Gmat prep

Hi jtneee06,

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 download 2 for free from 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 4 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) What is your goal score?
2) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

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

It is a good idea to give time to both Quant and Verbal everyday.
In verbal, you can choose to work on only one question type in a day and in quant, on only one topic area - if you study for 1-2 hrs in a day. You can also choose to work on multiple topic areas or question types in a day if you invest 3-4 hrs every day in your studies.

As a rule of thumb, keep in mind that a session shorter than 40-45 mins for a topic will probably not yield too much value.

Hi jtneee06 ,
First , you should take one of the free practice test (GMAT Prep ). Based on your practice test score and target score , you will know your strengths and weakness and then accordingly dedicate time for the sections .
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When you want to study for the verbal I suggest you begin with SC, then CR and finally with RC. Make sure you are confident enough with practice questions before you move on to the next section

I would recommend building your basics by taking one problem type at a time. You can chose a concept and go through it for a problem type.

You need to build the concepts/fundamentals before you jump in solving the problems. You can do so by choosing one of the following ways:
1. In person classes/private tutoring
2. Online classes
3. Self paced online preparatory course
4. Book heavy approach

Whatever you choose, make sure that you choose one. Because GMAT tests you on some concepts and fundamentals that you can learn from a course. Most of the preparatory companies including ours offer a free trial of our course. You can take the trial and see if the course suits your needs.

In addition to the preparatory material, buy the Official Guides(both the Official Guide and the Verbal Review), Question Pack 1 and the 4 official mock CATs. They should be an indispensable part of your preparation.

You need close to 3 months to prepare well for the GMAT.
1. Understand the concepts and fundamentals before jumping into problem solving
2. Solve full length CATs including AWA and IR. You can get two free GMAT Prep mock CATs and can purchase two more from mba.com
3. Make sure you solve the official questions from the Official Guide