Planning to re-take GMAT after 5 years gap

Question

Hey Friends,

I took two GMATs in 2012 -

630 (Q49;V24) || 650 (Q46;V36) but could not get admits from my preferred colleges. Then I got involved in my professional job.

Now with 13 years of experience in IT industry, I am again planning to take GMAT and get enrolled to executive MBA programs, targeting colleges in India and possibly abroad(need to finalize).

I cannot leave my job for preparations and of-course need to continue taking care of kids at home. Per my calculations, I can spend 2 hours each day for GMAT preparations for next two months. This is all time I have. My target score is 700+.

There is very little room for trial and error in strategy due to dearth of time.

Looking for suggestions on proven study material, time & tested strategies. Of-course strategies cannot suit everybody and hence I understand that I need to make my own strategy as per my strengths/weaknesses and prior leanings. but inputs from community will indeed be helpful.

And this time I also plan to be active in this community as this is what I missed last time.

pushpitkc · Answer

Hey ssoGMAT

Welcome to GMATClub!

Since you have scored a Q49 and V36, you have what it takes to get the 700.
All you need is to do is revisit your basics and work on practice specific to your
weak areas. I would recommend you to start your preparation by reading the
Manhattan Strategy guides to build your concepts.

After some prelimnary concept building, download the GMATPrep software and
take one of two free tests you get. Once you have a preliminary score, the
experts on the forum will be able to give you a clearer idea on how to proceed.

Verbal Section Prep
You could use the PowerScore CR bible in order to get a basic understanding of
how the CR section works.
For RC, you could refer to the below-given link
https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-club-s- ... 83101.html
As for practice, you can find all the questions at GMATClub. You should use the
Timer to time yourself while solving questions.

Quant Section Prep
Follow Bunuel. Solve all the questions in his signature. The practice sets contain
some awesome questions that give you the true taste of GMAT(Baker's Dozen,
12 Easy Pieces etc..) Even otherwise, make sure you solve every question he puts
up on the forum.

Link to GMAT Quantitative Mega-Thread(beneficial in understanding concepts)
https://gmatclub.com/forum/ultimate-gma ... 44512.html

Hope this helps you!

saswata4s · Answer

I myself have around 11 years of exp in the same industry and completely understand your situation. Nevertheless, the good part is you already have the experience and taste of gmat and you are familiar with the nitigrities (though there have been some changes in the exam format since 2012). 2 months is good time frame to achieve prepare for 700+, but it more depends on how much you can learn and retain. First take the GMATPREP TEST1 to understand where you stand actually. Then get the Manhattan Books. Prepare the concepts thoroughly. Study 2-3 hrs every weekday for 5 days/week and 4 hrs in one of the weekend days. Take 1 day off. Get all the official materials (OG, EP1, EP2, QP1). Practice from Official guide and review each answer choice why it is right or wrong. Once you complete previous step, take the GMATPREP TEST1 again. Identify your weakness and put more focus on those areas(but dont forget to review other areas). Once you get all the basics it is most important to review the official questions again and again and also improve your time management. Best of luck!

souvonik2k · Answer

Hi
I think you are close to attaining a 700 since you are in the range of 650. You need to revise the concepts and concentrate on error log. Then you can start working on your weaknesses. I suggest to study from the Mgmat guides as they are comprehensive and cover all topics of the Gmat. Alternatively you can find all resources in Gmatclub for Quant as well as Verbal. It will be sufficient for attaining a 700+.
All the best.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ssoGMAT,

Earlier last month, GMAC made a formal announcement defining some changes that would be taking place to the format of the Official GMAT (which began April 16, 2018). These changes primarily impact the overall length of the Exam (meaning the number of questions in the Quant and Verbal sections as well as the amount of time that you’ll have to complete each of those two sections). In theory, a shorter Exam could make it easier for a well-prepared Test Taker to score higher.

Since it's been years since you studied for the GMAT, the logical first step would be for you to take one of these new CATs (so that we can get a better sense of how you perform under these new conditions). You can take 2 for free at www.mba.com (and they come with some additional practice materials). That score will give us a good sense of your natural strengths and weaknesses and will help provide a basis for comparison as you continue to study. A FULL CAT takes about 3.5 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 come up with a study plan.

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

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Best Material

For Concept Learning

Manhattan Quant Guides
Manhattan Verbal Guides
For CR: The Powerscore GMAT Critical Reasoning Bible
For RC: Aristotle RC Grail

For Practice

The Official Guide for GMAT 2015-18
The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review 2015-18
The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review 2015-18

Strategies

You can start with Quant or Verbal which suits you. If you have started with Quant then Start with the Arithmetic but if started with verbal then start first with Sentence correction. One month for learning Quant concepts and one month for practicing question and same practice for Verbal. During you Practicing question don't forget to make an error log to track your weak areas after practice. Once you know your weak areas revise your Concepts related to those areas and do some more Practice. 6-8 CATs are enough for practice the real tests. Make your Stamina for sitting 3 hours in the test and don't study more than 2 hours in one sit and 4 hours per day

Top CATs for Practice

1. Official GMAC CATs
2. Manhattan CATs
3. Kaplan CATs
4. GMAT Club Quant CATs

Good Luck

EducationAisle · Answer

Hi  ssoGMAT , since you've done it in the past, am sure it will come back soon.

However, since it's been 5 years and you're looking at a minimum of 80 point jump from your previous scores, would suggest that you give it a good 2-3 months of prep time.

What is also commendable is that you had a massive 12 point jump in your Verbal score, between the first and second attempt. Which area in Verbal do you face most problems with?

rohan2345 · Answer

Hi ssoGMAT, It’s a good thing you have taken your GMAT once. You now know your weaknesses and work on them. If you are willing to study dedicatedly, you are sure to achieve your goal. I think you need to solidify you base and adopt a proper technique to answer the questions. I believe you may benefit from taking a GMATPREP course. If you are willing, there are some great GMAT prep companies that can help you with your preparation. In order to make an informed decision I would highly encourage you to go to their websites and try on their free trial and decide for yourself which one do you like better. You try out free access to EmpowerGMAT, Magoosh and Optimus Prep as they have great reviews on GMATCLUB. Also for verbal, I would highly encourage you to 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. I must add that if 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. 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 practise tests of any major GMATPREP company ought to do that. I would also encourage you to purchase the latest version of OG and the verbal review 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 ... -students/. You will find it very helpful as it gives out a study plan as per your needs. Hope this helps. All the best.

ssoGMAT · Answer

Thanks  pushpitkc ,  saswata4s ,  souvonik2k ,  EMPOWERgmatRichC ,  SajjadAhmad ,  EducationAisle ,  rohan2345  for providing your invaluable suggestions.

Based on your inputs and my prior experience, I have come up with a list of key study material and a high level plan.

In essence I have approximately 12 weeks and can invest 15 hours/week. I can take out additional hours for CATs.

Brushing concepts - 3 weeks

Step 1 - Go through my prior notes. (I majorly used Manhattan 1-8 fourth edition)  QUESTION  - Do I need to buy latest edition? Or fourth edition(2012) should work?NEED SUGGESTIONS.

Step 2 - Take free GMAT OG CAT 1

Identify key weaknesses in quant & verbal and read in detail.

Practice -   - 6 Weeks

Step 3 - GMAT OG/Verbal review/Quant review(will buy latest ones) - total 1500 questions, with average of 4-5 min/question to solve/error log should take around approx 6 weeks to complete.

Step 4 - Take 1 CAT each week - 6 CATs

Advanced practice  - 3 weeks

Step 5 - Do as many questions as possible from Powerscore CR & SC & Aristotle RC Grail(Not sure if I would be able to complete)

Step 6 - GMAT club key questions & regular participation throughout starting week 1

Step 7 - Do 2 CATs per week

Final Day -

Step 8 - Take actual GMAT exam.

*Practice tests - ANY PRIORITY ORDER??

OG CATs
Manhattan CATs
Kaplan CATs
GMAT club tests

All suggestions are welcome !!

pushpitkc · Answer

Hi ssoGMAT

For the question on "Manhattan Strategy guides - which version to use?" you could see this post -
https://gmatclub.com/forum/manhattan-gm ... 36713.html - before you
take a final call.

I have a few suggestions with reference to the plan(which I may add, is extremely good)

1. In addition to the PowerScore CR Bible/RC guide for advanced prep, you could include SC videos
of GMATNinja and Ron Purewal to enhance your understanding of the SC rules.
2. You could consider buying the GMATPrep Bundle(which contains 4 tests and a question pack) in
addition to the 2 free tests that you get.
3. You should include reading a good book and read at least 2 articles from The Scientific American
/WSJ/The Economist every day to improve your reading appetite. More on this - GMATFiction

Hope this helps you!

saswata4s · Answer

Sounds good. However, I have few suggestions for you.
 
Its better to stick to OG questions instead of outside questions, specially when you are getting closer to the actual exam. The key to success lies not only in practice but also in review. Its really important that you review the OG and GMATPREP questions(specially SC and quant) again and again until you learn all the nuances that GMAT tests very well. Also its important that you include some good reads in your routine. I used to read The Economist every night before going to bed and that really helped me to improve my RC and SC.

I think two CATs per week is overkill. Instead its better to keep one CAT per week. Again, only taking CAT does not help you improve your perfections, it only helps you to get accustomed with the habit of taking CATs. After every CAT you have to review thoroughly all the questions and you have to review them(all the previous CATs) again and again.

Kaplan CATs are not so good. Instead, you can use Veritas. Also the difficulty levels of MGMAT CATs quant questions are way too high and its really tough to complete the CAT within the time. If I were you, I would have focused only on Veritas and GMATPREP.

	Target Test Prep - Save up to $599 $400 Discount + $99 Bonus GMAT Club Tests
	e-GMAT: 60% Off on GMAT Focus Get to 735+ from any starting point
	Magoosh increases your score, guaranteed - 15% off ALL Magoosh GMAT plans with code GMATCLUB15 + Free GMAT Club Tests.
	Manhattan Prep: $99 Bonus Score Higher on Your GMAT Exam. Guaranteed.
	Experts' Global - ~~$1720~~ $960 End-to-End GMAT Prep + App Support: 150+ Videos, 2000+ Questions, 15 FLTs +
	GMATWhiz - $299 ~~$499~~ Experience the course through a free trial.
	GMAT Club Tests - Free Included with every course purchase of $149+ View all deals

Planning to re-take GMAT after 5 years gap

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards