Part 2: Building the Core Foundation (The Content Phase) 🧱
Don't jump straight to difficult questions. First, secure your fundamental knowledge.
- Systematic Quant Review: Treat this as a focused review of high school math, tailored for GMAT traps. Go topic by topic: Number Properties, Inequalities & Absolute Value, Ratios/Rates/Work, and Geometry. Do not just watch videos; work problems to cement the concepts. Use a dedicated series like the Manhattan Prep guides for structured content.
- Verbal: Understanding the GMAT's Language: Verbal is less about rote memorization and more about logical precision.
- Sentence Correction (SC): Master the 8 Core Grammar Concepts (e.g., Modifiers, Parallelism, Subject-Verb Agreement, Pronoun Reference). Learn to look for the intended meaning first.
- Critical Reasoning (CR): Focus on argument structure: Premise, Conclusion, Assumption. Practice identifying argument flaws (e.g., causality, representativeness).
- Reading Comprehension (RC): Develop the skill of skimming for structure—identify the main point of each paragraph and the author's overall tone, rather than memorizing details.
- Material Selection: Commit to the Official Guide (OG) as your primary source for practice questions. Supplement with a robust content review series. Consistency is key.