GMAT Study Plan Evaluation based on mock CAT

Question

Hey All,

lurked for too long and finally pulling the trigger to apply / write the gmat.

Stats for practifce gmat on manhattan. 
**note: i ran out of time on math and guessed the last like 10 questions.
**note: i had over 12 more minutes in verbal - probably rushed a couple questions
**note: i ran out of time on IR

Background: 
3 years out of school, did a bunch of prep work before, but never wrote a CAT because I was nervous about seeing the results. 
Goal: 710. Reach: 750 
Current: 600
Time frame: 4 months - August write for Round 1. If not good, will redo in Nov / Dec for round 2.

Study plan: quant heavy 
month 1: 100% gmat manhattan guides (take notes & do exercises) + 2 OG Quant (is this worth while or should i just do CATS) + 1 CAT + review CATs
month 2: 20% math review + focused / targetted questions on weak sections + 80% verbal grammar memorization using GMATCLUB grammar book + OG Verbal + 2 manhattan / veritas prep CATS
month 3: Review CATS for weak sections for verbal and Quant and find questions GMAT CLUB related to them + OG test + 1 CAT + IR + Essay review
Month 4: 1 OG + mini break + review old question + targeted quant / verb with other materials (advanced catagory under the guide on Gmat study plan 2020 thread)
end of august - write exam.

results of first CAT:
score: 600. Q35 V36
findings:
1. CON: bad timing of exam questions. poor pacing on questions I got stuck on.
2. CON: missing fundamentals on grammar and math.
3. CON: lacking strategy for data sufficiency questions (not used to this way of thinking)
4. PRO: RC / CR are good. Indicates thinking is correct, but lacking fundamentals to drive thinking processes.

please find picture of score. Would really like the wide and vast wisdom of the forum individuals to weigh in. 
Top questions: 
1. what is the best resource to use? in those monthly plans, I'm not sure what I should be putting the most time into since there are so many resources.
2. how much time does this plan take based on your experience?
3. is this realistic, how can I adjust to make it more achievable?

thank you so much for taking the time to read this.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Lazybum,

It sounds like you're just starting out. Is that true? Have you done any studying so far? I only ask because your earlier posts are all from 2015, so you've clearly considered the GMAT before now. A 600 is a great initial CAT score (the average score on the Official GMAT hovers around 540-550 most years). You also appear to have given yourself plenty of time to study - which is good.

From what you describe, your immediate study plan is 'book heavy'; unfortunately, many Test Takers who study in that way end up getting 'stuck' at a particular score level. Even the best books are limited in what they can teach you; they also can't force you to approach questions in a certain way and their explanations are often one-sided. There's no harm in starting off your studies in that fashion, but with a Score Goal of 700+ (or 750+) you would likely find it beneficial to invest in a GMAT Course of some type (either Guided Self-Study or instructor-led).

I'd like to know a bit more about your timeline and goals:
1) What Schools are you planning to apply to?
2) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week?

As an aside, you might also want to change your username. You clearly have big goals/plans - and that type of mentality doesn't match up with the name "lazybum." I can appreciate that type of self-deprecating humor, but even thinking those words is counter-productive (and scoring at a high level on the GMAT is a challenging-enough task as it is, so you don't want to inadvertently hold yourself back in any way).

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

Lazybum · Answer

Thanks Rich! appreciate the kind words and advice.

Yes, I am just starting out. I am reviewing the manhattan books at the moment. I was planning for Masters of Finance before graduating in 2015 so i studied a little then, but forgotten a lot by now though! I never did a CAT back then, too nervous...

What type of gmat course do you recommend? I looked at the EmpowerGMAT, but I don't know enough to differentiate between that and any of the other resources. Personally, I think instructor led would be quite powerful, but could you elaborate more on how a guided self-study might counteract that? I can understand instructor led because there's back and forth, but that seems like it would be very costly? (in multiple $1000s)

schools i'm thinking about:
Application: schools ranked 5-10
Reach: schools ranked 3 - 6
personal preference: Columbia, Sloan, Wharton

hours / consistency: 
as many as needed but realistically probably 10-20 hours per week. 
also planning to review flashcards. so micro studying during work period.

user name, i can't change sadly, but oh well, i am kinda lazy :p but i appreciate the kind words!

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Lazybum,

Based on your second comment, I see that you are looking for advice regarding resources. Thus, in addition to seeking advice in this thread, take a look at the GMAT Club reviews for  the best quant  and  verbal courses , and also read through some  GMAT success stories  to see what materials have worked well for other test-takers.

Also, would you like some general advice on how to improve your verbal and quant skills?

You also may find it helpful to read this article about  how to score a 700+ on the GMAT .

Good luck!

Lazybum · Answer

thank you!!!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Lazybum,

While an instructor-led class has the potential to be beneficial in certain ways, it also can be incredibly ineffective in others. First, if you don't "like" your instructor, then having to spend hours-and-hours with that person can be a tough experience. In addition, there's no way of knowing how the rest of the class attendees will match up to how YOU want each class to function. With live classes, the teacher often has to teach "to the middle" - which may or may not be beneficial to you (as your combination of strengths and weaknesses won't necessarily be addressed). There's also the question of how well a fixed class schedule would fit your personal schedule (or not) - as well as how easily you can 'make-up' a class that you missed. With Guided Self-Study, you can study at your own pace and on your own schedule - and it's generally pretty easy to get help from Customer Support if you're stuck. Most GMAT Companies offer some type of free materials (practice problems, Trial Accounts, videos, etc.) that you can use to 'test out' a product before you buy it. We have a variety of those resources at our website (www.empowergmat.com). I suggest that you take advantage of all of them, then choose the one that best matches your personality, timeline and budget.

In addition, while you have plenty of time before this year's Round 1 and Round 2 application deadlines, since you are interested in some highly-competitive Schools, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. Those Experts should be able to answer your Admissions questions and help define the specific areas of your profile that could use some improvement (and it's better to know those details sooner rather than later - so you can potentially put in the time and effort to improve any 'weak spots' in your application).

There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/

At this point, you don't immediately need to make any big changes to your study plans, so I suggest that you study as you like for the next 2-3 weeks, then take a NEW, FULL-LENGTH CAT. Once you have that score, you should post back here (or you can feel free to PM me directly) and we can discuss the results and how you might best adjust your studies going forward.

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

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Sure thing!!

GMAT Study Plan Evaluation based on mock CAT

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