Preparing for the 3 Month Magoosh Study Plan

Question

Hello, I have just procured all of my GMAT materials and did the Magoosh sample Verbal and Quant quizzes.

Should I also use the MBA site exam as a barometer before I get started? If so, Can you share which practice exam on the MBA site to use? Exam 1 or 2 as part of the kit OR GMAT mini quiz?

I'm roughly delegating 2 hours per weekday to study - should this be sufficient? It doesn't really say how many hours to delegate daily.

Any guidance here is great! Thanks.

Rachel

AndrewN · Answer

Hello, Rachel. There are conflicting views on the utility of establishing a baseline score by taking one of the official practice tests. The "yay" group will contend that it is important to know where you stand to structure your preparation. Also, you can reset the first two practice tests as many times as you want, and since the question pool is quite deep, it is possible to retake one of these mocks without seeing repeat questions. The "nay" group, on the other hand, will say that jumping into an unfamiliar environment (e.g., question types, mathematical concepts) runs the risk of burning off a perfectly good resource prematurely. If you are not in a rush, I would recommend familiarizing yourself with the basics of the exam and then establishing a baseline score. You do not want to treat these first two exams as though they can only be utilized once you have mastered the material.

Two-hour-a-day preparation can be sufficient, as long as you stress quality over quantity. That is, you should not go in thinking that you have to complete X questions a day or you have failed. Sometimes my best lessons have come from breaking down a single question. If I can take what I learn from that one question and apply that knowledge to similar questions down the road (to answer correctly), then I feel I have really achieved something.

Finally, make the most of your Magoosh subscription. I know there are several study plans outlined on the site. (You could start  here  for ideas. There may even be multiple three-month plans on the site.) I like to say that there is no silver bullet to preparation. However, all successful preparation methods require discipline. Go in with an open mind, take notes, and, if the going gets tough, circle back to GMAT Club to lean on the community once again for guidance.

Good luck with your studies.

- Andrew

Russ19 · Answer

Hello  Rachel ,

Magoosh materials are great; so going through them is a good idea. Also, consider using manhattan prep strategy guides for concepts. Official tests from mba.com are the best tests for GMAT, and attempting one of them might help you to understand your strength and challenging areas and set strategies for the test. You can have 2 official tests for free and buy the other 4 four tests. Your performance in some tests and targeted scores might give you a better insight into whether working two hours or ten hours per day will be sufficient for you. You can rely on official tests.

Best wishes!

nislam · Answer

Hi Rachel,
Though no other tests are as good as officials ones, some prep company have up to the mark CATs, such as Manhattan prep and Veritas prep.

Good Luck!

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