frisak
Hello,
I just took a free diagnostic practice test (I did not study) to see where I am in order to create a study plan. My score was 370, to be specific; please see below scores by segment.
Verbal - 23 points (21 correct answers out of 36)
Quant - 7 points (14 correct answers out of 31)
Integrated Reasoning - 4 points (6 correct answers out of 12)
Analytical writing assessment - no score provided
It is clear that I need to work on all segments. Based on my starting point, how much study time would I need to score above 700? For some context, I can study 10 hours a week (I work and study full time)
My plan is to apply to business school by Fall 2023, however; I need at least a 680 by September 2022 in order to be accepted in a special MBA prep program. Is this goal attainable?
Hi frisak,
Do not take this score too seriously as it's just to assess your current level. I have a couple of articles for you which can help you understand the right way to prepare for GMAT.
Generally speaking, it can take around 300 hours (give or take) to prepare from scratch. This includes everything from concepts to mock tests. Of course it depends on a number of things such as your target score, your strengths and weaknesses, your structure of preparation, the resources you use, your pace of learning etc.
I would suggest you to choose a resource which can help you:
- Learn the concepts
- Learn the methodology (Most important)
- Practice questions
- Analyze detailed solutions
- Follow a study plan
- Work on your weak areas
The need for a personalized study plan:
I understand that maintaining a balance between work life and studies can very challenging. To do so efficiently, it is always advisable to follow a study plan with clear deadlines.
As you are a working professional, a generic study plan wouldn’t suffice. You need something more personalized so that you can finish your preparation in given time. By personalized, I mean something which takes into account the number of hours you can dedicate in a week and creates a study plan based on that. It should have clear deadlines so that you can focus on finishing those tasks scheduled for the week. This will help you concentrate better.
I understand that creating a study plan can be a tedious task, so you can check
GMATWhiz which can help you create a personalized study plan. There is a free trial for which you can register and create a study plan with weekly deadlines based on the number of hours you can dedicate in a week. This way it would be easy to follow that and also you can completely focus on the preparation instead of spending time on making study plan. And the best part about the plan is it is totally integrated with the course. All you need to do is click on the Start button and it will give you the right lessons and quizzes as you’re supposed to go through in the right order.
You can check out how Manish scored a 720 on his first attempt despite having a 70 hour work week and got into INSEAD:
If you wish to have a detailed discussion regarding the study strategy, you can get in touch with me using the below link.