Looking for advice on how to study/when to take GMAT

Question

Hey all,

I am a 2011 college graduate who is thinking about going to B school in 3 or 4 years. I took a practice test through GMATPrep (mba dot com) and scored 730 (49Q 41V) without any preparation. I am debating whether to take the test in September and study for a few months beforehand or wait a few years until my plans are more solid before taking the GMAT. I also wonder about whether to take a prep class or not - I know 730 is a good score but am thinking that 750 or 760 would be even better.

Can anyone give me advice on whether a bump from 730 to 750+ would make a significant difference? Or whether you can "lose" your GMAT skills over a few years? Also, is a class a useful investment, and if so, which one?

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks everyone.

l0rrie · Answer

I don't mean this in a bad way but why should you get a class when, WITHOUT preparation you got such an amazing score on the REAL GMATprep.. People take courses to get to the point where you are already.. I would just say, study as much as you can and you will be absolutely fine! Good luck, keep up posted

ebonn101 · Answer

First, take GMATPrep test 2 to ensure you didn't have a miraculous score on test 1. Once you've confirmed you are in the low 700s, here's what I would do:

Buy a MGMAT book for the subject you are weakest in to access the 6 MGMAT CATs. If I had your score, I would take several practice CATs, maybe 3, and assess which types of questions you seem to get wrong the most often. MGMAT's assessment tool will generate cross-test reports to show you this information. Then, rather than a class, I would spend $600 or so on 3 hours of private one on one tutoring with a MGMAT instructor. Address the specific areas and learn the necessary techniques in that time. You'll save money on the class (they run $1000-1500 depending), and you'll save a boatload of time while the instructor explains concepts to people far below your skill level.

Then go home and take 10-20 practice CATs between now and your test date - recommend 2-3 months. Purchase individual books to shore up your weak areas. By then, your pacing and timing will be perfect and I think you can reasonably expect to be in the 750 range.

OldMinolta · Answer

Aren't they getting ready to change the format? I would study and lock down a score while you know where you stand. Some people will inevitably do better or worse with the format change. Avoid unnecessary risk.

ebonn101 · Answer

A very good point - once the new GMAT comes into play in June of 2012, who knows how it will affect scores. I would take it before then, which is certainly enough time.

gmatkoopa · Answer

i was in a similar boat as you 3 weeks ago (770 diagnostic)

opted to take the exam sooner rather than later, so i'm doing it this friday!

gmatkoopa · Answer

also did you go to an ivy? you sound like someone i know

bschoolhopeful1989 · Answer

I took the second GMAT Prep test tonight and got a 760 49Q 46V. I got 13 questions wrong in Quant though (12 of 13 Data Sufficiency so I know what to study from here on) - does this make any sense? I can't see how you can get 13/37 questions wrong and get a 760 overall but the questions were definitely hard. I know that you get locked in to a certain range of questions and perhaps that is why I came out with a 49. And no, I didn't go to an ivy.

ebonn101 · Answer

Search the other threads on this forum, there are several ones that explain the scoring algorithm. Bottom line - it is not based on number or percent of correct answers. Much more significant is the question's degree of difficulty - this determine where the computer will place you in terms of percentile ranking.

FutureWorks · Answer

Hello

We would advise you to gauge your performance over the time to ensure what score to be able to predict in what range you might score.

There are various ways you can prepare for GMAT. It could be combination of online classes, coaching institutes, practise books and even smart phone applications. Having this combination will be giving you access to different styles and it won’t be monotonous for you.

Dedicate some time to study daily through these different methods. Probably practising the tests will help you gauge your performance and you would know if you are satisfied with your score or not.

Its not just the GMAT that plays an important role but other factors like academics, beyond academics and quality of work you have done that are crucial in determining your candidature. So if you think you can highlight these very well in your application then 20 points up in gmat might not be that difficult. However if you are not confident on the other aspects of your profile then those 20 points will play important role in ensuring your gmat side of the application so you can focus on other aspects.
However a score above 700 is generally considered good when applying to the top b schools.

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Looking for advice on how to study/when to take GMAT

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