Should I study up on test format/basic math before assessment?

Question

I'm trying to come up with a 6 month study plan and one of the first things I'm trying to decide is when to take the initial study test.

The consensus seems to be to take one asap but its ok to brush up on things first. But which is better for me? I want to use it as a baseline and a way to see what areas I need to focus on. My verbal is probably a lot stronger than my math, because I have forgotten a lot basic math rules. I also could stand to brush up on general 'how to think about/answer' the style of questions asked on the GMAT.

So should I just dive in or spend X amount of hours working on mostly math first? If I should brush up first, I'm unsure how to do that because I don't want to spend TOO much time doing that...

Thanks!

AR15J · Answer

If you have not taken any mock test yet, it would be good to assess yourself first before starting the preparation. After first mock test, revise all math & verbal concept, practice some questions and give another. This will help you to determine your own pace, and you can better plan the time your preparation is going to take.

BrentGMATPrepNow · Answer

I always encourage students to take a practice test VERY early in their studies (within the first week of preparing). I do this for several reasons: - Students should know, as soon as possible, exactly what they will be preparing for over the coming weeks and months. - The results of this test help students gauge the amount of work required to reach their target score. - These practice tests help build confidence, since scores inevitably improve as the student prepares. If you're interested, I wrote an article on taking a practice test early in one's studies: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/articles/tak ... st-already Cheers, Brent

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi hannsg620,

Since it sounds like you're just beginning your studies, then it would be a good idea to take a FULL-LENGTH practice CAT Test; you can download 2 for free from 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 4 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.

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 take the GMAT?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

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

hannsg620 · Answer

Thank you everyone for your replies! I will take it without further studying then.

Hi Rich!

If you look at my post history you'll see my situation, basically I did terribly at school, then went back ~5 years later and got 27 consecutive A's to graduate with a 4.0 gpa at the graduating school (although a lot lower if you take into account the previous school's grades). After asking a lot of people it seems like my best shot would be a school outside of the top 20 (maybe 15-20 if I'm incredibly lucky with my GMAT score and getting accepted). I currently have 7 months of experience in a corp finance job.

So with that info:

1.) My goal score is something like 710+, but on the higher end of that to have a chance of breaking top 20.

2.) Planning on taking the GMAT in 6 months

3.) With so little work experience, I want to apply to B School at around Jan 2020, with 3.5 years of professional work experience.

I've decided to try to take the GMAT now because

a.) Time outside of work is going to get tighter as I get more responsibilities at work, b.) The longer after graduating I wait, I think the longer it will take to learn the concepts. c.) I want to find out what kind of GMAT score I can get ASAP so that if my score is not great, I can think about just doing a part time MBA from the school I graduated from or similar, just so I can check the box.

I'm going to take the initial GMAT assessment most likely this weekend, once I get the score should I post back in this thread or make a new one?

Thanks!!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi hannsg620,

Your overall timeline makes sense - and studying to take the GMAT now (before work/life gets too busy) is a good idea. You should post your CAT score results in this thread (it helps to keep all of the relevant information in one place for easy reference).

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

hannsg620 · Answer

Thanks Rich, I will! Quick question for you if you happen to see this: What are your thoughts on me applying in late 2019 for round 1 vs applying in 2020 or 2021 (esp given my age and need for more work experience, I'm worried about the opportunity cost of waiting given my age vs my application chances given amount of work experience):

Apply late 2019: Age 31, 3.2 years of work experience at time of application (4 years at time of start of school). Assuming high GMAT score, GMAT will be  2.5 years old  at time of application

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi hannsg620,

Business Schools tend to expect at least 2-5 years of quality Work Experience from each applicant (although that can vary from School to School and from Program to Program). It's important to remember that Work Experience is not just a "check box" on an application - you want to have quality, relevant Work Experience and 'leadership roles' (if possible). The 'age' of your GMAT score will almost certainly NOT be a factor in terms of how your application is reviewed. You're ultimately asking Admissions questions though, so you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall plans. There's a Forum full of them here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admission ... tants-124/

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

SUPERSARS · Answer

I wouldn't revise first. You want to know what your current level is and by refreshing your math skills you might inflate your quant score even though it might not seem evident.

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Should I study up on test format/basic math before assessment?

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