Hi lockhartd,
It sounds like you're just starting out. Is that true? Have you done any studying so far?
If you're just beginning, then it would be a good idea to take a FULL-LENGTH practice CAT Test; you can download 2 for free from
www.mba.com (and they come with some additional practice materials). If you want to do a bit of practice first, so that you can familiarize yourself with the general content and question types first, then that's fine - but you shouldn't wait too long to take that initial CAT. A FULL CAT takes about 4 hours to complete, so make sure that you've set aside enough time to take it in one sitting. Once you have those scores, you should report back here and we can discuss the results and come up with a study plan.
Many Test Takers spend 3 months (or more) of consistent study time before they hit their 'peak' scores, so you might want to factor that into your plans. It's certainly possible that you might need more or less time than that, but we won't know for sure until you put in some study time and we see how you perform on your practice CATS.
I'd like to know a bit more about your timeline and goals:
1) What is your goal score?
2) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich