scheduling the appointment after registering

Question

Hi, I'm Kritin
If I register for the GMAT exam now, will I have to make an appointment as soon as I register or can I decide my exam date later and then book an appointment?
Thanks

yashikaaggarwal · Answer

You can schedule your exam for later dates. Whatever time or day you find feasible, you can book your exam on that time. But make sure you find the slot free. Or you won't be able to book exam.
Scheduling for exam is flexible, you don't have to choose any nearby date.

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kritinbansal · Answer

I'm sorry, I probably failed to frame the question properly, if i register now, but have not yet decided when to give the exam(maybe 10 weeks from now or maybe 14 weeks from now), is it possible for me to book the slot at a later date? I guess something I'm trying to imply is that if I have not decided when to give the exam, does it make sense for me to register months in advance or should i wait till a couple of weeks prior to when i want to give the exam to register?

yashikaaggarwal · Answer

Okay. I don't know what your registering implies. Whether it's gmac username registration or you are talking about scheduling exam.
If it's first. Then you can book slot any time.
If its later, then you will officially be booking exam after selecting the slot. You can't register (pay money for exam) without deciding on a particular date.

Posted from my mobile device

kritinbansal · Answer

thanks a lot Yashika! this answers my question.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi kritinbansal,

It looks like yashikaaggarwal has answered your particular question. In regards to when you should think about scheduling your Official Test appointment, it's worth noting that many GMATers spend 3 months (or more) of consistent study time before they hit their 'peak' scores - so if your studies followed a similar pattern, then you would be taking the GMAT in the middle of September. That is a "busy" time of year for the GMAT, meaning that if you want to take your Exam at a Test Center, then you might find it difficult to schedule a specific Day/Time that suits you best (IF you wait until it's too late - such as late August or early September - then you might not have that many options). This is meant to say that if you have a specific appointment time in mind, then the earlier you try to book that appointment, the greater the chance that the specific slot will be open. You can also pay to reschedule that appointment, if you find that you want more study time (but there is a fee - and the fee increases the closer you get to your appointment date).

From your other posts, it sounds like you're just beginning your studies. As such, it would be a good idea to take a FULL-LENGTH practice CAT Test; you can access 2 for free at https://www.mba.com (and they come with some additional practice materials). If you want to do a little studying first, so that you can familiarize yourself with the basic content and question types, then that's okay - but you shouldn't wait too long to take that initial CAT. 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 that Score, you should report back here and we can come up with a study plan.

I'd like to know a bit more about your timeline and goals:
1) What is your goal score?
2) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

kritinbansal · Answer

hey, thanks for your help!
1. i checked the availability of appointments in my city, there are vacancies even for 2 days from now, ill keep checking and when it seems like the slots are disappearing(I wanna give the exam in mid september), ill book.
2. instead of taking the mba com(cant post links yet) practice tests(which im "saving" for later) i took the kaplan one and got a 680( 49Q 34V 8IR) with 3 hours of prior studying yesterday and for what its worth, what i got wrong in quant was because i did not remember the formulae. it seems that my verbal is extremely weak and i'm hoping your study plan for me will help.
3. my goal score is 760 or higher
4. I plan on applying in 2023 for the 2024 intake of various MiM programs with the order of preference being St. Gallen, HEC and Essec(Paris)
I look forward to your help and guidance.
Thanks

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi kritinbansal,

A 680 is an outstanding initial CAT score (the average score on the Official GMAT hovers around 550 most years) - so assuming that you took this CAT in a realistic fashion that matches-up with how you will take the Official GMAT, then you are likely a strong overall critical thinker already. In addition, studying for the GMAT now - far in advance of when you will actually "need" your Score - is a smart choice.

As an aside, the 760+ score is the 99th percentile - meaning that 99% of Test Takers never score that high. Thankfully, NO Business School requires that you earn a score that high - so it's important to realize that the score that you "want" and the score that you "need" are not the same thing.

1) What study materials do you currently have access to?
2) Going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week?

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

760+: What GMAT Assassins Do to Score at the Highest Levels

kritinbansal · Answer

hi,
i'm aware that no school, even the best MBA programs require a 760+ score, there are 2 reasons i want to get this score; the first is that this score places me in the 90th percentile in the class of the programs based on the median 80% score that the schools share on their website, this gives me a slight edge, the second reason is that i think i'm capable of such a score and since i plan on working hard for the test, a score above 760 will make me happy
1. i purchased the 3 OG books set(2022 edition) which will arrive by june 16, i think that gmatninja videos might help for verbal. Im still searching for the best books so any input is highly appreciated
2. i can study about 14 hours per week(that gives me roughly 170 total hours)
the only no-no for me is taking classes, video recordings are fine but not live lessons since i like to study on my own terms.
thanks

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi kritinbansal,

From what you describe, your immediate study plan is 'book heavy'; unfortunately, many Test Takers who study in that way end up getting 'stuck' at a particular score level. Even the best books are limited in what they can teach you; they also can't force you to approach questions in a certain way and their explanations are often one-sided. In addition, while the OG books are great sources for practice questions, those books are not designed to teach you Tactics, patterns or any of the little 'secrets' of the Exam. For those, you will need Course-oriented materials. There's no harm in starting off your studies with these books, but you'll likely end up needing to invest in some additional, non-book resources at some point. I suggest that you study as you choose for the next couple of weeks, then take a NEW CAT/mock. Once you have that Score, you should post back here and we can discuss the results and any adjustments that you might make to your studies going forward.

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

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