Last 10 Days of Prep

Question

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to prep in the last 10 days? Have completed the original guide, verbal + quant guides and two of the GMAT PREP (old edition tests).

My plan is to purchase the question bank, EP 1 and EP 2 and just grind through 50 questions of the QB each day and do a test every other day. Any other suggestions?

abhimahna · Answer

Hey thinkpad18 ,

I am sorry but giving mock every other day is the worst idea one can think of.

What is your base score? Are you able to hit the score you want in the real GMAT?

Do the following things:

1. Give a mock right away. (Probably GMAT Prep 1)
2. Determine how far you are from your target score.
3. If the difference is huge(more than 30 points), postpone your exam and take sufficient amount of time to prepare well before you hit the official exam.
4. If the difference is negligible, go ahead and follow the next steps.
5. Give a Maximum of 3 mocks in these 10 days.
6. Revise everything well and understand what all mistakes you made during the preparation.
7. Calm down as much as you can.
8. Just enjoy your life for 1 day or two days before your exam.

Note that every mock you are taking should be taken in similar examination environment you are going to have in real GMAT.

All the best

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi thinkpad18,

A CAT is really a 'measuring device' - when used correctly, it will give you a realistic score and help define your strengths and weaknesses, but it will NOT help you to fix any of those weaknesses. To raise your scores, you have to put in the necessary practice and repetitions. The CAT will show you whether your studies are helping you to improve or not. In addition, the process of taking (and reviewing) a CAT requires a significant amount of energy and effort - and takes time to 'recover' from. Considering all of these factors, you really shouldn't take more than 1 FULL CAT per week.

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) How have you scored on EACH of your CATs (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

Goals:
4) What is your goal score?
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
6) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

thinkpad18 · Answer

1) I have studied on and off for the past 5 months... most seriously in the past month.

2) Have gone through MGMAT and all the OG materials (OG + Verbal + Quant)

3) GMAT Prep 1 - 610 (in March)
GMAT Prep 2 - 690 (in early April)
GMAT Prep 3 - 750 (Today) (49V-44V)

Goal score is 770+.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi thinkpad18,

I have a few questions about these CATs:

1) The first 2 CATs would have been in the 'old' format; was the third CAT also in the old format or in the new, shorter format?
2) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT each time (including the Essay and IR sections)?
3) Did you take them at home?
4) Did you take them at the same time of day as when you plan to take your Official GMAT?
5) Did you ever do ANYTHING during your CATs that you couldn't do on Test Day (pause the CAT, skip sections, take longer breaks, etc.)? 
6) Did you ever take a CAT more than once? Had you seen any of the questions BEFORE (re: on a prior CAT, in an online forum or in a practice set)?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

thinkpad18 · Answer

1) 3rd was literally today in the new format
2) Yes 
3) Yes
4) Approximately (an hour or two later than I expect to)
5) Nope
6) All fresh questions

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi thinkpad18,

Test Day is a rather specific 'event' - the details are specific and they matter, so you have to train as best as you can for all of them. The more realistic you can make your CATs, the more likely the score results are to be accurate. The more you deviate, the more "inflated" your practice scores can become - and that's something that might have happened here. By taking your CATs at home and taking them at different times (from when you'll take the Official GMAT), your results might be a bit 'off.' Anyone who has the capacity to score 750 can certainly score 770 (from a performance-standpoint, the difference in those two Scores is not as much as you might think), but you really have to nitpick your performances and define WHY you got questions wrong. How many questions did you get wrong that you COULD have actually gotten correct (and what could you have done differently to EARN those correct answers?)?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

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