Next step in study plan? Help please!

Question

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking for advice on what my next steps in my study plan should be. I've read a lot of various study plans from multiple sources online, and of course they're all different. Some say to take a practice test first, while others say to relearn material, while others say to jump straight into error logs. I've been studying for about 2 months (an hour before work, an hour or 2 after, and then about 6-8 hours on the weekends.

I have spent these entire 2 months on quant. I started off with reading the math review section in the 2019 OG to get a refresher on the basics and to make sense of topics like probability, word problems, etc. After, I chose to use just Magoosh (so far) and have watched all of the quant videos while taking fairly extensive notes while attempting some of the practice problems. I feel as though while I continue to progress in the lessons, I slowly lose some understanding of past topics. However, they quickly come back after I simply review it. I have finally finished all of the videos and am now wondering, what should I do next?

I am a native English speaker, but I will certainly need help with verbal, so should I watch the verbal videos on Magoosh while taking notes again? All while starting an error log with quant problems maybe (should all questions attempted for an error log be strictly from the OG, or are there other great resources)? Keep all of my focus on quant until I'm satisfied with it before I move into studying for verbal?

I know that practice tests are limited, so I want to make sure that I am fundamentally sound in everything before I attempt an official one (but maybe this is not the right mindset?). I have about 2 years before I would enter an MBA program, so although I do want to get the GMAT over with ASAP (as does everyone), I'm able to be flexible with the timeline of it.

Thanks for any help!

rohan2345 · Answer

Hi prescott, Welcome to GMATCLUB! Magoosh is great for Quant. After you are done solidifying your concepts for Quant, you are particularly looking to discover and improve on your weak areas in Quant; a subscription to GMATCLUB tests is the best way to do that. They are indeed phenomenal and will not only pinpoint your weak areas but also help you improve on them. To improve your scores in verbal, you can consider e-gmat verbal online or the e-gmat verbal live course. They are both amazing courses especially designed for non-natives. They offer almost 25% of their courses for free so you can try out their free trial to decide which one you want to go for. Plus the e-gmat Scholaranium which is included in both the courses is one of the best verbal practice tools in the market. You can easily track your progress in that you can identify your strengths and analyze and improve on your weak areas. Further taking multiple mocks might help. Apart from the GMATPREP, Manhattan GMAT tests and Veritas Prep Tests in my experience have good verbal and Quant section and will certainly help you point out and improve your weak areas. Further another advantage of taking many mocks is to build up your stamina. Apart from the GMATPREP tests, taking practice tests of any major GMATPREP company ought to do that. I would also encourage you to purchase the GMATPREP QP 1 for some great additional practice. Here is a link that will help you with your decision. https://gmatclub.com/forum/best-gmat-ve ... ml?fl=menu Lastly, you can check out a very interesting article by Mike McGarry from Magoosh detailing a 3 month study plan https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/3-month-g ... l-focused/. You will find it very helpful as it gives out a study plan as per your needs. Hope this helps. All the best.

mangamma · Answer

For a native speaker like you, eGMAT Scholaranium and Manhattam will help to get high Verbal score. Try them.
For Quant try these sources. TTP, eGMAT,Gmatclub Tests.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi prescott,

To start, studying for the GMAT now - years before you'll actually 'need' your Score - is a smart choice.

If you've truly been studying for the last 2 months, then you really MUST take FULL-LENGTH CATs at regular intervals. This is the only way to truly track your progress. As such, you should plan to take one soon (perhaps this weekend) - and beyond the 6 Official CATs, there are a number of 3rd-party CATs (from Kaplan, MGMAT and Veritas) that are all close-enough to the read thing that they will give you a realistic score result (assuming that you take the CAT in a realistic fashion). Make sure to take the FULL CAT (with the Essay and IR sections) and do so in a realistic fashion. Once you have that score result, you should post back here. Until we have that information, we have no way of knowing whether your studies are properly focused or not, or how to best proceed with your studies.

Beyond that, I'd like to know a bit more about your goals:

1) What is your goal score?
2) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

prescott · Answer

Thanks for all of the replies, they were helpful. I think that I will go through the Magoosh verbal videos to get a better understanding of what is expected this weekend/week while reviewing my quant notes to get ready for a CAT next weekend. After the CAT, is it recommended to only focus on one section at a time? Or is better to mix things up throughout the week?

My ultimate goal would probably be 700-720. I was a decent standardized test taker in high school and in my undergrad, but I don't know if I've fallen off since then.

Schools that I would like to apply to would be Johnson, Kenan-Flagler, McCombs, Goizueta, McDonough, Mendoza, and Owen. If I could do better, then great. I think the lowest that I would want to go with would be Broad at Michigan State (I know that these schools are quite all over the place).

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Prescott,

Since you have been studying for almost two months, I think you really need to know your baseline score, so you can see how far you are from your score goal. In short order, could you take an official MBA.com practice exam? Once complete, feel free to reach back out, and I can provide some further advice. Also, you may find it helpful to read this article about  The Phases of Preparing for the GMAT .

Good luck!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi prescott,

The CAT result should help to define how best to structure this next phase of your studies. That having been said, you'll likely find it beneficial to do a 'mix' of Quant and Verbal each week - as opposed to the "all of one, then all of the other" approach that people sometimes consider. You've come to realize that skills/knowledge tend to fade over time, so strategic review of the prior concepts that you learned is also a good idea. That review can be done in a couple of different ways - including simple flashcards or working through targeted practice questions that emphasize prior concepts learned.

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

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