How much should you learn by heart?

Question

I am currently doing the TTP prep course and I have been wondering... do I need to know all of the quant and verbal content by heart? Or is it more like reviewing it and getting back to it when I get something wrong?

How much do you recommend one should learn by heart? Thanks in advance.

How much do you recommend one should learn by heart? Thanks in advance.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi jonkon,

When you say "learn by heart" can you describe in more detail what you mean exactly?

KarishmaB · Answer

jonkon On this link, I discuss what I need my students to memorise: https://youtube.com/shorts/zwAHNr6yW1w Rest, memorising will not help in GMAT. When you get a question wrong, review it to "understand" why you got it wrong - why you missed it. Thereafter, try some more similar questions to see if you can apply your understanding to those. GMAT will give you ingenious questions you would have never seen before, especially at higher levels. Memorising answers/methods is useless.

jonkon · Answer

What I mean is, I am working through the chapters but I am not sure that I would be able to apply the concepts 100% correctly all of the time just by working through them once. Should I use a software like Anki that tests me on different topics? Flashcards? Or is that not necessary, is it better to work through it once and then practice as much as possible and come back to the topics that I get wrong?

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Are you taking notes as you are reading the chapters? Are you completing the chapter tests following each chapter? Also, are you following the study plan exactly as it's laid out?

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi jonkon,

GMAT is a test of application of concepts. But before application, you need to understand the motive behind the questions being asked. Once you understand that, the process of learning becomes a lot simpler and easier. If your concepts are clear and you use the right methods and strategies to solve questions, you will be able to smartly avoid the traps set by the test makers.

Let me tell you the right approach to study for GMAT. The most important thing in the journey of your preparation for GMAT is to create a  structured study plan with clear deadlines . An ideal study plan should consist of following things :

Step 1   - Start working on one section at a time. I recommend starting from your weaker section. Now, in this section, take up one topic at a time and master this topic in 3 simple phases
   Phase 1  - learn the concepts tested on GMAT. 
  Phase 2  - learn a methodical approach to solve questions. This is the most crucial step. Most people don't do this and that's where they struggle.  
  Phase 3  - Practice questions and identify your weak areas right away to improve them. Don't move to the next topic unless you're getting at least the easy and medium questions right consistently.

Follow these 3 phases to learn all topics.

Step 2    - Once you've learned all topics, then start ironing out the gaps by taking sectional tests. Take a sectional test for each module and then identify weak areas and work on improving them.

Repeat step 2 and take a few mocks until you reach your target. While doing so focus on improving the method you follow to solve questions because that's what stops people from scoring 700+.

So, if you follow a structured and methodological approach towards learning, and are able to turn your weakness into strength through thorough analysis, you can achieve your target score.

Hope this helped.

Feel free to reach out in case of any queries!

ReedArnoldMPREP · Answer

I would also like to know what sorts of things you could know 'by heart,' but in general, my advice is:

--Some things MUST be memorized. You aren't expected to figure out how to calculate the area of a circle. If a question asks for that, you simplify must know the formula is 'A = pi*r^2' There's a rarely tested rule that a 'terminating decimal can only have 2's and/or 5's as prime factors in the denominator of the fraction form of the decimal.' If you don't know that rule, it's pretty hard (though I suppose technically not impossible...) to realize it mid-test.

So, memorize by heart as much as you can! It's just very helpful to know that 4^3 is 64, and that 17 is prime, and that '40%' is '2/5,' and that a^b * a^c = a(b+c)

--For things that could be memorized but you're not sure you want to take the time, have a process to figure the thing out quickly. For instance, if you don't want to remember that 5/6 is ~83%, have a process to get there quickly. You could memorize the 'units digits' cycle of powers of numbers ending in 3 (3-9-7-1), but it's probably just more important you know how to quickly generate it.

It can be very helpful to know that '25% more' generates a ratio of 5:4. But if you don't want to memorize that (or the other percent/fraction/ratio conversions). Have a process to get there quickly: ('25% more is 125% which means 125/100 which simplifies to... divide by 5... 5/4, so there is a 5:4 ratio).

And for the formulas you do memorize, it can be helpful to think about how they could be 'figured out.' For instance, you can understand why a^b * a^c = a^(b+c).

--Mostly, though, this isn't a memorizable test. It can help shorten some things, but the test is guaranteed to find the questions where your memorized information can't work and you have to work through the problem. This is why strategies, habits, and mechanics, really become the most important things to study for.

How much should you learn by heart?

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