Feedback on GMAT study plan

Question

Hello Everyone,
Just wanted to say that I stumbled upon this website recently and I think it is fantastic!! Great place to find information on GMAT and the MBA process. I have been going over the various sections in detail

As everyone else, I am looking to get a very high score - 760+ and am willing to spend some serious time on the preparation. Would really appreciate it if I could have some feedback on my proposed plan.

1. Start with Manhattam GMAT Math (all 5) + Manhattan SC + Powerscore CR + Manhattan RC - to learn basics 
2. Detailed specific practice with American Education Aids (older GMAT questions- used in 2005/2006)
3. OG 10 + OG 11 + OG supplements Verbal +Quant 
4. Kaplan 800, PR 1012 - work on weaknesses

Complete 1-4 in 8-10 weeks

5. Veritas - Join class/Online course/get material - for revision/new approach - to fill gaps
6. 4GMAT Material - both Quant and Verbal 
7. OG 12 + OG supplements Verbal + Quant - 2nd version

Complete 5-7 in 8 weeks

8. GMAT club tests + LSAT material - work on weaknesses 
9. 1000 SC,1000 RC...Brutal SCs 
10. Full length tests - Both Paper and CATs

Complete 8-10 - 6 weeks

LSAT material - Next 10 Actual tests + LSAT super prep

I have listed the material in order in which they were available. I would really appreciate if if you could give me some feedback on this plan as well as help me with the following questions:

1. I have Powerscore CR for GMAT - would I need LSAT LR bible? 
2. Is LSAT RC a must- if I have some actual tests?
3. Do I need to get more LSAT material?
4. Am I focusing on too much easy material? - I tend to need more practice than others to get confidence.
5. Anything else I should be focusing on or any other material/plan
6. I believe I should be able to finish this in about 6 months- Is this too much time?

I know this seems like a lot of material but I tend to need more practice than others to be confident.Also, I have been out of school for a long time now so feel that I need the extra time. I am yet to take a diagnostic-but know that I am very rusty with Math and am yet to figure out the Verbal sections.

Would really appreciate your feedback on this plan.

Thanks very much.

akaydee · Answer

roshnipat, Have a look at this link from GMAT Club. It's got a list of books depending on your study plan. best-gmat-books-77703.html

Hussain15 · Answer

Hi roshnipat! Welcome to gmat club!

What a wonderful first post you have!!! I think your plan looks fantastic but the thing which bothers me is the use of so many resources. Believe me quantity doesn't matter in gmat. My suggestion will be to join an online or a class course from one of the top tier companies. You can check this thread out for more detail. gmat-prep-course-reviews-discount-codes-78451.html One additional resource that I would recommend is gmat club tests. That are great for advanced Q practice. You can use some material for practice like paper tests, power prep etc, but dont try every bit of resource out there. In your mail, I saw Kaplan, Veritas, Princeton, MGMAt, every resource.

Secondly, I am not a fan of 1000 SC, instead I recommend GMAT Prep SC document & that too in the very end of your preparation. Lastly, be here at this forum, & one thing is for sure, you will get a lot of stuff. Participate & keep us posted. Best of luck. (I have tried to answer your queries in blue below). Kindly also check this thread gmat-study-plan-for-gmat-novices-start-your-gmat-journey-80727.html

BM · Answer

This is a lot of stuff. For me, it wasn't about quality versus quantity, but finding the right balance. Both are necessary for a successful performance.

I'm also not a GMAT course enthusiast. It might be a decent option for those who are very rusty and need help to build a basic foundation. Some also rely on courses for adhering to a study schedule. But GMAT classes, for the most part, will not take its students to a 700-plus score. To perform well, one needs the right study materials and a strong work ethic. Another essential ingredient is time - not too much or too little, but the right amount of time. Six months is the absolute maximum. Any more than that is too risky due to GMAT fatigue. It may very well set in before this point. Be careful.

I recommend the Powerscore LR Bible only to those who are both very weak in CR and aim for a very high score. In most cases, though, the Powerscore CR Bible is perfect. Since you already have the CR Bible, stick with that. You'll be fine.

If we're talking about an LSAT RC guide, then probably not. I usually don't even recommend a GMAT RC guide. For questions, however, LSAT sources are pretty good. I recommend them. The passages are longer and more complex than GMAT ones. The questions themselves are also more challenging. But make sure to use GMAT RC too!

At most, get the LSAT SuperPrep. It has three tests along with the explanations, which helps. But no more than that for LSAT questions.

As Hussain15 stated, there's probably too much going on here. Too much of a good thing is still too much.

For math questions, I feel that the combination of the OG books, the GMATClub Tests, and  Jeff Sackmann's  math sets is perfect. For verbal questions, use the OG and actively participate in the verbal forums for CR and SC. Incorporate some LSAT RC questions too.

In terms of studying, I found that re-reading the MGMAT books helped out quite a bit. You don't have to redo the questions in the book, though. Just review the math books and the SC guide.

You seem very enthusiastic about LSAT materials. Check out  this link . It should contain all the information that you need.

It's probably too much time. Again, GMAT fatigue is very dangerous.

aveekguha · Answer

Agree with above on fatigue. I also think that if you bounce too much, you might get too many competing frameworks/approaches in your head. Sometimes a few key ideas from 1 source, possibly 2 might be cleaner and easier to execute come test day. If you are crammed to the gills with things that you have seen, you might not be able to sift through fast enough.

Best of luck!

Aveek Guha, President, https://mbadaycamp.com/school_prospects.php

roshpat · Answer

Thank you all for your responses. I was concerned that I was trying to cover too much!!

Thank you Hussain15 and bmillan01 for your detailed feedback and advice. I will work on streamlining this plan to cover the most commonly used resources in a more realistic time frame. I am working professional with other commitments as well - so 3-4 months might be a bit ambitious.

Thank you bmillan01 for the link to the LSAT material - its what I was looking for - I am still new to the forum(have been lurking for a about 10 days) and need to find my way around it.

I look forward to being an active participant to the forum. This seems to be a great place to be!!

Thanks again.

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