This thread has retired. Find the latest version is here: https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-study-plan-217827.html GMAT Study Plan for New GMAT Test Takers 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 STAR button next to the topic name or you can print it out for future reference . Improvement: 50-150 points depending on the starting point Concept: You are just starting your GMAT journey and need the shortest way to a solid GMAT Score Recommended for: GMAT Novices Stagnant gmat test-takers No prior knowledge is required Other Study Plans Advanced Study Plan: Go from 650 to 700+ GMAT Course Study Plan Ultimate Verbal plan How to go from Q44 to Q50 How to improve verbal from V30 to V40 Hello - welcome to GMAT Club. If you are new to GMAT and looking how to start and dip your toe in the water - this is the right place to start. Step 1: First, You should familiarize yourself with the GMAT structure and principles if you have not done so already - see GMAT FAQ for details . You can also visit https://www.mba.com and poke around. While you are there - go ahead and download GMATPrep - 2 practice tests released by makers of the GMAT. These 2 tests contain real GMAT questions, follow real GMAT principles, and are the best at estimating your GMAT score at any point in time. Step 2: Take a practice test to find out how far you are from your target . 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 it is a good use is that you can see your starting point (now) and then compare it against the ending (taking GMAT). Alternatively you can use any other computer adaptive test from Princeton, Kaplan, Manhattan, or others and then use GMAT Score Estimator/Calculator to find your real GMAT equivalent. If you are offered to write an Essay (AWA) - skip it. For listing of all available GMAT tests - see https://gmatclub.com/forum/all-gmat-cat ... 77460.html Step 3: Find out what GMAT score you actually need. Just to give you an idea - You need at least 700 for Top 10 schools, 680 for Top 20, and 650 for Top 50 to pass - meaning your score should not be an issue and you will need something 50 points higher to actually stand out. Most people are able to improve between 50 and 150 points - that should give you an estimate of what you can count on based on the diagnostic test you just took. You can see current average applicant GMAT scores here . To visualize the entire application process, please use MBA Timeline Tool Step 4: 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 600 and 2 two-digit scores such as 35, 40 - those two 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, DS, CR, RC, SC 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 - Math Revolution offers a free Quant Diagnostic test , as does GMAT Club, and eGMAT offers a verbal diagnostic . Use this information to build your study plan. Step 5: Design your study plan - finally! You need to build up your toolkit and get some ammo for the GMAT. You will need books or a course (online or in person) to refresh/learn fundamentals and then test taking strategies. You will also need GMAT tests to practice those strategies and also evaluate your prep level. See these links for: GMAT course reviews , GMAT Books reviews For collection of all GMAT Tests available today: https://gmatclub.com/forum/all-gmat-cat ... 77460.html Finally - chart/plot/graph your study plan - use this calendar format Step 6: 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: pyramid.gif In the General Knowledge stage cover basics for a chapter/section/area In the Question Strategies stage start practicing questions either for the area you just covered or for an entire section but don't attempt questions for sections you have not covered yet In the Test Strategies start taking full length tests and practice on putting questions and knowledge together Step 7: 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... Here is the most common GMAT study plans used by GMAT Club Members: 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 CAT's. 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. 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 79th), so make sure you are up there. 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 Magoosh, eGMAT, Math Revolution, examPAL, Target Test Prep or EMPOWERgmat 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). Mobile Apps: There is a number of free GMAT Apps for iPhone and Android including GMAT Club's ToolKit . Many courses have free companion apps - Veritas Prep Offline Study Plan: If you study best with books, get the full collection of the MGMAT Guides or Veritas Prep Guides or Kaplan Books (remember to also get the Official Guide). The book bundles come with everything you need and both are fully all-inclusive in terms of what you need. My only other suggestion is to get the MGMAT Roadmap which serves a collection of study-related tips. This is a reliable/proven approach with good results. Total cost for this study plan will be $150-$300. Month 1 Start with Math section first and focus just on math alone (you can do both math and verbal but I suggest you put all attention into one). Both MGMAT and Veritas Prep have numbered books, so all you have to do is open Book1 and just follow along to Book10. Plan to spend 4 weeks on the Quant Portion. Start using an Error Log - keep track of your mistakes and guesses -this will become your study guide in Month 3. ( Tip: dedicated post on how to analyze your mistakes ) Optional Step: If you are feeling the load is too heavy and you are really weak in Quant or Verbal - get MGMAT Math Foundations or MGMAT Verbal Foundations book; it is great in providing a more general overview of math concepts. At the same time, start reading GMAT Fiction (see below for details on what it is for) Get involved with the Math Forum - you will learn a lot esp. when you try to teach someone or explain something After you are done with the math section - start taking the math portion of the tests you have. 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. Another book you may consider is the PR 1012 - it contains targeted GMAT practice questions, which could be helpful in honing one's skills. Though may seem attractive, Advanced Quant book from MGMAT has received mixed reviews from the users - many feel it is really too hard and is not representative of the GMAT's difficulty. We did attempt to go through it and even for yours truly, it proved discouraging and painful. Unless you are really bored, it may be a book better left for another time. 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 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 algorithm – how does it work? 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 800? Yes, he has. Month 2 Start working on the Verbal section. You can start with any question type, but my suggestion would be to tackle Sentence Correction first as it is usually the most straightforward Error Log! Sentence Correction Optional Step: If you are not a native speaker, you will need a good grammar book or a verbal-intensive course such as the SC course by eGMAT that focuses on concepts for non-native speakers. Several grammar books are recommended on the Forum ( https://gmatclub.com/forum/best-gmat-gr ... 79934.html ). We have created a book specifically for this need - Ultimate GMAT Grammar (it covers all of the tested grammar topics on the GMAT, plus a bit more concepts that international students seem to struggle the most (articles, etc). The best thing of all is that it is Free ). Other books to consider are Kaplan Verbal Foundations and 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. If you are short on time and can’t cover the MGMAT’s SC book, you can use the Kaplan Verbal Workbook - it has good strategies and I have personally used it to prepare, so it does work, though it is not as complete as the MGMAT or Vertas Prep books. 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 an inexpensive online course such as SC eGMAT . You can also use the PR 1012 book for targeted practice with Assumption or Conclusion questions or you can go very heavy weight and use LSAT books, but that's a tad too hardcore and usually unnecessary. See BM’s review of the LSAT resources. 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 SC and 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 - 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 SC and CR, it will even give you a daily estimated GMAT score. Verbal Advantage – you may have seen badges and posts about it – make sure you use this initiative. Every year for about 3 months, GMAT club teams up with the best verbal prep companies to bring you the best experts, articles, and questions. You can use these resources at any time and benefit from the previous years of work. Verbal Advantage 2013 and also the first season – Verbal Advantage 2012 Take the verbal-only portion of the tests to evaluate your progress (compare to how you did in the diagnostic test). Another worthwhile resource for you may be this quant-focused discussion: how to get from V30 to V40 Month 3 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 (including AWA and IR ) - 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 "black list of questions" that you continue to struggle with and find a way to solve them with minimal mental effort. For IR, there is always the big question of, how important is IR really, and the answer, clearly, is – nobody knows. We expect that it will be more definite in 2015/2016 years when the first IR test-takers have graduated and GMAC can trace patterns. Meanwhile, go here for IR resources and practice. 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? What to expect at the test center and 8 things not to do Analysis of Patterns among those who scored 750+ and what they did 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 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, Kapan Quiz bank , Math Revolution Question Bank 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 and DS, you will get a quant raw score estimate and as soon as you do the same in SC and 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 Workbook 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, Math Revolution and Magoosh, many of which have courses for less than the cost of books (as low as $59). 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 STAR button next to the topic name or you can print it out for future reference .

Thanks for the information. That makes sense now that you put it that way. To be honest, I'm actually quite nervous about this whole process. It has been over 18 years since I was in school and I feel pretty rusty, especially when it comes to all of these algebraic equations and rules. Nevertheless, I'm determined to go back to school for my MBA so I'm just going to buckle down, put together a good study plan, and hopefully I'll be enrolled in grad school and taking classes this coming fall. Anyway, thanks again for your help. I look forward to spending lots of time here on the forum!

Last visit was: 09 May 2026, 05:49

It is currently 09 May 2026, 05:49

Toolkit

General GMAT Questions and Strategies

GMAT Club Daily Prep

Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.

Go to My Error Log Learn more

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel

Back to Forum

Create Topic

GMAT Study Plan - How to Start your GMAT Prep

1 ... 11 12 13 14 15 ... 42

Founder

Joined: 04 Dec 2002

Last visit: 08 May 2026

Posts: 43,246

Own Kudos:

83,815

Given Kudos: 24,694

Location: United States

GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42 Verified score

GPA: 3

Products:

Expert

Expert reply

GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42 Verified score

Posts: 43,246

Kudos: 83,815

31 Dec 2010, 14:50

Kudos

Bookmarks

barrykw68

Hi all!!! I too am a newbie here. Actually, this is my first post on this forum! First, I must say that I love this website and forum. There is SO much information here and it has been a GREAT help!

My question today is regarding the OG. Why do so many people on this forum keep saying to skip this book? It would seem to me that this book should be one of the primary resources for anyone studying for the GMAT. The book is after all provided by the GMAC, correct?

Anyway, I have just started studying and am targeting taking the GMAT in March or April. I have the OG (and supplements) and plan on buying the 8 MGMAT books. I was mainly just curious why I keep seeing so many posts on the forum telling people to skip the OG.

BTW, great study plan! I will definitely use the advice! Thanks!

The MGMAT Guides rely on the OG's so you will not be skipping them. Don't worry about it - the key is to master the basics. What people refer to is that you should not be just solving questions after questions thinking that the practice will help you. The effect is minimal compared to the uplift you get from going through the fundamentals.

Good luck with your prep!

barrykw68

Joined: 22 Aug 2010

Last visit: 20 Jun 2013

Posts: 5

Location: Gainesville, GA

Concentration: Accounting or Finance

Schools:Indiana University (Kelley Direct) or Penn State (iMBA)

Posts: 5

Kudos: 0

02 Jan 2011, 08:25

Kudos

Bookmarks

barrykw68

Thanks for the information. That makes sense now that you put it that way. To be honest, I'm actually quite nervous about this whole process. It has been over 18 years since I was in school and I feel pretty rusty, especially when it comes to all of these algebraic equations and rules. :shock:

Nevertheless, I'm determined to go back to school for my MBA so I'm just going to buckle down, put together a good study plan, and hopefully I'll be enrolled in grad school and taking classes this coming fall.

Anyway, thanks again for your help. I look forward to spending lots of time here on the forum!

Founder

Joined: 04 Dec 2002

Last visit: 08 May 2026

Posts: 43,246

Own Kudos:

83,815

Given Kudos: 24,694

Location: United States

GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42 Verified score

GPA: 3

Products:

Expert

Expert reply

GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42 Verified score

Posts: 43,246

Kudos: 83,815

02 Jan 2011, 17:30

Kudos

Bookmarks

barrykw68

wow, you will have a bit of a challenge with all the math rules and tricks. Even CFA (or especially CFA) folks have quite a bit of challenges with GMAT math (which is really college/high school math) but the mind forgets. The best approach is to systematically cover everything - then when you see a problem you have never seen in your life, you know that it is not something you did not study but rather the wording is unusual and the solution is not hiding behind some crazy formula but rather behind logic or simplification.

Good Luck and happy 2011!

tuaj24

Joined: 02 Jan 2011

Last visit: 16 Jan 2011

Posts: 6

Kudos: 0

02 Jan 2011, 19:37

Kudos

Bookmarks

BB, thanks again for your guide for newbies.

I had a question on the strategy books.

I'm planning on purchasing Kaplan 2011 premium, the MGMAT set, and the OG guides.

You mentioned to start with math in Month 1. Should I go through the Kaplan and the OG overview book before starting the math in Month 1? Or is the strategy for after I've gone through all the material basics?

Founder

Joined: 04 Dec 2002

Last visit: 08 May 2026

Posts: 43,246

Own Kudos:

83,815

Given Kudos: 24,694

Location: United States

GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42 Verified score

GPA: 3

Products:

Expert

Expert reply

GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42 Verified score

Posts: 43,246

Kudos: 83,815

02 Jan 2011, 19:59

Kudos

Bookmarks

tuaj24

You can start with Math or verbal - it is up to you. I started with math to gain some confidence. If you don't know a whole lot about the GMAT, you can start with the Kaplan Premier. If you do, you can dive right into the MGMAT Guides.

tuaj24

Joined: 02 Jan 2011

Last visit: 16 Jan 2011

Posts: 6

Kudos: 0

02 Jan 2011, 20:11

Kudos

Bookmarks

Got it.

The only thing I know about the GMAT is what I've learned on here over the last 2 days, so looks like I'll start with the overview books. Thanks!

Founder

Joined: 04 Dec 2002

Last visit: 08 May 2026

Posts: 43,246

Own Kudos:

83,815

Given Kudos: 24,694

Location: United States

GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42 Verified score

GPA: 3

Products:

Expert

Expert reply

GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42 Verified score

Posts: 43,246

Kudos: 83,815

02 Jan 2011, 20:35

Kudos

Bookmarks

tuaj24

Got it.

The only thing I know about the GMAT is what I've learned on here over the last 2 days, so looks like I'll start with the overview books. Thanks!

Good Luck!
The Kaplan book is good (decent) but it is not deep enough, which serves a good purpose of staying high level and not killing you with details right away but you will quickly reach the limits of it, so spend a week or two and then dive into MGMAT Guides.

TwoThrones

Joined: 21 Sep 2010

Last visit: 26 Feb 2015

Posts: 244

Own Kudos:

108

Given Kudos: 56

Posts: 244

Kudos: 108

04 Jan 2011, 12:41

Kudos

Bookmarks

This plan looks great. I will follow it and post results when I take the exam (won't be for a while though).

jagveerbrar

Joined: 25 Apr 2010

Last visit: 31 May 2012

Posts: 32

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 14

Posts: 32

Kudos: 72

04 Jan 2011, 23:53

Kudos

Bookmarks

Very nice study plan

A good study plan saves a lot of time because when we plan, we actually procrastinate things by giving too much time for planning

barrykw68

Joined: 22 Aug 2010

Last visit: 20 Jun 2013

Posts: 5

Location: Gainesville, GA

Concentration: Accounting or Finance

Schools:Indiana University (Kelley Direct) or Penn State (iMBA)

Posts: 5

Kudos: 0

06 Jan 2011, 06:10

Kudos

Bookmarks

barrykw68

Yeah, I definitely realize that math is going to be my biggest challenge. You are also correct in that I need to systematically cover everything, because I'm finding that I've even forgotten a lot of the basics. I never did care for Algebra when I was in school and I guess it's showing. :-)

Founder

Joined: 04 Dec 2002

Last visit: 08 May 2026

Posts: 43,246

Own Kudos:

83,815

Given Kudos: 24,694

Location: United States

GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42 Verified score

GPA: 3

Products:

Expert

Expert reply

GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42 Verified score

Posts: 43,246

Kudos: 83,815

06 Jan 2011, 07:54

Kudos

Bookmarks

Thats one thing the MBA application does to you - forces you to address the issues you (or at least I) have been avoiding.

Naiseewed

Joined: 08 Jan 2011

Last visit: 11 Jan 2011

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

11 Jan 2011, 02:19

Kudos

Bookmarks

Thanks for reply???!, but being cheap-ass as i am(LOL...

) i found promo-copy of BlackOps, woohooo! Let's se what this baby can do!

vires90

Joined: 12 Jan 2011

Last visit: 18 Apr 2013

Posts: 4

Kudos: 0

13 Jan 2011, 03:53

Kudos

Bookmarks

hey, this forum is great!! I am about to start my GMAT journey and I must say this forum has been helpful. I do have some questions. Here is the material I have: MGMAT 8 guides, 3 OG's and I am not sure if I should get the Kaplan Premier and start off with it(please let me know). Another question I have is about MGMAT 9 session Prep Course ..is it any good or worth it?

Please review my study plan:
Gmatprep test 1
Kaplan Premier( if recommended)
8 MGMAT guides
3 OG's
practice tests

Jayanth2689

Joined: 28 Jul 2010

Last visit: 24 Apr 2016

Posts: 50

Own Kudos:

167

Given Kudos: 11

Location: India

Concentration: Finance, Social Entrepreneurship

Schools: Goizueta 1YR '17 (D) Oxford'17 (M) LBS '18 (D) Judge'17 (WD) ISB '17 (D)

GMAT 1: 640 Q48 V30 Verified score

WE:Project Management (Finance: Venture Capital)

Schools: Goizueta 1YR '17 (D) Oxford'17 (M) LBS '18 (D) Judge'17 (WD) ISB '17 (D)

GMAT 1: 640 Q48 V30 Verified score

Posts: 50

Kudos: 167

16 Jan 2011, 07:17

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hey all! first of all happy new year..im half way through on the plan..gmat in 2 months! i just have a quick question..how can i balance both quant and verbal sections during my study time? because i feel i might freak out during full tests as i fear i may feel rusty with the section what i studied first..in this case..quants! pls advise!

phoenix123

Joined: 16 Jan 2011

Last visit: 19 Feb 2011

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

16 Jan 2011, 07:58

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hello Everyone,

I took GMATPrep1 yesterday and here is the result:
Quant Verbal Total
49 21

580

Above scores are without any preparation. I'm good at quants and apt related questions. My weak area is Verbal.
I've gone through many post in the forum. I'd still request some senior member to help me in making the plan for Verbal. I'm planning to write GMAT in next 2-3 months.

Thanks.

TwoThrones

Joined: 21 Sep 2010

Last visit: 26 Feb 2015

Posts: 244

Own Kudos:

108

Given Kudos: 56

Posts: 244

Kudos: 108

17 Jan 2011, 11:49

Kudos

Bookmarks

SigSemyBess

i need somthing which will help me quickly. who knows what about this?

Is this a joke because of the title? I am having a very hard time understanding what it is you mean.

Kenji87

Joined: 18 Jan 2011

Last visit: 01 May 2011

Posts: 4

Kudos: 0

18 Jan 2011, 07:07

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi!

I'm planning to do my GMAT in April. I'm now preparing myself for everything. I'm preparing myself with Kaplan premiere 2011, Kaplan verbal workbook, Kaplan math workbook and Gmat review 12th edition. Last year, November and December, I followed four math sessions based on GMAT math. Now I have started with the verbal section, I see some problems. The RC part is very difficult for me, because I'm not a native speaker. SC is going well and CR is not good nor bad. Every time after a RC test I'm very disappointed because I scored bad, last time I scored 7 out of 18.

I read about how to improve my English skills, but the only note I have is that I'm not a reader. But if this is the only option, I have to agree with it.

Founder

Joined: 04 Dec 2002

Last visit: 08 May 2026

Posts: 43,246

Own Kudos:

83,815

Given Kudos: 24,694

Location: United States

GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42 Verified score

GPA: 3

Products:

Expert

Expert reply

GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42 Verified score

Posts: 43,246

Kudos: 83,815

21 Jan 2011, 12:20

Kudos

Bookmarks

Kenji87

I am not claiming to be an expert in this but I can't seem to know any other way of dealing with RC except by reading.
Try GMAT Fiction and you may enjoy reading actually - many have.

crystalsteph

Joined: 22 Jan 2011

Last visit: 29 Jan 2011

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

22 Jan 2011, 14:12

Kudos

Bookmarks

Thanks, BB, for starting this forum, and to all the contributors.

I took the GRE last year, scored pitifully (53rd percentile in Math!), but still applied to three top10 schools this year. I'm WL'd at one and have been rejected at two. I've now decided to take the GMAT and reapply/apply to more schools. I did some prep study for the GMAT two years back, and I think I scored around a 540 in a practice CAT. I forget the breakdown, but I remember the Quant section really kicking my butt.

My question is: I've tried the self-study route, and I know I'm not disciplined enough to do it completely on my own. I also know that classes are typically not effective for me, as I'm not an audio learner (tried a class two years ago). Any suggestions on how to start? The thought of going through an entire Kaplan book alone feels daunting, as does going through all the MGMAT materials. Is there a semi-private class to start? I feel like then I could go through some of the material on my own, then get private tutoring. Thoughts?

Many thanks, everyone. Looking forward to mingling over the next few months.

spyguy

Joined: 05 Nov 2010

Last visit: 11 Feb 2011

Posts: 32

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 5

Posts: 32

Kudos: 2

22 Jan 2011, 14:18

Kudos

Bookmarks

crystalsteph looking forward to seeing what you find out.

1 ... 11 12 13 14 15 ... 42

Moderators:

gchandana

197 posts

MBAACCOUNT2025

General GMAT Forum Moderator

474 posts

Prep Toolkit

Announcements

GMAT Club MBA Scholarships Winners Drawing - Join & Watch the Lucky Winners

Friday, May 8, 2026
11am NY / 3pm London / 8:30pm Mumbai

Meet AdComs from TOP MBA Programs!

How I Won Admits from ISB, IIM Ahmedabad, and IIM Bangalore (Just Be Authentic)

Subscribe to MBA Club for New Videos on Essays, School-specific Strategies, & Insights Every Applicant Needs

AGSM at UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE

Top GMAT Focus Debriefs

An Emory MBA Powers Growth

Emory powers growth—professionally and personally. Built on a foundation of interdisciplinary learning, leadership development, and career readiness, our top-20 MBA program delivers a high return on investment with top-5 career outcomes.

Tuck at Dartmouth

Step Inside the Tuck Experience: Discover Tuck Events This Fall
Current Tuck MBA students and Discover Tuck co-chairs share advice for prospective students and reflect on why they chose Tuck for their MBA.

Read More

My Rewards

What are Rewards?

My Tier

(1 points)

HOT DEALS FOR MAY

	Target Test Prep - Save up to $599 $400 Discount + $99 Bonus GMAT Club Tests
	e-GMAT: 60% Off on GMAT Focus Get to 735+ from any starting point
	Magoosh increases your score, guaranteed - 15% off ALL Magoosh GMAT plans with code GMATCLUB15 + Free GMAT Club Tests.
	Manhattan Prep: $99 Bonus Score Higher on Your GMAT Exam. Guaranteed.
	Experts' Global - ~~$1720~~ $960 End-to-End GMAT Prep + App Support: 150+ Videos, 2000+ Questions, 15 FLTs +
	GMATWhiz - $299 ~~$499~~ Experience the course through a free trial.
	GMAT Club Tests - Free Included with every course purchase of $149+ View all deals

GMAT Study Plan - How to Start your GMAT Prep

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards