GMAT Study Plan : General GMAT Questions and Strategies

bb · 2016-05-04T12:53:42-07:00

The Definitive GMAT Study Plan - 2025 Edition Updated March 12, 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 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 recently included IR section has shown to be somewhat correlated with B School GPA. 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? You need at least 675 for Top 10 schools, 655 for Top 20, and 605 for Top 50 to get in with an average competitive profile - meaning your score should not be an issue. On the other hand, if you have deficiencies in your application (e.g. Low GPA, over-represented demo) or you are hoping for a scholarship, you will need something 30-50 points higher to actually stand out from the crowd. You can find the average GMAT Scores for Top 30 MBA programs here . 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 table if you have a very high or a very low starting score - e.g. above 645 or below 455): Improvement: Effort Required: 50 points Basic - 2 weeks of review 100 points 2-3 months with average effort 150 points 3 months with above average focus/effort. About 10% of people achieve this level 200 points 3-4 months with extreme focus/effort. 1% achieves this result 250+ points 0.01% achieves this level of improvement. Extreme personal changes are required 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. Step 3: Identify your weaknesses Take a look at your practice test score and note the raw score distribution (you will get one three-digit score such as 625 and 3 two-digit scores such as 75, 82, 69 - those three are your raw scores for each of the sections. They have corresponding percentiles). See how you rank in each. Also, do a basic mistake analysis and understand which question types are the most challenging for you. The options are PS, CR, RC, DI (DS, GI, MSR, TPA) and potentially even more detailed such as probability, or assumption questions, etc. Don't only look at what questions you got wrong, but also why. Why did you make a mistake? You can also take a diagnostic test; use this information to build your study plan. You can also use a GMAT Club's Score Calculator to iterate and see where you need to improve specifically to reach your goal. 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 Wikipedia. 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 poor 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. If you sign up for a course, your course will also have a large number of practice questions that should be sufficient. Practice Tests: GMAT Prep 2 Free tests (Exam 1 and Exam 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. GMAT Prep Exams 3, 4, 5, 6. 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, 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) The time frame that I recommend for a start to finish GMAT Prep is 3 months. I recommend a quant heavy month 1, followed by verbal in month 2, DI in month 3 and then putting it all together in the 3rd month. However, many tutors suggest studying Q and V 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 either Manhattan or Veritas, and as these guides are numbered, 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 Q44 and possibly higher. Quant scores have been inflated recently with Q51 (highest possible quant score clocking a mere 97th percentile and Q49 is 81st), so make sure you are up there. 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 Q50+, 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 Q44 to Q50 Beginner and Advanced Study Guide (Verbal) 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! Critical Reasoning Optional Step: If you need additional help with Critical Reasoning - Do not get both PowerScore CR and Manhattan GMAT CR - the books are virtually identical (not really but kind of). Instead, you can get a 1-month subscription to a full course for $99 and use only specific section (e.g. Quant or Verbal) with Target Test Prep or Magoosh - 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). 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, and after about 10 questions in CR, it will even give you a daily estimated GMAT score. 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). 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. Schedule your test if you have not done so already. Start taking full-length tests - this is important for your test stamina. Plan to spend a Saturday on this and then subsequent test review. 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. 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 will become your study guide in Month 3. This is also the time to get involved in GMAT Club’s math forum. Determine where you stand: almost all online courses come provide plenty of Tests. Start taking the math portion of the tests you have. Move to Verbal only after reaching at a certain Level: Evaluate results and decide 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. Do not leave 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 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 tests before learning anything - waste of 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 Q50?” 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 3 months, and that's probably 10-15 hours per week (2 hrs/work day and 5 hours on the weekend). Over 3 months, that's about 120 - 180 hours, which includes reading some books, so the true study time is probably 80 - 120 hrs. What if you study 2x or 3x of that and take 9 months instead of 3, can you triple your improvement? No, actually, your performance will be MUCH worse if you spread out your prep over a time period great than 5 months. 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 Geometry, there is no reason to take a whole quant CAT since you will only hit 3-4 Geometry 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 Geometry 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 use the GMAT Club Forum timer. As long as you take about 10 questions in PS, you will get a quant raw score estimate and as soon as you do the same in CR, you will get a verbal score estimate (note that RC is not evaluated). Learn more about the amazing and free GMAT Club Forum Timer and Error Log here . Finally, once you have covered ALL of the quant topics, it is time to take the Quant CAT and similarly when you have finished the Verbal section, it is time to take the full Verbal CAT. (This is the reason GMAT Club tests have split quant and verbal CAT’s – 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 Quant and Verbal CAT’s with an 8 minute break). 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

Palash27

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I am new to GMAT preparations and planning to prepare by myself.

So, to get to know my current/ starting level, I took a mock. In Verbal section, I attempted 29 questions, with 18 of them correct and got V23.

I just want to know whether I should have just guessed the last 7 questions (due to lack of time, it would be a blind guess) or leave the way I actually did. A friend suggested I should have marked all question, even wrongly, I would have higher score. Is it true???

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Palash27

I am new to GMAT preparations and planning to prepare by myself.

So, to get to know my current/ starting level, I took a mock. In Verbal section, I attempted 29 questions, with 18 of them correct and got V23.

I just want to know whether I should have just guessed the last 7 questions (due to lack of time, it would be a blind guess) or leave the way I actually did. A friend suggested I should have marked all question, even wrongly, I would have higher score. Is it true???

Yes. Most likely you would have a higher score and likely a meaningfully higher score. GMAT tends to penalize by imposing a 3 percentile penalty on the score. In reality the formula and outcomes are complicated but For large majority of people it is much more beneficial to guess and answer every question

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19 Jun 2021, 11:21

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bb

Palash27

I am new to GMAT preparations and planning to prepare by myself.

So, to get to know my current/ starting level, I took a mock. In Verbal section, I attempted 29 questions, with 18 of them correct and got V23.

I just want to know whether I should have just guessed the last 7 questions (due to lack of time, it would be a blind guess) or leave the way I actually did. A friend suggested I should have marked all question, even wrongly, I would have higher score. Is it true???

Yes. Most likely you would have a higher score and likely a meaningfully higher score. GMAT tends to penalize by imposing a 3 percentile penalty on the score. In reality the formula and outcomes are complicated but For large majority of people it is much more beneficial to guess and answer every question

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Thank you for your reply!

Just one clarification, you've mentioned 3 percentile penalty. It's from Verbal percentile, I guess not the overall percentile?

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I really like that triangle of priorities. I wish I was aware of it at the start of my Prep.

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I really like that triangle of priorities. I wish I was aware of it at the start of my Prep.

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Hi all, is it better to get a) GMAT Official Guide full book, or b) both Quant Review and Verbal review separately? Which option would give me more comprehensive content, or is it the same either way? Looking at 2019 edition, if that matters in any case. Thanks!

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Diksha09

Hi Chetan! ( Open to other experts as well)

Thank you so much for your time and valuable input.
I'd like to probe a bit more . Tutor and Classrooms are out of the question since I don't have the time for it.

I plan to do the following :

Month 1 : Review and practice all the concepts from the MGMAT Guides ( Quant and Verbal) combined with Power score CR. Solving questions /sectional tests from OG '16 and GMATClub ( free) on weekly basis.

Month 2 : Practice OG'16 + Verbal & Quant '16. Will start taking CAT on weekly basis .

Month 3 : IR + AWA & Full length CAT + Error log and reviewing/practicing.

Question : Would this be enough? Should I consider purchasing the Kaplan Math workbook as well ?

I am also wondering whether I should be investing in an Egmat Verbal prep course as I'm not too sure about the effectiveness of MGMAT guides for verbal ? Would I need to purchase additional CAT/Exam Pack ?

Greatly appreciate your input and effort. Thank you so much.

Can someone please guide me how to get past form Q49 to Q50 on GMAT quant? My target score is 760

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Hey. The link that's called 'use this calendar format' in step 5 isn't working. Can you please share it agian?

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Hi everyone!

Looking for some guidance. I haven't prepared for GMAT and was planning to take a GMAT waiver, given that, I already have one MBA from India.
The admission consultant nudged me to take the GMAT as I am from an overrepresented community (Indian Male, though I am B.Com + MBA + Big 4 Management Consulting - 3 years), so I took free mock on Mba.com and end up scoring 550. I would accept that I took the test half-heartedly as I have forgotten a few formulas and Verbal seemed overwhelming(due to lack of practice).
Now I have two questions and looking for your guidance on same:
1. Can I achieve a score of 710-730 within a month with daily 2.5 hours max and 8-10 hours on weekends or the target is unreaslistic. If unrealistic, how much max should I aim for?
2. Which study material should be referred to? I have zero ideas about books. I am looking for crisp material that simulates exam questions!
Looking forward to your guidance.
thanks

HWPO

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10 Nov 2021, 19:51

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Hi all, I would really appreciate it if someone could answer my question.

I am struggling with how I should prepare for the exam - mainly how to divide my time and study.
Say you take a course (Manhatthan, Egmat, etc...) and you need to follow their syllabus.

What do you do if, for instance, today you have learned about probabilities yet you are not doing well in this chapter? You can't get stuck on it, there are more things to cover ahead of you. At the same time, you can't just ignore and move on to the next chapter.

I just find it extremely hard to find the prefect spot: the one that allows you to study efficiently, move on to the next chapter, next material, yet without compromising on improving your weaknesses.

It is super difficult for me, and I hope someone can provide some advice - especially for people (like me) who work full-time and honestly don't have the time to stay behind .

Thanks so much in advance!

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14 Nov 2021, 11:43

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Quote:

3: Giving GMAT the worst time of the day - studying after a long day

I agree with this for much of the test, but except for answering Verbal questions. My personal experience is that answering Verbal questions (especially RC) at the end of a tiring day helps with stamina (I went with the usual section order which is Quant then Verbal). Made sitting through Verbal in the actual test a breeze, even with the influx of 700 level questions (I got V41)

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15 Nov 2021, 12:27

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Thank you AtomCarbon95!

It seems some browsers did not like the Excel file download so I have updated the calendar link to the topic: https://gmatclub.com/forum/please-evalu ... 79588.html

You can download a simple calendar/schedule XLS file (you can also start one in Excel and just search for Calendar)

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Apart from OG books, what other books or platforms can be used for better preparation?

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Hey bb, since the plan has been updated, are there actually any differences from 2021 plan ?
Thanks!

bb

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14 Jan 2022, 11:54

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KattySnappy

Hey bb, since the plan has been updated, are there actually any differences from 2021 plan ?
Thanks!

Hi. I have updated a number of links and resources as well as suggestions such as Forum Quiz which was not available until Mid-2021. Most of the update was focused on latest prep options.
There have not been changes to the GMAT Quant or Verbal in the past 10 years, so I have not modified any structure of the plan or approach to studying. Those core principles have remained the same (though I have refined the language here and there to make it more readable and clear).

P.S. I welcome any suggestions

and complaints!

BB

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14 Jan 2022, 11:55

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Gurjeetk

Apart from OG books, what other books or platforms can be used for better preparation?

Those would be the books and courses I have listed in the table

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bb thank you for this wonderful guide! I have been following Gmat Club for the past one month. I was able to bump up my score from 580 to 630 in recent mocks(Veritas) and my target is 650+. I took my Gmat prep official mocks today, and again got a disheartening score of 580(Q43 V27), exactly where i started off! I have my GMAT scheduled this Monday(14th of Feb), i know its too late and i need to be prepared for the worse, but is there anything i can do to improve my score? I am getting most of my SC wrong in Verbal and my RC timing is terrible which is why i end up guessing 7-8 questions in the end. For quant, i end up doing silly mistakes in DS and also i am spending more than 3-4 mins in the initial questions, leading to a shortage of time at the end. Please help!

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