GMAT Study Plan : General GMAT Questions and Strategies

bb · 2016-05-04T12:53:42-07:00

The Definitive GMAT Study Plan - 2025 Edition Updated June 3, 2025. Hope you find this study plan helpful - please PM me any of your tips or suggestions for those just starting out on their GMAT Journey You can bookmark this topic on GMAT Club by clicking the Bookmark button to the right You can also Print or PDF it for future reference . Other Study Plans GMAT Ninja 2025 Study plan GMAT Course Study Plan How to go from Q78 to Q85 How to improve verbal from V78 to V85 How to improve DI from D75 to D82 FAQ List The decision to go for an MBA is a big one in itself. However, immediately upon decision, the big hurdle that most people face (unless you are applying for some certain Indian schools or a few online universities) is the GMAT. Unfortunately, GMAT is a beast that may need more than one attempt. However, crafting a systematic study plan with an objective focus to do better progressively will surely lead to success on the test day, and as a result the entire MBA application. The GMAT is also important for numerous other reasons Recruiters, especially consultants, use GMAT scores as indicators of future performance. The newly introduced Data Insights (DI) section reflects the growing emphasis on data interpretation, critical reasoning, and multi-source analysis — skills that are increasingly vital in today’s analytics-driven B-school curriculum. In the last few years, the average GMAT scores of top B Schools have risen steadily. A high score on the GMAT often gets you into interesting conversation in dinner parties Step 1: Figure out where you are: Take a practice test. Many believe it is a good use of one of the free GMAT Prep tests (I'll tell you to actually get more than 2 tests out of the package later). The main reason is that you get a reliable score with the official questions and algorithm. You can also see your starting point and then compare it against the GMAT Prep tests and ending point of the Actual GMAT. Alternatively you can use any other computer adaptive tests to find your close GMAT equivalent. GMAT Club offers one free practice test and so does eGMAT. Step 2: Set your Target - What GMAT score do you actually need? For candidates with strong, well-rounded profiles, a GMAT Focus score of 675+ generally places you within the competitive range for Top 20 programs, while 615+ aligns with the middle 80% range for Top 50 schools. These aren’t hard cutoffs, but scoring in these zones typically means your GMAT won’t be a red flag in the admissions process. If you're aiming for merit scholarships or looking to compensate for potential weaknesses such as a lower GPA or being part of an overrepresented demographic, you’ll likely need a score 30–50 points higher to truly stand out. You can find the average GMAT Scores for Top 30 MBA programs here . It's best to set your target score by breaking it down into estimated sectional scores, so that way you can clearly assess how much practice is needed in each area. For example, if you're aiming for a 695+ score, you’ll need a combined sectional score of around 255 points (for example - Q85, V85, D85 or Q88, V87, D80). This approach will help you focus on analyzing your strengths and weaknesses at the section level, making your preparation more focused and effective. Depending on your starting point, you may have a quick or a long journey ahead of you. Here is a very quick and dirty outline on average improvement trends over the years (there are exceptions to this chart if you have a very high or a very low starting score - e.g. above 645 or below 455): improvement_graph.png Note that the above table talks about effort and not materials or tools. Your score is based on learning and effort you put in. Courses can help structure your study time and bring all the resources together to make you more effective but they do not guarantee a score - no matter how brilliant the course, it is still you who has to take the test, so do not consider a course to be a substitute for learning or effort. Also note that more time does not equal more improvement. Stretching out your studying can actually reduce your score. Keep in mind that the improvement table and effort estimates will vary depending on your starting point—so don’t treat them as one-size-fits-all metrics. Step 3: Identify your weaknesses Once you’ve completed a GMAT Focus Edition practice test or the official exam, head to your mba.com account to download your Official Score Report . Unlike earlier versions of the test, this report now includes performance insights that were once part of the paid ESR at no extra cost. This report offers a detailed breakdown of: Section Performance : See your individual scores for Quantitative, Verbal, and Data Insights, each on a 60–90 scale, alongside your total score (e.g., 625). Question Type Analysis : Review your performance across question types such as Problem Solving (PS), Critical Reasoning (CR), Reading Comprehension (RC) and various Data Insights subtypes like Data Sufficiency (DS), Table Analysis, Multi-Source Reasoning, and more. Time Management : Understand how efficiently you paced each section like were you rushing, stuck, or consistently finishing early? Benchmarking : See how your scores compare to others applying to similar programs. Planning your next steps: Jot down your three raw section scores and their corresponding percentiles. Identify your lowest-performing question types, not just by accuracy but by why you missed them and was it conceptual confusion, timing pressure, or second-guessing? Use this analysis to guide your prep priorities: build your study plan around the areas with the highest return on effort. You can also take a diagnostic test to reinforce this baseline and use tools like the GMAT Club Score Calculator to simulate how improvements in each section can impact your total score. Visit the official GMAC site to understand how your sectional and overall scores translate into percentiles: Understanding Your Score – mba.com Understanding your mistakes is more powerful than just counting them because every misstep is a roadmap to your next 10-point gain. If you need more Diagnostic Help or you particularly enjoy taking practice tests, here are some options: Overview of topics tested on the GMAT TTP Quant Diagnostic Test GMAT Club Full Focus Test More free tests here Step 4: Choose your Prep Tools Some folks study by solving thousands of questions and when they make a mistake, they try to learn the topic from internet. In my view that's an inefficient and very arduous process. Instead, I recommend that you get a book such as Manhattan Prep's Bundle or a course (some of these are cheaper than books) to refresh/learn fundamentals and then test-taking strategies. If you are on a tight budget and can't afford $150 for books , get the old edition for $50. Using an old edition is still infinitely more effective than using nothing. You will need a copy of the Official Guide for the official questions it contains and finally, you will also need GMAT tests to practice those strategies and also evaluate your prep level. Strategies & Fundamentals: Besides organizing your study time and giving you just the information you need to learn (e.g. Arithmetic or Argument structure), these materials also offer strategies how to tackle certain questions, how to structure your timing for the overall test, and how to improve your study habits, something that, while not impossible, would take one a long time to develop on their own. If you study better with books - your choice is easy, MGMAT is the only (and thankfully the best) book set available on the market. Check out Manhattan Book bundle . If you prefer an online course such as offered by eGMAT, Manhattan, Magoosh, or TTP, I would recommend signing up for a free trial and checking which platform motivates you the most to persevere and stick with it for the upcoming months. All of these prep companies have developed their own private platforms, materials, and learning methodologies that can achieve your goals, just choose the one that works for you. Check out GMAT course reviews If you can afford someone to keep you on schedule and have a structured study plan that keeps you in line, a live online or in-person class is a great option. These are more expensive but they systematically produce higher scores as they keep you on a tight schedule (important part when it comes to the GMAT). Private tutoring is only recommended if the above options did not work or you really have too much money on you. "Coaching Centers" - is something you want to stay away from or at least verify that the instructors they use are qualified and not just random people using random materials. There have been too many people who were burned by these in the past. Practice Questions: Official GMAT Guide is a must-buy - this is the book published by the GMAT creator, GMAC, and it contains real questions from old tests. Make sure to get a new copy as the Data Insights questions require you to have online access and you need a code that can only be used once. However, you can use older editions of the book if you already have it as the content changes are only about 15% year over year. Check out Official Guide. GMAT Club Question Banks - these are thousands of question discussions on GMAT Club with expert explanations GMAT Timer / Error Log - if you use questions on GMAT Club to practice, make sure to time yourself with the timer. Besides helping you take questions in a realistic setting, and providing you an idea about question difficulty, the timer also automatically logs all of your attempts in the Error Log and after you are done, you can tag your mistakes for analysis. You can also download your ErrorLog in an excel format. Forum Quiz - an upgrade to the Question banks that allows you to take questions in a sequence as well as with an adaptive engine. This is best for practicing non-OG questions with real test like adaptive experience. If you sign up for a course, your course will also have a large number of practice questions that should be sufficient. Practice Tests: The GMAT Focus Edition is now just 2 hours and 15 minutes, significantly shorter than the classic version. While this reduces fatigue, it also requires sharper focus over a condensed window. Simulate this stamina curve by taking full-length mock tests in one sitting with no pausing and no distractions. Build the mental discipline to stay locked in from start to finish. Official Starter Kit + Practice Exams 1 & 2 . You are already familiar with these - GMAT Prep is unique in that it uses official retired questions and also the same algorithm as used on the Real Test. There are a few secrets to this product: You can reset the free tests 3 times without seeing repeat questions. Your accuracy of the score prediction is reduced a bit but the tests are still super-useful and you do not see repeat questions until the 4th reset, so you can get 6 tests out of the 2 free ones You cannot take these section by section - you have to take a full test only. There are no explanations. Unfortunately you only get a score report and the indication of the correct answer but there are no explanations. The best strategy is googling for explanations. Official Practice Exams 3–6 (Focus). These are pricey but each can be taken twice, so you really get 2 for the price of 1. So if you buy exams 3 & 4, you are getting 4 tests. Confusing but that's how it works. There are no explanations for these either. Non-Official Practice Tests - these will always be the second choice because they use unofficial questions and non-official algorithm, but they can be helpful and handy if you need sectional practice, or additional practice for your timing, or if you are retaking or perhaps don't have the $$ for the official ones, so these offer some additional benefits: GMAT Club Tests (30 sectional + 10 Full) eGMAT - one free test + 5 more if you sign up for their course Experts Global - affordable 15 tests (but they are not adaptive) If you decide to piece-meal your prep and do it on your own, this link will be helpful to you: GMAT Syllabus (Focus Edition) - what is tested on the GMAT? Step 5: Avoid typical GMAT prep mistakes and pitfalls. Here is the most common one I see - jumping into questions and tests completely unprepared and expecting results/miracles. GMAT consists of several layers and it is important to master each one before moving on to the next - think of it as of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. There is no use in satisfying your social needs before you can take care of basic needs such as safety and food. The same is here, if you don't know the underlying principles that GMAT is testing (such as grammar, arithmetic, etc) there is no use in solving hundreds of questions or taking multiple GMAT tests. This means that if English is not your native language, you should not work on the RC strategies if you can't understand half of the passage - you need to get comfortable reading long passages of text before moving on. To illustrate this principle, consider the following hierarchy for the GMAT: https://gmatclub.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/pyramid.webp In the Foundational Knowledge stage cover basics for each section using a book or a course or whatever helps you refresh or learn these skills In the Question Strategies stage start practicing questions. You can start with unlimited time but always keep track of it and gradually start enforcing time limits. In the Test Strategies start taking sectional or full-length tests and practice on putting questions and knowledge together. Timing is the most important portion here. Step 6: Commit to excellence and doing the best job possible. Think about what you can do to improve your score – is it creating your own notes? Is it not moving to the next chapter until you are able to get 90% of the questions right? Is it reading a lot of fiction to get comfortable reading? Is it shifting your schedule to wake up at 5 AM and study till 8 before work? Is it investing in the right books, courses, and tests? You get the idea... Study Plan Resources Level https://gmatclub.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/transparent100-1.gif Math Resources Verbal Resources Practice Resources Test Resources https://gmatclub.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/150px.gif Beginner Offline: Manhattan GMAT Guides - 8th Edition (Latest) or GMAT Club's Free Math Book . Online Resources: Magoosh, e-GMAT, Target Test Prep, GMAT Whiz, and Experts' Global and all offer online courses, which are comprehensive and come with a study schedule by itself. Offline: Manhattan GMAT Verbal books, PowerScore CR (in case you do not like MGMAT’s approach), or Aristotle SC, CR, and RC bible books. Online Resources: Magoosh, e-GMAT, Target Test Prep, and GMAT Whiz, and Experts' Global all offer online courses, which are comprehensive and come with a study schedule by itself. Official Guide, OG Quantitative and OG Verbal, DI Review Guide, GMAT Club Forum Quiz , Official Practice Questions GMAT Prep Tests 1&2 (free) and Paid GMAT Prep Exams 3&4 and 5&6 (you are able to take these twice after a reset). Advanced In addition to the books mentioned above, you may want to go through the following: Manhattan GMAT Advanced Quant Take a look at the articles from GMAT Club Verbal Resource Forum as well Bunuel's Signature Quant Questions' Collection , Official Verbal problems on GMAT Club, Hardest Questions on the forum GMAT Club Tests, Experts' Global's 15 Mocks ($50) We recommend allocating 4–6 months to complete your GMAT preparation from start to finish. Our suggestion is to wrap up your fundamentals in initial 2 months and then analyze and practice your weak areas for another 2-4 months. You can either study different sections sequentially or in parallel. Many tutors suggest studying Q, V and D at the same time to keep them fresh. It can definitely be done in a number of ways - there are no absolutes. Beginner and Advanced Study Guide (Quant) You may want to start off with Math guides from Manhattan Prep, you can just follow along the progression they have. As you progress through different guides, make sure you are on top of homework problems (concept specific) in the Official Guides and the GMAT Club forum. Start using an error log. An error log is one of the most crucial steps to problem solving, and it is imperative that you go back to the problems that you have missed or have gotten correctly with some level of difficulty. Error logs can range from complicated macros on the excel, or just a simple notepad. it really depends on your taste but we wouldn't recommend going overboard with the structure. As you get more confident with the content of the Math portion, start familiarizing yourself with the GMAT Club Math Forum. You will find thousands of people with the same problems as yours, and they just may end up becoming your business school buddies. Don't forget to follow Bunuel and his sets (mentioned in the resource table), as he will definitely add 5-10 points to your quant scaled score. Optional Step: If you are feeling the load is too heavy and you are really weak in Quant get MGMAT Math Foundations; it is great in providing a more general overview of math concepts. After you are done with the math section - start taking the math portion of the tests you have. (The GMAT Club tests provide ideal sectional quiz resources.) Evaluate results and decided if you need to spend more time in Math and patch up certain weak areas or move on to Verbal. This decision will be based on your target GMAT score. If you are looking for high 600's and 700's, I would not move past Quant unless I was able to score around Q85 and possibly higher. Quant scores have generally low percentiles compared to other sections even at high scores like Q87 tends to be 94th percentile, while Q85 being just an 88th percentile, so you will need focused practice to clock a good Quant percentile. Do not leave a chapter or a section unless you were able to solve 90% of the questions correctly in the allotted time. Don’t run away from your mistakes – sooner or later they will catch up; the better strategy is to address them right there and then and make sure you never see them again. If you need additional help in Quant - refer to the Math Resources on GMAT Club or the GMAT Math Books section. If you are comfortable with Quant but want to get to Q85+, use the GMAT Club Tests - they contain only hard questions and were designed as practice for high-level math scorers. You can purchase them, earn a free subscription by earning 25 Kudos, or sign up with a partner course (almost all come with GMAT Club tests as a bonus) Another worthwhile resource for you may be this quant-focused discussion: how to get from Q78 to Q85 Beginner and Advanced Study Guide (Verbal) When you start working on the Verbal section, you can start with any question type. But my suggestion would be to tackle Critical Reasoning first as it is usually easier than RC. Error Log! For Critical Reasoning start with popular prep books like Manhattan Prep: All The Verbal or Powerscore CR. Do not get both - the books are virtually identical (not really but kind of). If you need additional help with Critical Reasoning, you can get a 1 or 2 month subscription on any of the online prep courses - these tools are great since they allow you to use them only for a short period of time. Reading Comprehension is often the hardest area to conquer. Unless you strongly feel that Reading is your forte, I would recommend you pick up a reading habit for the time being. I have written a large post on what I call GMAT Fiction and its benefits - take a look. I felt that reading books was a big contributor to my RC abilities and gave me a 96th percentile in Verbal (not too shabby for a person who spoke zero English until 12). There are no downsides to this really - the worst thing possible is that you would have read some great books. And yes - make sure you read them during your low productivity time (at night, during transit, etc). GMAT Ninja’s YouTube videos are widely regarded as a strong resource for building Verbal fundamentals, especially in RC and CR. Verbal forum should be your hobby by now and we have a great feature – GMAT Club Forum Timer . Use it! If you have not discovered it yet, you should – the timer will keep track of all your practice and even more – it will suggest you questions (every day Monday through Friday) that are at your level. Reading Comprehension Optional Step: Other books to consider are MGMAT Verbal Foundations. This is for you to decide how much help you need or how much time you have. Also, take a look at GMAT Club's Verbal Resources for many copies of study notes. Take the verbal-only portion of the tests to evaluate your progress (compare to how you did in the diagnostic test). Many of our users have shared that explaining solutions to forum questions helps them think more critically, especially when breaking down each answer choice. This process not only sharpens their reasoning but also reinforces key concepts, ultimately improving their performance. So if you feel there’s still room to grow before hitting your Verbal target, definitely give it a try! Must read forum discussion for students wanting to improve on Verbal: How to go from V78 to V85 Beginner and Advanced Study Guide (DI) The new Data Insights section in the GMAT Focus Edition has a fair amount of overlap with Quant and Verbal, so it makes sense to get comfortable with those areas first before jumping into full-blown DI practice. The Official Guide and DI Review Guide are must-haves for everyone. The DI Review Guide questions are definitely on the tougher side, but that’s actually a good thing because it prepares you for any surprises on test day. Don’t push DI practice to the very end — start tackling it once you’ve got your basics in Quant and Verbal sorted. Begin untimed to get the hang of the question types, and once you're more confident, start building speed. Once you’re through with your fundamentals, the two big challenges people face in DI are data and time. To handle the data side, you need the right approach for each question type: Data Sufficiency – Now part of DI, DS still needs that same structured mindset. Start with each statement on its own before combining them. The key is staying disciplined and methodical. Graphs – Get familiar with the most common graph types that show up in the exam. It’s easy to get lost in all the data, so work on quickly understanding what the chart is telling you without overcomplicating things. Tables – These usually come with radio buttons and three sub-questions. You need all three right to get credit. Many of them test concepts from Algebra and Statistics, and often it's about identifying the right column to filter or sort through. Two-Part Analysis – This one's tricky because it usually has a lot of text, and you have to solve two linked problems at once. Being able to skim through irrelevant parts and focus on what matters is key. Sometimes, the answer options themselves give clues, so keeping a sharp eye here really helps. Multi-Source Reasoning – Probably the toughest of the lot. It looks like a multi-tab RC with three big questions, sometimes even with sub-parts. The trick is to stay calm, read each tab like you would an RC passage, and figure out which one helps you solve each question. Test takers often receive back to back MSRs in test, so it’s better to get used to them early instead of skipping them during prep. For the time part, it's all about reviewing your approach after each practice session and finding optimal test strategies that work for you. With enough practice, your pace will naturally improve. Try picking up speed in DS and Graph questions to save time for the heavier ones like MSR and TPA. GMAT Club sectional tests are super helpful during the later stages to get your timing right. Helpful guide to boost your DI score: How to improve DI from D75 to D82 Last Month: Test Prep This month should be spent on 2 things: taking full-length tests (polishing your test-taking techniques, timing, stamina) and Reviewing your error log (going through your weaknesses, making sure you understand why you keep making mistakes and how to solve every problem you encountered). You can start using Error log earlier than this by the way - the earlier the better. You can also use this time to prolong your prep (we assume most will run about 4 weeks late and will need this time) or you can use it to spend on digging deeper in some areas. Plan when you want to take these tests during your prep. You can attempt the free ones a couple of times while you’re still learning, to gauge how well you've grasped the concepts. Early on, it’s fine to spread them out maybe one test per month. Once you’ve covered the full syllabus and are refining your strategies, start taking the remaining official tests with no more than a week in between. Mock analysis is the most important part. You should spend a few days on each to get the most value. Understand the concepts you struggled with, compare your test approach with the optimal one, track your pacing across the sections, and even build guess strategies to help maximize your score. Try to take each test in a real exam-like setting, ideally at the same time of day as your actual test, to mentally and physically train your body. Also, figuring out your ideal sectional order is crucial and it could be that final push you need to hit your target score. Try different orders and see which one you’re most comfortable with. Once you start hitting your target scores consistently, it’s a good sign that you’re ready to book your test. Schedule your test if you have not done so already. Choose Test Center vs Online strategically as both formats are equally accepted by schools, but logistics differ: Online: Be mindful of strict camera angle rules, room scans, and limited breaks. You will use a virtual whiteboard, which takes some getting used to. Test Center: Offers physical sheets, quieter environments, and fewer technical risks. Test your comfort level with both formats in advance. If in doubt, do a dry run of the online version to assess whether it suits your setup and style. Spend a few weeks taking tests and drilling down into your areas of weakness. Create a "blacklist of questions" that you continue to struggle with and find a way to solve them with minimal mental effort. Prep isn’t just about questions. Your physical and mental state matters. Sleep: Aim for 7 to 8 hours during prep and before mocks or test day. Sleep loss directly impacts cognitive performance. Exercise: Short workouts or walks improve focus and help manage stress. Breaks: Build structured downtime into your study calendar to avoid burnout. These small habits are often overlooked but offer high return on effort, especially in the final weeks before the test. Online Study Plan: You can get online access to almost anything these days and self-paced options among prep companies have really gone down in price. Step 1: Foundation Most Online courses have modules that teach the fundamentals and that will quickly help you build the foundation and come up to speed. These modules can be particularly useful for students who have not studied quant for quite some time or who are not particularly strong in Quant. Step 2: Core concepts Once you have built a foundation, focus on mastering the concepts. Solve OG during this time and maintain an error log. Keep track of your mistakes and guesses. This is also the time to get involved in GMAT Club’s forum. Determine where you stand: almost all online courses provide plenty of sectional practice and full tests. Alternate your practice sessions across Quant, Verbal, and DI to give yourself enough exposure and learning. Start taking tests regularly to evaluate your level and understand what kind of practice you need in each section individually. Do not skip a topic unless you are able to solve at least 90 percent of the questions correctly within the allotted time. Do not run away from your mistakes—they will eventually catch up with you. A better strategy is to face them right away, learn from them, and make sure you never repeat them again. If you prefer the online study option, use the eGMAT, Magoosh, Target Tests Prep, or Experts' Global online courses. They come with everything you need, including practice tests and quizzes. You can compare them all in the Marketplace . Online courses also provide constant feedback. Most also come with Free access to GMAT Club tests . Many self-study courses offer free trials so you can test drive them before you buy, and for most no credit card is needed. Your cost may even be less than with books ($99 - $300). The BIG Day and Final Thoughts Make sure you take a look at these before you take the GMAT: What to do 30-14-7-1 days before the GMAT? GMAT Online - latest reports, issues, and questions What to expect at the test center and 8 things not to do The best of GMAT Club’s debriefs – get inspired ! Common Mistakes with GMAT preparation 1: Rushing to take multiple official tests before learning anything - waste of official tests 2: Starting with the Official Guide - waste of official GMAT questions 3: Giving GMAT the worst time of the day - studying after a long day 4: Skipping basics and rushing to advanced topics 5: Moving through material too fast or too slow 6: Starting to prepare with poor English proficiency Sidebar At this time you will probably be wondering about questions such as “how many can I get wrong and still get a Q88?” and other questions which really do not have answers. If you find yourself wondering about these things at night, head over to the following discussions: GMAT Focus Algorithm and What-If analysis of the GMAT Prep Alternative ways to increase your score (i.e. not by studying) How are GMAT scores calculated and what is a raw score? Has anyone scored an 805? A few people have. There are some debriefs with verified scores FAQ How long should you prep really? The study plan above suggests 4-6 months, and that's probably 10-15 hours per week (2 hrs/work day and 5 hours on the weekend). Over 4-6 months, that's about 300 hours, which includes reading some books, so the true study time is probably 150 hrs. What if you study 2x or 3x of that and take 12 months instead of 4, can you triple your improvement? No, actually, your performance will be MUCH worse if you spread out your prep over a time period. Long study stretches are demotivating, hard to keep fresh, and ultimately ineffective as after 6 months, you start forgetting material faster than you can learn it and the time you will have to spend 75% of your time on refresh. It is much more effective to spend 3-4 months, and that’s what I would encourage you to do. How do you Measure Improvement and what if you are not seeing any? Many test-takers waste a lot of tests and precious time by taking un-needed CAT’s. As a matter of fact, you should be able to get away by taking no more than 10 CAT’s during your GMAT love affair. The question you may ask then is – how do I measure improvement and keep track of my score? A number of ways actually: Make sure you are hitting a certain percentage of the questions in each topic/subject. Set a goal such as 90% of questions have to be right in exercises, OG, or wherever. E.g. if you just covered Algebra, there is no reason to take a whole quant CAT since you will hardly hit 3-4 Algebra questions tops (perhaps as few as 1-2) and it will be a minimal impact on the score, while you will waste a few hours, waste a test, and more importantly, grow discouraged. Use short quizzes and exercise. Let’s say you covered that same Algebra chapter in the book and only hit 50% on the quiz at the end of the chapter. Do 2 things: 1) Analyze your mistakes, read the explanations how to solve questions, and make sure you can solve each one of them 2) Go back to the chapter and using the mistakes you just made re-read/learn (make notes, create PPT, etc) of the areas you are still lacking. Then you can use OG, GMAT Club tests, Forum Quiz, or whatever you want to do real short/quick checks to see if you have improved. At this point in time, it does not matter what your overall Quant score is, it only matters what percentage of the types of questions ALREADY covered is. You can even use the GMAT Club Forum timer to understand your average speed on each of these topics to better plan your test strategies. Once you've completed all the topics within a section, it's time to move on to that section’s sectional tests. (This is the reason GMAT Club tests have split Q/V/D sectional tests – we don’t think you really need to take a Full CAT until the very end when you are working on improving your stamina and test-day strategy, and at that point, you can just Q/V/D sectional tests with some break in the middle). Lot of test takers struggle with pacing in DI. My advice would be to slow down enough to catch obvious details, while also staying alert to avoid getting bogged down by irrelevant data. Keep unnecessary information in the back of your mind in case it becomes useful later. Having solid test strategies for different question types is also extremely helpful, as it allows you to know the best way to approach each question and recognize when it is better to make an educated guess and move on. What if No improvement? My suggestion would be to understand why, what needs to change, and how. You need to answer this yourself. If you can’t, post it on the forum, though I have to warn you, it is a hard one to answer from afar. A much better option is to get a tutor for an hour or two (that’s all you should need) to get you back on track. Any decent tutor can spot most of the issues after one session and you can use the second session to answer any questions and draft a personalized plan for the rest of your prep. You can also take a course – that’s become an especially popular and cheap alternative with the online offerings from EGMAT, Magoosh, Target Test Prep, Experts Global, many of which have courses for less than the cost of books (as low as $79). Many of the courses are interactive and adapt to your needs. Online adaptive courses often are much more effective than books since they are audio visual, provide constant feedback, and provide instructor support. You can bookmark this topic on GMAT Club by clicking the BOOKMARK button next to the topic name or you can print it out for future reference . pyramid.gif

Gylmitul

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06 Sep 2020, 21:31

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Hi,
It varies for people.
For me personally, this strategy has not worked out well at all.
Despite spending insane amounts of time on one topic, after moving on to quant, I completely lost momentum with english and my ability had reduced significantly.

KT10

Hi guys!

I just recently bought the e-gmat program. They say that the best way to study gmat is by studying one module at a time. For example, they told me to start with SC, then go for CR, then RC and then quant (also topic by topic). The thing is that I've spent like 2 or 3 weeks and I still don't manage to finish SC, so I'm worried about being able to finish the course before the second round ends! Do you guys have any suggestions? Is it ok if that's my study plan? Or am I gonna forget some things from verbal when I start preparing for Quant?

Hope you can help me!

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Schools: Wharton '24 (I) Yale '24 (A)

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07 Sep 2020, 06:30

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Hello, I am in a similar boat. I have been studying for 2 months and am about 25% done with the entire verbal and quant TTP course. I am also wondering. Will it take me 8 months to fully finish this?? In my opinion what is important is that you thoroughly understand the material more than gettting the course done. But also the time spent depends on your goal score. If you are wanting that 730 mark, yes, it may take 8 months and you may have to apply for the following year. But if your goal is 660-700 id say you can speed it up. Read a bit quicker And allow yourself only 2.5 minutes for practice questions to reduce the time spent trying to solve questions. So your question depends on your score goal. Hope that helps

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07 Sep 2020, 07:02

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Also, you have to review the work you recently completed. Meaning, when you finish SC and go to CR, maybe a couple weeks into CR, or when you finish it, go back to SC and review all notes and do 20-30 practice questions. If you just go module to module you will undoubtably forget SC by the time you take the test. I know this sucks because it takes even MORE time and you are trying to cut time... but reviewing is the only way you’ll retain the information.

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Chris3

Also, you have to review the work you recently completed. Meaning, when you finish SC and go to CR, maybe a couple weeks into CR, or when you finish it, go back to SC and review all notes and do 20-30 practice questions. If you just go module to module you will undoubtably forget SC by the time you take the test. I know this sucks because it takes even MORE time and you are trying to cut time... but reviewing is the only way you’ll retain the information.

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The thing is that if I want to apply on second round, there is no chance with this course, right? I bought E-GMAT because its planner told me that I had to study for like 3 months and even when I am studying more hours than planned I feel like it will take a lot more months...

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07 Sep 2020, 10:04

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I would not say there is no chance because it is very possible the chapters get shorter and easier as you go. Not all gmat chapters are equal. It’s possible the last half of the course will be much shorter than the first half. I would just keep pressing on and realize preparation may take longer than you initially anticipated, which is usually the case.

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Here's my two cents on how to prepare for the GMAT Online exam in 2020. But before we begin, some background on me:

Background: Took my first attempt straight out of college and scored a 690 with a month of prep. Now here I am two years later and have re-started my prep. It's been 3 months now and I'm managing a score around 720 in my mocks. Here's the strategy I am using while working full time at a consulting firm.

Strategy tip #1: Focus on official guides. I solved the OG, OG Verbal, OG Quant and OG Advanced and have also given 5 out of the 6 official mocks (With a 10 point increase in each try). I found that deep-diving into OG question molds your thinking according to the way GMAT wants you to think.

Strategy tip #2: Filter out the noise. A million test prep providers will bombard you with why their courses and materials are the best. Take a deep breath and consider them as 'extra' material once your done with the OGs.

Strategy tip #3: Spend a lot of time on creating error logs. Deep-dive into every incorrect answer and write detailed explanations about how and why you got it wrong.

Study Plan:
Following is a study plan I recommend for working professionals:
Weekdays:
Morning: 20-30 Official Questions (Alternate between quant and verbal each day) + Review incorrect questions and update error log
Evening (post work): Identify weak points in error log and browse theory/strategy on those question types

Weekends:
Saturday: 30Q + 30V questions + Review + Theory
Sunday: Mock test + Review

Hope this helps! Smash the kudos button if it did

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Thank you so much for giving your time and sharing this valuable information with us

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Thank you so much for giving your time and sharing this valuable information with us

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hey thanks for the consolidation. appreciate it.

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Hello GMAT club,
I would like to know if someone can help me out with my GMAT. Here is my journey
I started the GMAT study in August 2019. I studied 2 months and then my father died. That was really depressing for me . It was difficult to navigate through my emotions and to keep up in my challenging work environment . I dropped the GMAT.

In september 2020, I restarted my GMAT study and my real GMAT test is on January 9th. But I am not at all at my target level. Here are my scores:

GMAT Exam1 : september 05/2020 - 600 ( Verb37 Quant 36): Quant : 13 incorrects and 4 not answered . Verb : 10 incorrects and one not answered
GMAT Exam 2: october 31/2020 - 640 ( Quant 46 - Verb 32 )
GMAT Exam 2 retake ( Only 3 questions repeated) : november 28/2020 - 690 ( Quant 44, Verbal 41): Quant : 10 questions incorrects and 1 not answered. Verbal 8 questions incorrects
GMAT exam 3 : December 12,2020 - 610 ( Quant 42 , Verb 33): Quant 15 questions incorrects and 1 question not answered, Verb 15 questions incorrects
GMAT exam 4: December 24,2020 - 680 (Quant 49, Verb 34): Quant 6 incorrects and 1 question not answered , Verb 13 incorrects.
GMAT exam 5 : December 29,2020 - 540 (Quant 37, Verbal 27): Quant 12 incorrect and 1 question not answered, Verb 16 incorrects and 1 question not answered
GMAT exam 6 : Decemner 31,2020 - 590 ( Quant 36, Verb 35): Quant 12 incorrects, Verb 10 incorrects
For exam 1 et 2 , I chose Quant first and Verbal second. For exam 3 and 4 , I chose to answer to verbal first and quant second.

My goal : I would like to be adimitted to oxford ( or cambridge) and to pursuit with the Master in advanced management at yale. My graduate GPA , my work experiences, my recommendations are stellars.The only thing I need is a high score for the GMAT I was targeting 710.
After my GMAT exam 4, for which I received a score of 680, I decided to sit for the GMAT on December 09 and to try my best to get at least 680-690 and then to focus on my weakness areas for 3 months in order to sit for a retake in March 2020.
However, after the scores of GMAT 5 and GMAT 6, I am desperate. The worst thing is , after each GMAT, I review each question and I always find the answer. For example for 13 erros , 10 are du to silly math mistakes or I didn't read the question . Only two or Three questions are really difficults for me and they are all in my weakest areas ( cube, cylindre, probability, combinatories).

It looks like the more I exerciced, The worst I get. That is obsiouly weird. Can someone helps me please. Does anybody can share with me any strategy or any tips ? Should I take a GMAT tutors ? There are so many GMAT tutors, I don't even know how to choose. Does anyone can recommend me someone ?
Thank you

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Hi. Happy new year. That’s a long message to post on a holiday

if there is a quick reply you need, let me know what your quick question is.

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Hello bb
My question was related to gmat practice exama
My GMAT score is regressing : Exam 1 600, Exam 2 :640 and retake 690, Eam 3:610, Exam 4: 680, Exam 5: 540 and Exam 6: 590. How reliable are the GMAT practice pack 5 and 6 comparatively to GMAT practice 1,2,3,and 4 ?
Do you know any GMAT tutor I can contact ? Does someone here have a particular tutor that help them go from 590 to 710 and that they can recommand ?
Thanks

bb

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Hello bb
My question was related to gmat practice exama
My GMAT score is regressing : Exam 1 600, Exam 2 :640 and retake 690, Eam 3:610, Exam 4: 680, Exam 5: 540 and Exam 6: 590. How reliable are the GMAT practice pack 5 and 6 comparatively to GMAT practice 1,2,3,and 4 ?
Do you know any GMAT tutor I can contact ? Does someone here have a particular tutor that help them go from 590 to 710 and that they can recommand ?
Thanks

It is not uncommon for scores to go down in case you are learning new strategies and changing your approach. I have a post about that: https://gmatclub.com/forum/why-do-gmat- ... 85544.html

Hm... you can check here: https://gmatclub.com/tutoring or check with GMATNinja.

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bb
Thank you,
I Since I've wasted all my 6 GMAT prep practice and neew more improvements I will probably reset my 6 gmat practice and retake them . How accurate the score of a gmat practice reset is ? Is it better to not take a reset Gmat practice and to take a manhattan gmat practice instead?
Thanks

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tatiana91

bb
Thank you,
I Since I've wasted all my 6 GMAT prep practice and neew more improvements I will probably reset my 6 gmat practice and retake them . How accurate the score of a gmat practice reset is ? Is it better to not take a reset Gmat practice and to take a manhattan gmat practice instead?
Thanks

I think you are focussing too much on practice tests. Are you trying to learn and practice using test?
If yes, then that is a wrong approach. Those tests take a lot of effort and you should take them only when you feel ready for it.

Moreover, there are certain ways to analyse the results. For example, if you answered without reading the question then it might mean that you were rushing or you guess it based on similar ques form your memory.

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Here is my Study Plan

STEP 1: TAKE A GMAT DIAGNOSTIC TEST
Take a full-length, realistic practice test to find out what your Quantitative, Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning scores are now. Ideally, the test results will include not just your scores but also information about what types of questions you did well on and which ones gave you trouble. This information will help you design your study plan.

Another benefit of taking a practice test is that you will become familiar with the test’s format and timing. Then as you study, you will know exactly how you’ll use what you’re learning to ace test questions. This is highly motivating!

You will also be able to review the test, and reading the explanations of every question will reinforce what you did right and help you understand your mistakes. Research shows that being tested on material not only measures your performance but actually helps you learn.

Take the practice test under conditions as similar as possible to those you will experience on Test Day, without distractions or interruptions. Schedule 4 hours to take the test if you write the essay and 3.5 hours if you choose to skip the essay. Also plan to invest at least 1.5 hours in reviewing the test later the same day or in the next day or two.

The GMAT testmaker, the Graduate Management Admission Council® (GMAC®), offers two free practice tests with its GMATPrep™® software.
Kaplan Test Prep offers free proctored practice tests online. Kaplan’s Smart Reports provide you with detailed breakdowns of your strengths and opportunities for improvement, as well as comprehensive answer explanations.

STEP 2: SET YOUR STUDY SCHEDULE
When Test Day is 3 months away, there is a danger of procrastinating. After all, you probably have a lot of things that need to get done today, so it can be hard to carve out the time and energy to study for the GMAT. However, the days and weeks will slip by faster than seems possible, and before you know it, the test will be a week away—and then tomorrow! Don’t let Test Day take you by surprise.

Studying most days of the week will improve your score more than studying one or two days a week. Because you will be studying for 3 months, you want to set a reasonable pace and not burn yourself out. Many students find that studying for 4 days a week in three 30-minute segments, for an hour and a half each day, helps them make significant progress. In addition, if math content or grammar is an area you have targeted for improvement, plan to carry a quick reference of some kind, such as flashcards or a phone app, and work on commonly tested formulas and rules throughout the day.

Block out time to take six more full-length practice tests. Take a practice test after 1 month of studying, another one at the 6-week point, and then one a week for the 4 weeks leading up to the GMAT. You will take your last practice test 1 week before Test Day. Take practice tests to measure your progress, become more familiar with the test’s timing and format, and build your mental endurance. After each test, invest at least 1.5 hours in reviewing the answer explanations.

Schedule your study time and practice tests on your calendar and then keep those appointments with yourself. The same way you show up for class or work on time, you are going to “show up” for GMAT studying on time.

STEP 3: DEVELOP YOUR STUDY PLAN

How should you study? An effective approach is to first use a resource such as a GMAT book or class to learn some strategies or content and then follow up by practicing what you just learned with test-like questions. Applying what you learn right away to the types of questions you’ll see on Test Day will help you solidify your knowledge so it sticks with you. Kaplan’s GMAT Premier book includes a 200-question Quiz Bank, and the full Quiz Bank contains over 1,000 test-like questions for GMAT practice. You can use it to target specific content areas and question types at the right difficulty level for you.

What should you study? That depends on the results of your practice test! Focus mostly on material that is (a) difficult for you and (b) most often tested. On the Quantitative section, for example, many arithmetic, algebra, and geometry questions require you to work with proportions. If you are uncomfortable working with ratios and percentages, you will have trouble throughout the section. Combinations and permutations questions may be tough for you, too, but combinatorics does not appear on the test nearly as often as proportions, so you should focus on the content with the higher payoff.

During the last week before your test, emphasize your strengths. For example, if you get most Sentence Correction questions correct, then practice those questions several times this week to boost your confidence and ensure that you can count on this skill.

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