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In Episode 3 of our GMAT Ninja Critical Reasoning series, we tackle Discrepancy, Paradox, and Explain an Oddity questions. You know the feeling: the passage gives you two facts that seem completely contradictory....- May 08
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Hi, I'm new to GMATclub and and I want to know if it's to early for me to start studying. I will start my junior year in the fall and I'm planning on taking the GMAT in the summer of 2016 (next summer). I'll probably take it for the first time in June and I defiantly want to be satisfied with my score by next August. I want to get a score of 680+. I'll be applying to one year Masters in Finance programs so I want my quant score to be good. I'm a BBA Econ major at a large public school with a 3.3 GPA. I feel like I'm an average student, but I'm willing to work hard in order to get the GMAT score I want. The average GMAT score is 550 and I feel like if I studied like an average person does for the test then I would score about a 550. However, I'm going to start studying as early as possible and I'll put in 400+ hours (rough estimate). I've read that studying for 3 or 4 months is ideal and that studying more than 6 months in advance is considered ineffective. My question is, should I start studying now or wait until December, which is still like 7 months in advance? Also, I have a bunch of free time now. Is there anything I can do this summer that would help me out in the long run?
08 Jun 2015, 10:50
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J21
Dear J21,
I'm happy to respond!
My friend, I applaud your conscientious headstart! Here's what I would suggest. Buy some inexpensive used GMAT prep book (it really doesn't matter the quality) and take a GMAT cold, with almost no studying. That will give you an idea of your baseline. If you see you are especially weak in particular areas, you can be proactive.
On the Quant side, I want you not to touch a calculator for the next 14 months. Do mental math every day. Practice estimation. Do everyday calculations in your head.
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2013/how-to-stu ... gmat-math/
On the IR side: if you are not familiar with data and graphs, make yourself read a graph every day. Usually an issue of the Wall Street Journal or Bloomberg Businessweek or the Economist magazine will have some graphs: make sure you understand everything in the graph and how it fits into the story of the article.
On the Verbal side, the very best thing you could do is develop a daily habit of sophisticated reading. Since you are going into the business world, you already should be studying all the periodicals I mentioned above: the more intuition you can develop for the real-world issues in the business world, the better it will serve you, both on the GMAT and in your B-school interviews. Make yourself an expert in the fields you would like to pursue. In doing so, you will be reading. All these periodical present arguments: make sure you understand these arguments. Pay attention to main ideas and roles of paragraphs in a article. Pay attention to sentence structure. See this blog article:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2014/how-to-imp ... bal-score/
Another recommendation: start practicing stress management skills. See these four articles:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/overcome-g ... y-breathe/
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/beating-gmat-stress/
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/the-gmat-b ... g-picture/
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/zen-boot-c ... -the-gmat/
Not many people think to practice this stuff, but if you practice it for several months before your GMAT, you will have an extraordinary edge.
Yes, right now is too early for you to be doing GMAT-specific preparations. I would recommend waiting until about six months before. Here's a thorough six-month study plan when you are ready:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/6-month-gm ... -schedule/
Right now, you should be practicing all the real-world skills that you will need in the business world---math skills, verbal skills, graph-reading skills---because these are the same basic skills tested on the GMAT. Read about the business world in newspapers and other periodicals. Get a sense of this world: a deep intuitive sense of the business world is invaluable for appreciating the priorities of the GMAT.
Does all this make sense?
Mike
08 Jun 2015, 17:39
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Hi J21,
The immediate 'issue' to consider is WHEN you plan on applying to the Masters in Finance programs that you're considering. The Official GMAT score that you'll earn is valid for 5 years from the date that you take it. If you anticipate applying to School within that timeframe, then you won't have an issue with taking the GMAT next Summer.
Since you've defined your score goal, I'm curious if there are other details that you can define:
1) Do you know which specific Schools you're going to apply to (and when)?
2) Do you have an idea of the average GMAT score for incoming classes at these Schools?
3) Are you going to be applying for scholarships (and do you know what those scholarship requirements entail?)?
It's okay to do some light "pre-study" now before you get into serious study mode down the line, but I wouldn't take any FULL-LENGTH CATs until you're at the beginning of that 3-4 month stretch that you're planning to study.
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
The immediate 'issue' to consider is WHEN you plan on applying to the Masters in Finance programs that you're considering. The Official GMAT score that you'll earn is valid for 5 years from the date that you take it. If you anticipate applying to School within that timeframe, then you won't have an issue with taking the GMAT next Summer.
Since you've defined your score goal, I'm curious if there are other details that you can define:
1) Do you know which specific Schools you're going to apply to (and when)?
2) Do you have an idea of the average GMAT score for incoming classes at these Schools?
3) Are you going to be applying for scholarships (and do you know what those scholarship requirements entail?)?
It's okay to do some light "pre-study" now before you get into serious study mode down the line, but I wouldn't take any FULL-LENGTH CATs until you're at the beginning of that 3-4 month stretch that you're planning to study.
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
