Study plan for last week before GMAT (770 in GMATPrep)

Question

I have a week until I take the GMAT, and 2 days ago I scored a 770 (50Q/46V) on a GMATPrep CAT test. 2 days prior to that, I scored a 720 (49Q/40V). In my most recent test, I took the verbal first instead of the quantitative, and that seemed to help a bit. Both were taken under realistic test conditions I finished just in the nick of time on both tests, so I'm not sure if I should take another CAT or two prior to the real thing. I have 2 GMATPrep CATs left.

Any advice on what I should do in this final week is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Any advice on what I should do in this final week is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

TheUltimateWinner · Answer

it seems that your concept is clear both quant and verbal. So, you should just practice from official question. Don't touch a single unofficial question right now.
GMATPrep test is the real indicator. So, you can take it at least for once prior to real exam.

AndrewN · Answer

Hello,  PT2020 . Although both recent mocks are excellent results, there is a lot of volatility between them for someone likely shooting for that 99th percentile. Particularly concerning to me is the confession that you  finished just in the nick of time on both tests . Is that true of both Verbal and Quant, or just one section or the other? I use the word  concern  because many test-takers understandably want to do well on the  real  test, so they approach each question with extra caution and tend to take longer than they have even in practice tests. To override that natural impulse takes a lot of practice. (There is a nod to  TheUltimateWinner  in that last line, from a different dialogue, in which we were discussing how an infinitive can act as a subject.) Creating time targets for sets of 5, 10, 15 questions, and so on can help you on test day. I would not overdo it and take both of those other tests, but I would take one of them and approach it with a game plan. If you liked taking the Verbal section first, try it again. See if your results come out at the upper end of your range again.

Apart from the above, as has been suggested already, should you choose to study questions on the side in a non-testing environment, you should focus on official questions for Verbal. For Quant, I think in-house GMAT Club questions are fine. One more thing: do not overlook the potential of Easy and Medium questions to swing your score. Too often, students focus on getting all the Hard questions, but when they make too many mistakes on the Medium questions, their scores reflect it.

Good luck with your studies. Take it easy the last day or two leading up to the exam. (If you feel like working on a couple questions to keep your nerves down, that is okay, but do not go crazy.)

- Andrew

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

I’m glad you reached out, and I’m happy to help. First off, you could take at least one more practice test but be sure to have that test completed at least 3 days before your actual GMAT. Remember, taking a practice test requires a lot of energy and focus, and since you need to be fresh for test day, taking too many practice tests could have a negative effect on your test-day performance.

Aside from taking one last practice exam, do some light studying, such as doing focused practice and reviewing flash cards/notes from past topics to ensure that knowledge has not slipped through the cracks.

Beyond that, try to keep busy with activities other than GMAT prep. Do whatever you have to so you don’t spend the days leading up to your exam worrying about how things will go. Lastly, you may find it helpful to read this article with more advice on  how to treat the final week leading up to your exam as well as some test day tips .

Keep up positive thoughts, try to relax, and crush the test!! Let me know how things turn out.

Study plan for last week before GMAT (770 in GMATPrep)

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