Choosing an optimal GMAT studying plan

Question

Hey there friends, GMAT is something completely new for me and I do not have alot of experience with the GMAT because in my country it is never used nor accepted to get into an university.

Well I have read the plans and guides on this forum and I understood very quickly that there is very limited of GMAT help out there with great explanations and tests. So by using this Forum I have been introduced to the VeritasPrep, Economist etc. Which is very expensive but still an investment, I learned useful methods such as ballparking with the Economist 1 week trial. Veritasprep also seems promising but again they all claim to be the best and since this is a huge investment I would love to hear from anyone who used the VeritasPrep or economist or any other studying plan. YES I know they are all Great but which one COULD be optimal for me?

RichEconomistGMAT · Answer

Hi BurakOz,

I'm glad you had a chance to check out a few GMAT study products. Most students enrolled in Economist GMAT begin by taking a practice exam to get a baseline score before they dive into any specific study plan. Don't worry too much about your score here - your results will shed a lot of light on the areas in which you'll need to focus, which will also point you in the right direction towards the online product(s) that work best for you.

Here's a blog post we wrote earlier this year to help new test takers get acquainted with the GMAT: https://bit.ly/1EkVHQu

Best,
Rich

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi BurakOz,

Your goals and timeline will have a big impact on which option(s) might be a 'best fit' for you. As it stands, there are LOTS of options besides the two that you named and some of them are considerably lower in price.

1) What is your goal score?
2) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
3) Do you know which Schools you want to apply to?

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

BurakOz · Answer

I have a goal of 600+ to aim for and I plan on doing that so I can get into Bocconi university 2016.

The Kaplan GMAT guide seems promising for 20$ and after that I would be lost I guess. What would your recomendations be?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi BurakOz,

A score goal of 600+ is reasonable. We need to get a better sense of your current strengths and weaknesses though.

To start, we need to establish a 'baseline score' for you so we have a basis for comparison and an idea of what you'll need to work on. This will require that you take a FULL-LENGTH CAT test. If you've taken one already, then great - what were your scores? If you haven't taken one yet, then you can download 2 for free from www.mba.com. A FULL CAT takes about 4 hours to complete, so you should make sure to set aside enough time to take the Test in one sitting. If you want to do a little studying first to familiarize yourself with the types of questions that will appear on the CAT, then that's fine, but you should not wait too long to take that first CAT.

Once you have your first set of scores, you should report back here.

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

GMATPill · Answer

Hi BurakOz, If you are looking for a program that is slightly cheaper, you may want to consider GMAT PILL. We encourage you to explore the Practice Pill Platform on your own: www.gmatpill.com/gmat-practice-test/ ...and to take a look at some free samples: https://www.gmatpill.com/criticalreasoni ... Estate.mp4 If you like the above, you'll love being a full member---for less than some of the names you mentioned earlier. So yes, only you can decide what best suits your learning needs. We tend to take a very casual and visual approach -- maximizing improvement in as little time as possible. Others take different approaches and may take longer to complete. Up to you what suits your needs. Good luck - we are here to help.

KarishmaB · Answer

Hey BurakOz, I am guessing you are looking for student reviews. I will point you to Veritas reviews on some independent platforms. You can find the reviews of other prep companies too on the same platforms. https://gmatclub.com/reviews/veritas-prep-4

BurakOz · Answer

Argument essay: none (Does this mean that I could add some points to my total score?)
Integrated Reasoning: 1,7
Quant: 28
Verbal: 20
Total: 420

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi BurakOz,

With a 420 'baseline' score, you have a lot of work to do to raise your score to a 600+. The Essay portion of the GMAT is a separate score (from 0 to 6, in half-point increments), but has NO impact on your Overall Score out of 800.

Were you able to answer all of the questions in each section?
Did you have to rush to finish any of the sections (and guess on a bunch of questions)?

Have you thought about when you want to take the GMAT? You're likely going to need several months of consistent study time to hit your score goals.

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

BurakOz · Answer

I answered all questions but I sure can say that after the first hour my stamina and previous habits just did not allow me to complete the exam fully. I have been working on the quantitive by using some of the forum sections which has given me enough for some basic strategies solving mathematic problems, on the other hand I am terrible at the verbal part which used to be my stronger sides as a child. Basicly I have no strategy solving any verbal problems which could favor me massively since I truly believe the easy points lies there. Luckily several months is an OK time for me to study my deadline would be somewhere in april 2016 which leaves me 9 whole months. I realised I have no resources left that could help me make giant leaps towards my goal but an online course. Well it is a terrible mindprovoker when every company claims to be the best all the time

KarishmaB · Answer

For your Verbal, I can suggest you to check out our blog: https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/categor ... rbal-gmat/ It has many posts which will give you strategies and techniques. Also, here is a free 4 part SC video which you are sure to find useful: https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/free-gmat-lesson/

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi BurakOz,

Since you have plenty of time to continue studying, you also have plenty of time to sample the various Course options available to you. Most GMAT Companies offer some type of free materials (practice problems, Trial Accounts, videos, etc.) that you can use to 'test out' a product before you buy it. We have a variety of those resources at out site (www.empowergmat.com). I suggest that you take advantage of all of them then choose the one that best matches your personality, timeline and budget.

If you have any additional question, then just let me know.

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

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