vibha31 wrote:
Hey! I've been studying the Manhattan Strategy Guides since a couple of weeks and I practice questions from the problem sets after every chapter.
I was thinking that once I am done covering all the books, I should start solving questions from the
OG. Is that the right way to go about it or should I be doing solving the
OG simultaneously?
Posted from my mobile deviceHi Vibha,
First of all, it is good that you started seeking suggestions in your initial stages of preparation. This will save you a lot of time and effort. Most students generally start self-study using random resources and realize half-way through that they need to have a proper study plan and use a standard resource to score well on GMAT and then start seeking advices. Let me share my insights here on what could be the best plan for you.
To understand what should be the approach while preparing, it is really important to understand what is it that is actually tested on GMAT. Because without knowing the destination, there’s no point starting your journey. Understanding what GMAT tests helps you plan your preparation properly.
What GMAT actually tests?
If you are in a misconception that understanding concepts will help you score well on GMAT, let me tell you the harsh truth. GMAT is a test of application of concepts and it would require a strong conceptual knowledge and the right use of strategies to ace the test. You might not like this, but GMAT doesn’t just give you questions which require you to solve them using a formula. It goes far beyond that. To solve a particular question, it is important to understand what is it that the question is asking, identify the underlying concept and then apply that conceptual knowledge to get the solution. The reason why students take a lot of time to prepare for GMAT is because
- they do not understand what is it that is actually tested on GMAT
- so, they start their preparation by practicing questions from OG or a few random materials
- When they take a mock, they get shattered on seeing the score as months of preparation could only get them the average score a beginner will get.
- So, they start seeking advises regarding the study strategy and start their preparation from scratch.
As you see, a lot of time, effort and money gets wasted in the process. GMAT is a test which requires a considerable investment of all three parameters. So, it is important to make sure to invest them in the right manner and get the desired result.
What should be the right way to prepare:
As you have just started your preparation, I recommend you to take an official GMAT prep mock and see where you stand. Identify your stronger and weaker areas based on the result. Once you do this, the ideal plan has to be to:
- Learn the concepts – one topic at a time (Start with your stronger area)
- Learn the right methodologies to solve the questions of that particular topic
- Start taking sectional quizzes and make sure to solve the questions using the methodology learnt
- Make sure to move to the next topic, only when you get at least easy-medium questions right.
- If you have less than 60% accuracy in any topic, identify the reason behind the struggle and work on improving it.
- Once you move to the next topic, it is important to maintain the momentum that you had in the previous topics. Many students tend to forget the concepts they learnt once they start focusing on new topics. This is the time when OG comes into picture. You can practice a minimum of 5 questions of a particular topic everyday so that you do not lose touch with that topic
- Once you are done with all the topics, start taking mocks at regular intervals and see the score pattern
- Once you start getting a consistent score, you are good to book a slot.
Having said that, ask yourself whether the resources you use teach you the concepts and the methodology required. You must be wondering every resource teaches you more or less the same. But it’s not entirely true. Let me tell you how.
| Random resources | Standard resource |
| Solve “N” number of questions | Learn the concepts and the methodology |
| Refer to vague solutions | Refer to detailed solutions |
| No change in approach and will be stuck at the same score | A significant improvement can be achieved by referring to the step-by-step solutions and there by learning the right methodology |
What do I mean by a standard resource?
Now, you must be wondering what qualifies a resource to be standard? Let me help you here. There are plenty of resources online which teach you the course content for GMAT. The content taught is more or less the same. But there are few factors which differentiate an ordinary resource from an extra-ordinary one.
Way of teaching:Even though, the concepts taught my most online courses are more or less the same, what differentiates them is the way they teach the concepts. There is a particular way of teaching concepts by which students learn the concepts along with the methodology required to solve the questions. And once they learn, it is important to apply that learning on a few GMAT like questions to solidify that learning.
Adaptability:And not all students are capable of learning in one go. Students falter in a few topics and it is important to identify those areas and work on them. The course has to help students identify their weaker areas and provide a few improvement modules to work on them.
Study plan:The most important thing that makes a course extra-ordinary is its ability to provide a personalized study plan. Students find it difficult to organize things and plan their studies accordingly. In their busy life, balancing work and studies becomes a hectic task. So, the course has to provide a proper study plan with clear deadlines so that students can focus just on finishing those weekly tasks assigned to them.
So, while looking for a course, make sure that you choose a course which provides you with all the above features. The best way to select the course is to check the free trial of the course and then decide whether it is suitable for you or not.
If you are open to suggestions, I would like you to take a check at the course of
GMATWhiz.
- It is one unique course which offers you the best quality content and employs an artificial intelligence driven learning.
- It offers you a personalized study plan which is integrated with the course. The concept booster and practice quizzes after every concept video help you solve GMAT like questions using the right methodology.
- It offers you real time improvement modules so that you can work on your weaker areas right away.
There are many more exciting features offered by the course. I would recommend you to check the free trial of
GMATWhiz before taking the decision.
Hope it helped! If you have any more concerns regarding the GMAT preparation or wish to know more about study strategy, you can always write back or a better way would be to discuss over a call. You can schedule a free consultation call using the below link.
Click here to schedule a call
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05 Aug 2020, 08:47
