how do you study for a gmat test after you have been out of

Question

omg, i was at barnes and noble to get a gmat study book. i was checking it out before i was going to buy one. now i have a bs in education and graduated with a gpa of 3.1, but again i graduated in 2000.

i was thoroughly stunned at some of the questions, or at least the math part of it.

my questions are,

for those who have been out of school for a few years and had to do the testing, how did you cope with not knowing much of the material???

are there books out there to help you prepare for the gmat book???

i am not a total moron and have some intelligence. i now realize that it is going to take me longer to prepare.
i had college algebra about 10 years ago and struggled through it, but passed.

i feel helpless.........

togafoot · Answer

You just have to plough through it and re-learn the basics. I only had 2-3 weeks to study for it on top of a project that was publically launched gloablly on the same day as my GMAT exam, so i couldn`t focus too much on it. I also haven`t studied maths since 1992!!!

Learn the principles behind the maths, and then practise practise practise.
If it feels daunting, break it down into component parts, e.g. focus on geometry, then algebra, then probabilities, etc.

bb · Answer

Moved to "Share Your GMAT Expereience" Should get more traction here.

Dallison - welcome to GMATCLUB!

moni77 · Answer

I gratuated college in 2000 and I know what you feel. I have always considered math my strenghten. That until I opened the OG 11th. Then I realized how much I forgot. I didn't even remember the area of the circle. :beat

. So you should renew your basic and then practise.

Tarmac · Answer

I graduated in 99 with a degree in Communication. The only math that was required for that major was Intro Statistics. It might not be as easy as for someone who graduated in 2007 with a BS in engineering, but it can be done. Don't psych yourself out. First step is to take a practice test and identify your weak points.

Adam6378 · Answer

My recommendation is to get a tutor. If you live near a university, try finding a grad student who tutors on the side. They tend to charge very affordable rates.

I have been working with a tutor for 6 weeks and my learning curve has shortened dramatically compared to preparing on my own. For example, I used to struggle with exponents. However, in reality, I was only making one type of error in my logic. My tutor was able to see this immediately, show me how to correct my logic, and now exponents are one of my strongest areas.

What I did was purchase the Kaplan math workout, and hire a tutor to work through it with me. I know that is heresy to this board, but I think Kaplan is great for learning the basics. Learning the basics is essential. Speed will come with time, which is why it's good you're starting now. Unless you're a natural test taker, or have a strong quant background, the GMAT isn't something you can cram for. Plan on giving it some time to prepare for. I recommend giving yourself 6 months at least (this all depends on the score you're aiming for). To learn the subtleties of the way the GMAT words the questions you will want to work though the official materials and perhaps consider supplementing with Manhattan GMAT guides. But the Kaplan guide will ingrain the basics in you. What I've found is most of the test prep guides have good questions that will help you learn the basics, but often do a less than quality job in explaining the answers to the questions. I personally believe they do that on purpose so you take their courses. Rather than take a course that goes at a set pace, invest in getting the one-on-one attention of a tutor. It will pay off enormously.

dallison · Answer

awesome info. i am planning to go to psu for an mba. their qualifications require a 450 score, so it is not as high as some others but i am sure it will be difficult. i will definitely look for a tutor at some of the local colleges. i know this is going to be difficult, but i need to get to the next step in my employment. i will most def use this site for a while.

god, i love the interweb

god, i love the interweb

Adam6378 · Answer

Have you tried taking a PowerPrep exam?

You can download them for free from mba.com

There are two exams. Use the first one to get a idea of your current score. Save the second one to gauge where you are as you approach your real exam.

Unless you're really out of the loop as far as studying, I'd almost be willing to bet you could score a 450 with a week or two of studying on your own. If you want a more competitive score you should learn how to tackle all of the topics on the GMAT. For this I'd recommend a tutor. For a 450 you won't need to study topics such as permutations or any of the harder concepts. You could probably prep on your own pretty efficiently.

dallison · Answer

i just want to get into graduate school. i never spent much time in college studying, but i know this will be much more challenging. i will purchase a book or two and start reading

kidderek · Answer

I graduated 2001 and hadn't taken a math course since frosh yr. My advice: Take it slowly. Your glass will be filled to the brim if you pour in the information slowly. If you throw it in haphazardly, you'll have a glass half full of jumbled misinformation.

Just grab a Princeton Review book and re-learn the concepts slowly.

buffdaddy · Answer

great analogy

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