GMAT in 30 days - 16 days left

Question

Hey dear community,

as I am short in time and feel a bit lost, I thought it would be a good time to make a forum post. Maybe someone can relate or has clear sight in my fog:

Current situation:

- GMAT is in 16 days 
 - Minimum goal: 565 / Target goal: 605-655 
 - First GMAC Mockup after first week of research/ little studying:    395 (Q66 V73 DI70 )    - did horrible on timing and quant basics as well as long verbal texts. I know advanced math concepts, but lack the basics. 
 - Inititally had 5 weeks, but spent the first 1,5 weeks panicking about creating a syllabus of all the prep material i needed before giving up trying it myself and    bought the Magoosh   prep course.  
 - Second (Magoosh)   Mockup Exam after 1 week of studying :    525 (Q77 V78 DI74 )    - still didnt feeel a lot of progress was made despite the higher score, maybe I was lucky 
 -    English as a second language    (English C1-C2, German as first) makes it harder especially for math to understand some questions perfectly 
 - Second (Magoosh)   Mockup today after 2 weeks of studying:    485 (Q76 V77 DI71) -    feels so crushing to fall back since I learned so many new concepts but in the moment of time-pressure, I can not apply it 
 - Diagnosed (but propably not suffiently certified enough for the GMAT)    ADHD

Right now I really have    problems with my study structure   . I have a few smaller tasks everyday that I need to do (Internship application, bachelor thesis, writing e-mails) and nothing else. 
 Still I dont feel like I have enough progress. After going through the daily content of Magoosh   in the 30 days study plan, the day is almost over (since it takes 4-7 hours to watch the content, make organized notes of the concepts learned and practicing Magoosh   questions) and I am exhausted of studying with only little practice afterwards (Magoosh   Question Practices with about 10-15 questions per day).

Still, I haven't touched the   OG q  uestions from the GMAC e-book yet, and I also didnt really have the time to repeat the notes I made to specific topics to really "cement" the study material correctly. 
  Are the Magoosh Practice questions a good substitute for the OG questions?    I feel like it is more convinient to practice these since i can easily organize them well and get a good analysis of it after. At the OG   e-book the questions cant be sorted customly and only by section and difficulty. 
 Still I feel like I would be missing out without the OG q  uestions. My initial goal was doing 25-40 OG   questions everyday, mixed from all 3 sections.

Also I am thinking about doing more than 1 Mockup Exam per week..

I feel somehow unefficient in my daily structure and am frustrated because there is    not enough time to practice enough from the     OG   questions    and I    feel like I should be making better progress.  
 A lot of the basic concepts are still not well enough rooted in my brain to be confident in Quant and DI, but I also    feel like I dont have enough time to repeat (Content, Errror Log) and practice the basics    because I need to progress on the content in the Magoosh   Study Plan to not miss out.

Disclaimer: In the old 30 days study plan,   Magoosh r  ecommended some of their own P  ractice Questions as well as OG q  uestions every day - in the new one they released, this is not the case anymore so I wonder.

Anyone else in a similiar situation or has a good advice for my siutation? I would be eternally grateful.

PS: shoutout to Mike McGarry for being the best prep guy out there!

Keep it rolling 
 Aldi

Archit3110 · Answer

Practice using timer.. topic wise then give mocks official only to see your preparation...

kingbucky · Answer

Hey Aldi,

You're not alone—many test-takers struggle with structuring their study time effectively. Given your time constraints and recent score fluctuations, here are a few key suggestions:

1.  Prioritize OG questions : While Magoosh is great for learning concepts, OG questions reflect the actual GMAT better. Aim for at least 20-30 OG questions daily, focusing on weak areas.
 
2.  Targeted practice over passive learning : Instead of spending most of your time watching videos and making notes, shift to active problem-solving. Review mistakes thoroughly, but keep moving.

3.  Time management drills : Your score drop might be due to timing issues. Practice under timed conditions (e.g., 10 questions in 20 minutes) to simulate test pressure.

4.  Strategic mock exams : One full-length mock per week is enough. Instead of increasing frequency, analyze past mocks in depth—identify where you lose points and why.

5.  Simplify your routine : Given your ADHD, a structured but flexible plan might help. Set small, achievable goals daily rather than sticking rigidly to a 30-day plan.

Stay consistent, focus on OG practice, and believe in your progress. You still have time to improve before test day!

Good luck!  🚀

divyutdebbie · Answer

Practicing on the OG questions should be on top of your priority list. Nothing would make up for the OG questions. Everything else is supplementary.

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

If you're working fulltime, see whether you can potentially get some time off or a temporarily reduced workload. Sometimes studying early in the morning may also be worth considering (if you find it hard to study after work during the evening). You could try going to sleep a bit earlier to help wake up a bit earlier.

AldiOG · Answer

Thanks for the reply GmatKnightTutor - i am not working full time so I have a lot of time on my hands everyday. The tasks that I described take about 3-4 hours a day, the rest is free for GMAT

NextstopISB · Answer

Give mock test as much has possible, all the best

Gmat750aspirant · Answer

Practice official guide question

bhargavhhhhhhhh · Answer

Focus on OG questions for real test experience and mix them with Magoosh practice for structured learning. Prioritize timed practice, error review, and mock exams to improve efficiency under pressure.

bb · Answer

Looks like you got some awesome advice. I would also suggest make sure that you time yourself with questions so you create stressful enough conditions to be able to start getting used to it.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi AldiOG,

Although I cannot give you an exact day-to-day study plan, I have some general advice for you on how to move forward with your prep.

Regarding improving your GMAT skills, my biggest piece of advice is to ensure you are studying topically. In other words, be sure to focus on just ONE quant or verbal topic at a time and practice just that topic until you achieve mastery. If you can study that way, you will start seeing incremental improvement.
 
For example, let's say you are studying Number Properties. First, you'll need to learn all you can about that topic, and then practice only Number Property questions. After each problem set, thoroughly analyze your incorrect questions. For example, ask yourself why if you got a remainder question wrong. Did you make a careless mistake? Did you not properly apply the remainder formula? Was there a concept you did not understand in the question?
 
By carefully analyzing your mistakes, you will be able to fix your weaknesses efficiently and, in turn, improve your GMAT quant skills. Number Properties is just one example; follow this process for all quant, DI, and verbal topics.
 
For some more tips on the best way to structure your studying, here is a great article:  The Best Way to Study for the GMAT

AldiOG · Answer

Wow, thanks to all of your for the awesome advice. I know what to do know and will report after the exam!

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