MGMAT 1 Q36/V28 540 - Overwhelmed with Study Materials

Question

I took my first CAT through MGMAT and scored Q36/V28. I bought the whole MGMAT series of books as well as OG Quant and Verbal. I came across gmatclub and I guess I am just overwhelmed on where to start and how to prioritize preparing. I am shooting for 700+ in 3 months.

I was thinking of reviewing all of the MGMAT books for Quant and then later buying MGMAT Advanced Quant, as well as going through the OG Quant. I'm a little more lost on verbal for which materials to turn to/which ones would help me out the most.

The questions I have are: How many problems should I do a night? Should I alternate between quant and verbal or stick to one topic for a week and then move on? Lastly, approximately how many hours a week should I be studying and how often should I be taking a CAT?

Any suggestions would help greatly. Thank you!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi GMATRookie21,

To start, a 540 is a solid initial CAT score (the average score on the Official GMAT hovers around 540-550 most years). You've defined your general timeline and goals, which are realistic, which is also good. Right now, it sounds like you're looking for guidance and an overall structure to your studies.

When it comes to studying for the GMAT, there are a variety of different options. 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.

1) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
2) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

If you have any additional question, then just let me know.

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

OptimusPrepJanielle · Answer

Since you have just started your preparation, you need not worry much about the score. This an certainly be improved.

1. Did you take the test including AWA and IR?
2. Did you complete both the sections? (There is a high penalty if you do not complete a section)

You need to build the concepts/fundamentals before you jump in solving the problems. You can do so by choosing one of the following ways:

1. In person classes/private tutoring
2. Online classes
3. Self paced online preparatory course
4. Book heavy approach

Whatever you choose, make sure that you choose one. Because GMAT tests you on some concepts and fundamentals that you can learn from a course. Most of the preparatory companies including ours offer a free trial of our course. You can take the trial and see if the course suits your needs.
In addition to the preparatory material, buy the Official Guides(both the Official Guide and the Verbal Review), Question Pack 1 and the 4 official mock CATs. They should be an indispensable part of your preparation.

You need close to 3 months to prepare well for the GMAT.

1. Understand the concepts and fundamentals before jumping into problem solving
2. Solve full length CATs including AWA and IR. You can get two free GMAT Prep mock CATs and can purchase 4 more from mba.com
3. Make sure you solve the official questions from the Official Guide

Now coming to your questions:
 How many problems should I do a night?  
Try to solve 15 SC, 15 CR, 2 - 4 RC and 30 quants question a day to keep yourself on track. But I would suggest you to do this intensive practice only after you have gone through the fundamentals/concepts from the course that you will follow

Should I alternate between quant and verbal or stick to one topic for a week and then move on?  
Definitely alternate between both the sections, else you run the risk of forgetting the concepts of other section.
The best way to do is to keep on practicing questions from both the sections.

Lastly, approximately how many hours a week should I be studying and how often should I be taking a CAT? 
On am average try to take out 2 hours on the weekdays and 4 hours on the weekends.
The test that you take should be followed by an in depth analysis of the mock test.
You should try to take 1 mock each week.

KarishmaB · Answer

Here are some generic guidelines useful for most people: - First, complete the theory of both Quant and Verbal from a test prep curriculum. Leave the OG for later. - Work on both Quant and Verbal everyday. Put aside at least 1 hour for each. - When working on practice questions initially, don't time yourself. Try to use the concepts learned and try to solve each question in multiple ways (quant). Once you are able to get through most of the questions from a particular topic, then practice them in a timed manner - say 10 questions in 20 mins. - Take one day off in a week. - Don't take more than 1 practice test in a week. You can start taking regular tests after you complete one round of all theory. Before that, it won't be value for the time you put in. As for Verbal material, check out our free SC video here: https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/ and our verbal blog posts here: https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/veritas-prep-resource-links-no-longer-available-399979.html#/categor ... at-verbal/

ccooley · Answer

It seems like you want to know what to prioritize. That's a common question, and the answer is 'take a CAT and then analyze it '. Stacey Koprince goes into a lot of detail on how to do this here: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/ ... ts-part-1/ But, your first CAT might not tell you much insofar as content. A lot of the time, if you're missing problems on CAT 1, it isn't really because you're weak in that content area. It may be due to uncertainty about how to take the test, weak timing, unfamiliarity with the content (but not lack of abillity per se), nerves, etc. So don't read too much into CAT 1. Instead, I'd recommend spending two weeks studying the basics of 'how to take the test' and getting familiar with the most complex / most common problem types first, taking a second CAT, then analyzing that one and going from there. What do I mean by 'the basics'? - Make sure you know the rules of Data Sufficiency and have the answer choices memorized. Do some easy to moderate DS problems from the Official Guide and practice your timing and technique. - Same as above, with Sentence Correction (except for the 'answer choices' part!) - If your set of books included Foundations of GMAT Math, read it! Do the end-of-chapter drill sets, too. If you don't have that book yet, buy it! It's invaluable. - Learn the rules of Critical Reasoning Assumption/Strengthen/Weaken/Evaluate problems (what makes a right answer right, and what makes a wrong answer wrong?) That should take you through two weeks. Then, you'll be more prepared to target specific topics.

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