoning Bible
For RC: Aristotle RC Grail

For Practice

The Official Guide for GMAT 2015-18
The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review 2015-18
The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review 2015-18

Strategies

You can start with Quant or Verbal which suits you. If you have started with Quant then Start with the Arithmetic but if started with verbal then start first with Sentence correction. One month for learning Quant concepts and one month for practicing question and same practice for Verbal. During you Practicing question don't forget to make an error log to track your weak areas after practice. Once you know your weak areas revise your Concepts related to those areas and do some more Practice. 6-8 CATs are enough for practice the real tests. Make your Stamina for sitting 3 hours in the test and don't study more than 2 hours in one sit and 4 hours per day

Top CATs for Practice

1. Official GMAC CATs
2. Manhattan CATs
3. Kaplan CATs
4. GMAT Club Quant CATs

Good Luck

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About to start preparing for GMAT and please I need guidance

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