1 Month Study Plan?

Question

Hi everyone! I was originally going to take the GMAT in the fall but due to some circumstances and a new deadline, I will be taking the online GMAT at the end of this month and have been studying for a week. My baseline score according to an official GMAT practice exam was 530 (V31, Q31, IR8) and my goal is a 630-650. I've found this forum to be super helpful in my studying so far but I wanted to ask if anyone could point me the most essential study resources?

I've seen so many recommendations for various websites and test prep companies but I don't think I could do all of those especially since I only have about 3 more weeks. Quant is hardest for me and I need a strong refresher on math skills, so I've been doing the practice questions from the MBA/GMAT website, watching GMAT Ninja's videos, and doing Manhattan Prep's free math foundations workshop. Are there any other resources you've found helpful that would be beneficial for me to use? Thanks so much!

GMATaxe001 · Answer

I found TTP useful for quant. Bdw, one month isn't a realistic target given your current Score level. I think you should not focus a lot on timing yourself or chasing deadlines right now.

Posted from my mobile device

Russ19 · Answer

Hi,

I went through a few paid online platforms and found one the best as it covered everything excellently. The course link is here: https://gmatquantum.com/gmat-course/

If you even explore the free video solutions to OG problems, you can get why the course is different. It must save your time as concept videos are short, and a tutor explains every question, even hard OG problems, in 2 minutes timeframe.

Best Wishes!

anksh27 · Answer

Hi,
V31 is an amazing start. You should target somewhere around V35 (based on your target score)

Q31 indicates that you need to brush your math basics and 3 weeks looks highly ambitious but worth a try. Focus more on Easy & medium level questions. Your target should be to maximize the accuracy in easy/medium questions. You can skip the hard level given the 3 weeks constraint.
TTP is highly recommended for Quants. You can also refer to Manhattan guides.
Also check out math topic-wise videos available on gmatclub youtube channel. This should help you brush up your concepts.

Good luck mate.
Cheers!

carouselambra · Answer

You should definitely try TTP for Quant. For starters, give a shot to their 5 day free trial and see for yourself

Cheers!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi cannolicookie,

Many GMATers spend 3 months (or more) of consistent study time before they hit their 'peak' scores, so if you are going to limit your studies to just 4-5 weeks, then there will likely be a limit to how much you can improve. A 530 is a solid initial CAT score (the average score on the Official GMAT hovers around 550 most years), but it takes a certain amount of time and effort to hone all of the necessary skills needed to consistently score in the mid-600s. Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Exam, so you CAN train to score at a higher level - but you have to give yourself enough time and train to "see" (and respond to) the GMAT in a specific way.

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on your timeline and your goals:

1) What study materials do you currently have access to?
2) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?
3) Assuming another 3 months of study going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week?

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

cannolicookie · Answer

Hi  EMPOWERgmatRichC ,

Thank you for your reply.

1) What study materials do you currently have access to?
Currently, I have the online GMAT Official Guide, GMAT Club's YouTube videos, and a few people have recommended me to check out TTP. I don't want to overwhelm myself with too many different resources, but at the same time, if I am using too little, I'd be happy to branch out and take advantage of other great study materials out there as well.

2) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?
I am applying to one school next month, which is why I am on a tight deadline to take this GMAT, and this school's average GMAT scores are 610-650. In the fall, I am also planning on applying to USC and LMU.

3) Assuming another 3 months of study going forward, how many hours do you think you can consistently study each week?
I think I can set aside 10-12 hours each week with another 3 months of study.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi cannolicookie,

I have a follow-up question about your application plans. I assume that the fall application deadlines that you're considering for USC and LMU mean that you would not begin at either of those Schools until NEXT fall, 2022. This other application deadline (next month) - is that a late application deadline for this Program or an early application deadline for next year? And if it is an early application deadline, then when is the NEXT application deadline after this one? I ask because you seem to be making your decisions based on this immediate deadline - and you could probably save some time, money and effort if you applied to this particular Program around the same time that you apply to USC and LMU.

When it comes to GMAT practice resources, most GMAT Companies offer some type of free materials (practice problems, Trial Accounts, videos, etc.) that you can use to 'test out' a product before you buy it. We have a variety of those resources at our website (www.empowergmat.com). I suggest that you take advantage of all of them, then choose the one that best matches your personality, timeline and budget.

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

MathRevolution · Answer

Hello cannolicookie,

Welcome to the GMAT club. It is one of the great platforms to get information about the GMAT official test, Study plan, Section wise instructions, and many more.

A score of 530 in the GMAT mock test is a bit shaky, but the target score of 630-650 seems realistic. So, it is all about raising 100+ pointers. We will like to recommend specific vital points which will be helpful.

You need to take care of both sections simultaneously. To improve, you will require consistent learning and practice. Also, keep motivation high to learn.

You can schedule a Comprehensive counseling session for 30 mins with one of our experts:https://calendly.com/mathrevolution/1-on-1-session for detailed advice on your current study plans and how to best utilize the remaining time you have.

A couple of things that can be a noticeable barrier to your scores would be some or all of the below.

• Not detailed knowledge of GMAT Math pattern and Question types
• Inefficiency by using time-consuming Conventional method to tackle DS and PS questions still
• No expert support (maybe) who can tutor, analyze, and guide you during your learning
• Lack of many updated questions and practice in the recent exam trend
• Not well aligned with time to solve questions.

Precisely, there has to be one end-to-end solution encompassing all the points mentioned above. We also want to understand your approach to solving PS and DS questions. You can try our free diagnostic test https://www.mathrevolution.com/diagnostic/dtExamMember and receive a comprehensive study guide by topic. This test will clearly help you understand your weak areas.

Also, make a note of various possible combinations to achieve a score of 650+. The possible scores will help you track your performance after taking the mock or practice test. It will also help you maintain balance in both the sections, and you will always be in a great position to allot the study hours to a specific area accordingly.

Register with MathRevolution https://www.mathrevolution.com/member/signup to get access to our 7-day full on-demand course (27 topics, 490 subtopics, and 1,500 questions) for free trial lessons.

To prepare for Verbal, you can access many study materials from Crack Verbal, e-GMAT, and other test-prep experts for Verbal. You may also refer to Aristotle Grail for sentence correction and GMAT power bank for CR question types. There are also many free materials available in the GMAT Club.

In the end, make sure you have an error log for every day, and you may connect with one of our experts to learn the hard concept and approaches. Keep checking your performance by attempting as many mock tests as possible.

Regular tests will reflect the positive change in the score, and hence, your confidence will boost up. Gradually, with the help of mock tests, you will be able to compete with time and hence will be able to learn time management.

We appreciate your time and patience in reading this reply.

Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

Success is within your reach.
Good luck!

Math Revolution Team

Russ19 · Answer

Hi,

As you are done with Manhattan Prep's free math foundations workshop, I recommend Free GMAT Prep Hour, some free youtube lessons, of manhattan prep.

Good luck!

cannolicookie · Answer

Hi  EMPOWERgmatRichC ,

I completely agree with your points about applying to all schools around the same time, which was my original plan. This application deadline for next month is a late one for a program whose original deadline has already passed, but I spoke to a representative who said that my application could still be considered for this program if I take my GMAT by the end of the month. If I do not get accepted to this program, I can still apply to this school's other MBA program that I was originally going to apply for. So, I am not necessarily too stressed out since I know that if I don't do too well on the test this time, I will have more study time to take the test again for the fall application cycle where I'll be applying to the other 2 schools as well. I just want to give this first GMAT my best shot and see how it goes.

Also, thank you for sharing your website, I'll definitely check out the resources there!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi cannolicookie,

There's no harm in trying to take this earlier attempt at the GMAT - especially if you really want to start School a year early. Since Business Schools generally do not care if you take the GMAT more than once, the immediate issues are ultimately about the added expenses (both literally and figuratively).

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

RetaketheGMAT · Answer

Hi cannolicookie,

With your short time frame, efficiency in prep is paramount.

Since your focus is quant improvement, the key is to strike a balance between improving core math knowedge and maximizing your in-test strategies. The great thing about the latter is it cuts across multiple topics and can great leaps in performance (which is exactly what you need).

Happy to discuss specifics or you might want to try our free 90 minute GMAT Readiness Assessment Session. It's a no obligation session with a GMAT performance coach who will point to exactly where you should focus for maximum score effect in a short time.

Best of luck

Anupom · Answer

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