Guidance Required

Question

hello to all..

I have my gmat, exactly 45 days from now.. 
I am working.. n have not started anything yet.... m nervous as well as confused... 
It would be great if anyone can share their similar experience with GMAT. 
Or maybe provide any tips like how should i approach.. how many hours daily would be good.. 
how many tests? any resources.. thanks a lot.

dc3828102 · Answer

I want to first say good luck.

GMAT is a nerve wrecking experience for many. There are some special people who can study for a bit, take the test and walk away with 750+ but I was not one of them unfortunately.

The first place to start is to take the free Manhattan GMAT or Knewton test. I haven't taken the Knewton test but I have heard many good things about the test and I can tell you for certain that Manhattan GMAT test will give you a pretty good sense of how the test structure will be like and what kind of questions you can anticipate.

After the practice test, if you are significantly below(100+) your desired score, I'd say either postpone the test or cancel the test because you'd need 3~4 months to increase significant amount of points.

If you are completely unprepared, I'd suggest taking a GMAT prep course.

Good luck with your journey!

viksag · Answer

Thanks for the reply.. I'll look forward for taking the mentioned test. 
The colleges which i have selected require 690-720 range of GMAT score. I will not be able to post-pone the exam as all the dead lines will be over by then. I have just started preparing and currently I am using official guide. 
But based on experience of the team members, i want to know if anyone had been in similar position before and if they have some specific tips as in particular areas to conc on.. and certain books which had most similar questions as actual GMAT. 
Hope to get a positive response from you all. thanks

dc3828102 · Answer

Make sure to also download the official GMAT CAT from mba.com.

But I'd save that exam until later in the preparation. After two exams, the problems get recycled and it'll overestimate score a bit(assuming you learned from your mistakes).

jdk61710 · Answer

Hey Viksag,

I was in a very similar position with you - I had only about 30 days to prep for the GMAT. I took a diagnostic and I was devastated because it was like 620 when my target was ~720. And I had 30 days to go.

I spent most of my time with the official guide and Manhattan GMAT books. With the limited time, I specifically targeted my weak areas (MGMAT is very good at breaking down the math into parts - via multiple books). Buying one of the MGMAT books gives you access to 6 practice exams. I took one every 3 or 4 days and going through an entire practice exam then reviewing it helped me raise my score a lot (you also get 2 free exams from GMAC). For the sake of time, you should probably skip the essays portions of the practice exams and work on your writing the week before your exam. GMAT looks for a systematic and well-structured writing, and you dont need to be a stellar writer to get a 6 on the AWA. There's a fantastic guide on AWA on this forum that will help you hit a 6 without much practice.

I'm sure you can do it - I attained my target score.

Good luck!!!!!

RFMBA2 · Answer

First thing is first - don't stress! (Yes I know, easier said than done). What I did when I had a short time frame for my test was I sat down and drew out a calendar for myself. What I would do on everyday of the week (including weekends). I even scheduled in some "days off" for myself as well, mostly as a sanity check. Practice, practice, practice. That's the best advice I can give you. The GMAT is a battle of attrition. The more you take it the better you get at timing, guessing, test taking in general.

When I played baseball in college my coaches would always say, "do you know how to get better at hitting? Go hit." Same thing applies here - you want to get better at GMAT? Go practice GMAT.

Good luck!

When I played baseball in college my coaches would always say, "do you know how to get better at hitting? Go hit." Same thing applies here - you want to get better at GMAT? Go practice GMAT.

Good luck!

viksag · Answer

Thank you guys!! really thank you all your advice and tips have really helped me a lot. 
And as RFMBA2 says practice, practice, and practice : short-est cut for success in GMAT.

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