Did anyone reviewed fundamentals when prepping for GMAT?

Question

I've been reading a lot of GMAT experiences and none mention going back to review basics. I'm doing the MGMAT foundations of GMAT math just so I can improve my accuracy and speed of the basic calculations but I was wondering what people's opinions are. I do not have a GMAT date yet (I'm aiming to write mid december) but I was wondering how much time should I devote to this before moving to the strategy/OG. My degree is in finance and english is my second language.

BM · Answer

The foundations book is meant for those very weak in math. For most, it's probably better to simply focus on the Manhattan math series (the five-book set) instead.

ksp · Answer

Guess fundamentals in most of the quant books are very basic. IMO i feel all dose have been put into us long back. Move to concepts in quants and in verbals u ought to do the fundamentals.

I went straight to concepts and then problem solving and now am back to square 1. i.e. Fundamentals of Grammar.

LionsSBC12 · Answer

I went through the whole Princeton Review Math Workout for the GMAT book.
For me, it was essential because I hadn't taken a real math class since high school.
If you have sharp math skills, you may be able to skip it.
But again, it was absolutely necessary for me.

DmitryFarberMPrep · Answer

It's better to work through the Foundations material in advance if you think you even  might  need it. Too many of our students figure they can do without it, then realize halfway through the course that they aren't as prepared as they should be. If you are confident that you can factor down a quadratic equation, combine decimals, solve equations for two variables, etc., then you may not need Foundations of Math.

However, it is not enough simply to  understand  the material. It's important that you can do these things automatically. I recommend that all students complete at least some of the Foundations drills. These can be great warmups at the beginning of a study session, or on the day of a test. The goal is to be able to perform simple manipulations quickly and easily, without a great deal of thought. This leaves your mind free to focus on the more complicated elements of a problem, and enables you to handle difficult material with more confidence and accuracy.

As to when to move on to the regular material, at the minimum you should feel good about chapters 4 & 5 before reading Number Properties. Chapters 1-3 and 8 apply specifically to Equations, Inequalities & VICs (our algebra book) and Word Translations, although it might help to read chapters 6 & 7 (fractions, decimals, and percents) as well, especially if you haven't worked with fractions for a while. Chapter 9 (geometry) can be saved until you are ready for the Geometry book.

If you are a non-native speaker, you may also wish to consider our Foundations of Verbal book.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

Unforseen · Answer

Thanks Demetri, I've decided to do what you said and go Relevant Foundations of Math chapters -----> relevant strategy and go back and forth. Its not that I don't feel comfortable (I got 19/20 in the MGMAT math diagnostic in under 13 min) its that I want to make sure the things you mention are natural so I can focus on what the GMAT question is asking.

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Did anyone reviewed fundamentals when prepping for GMAT?

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