rdilawri wrote:
Hi all,
I have a two-month timeline for studying for the GMAT and I'd like to run my study plan past you all, so that maybe someone out there can provide me with some tips and helpful advice...
I currently have two books: The Kaplan 2003 Guide and the Insider's Guide to the GMAT. I'm going to also be borrowing a friend's copy of the
OG (9th edition though).
Anyways, I plan on writing a full practice test, or diagnostic test at least once per week (during the weekends) between now and exam day. I have the following tests:
Kaplan Diagnostic (paper-test)
Insider's Guide Diagnostic (paper-test)
Cracking the GMAT Diagnostic (CAT simulation)
4 Kaplan CD Tests (CAT simulations)
2 PowerPrep Tests (CAT simulations)
I've read from a number of posts here that it's best to save the PP tests until the end since they provide the most realistic scores, so I plan on writing PP Test #1 a little over one week before my exam and PP Test #2 three days before it.
I plan on starting out with the Kaplan Diagnostic test this weekend, followed up by the Insider's Diagnostic a few days later. Does anyone have any comments on either of these? I understand that Kaplan's scores are usually quite lower that those of the real thing, so I'm not going to worry too much if I don't see some good numbers from it.
I figure to spread out all of the Kaplan Practice tests in the weeks between now and my exam... Is this a sound strategy?
If anyone has any suggestions for better tests, or books, I'm all ears...
(PS - I also have some downloaded GMAT+ tests, but am wondering if I should fit them into my study plan).
Thanks in advance... I'm looking forward to posting on my progress (and the eventual aftermath!)
Rob
You don't have to take the practice tests regularly.
I did not take any for a month; just studied.
Also, if you go through the
OG, you will see the same questions as in the PowerPrep, so you may want to take it before going through
OG.
Taking PP just days before the test can give you an idea of what you are looking at and sort of rehearse the real test. I did the same thing - but that was beucase I was sick of tests. I took my last PP 24 hours before the real test. I really don't know why I did it, but I did it and got 740. I think it would be more useful if I took it a week before that and had some time to dig in my mistakes and such, but I did not have time or will to do anything like that.
The only help it gives you is that you can set yourself into the mood and sort of do a grand rehearsal. See, what you still miss and get some tricks going for the next day while they are still fresh. This was probably my reasoning, but I can't remember anymore. Yeah, probably do take a test a day or a few before the real thing - you have plenty of others to practice.
Also, don't study from the tests but from teh books - use tests to measure and evaluate as well as work on mistakes, but don't draw all your info from explanations to teh questions. That's bad.
-=-
P.S. I also have just suggested a good TOEFL book I used; it is 1994 edition and is not available anymore, but there are a few on Amazon. Don't buy anything after 1996 though:
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/searc ... 84-8475173
That's the link to Amazon.
close
25 Jun 2003, 18:51
