How long have you been studying for the GMAT?

Question

General question: How long have you been studying for the GMAT and how well did your scores progress?

For me, I've been studying the GMAT for a little less than 2 months. I thought that that would be enough time for me to score around a 650 or 700, but I guess I was ignorant at the time...

I took the GMAT Practice test the first time about a week after I started studying (Mid Jan)... I didn't really pay attention to the rules, taking frequent breaks whenever I felt like it. Sometimes I even PrintScreen and pasted the question in a Word file so I would have more time to answer it. Got a 540, which disappointed me. But there was still hope! I had about a month and a half to get to 700!

But I didn't. Actually, the first month or so I didn't really study very hard... which I now regret. I would sleep while studying or join my friend when they invited me to play basketball. To my dismay, I stumbled upon this forum just one week prior to my test day. I crammed and crammed as much as possible a week before test day, studying as much as over 30 hours straight, which proved useless. I repeated the practice tests again, knowing that there were other questions in the program that I could answer. I kept getting around 610-630 the second or third times of each test. Even though the score was inaccurate, I was happy that my score was increasing. I did various practice tests (the free ones) and scored higher and higher, getting a 680 on the night before my test (last night). But that test was inaccurate also, since I got a 610 the first time I took it.

So, after a full night's rest, I went in and faced my destiny. Needless to say, I didn't do so hot. Actually, I did a lot worse than I expected, scoring a mere 520. This surprised me since I made a 540 without studying. I'm not sure if the practice tests are easier or I just had a bad day. Well, I'm not giving up as this would be a bad time to lose hope and concentrate on something else.

So, how long has your GMAT career been and how was the rate of your improvement?

nevergiveup · Answer

You are not alone. I studied for three years and I still cannot get the 700+ score I wanted. All my practice tests are above 700 with the highest 770. But on the real exam, my highest was 660. If you really want the score you like, keep studying.

spiridon · Answer

I studied about 6 weeks and was getting 700s on GmatPreps right before the test.

bb · Answer

I was trying to find my original post, but I think it is gone now as it was too old :shock:

. Great. I studied for about 3-4 months on and off - hanging out at the beach with the GMAT book, reading it while traveling, etc. I think I covered the entire book or maybe got close. It was ARCO GMAT Book - I don't think they publish it (thankfully - it was a waste of time). Anyway, I took a PowerPrep test in September or October and scored 550. My roommate who has not studied at all and was spending his nights drinking and partying (vs. me studying the GMAT) scored 540 on the same test. Made me feel real bad. I then started studying using Kaplan books (this was back in early 2000's) and spent about 3 intense months on the GMAT. I went through the Kaplan's General book (this link is to the recent version as I doubt you want the 2001 edition) in about a month. Then I got Kaplan's Math Workbook and spent a month on that. Finally, the last month I spent on the Verbal Workbook and taking full length tests - nothing kills your Saturday as a Full Length GMAT Test. Probably a shocking point to many will be that I did not use the Official Guide . That's right, I did not. The Kaplan's questions are a bit different, esp. the Verbal part, so the last few days I spent taking the second PowerPrep (now GMATPrep) test and reviewing my mistakes as well as getting used to the GMAT question intricacies compared to the Kaplan. On the day before the test, I got 740 on the PowerPrep - a bit of a shock to me since I've been scoring 640's on Kaplan. I dismissed the score, hoping that 640+740 = close to 700 that I needed. The day of I got 750 (49, 42), which I was shocked about just as much (thanks to Kaplan that provides lower scores). So, to answer your question, I seriously studied only about 3-4 months. However, I changed my work schedule and freed up my mornings to study (I worked from Noon till 9 PM). I started reading a lot of fiction books (I am not a native speaker and my Fiction book recommendations are here ), and was completely cut off from any social activities on the weekends. My weekends were spent taking full-length tests (AWA, Math, and Verbal) and after that I was mostly done for the day and did not want to do anything or talk to anyone, just being depressed about my low Kaplan score :wink:

Hope this helps.

bb · Answer

Sorry for the double post but your post reminded me of something - I found myself on the opposite side of the fence with prep time.

After 3-4 months of studying, I was not confident about my score - not at all and I though I should keep at it. However, I also realized that I could not sustain the momentum and if I waited even one more month, I would start forgetting what I learned in the first month, so I decided to pull the plug and take the test, which in retrospect, seems like the right decision.

I hope your memory is better than mine (anyone's seems to be), so maybe you don't have the same issues as I do, but I would recommend to do a final push (dedicated studying for a month or 6 weeks) and get over the hump. Of course this is easier said than done. Schedule may not allow it or it may not be the best time but may be worth a try. Also, if you are a non-native speaker, reading some fiction or business literature may help a lot to get into the mental state of proper English.

BuddaBelly · Answer

Sorry to hear.

It definitely sounds like you're putting in the hours. Getting 700+ is about eliminating your weaknesses and benchmarking your improvement. It is also about using superior study materials (M-GMAT and Official GMAT).

I recommend reading the threads in this forum (the first couple that talk about getting 750/780/730, etc) and mimic that study pattern and strategy. Also post your existing study methods/routines/scores so others can comment on them.

If you have any questions, feel free to post/pm. How you study and what you study will have a STRONG impact on your test day performance.

BTW, I got a 710.

Nach0 · Answer

I only put in the hours the very final week, which was not enough. :\ Now I'm attempting to study just as consistent as the last week for the next month or two... or probably 31 days until I'm able to retake the test.

spgny · Answer

BB..thanks for that post..once again extremely helpful....we share many similarities in our test prep journey..hopeful I cn slay this beast and get back to reading things on the beach I actually enjoy.......

spgny · Answer

BB..one other thing..you said you used ACO Petersons...did you use their CATS...I have the book, it has 6 paper and 3 CATS....I assume I should toss this book and concentrate on MGMAT/GMATPrep..but wanted your input...

Aztec · Answer

Hey,

I'm studying part-time. For the past 6 weeks I've been getting up at 6am and studying for 1.5 hours before work. At the weekend I try and do 4-5 hours on Saturday morning.
I only discovered this forum this week! Its slowly dawning on me how much work I have to do.
I'm hoping to score 700+
Its hard to say but I'm thinking I'll need another 3-4 months at the rate I'm going.
What do people think?
Is there anyone else in the same boat?

Great forum btw. I'm already picking up match winning tips!

Aztec

chill · Answer

Practice....That takes time...
There is no quickie to Success....you gotta earn it... Sorry for the harsh words...but Best of (Hard Work)/(LUCK)

BuddaBelly · Answer

Kinda depends on:
1) what your diagnostic is? What's your diagnostic cat score? what are your strengths/weaknesses?
2) what times are you most efficient? when is your mind the sharpest? (that is the best time to study) if that's at 6:00am, then do 6:00am. For me, it was 2:00am :D
3) If you have a 600+ diagnostic score, I suggest booking your GMAT right away. There are lots of GMAT writers in the summer. Booking your test day now will not only guarantee your spot 3~4 months down the road, it will also cement your resolve so there is no last minute procrastination. (like no "oh i need another 3 weeks" type of thinking).

Just some ideas to think about. I wrote a brief guide that I can email you if you'd like. Let me know via pm? in any case, good luck! 700+ is def. doable! remember, high verbal = 700+!!

later d00d

BuddaBelly · Answer

hell yea! gotta make your own luck!!

good thing about GMAT is that its ALL practice. Material isn't particularly hard, its just about nailing the test taking skills

Aztec · Answer

Thanks a lot!

Aztec

BuddaBelly · Answer

pm me your email addy?

Pathfinder · Answer

If you are not native speaker and/or don't have quant background I doubt anything below six months will do the job for you. I don't say it is impossible, but if one score 750 without six months preparation, it only means he is of quant background or he is a natural quant geek... and probably the English teacher or something like that

I've spent some solid 5 months before my last (and most successful attempt), but you have to count all those months and weeks of studying for my previous, not so successful appearings. Being pretty weak in math and non-native speaker, I would say I spent entire year in the GMAT preparation.

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