Daily GMAT practice strategy - Suggestions needed

Question

Hi All,

I have gone through the theoretical concepts for GMAT and now want to regularly practice the questions. I can devote 2.5-3 hours daily for GMAT, I am not able to decide how much is enough for each topic daily. Below is what I am following currently.

Verbal

- 2 RCs from GMAT club (one long and one short)
- 5 random CR questions
- 10 SC questions

Quants

- 10-15 questions on random topic (e.g. Geometry on one day, Number system on another)

Other than solving, I do detailed analysis of every question after I solve it and maintain error log. Is this enough for now?

I plan to give a 'serious' mock in next 15 days and want to revise/practice all types of questions. My diagnostic mock gave me a score of 520 (Q35,V26) which I took 2 months ago. My target score is 740 and plan to give exam in September end/October 2021

I would love to hear from experts on what can be improved in current strategy to get good practice.

PS: I think SC is my weak area in verbal and in quants my accuracy for 700 level qns (all topics) is pretty low

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi paU1i,

Based on the information from your prior posts, you've been studying for approximately 3.5 months and you took your last CAT/mock approximately 1 month ago. Since enough time has passed, it would likely be beneficial for you to take your next CAT this weekend (instead of waiting another 2 weeks). Until we have that next Score result, we have no way of knowing how effective this last month of studying has been, nor what specific changes you might need to make to your study routine.

I also want to reiterate that while the most realistic CATs available are the 6 from GMAC, retaking a CAT that you've already taken is NOT a realistic way to assess your skills - since you will likely see some 'repeat' questions that you have already faced. Unfortunately, seeing even a couple of repeats can 'throw off' the Scoring Algorithm and impact your pacing, energy levels, fatigue, etc. (meaning that they would likely all appear to be better than they actually are). Thankfully, the CATs from Kaplan, MGMAT and Veritas are all 'close enough' to the real thing that they will provide you with a relatively realistic score assessment (assuming that you correctly take the CAT in a realistic fashion that matches the parameters that you will face when you take the Official GMAT) - so you can use any NEW CATs from any of those sources next.

For your next CAT, you should make sure to take it in a realistic fashion that matches-up with what you will face when you take the Official GMAT (take the FULL CAT - with the Essay and IR sections, at the same time of day as when you'll take the Official GMAT, if you will be at a Test Facility, then wear a face mask, etc.). Once you have that Score, you should post back here (or you can feel free to PM me directly) and we can discuss the results and how you might best proceed with your studies.

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

paU1i · Answer

Hi Rich,

Thanks for the reply. I plan to take GMAC mock #2. I have given myself timeframe of 15 days because I feel underconfident on some basic concepts and have realised that I tend to forget some concepts which I studied say a month ago. So currently I am solving questions and reviewing the theory at the same time with discipline which I intend to complete in next 15 days. Do you still think I should take another mock right away?

Regards,
paU1i

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi paU1i,

Based on your initial score, I think that you need to be careful about doing too many practice questions before learning the topics on which those questions are based. Remember, to truly learn GMAT quant and verbal you need to ensure that you are following a linear, gradual, and structured study plan. If you'd like some more information regarding your study plan, feel free to check out this article:

The Best Way to Study for the GMAT

paU1i · Answer

Thanks for the response Scott. The article exactly sums up my situation. below is the summary -

Problems I am facing right now -
1) I started my prep 3 months ago and went topic by topic for both Quant and Verbal. I went through the theory --> Solved bunch of questions --> Felt confident and then moved to next topic. BUT, I made a mistake of not coming back to already studied (Quant) topics regularly due to which I have forgotten some concepts. 
2) I have completely solved OG 2020 and maintained an error log, BUT haven't gone back to error log to revisit my mistakes
3) I plan to give GMAT in October, but I am still underconfident on most topics due to reason #1 and #2

Questions -
1) What do you think I should change in my current study plan (original post)
2) Any suggestions on how do I master so many quant topics in 2 months of time?

Materials I currently have:

1) GMAT tutor videos (studied from this for most of my prep)
2) Manhattan All the Quant and All the Verbal guides
3) Veritas Prep Mocks

Regards,
paU1i

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi paU1i,

With a Score Goal of 740, you have to master a variety of Test-taking skills (not just content knowledge) - and it's important to take FULL-LENGTH CATs at regular intervals since there are certain Test-taking skills that take time to develop, but that can really only be learned by taking CATs over time. You've taken just 2 CATs in 3.5 months - and I think that you may have convinced yourself to not take CATs/mocks (and that choice has likely impeded your progress). I highly recommend that you take that next CAT this weekend (as previously discussed).

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

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi PaU1i,

Let me share my insights with you.

What you are experiencing are just the symptoms. Diagnosis of the disease is required at the earliest to prevent the harm from reflecting in your actual GMAT score.

Your first step should be to take an official mock without wasting any more time, to evaluate your current status of performance for better guidance.

As evident from the information provided by you, you have not been following a structured and sytematic approach towards your preparation. You still don’t know how to go about your preparation. However, you still have adequate time in your hand to reach your target score if utilised in a disciplined and planner manner for serious preparation.

In your case, maintaining a error log is of no use if you don’t revisit your mistakes to evaluate and work on them. It’s a crime to commit for GMAT aspirants.

For scoring 700 and above, you need to make sure you don’t get the easy & medium questions wrong as GMAT test is adaptive in nature. For that, being conceptually clear on all topics is really vital. Not only this, you have to be good with application of concepts, because GMAT is a test of application of concepts. But, before application, you need to understand the motive behind the questions being asked. Once you understand that, the process of learning becomes a lot simpler and easier. If your concepts are clear and you use the right methods and strategies to solve questions, you will be able to smartly avoid the traps set by the test makers.

The Need of the Hour: A Personalised Study Plan 
Now let me tell you the right approach to study for GMAT. The most important thing in the journey of your preparation for GMAT is to create  a structured study plan with clear deadlines . An ideal study plan should consist of following things :

Step 1  - Start working on one section at a time. I recommend starting from your weaker section that isVerbal. Now in this section take up one topic at a time and master this topic in 3 simple phases
  Phase 1 - learn the concepts tested on GMAT. 
 Phase 2 - learn a methodical approach to solve questions. This is the most crucial step. Most people don't do this and that's where they struggle.  
 Phase 3 - Practice questions and identify your weak areas right away to improve them. Don't move to the next topic unless you're getting at least the easy and medium questions right consistently.

Follow these 3 phases to learn all topics.

Step 2  - Once you've learned all topics, then start ironing out the gaps by taking sectional tests. Take a sectional test for each module and then identify weak areas and work on improving them.

Repeat step 2 and take a few mocks until you reach your target. While doing so focus on improving the method you follow to solve questions because that's what stops people from scoring 700+.

So, if you follow a structured and methodological approach towards learning, and are able to turn your weakness into strength through thorough analysis, you can achieve your target score.

As you still have time for your GMAT prep, it would be better to prepare using a standard course which can help you with your overall preparation. A resource which can provide you all the things on a single platform will help you save your time and energy and prevent your chances of being unstructured in your approach. Also, as you are a beginner, you might face a little difficulty in making a study plan.

GMATWhiz helps you to create one. Moreover, GMATWhiz is one such unique course which teaches you a methodical approach to solve each question type. The concept booster and practise quizzes help you to solve the GMAT like questions by using the right methodology. It uses AI to provide you with real time improvement modules after every practice quiz .It provides you with additional concept videos and practise quizzes to help you improve. This way working on your weak areas in a specific topic becomes easy right away without having to put in additional effort to identify your weaker areas.

There is a free trial of GMATWhiz available for which you can register and check out its features.

Hope this helped and feel free to contact if you have any further queries.

You can always write back to me here or the better way would be to connect over a call and have a discussion. You can schedule a free consultation call using the below link.

Click here to schedule a call

Faven · Answer

Your current strategy seems quite reasonable, and having a log of mistakes is a great solution for improvement. However, to organize your time even more effectively, I would recommend using a template to plan your studies. This can be a simple calendar where you allocate time for each topic and write down what you are going to do on each specific day.

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