How many hours did you study for the gmat?

Question

I'd love to hear people's estimates of how many hours they put in. I think it would be helpful for future gmatclubbers.  Please take a moment to actually estimate before voting!

Here's mine as best I can remember it:

3 hours per class for 10 weeks = 30 hours
1 to 2 hours per day during the week for those 10 weeks = 5x10x2 = 100 hours
A minimum of at least 5 practice exams (call it 4 hours each) = 20 hours (although its probably more like 10 to 12 practice exams total)
3 actual exams = 12 hours
8 hours a day every Sunday for at least 8 weeks with a study partner = 64 hours

225 hours or more

Beginning score at start of study: 640
Ending score: 730

Gain: 90 points
Minutes per point: 150 minutes per 1 point GMAT increase

Yours?

Tarmac · Answer

Haha it was almost a year ago when I registered my test date!

I had a hard time getting started, even after registering. Once I got started, it was kind of cool to have so much focus in my life.

I studied 3-4 hrs after work on weekdays.
5 hrs or so on each weekend day.
I never did anything insane like 10 hrs in one day. That's just too much.

This went on for a solid 6 weeks.
I guessed 180 hrs.

First McGraw Hill CAT with about 1 hr study: 660
Actual GMAT after 180 hrs: 770

1.6 hrs per "point".

jasonc · Answer

Rhyme - what do you think about adding in before/after scores if gmatclubbers have it - this way we also see the amount of improvement as a function of time spent.

Template example:

STUDY HISTORY 
Worked through all 138 SC questions from OG11 - ~2 min a question - ~280 min 
Reviewed all that I answered incorrectly - ~40 questions - ~5 min a question - ~200 min 
Worked through last 50 PS questions from OG11 - ~2 min a question - ~100 min 
Reviewed all that I answered incorrectly - ~5 questions - ~5 min a question - ~25 min 
Worked through last 30 PS questions from OG11 - ~2 min a question - ~60 min
Reviewed all that I answered incorrectly - ~8 questions - ~5 min a question - 40 min
Reading about random GMAT stuff online - ~5-10 hrs
3 practice exams (GMATprep 1/2/and 1 again) - ~3-4 hours each - ~12 hrs

total study min => 280 + 200 + 100 + 25 + 60 + 40 min = 705 min = ~11 1/2 hrs
Online reading = ~5-10 hrs
total practice exam hr = ~12hrs

Total study time = ~30-35 hrs

SCORE ON ASSESSMENT TEST (IF AVAILABLE) 
GMATprep - 720 (48Q 41V)

FINAL GMAT SCORE 
760 (49Q 44V)

~50 min per point increase

rhyme · Answer

Goo idea, edited my score to reflect.

Also are some of you really putting in more than 400 hours? I'm kind of shocked that that is the leading number here.

jallenmorris · Answer

I think I spent about 200 - 250 hours studying. I first took the GMAT April 24th. My goal was to get between a 600 and 650 because that is what it would take to get into the University of Oklahoma. I told myself that if I got a 650 or higher I would hold off and apply to some of the top schools. I got a freaking 650! Right on the line. I did some research and quickly learned that the 650 is better than about 5% of the scores accepted to top schools. I would certainly have to do better. I spent about 2 days looking at course materials, tutors, admissions consultants (thinking they could work a miracle and get me in with a 650, ha!) and then I found GMATClub! I registered April 30th (6 days after taking the GMAT Attempt #1) and 11.4 posts per day later, here we are.

I've taken about 6 CATs between Kaplan, 800Score, Barrons (don't recommend) and GMATPrep software. I only did the writing once so that was 2.5 hrs each * 5 + 4 hrs for the one with the AWA I did = 16.5
I worked through all of the OG11 books (half through the orange one). That took about 6 weeks at 2 hrs per night. (5*6*2) = 60

I have a family (wife + 2 kids) so the weekends weren't really my big study time. That was when Emma got her daddy back and we usually went out on our Dad/Daughter Saturday morning date for Kolache's. I woud still study between 1 - 4 hours on the weekends. Some weekends I did the CATs, but I've already counted that time.

I'm also counting the hours I've spent on GMATClub because it really is prep for the GMAT even though it's not typical studying like reading through the OG11.

I've probably spent 1 - 1.5 hours a day, 7 days a week on GMATClub. After all, it does take quite a bit of time to average 11.4 posts per day. Time on GMATClub = 100 - 150 hours.

Easily this pus me beteen 200 and 250 hours of studying.

First GMAT Score on April 24th = 650 (Q42, V38)
GMATPrep = 710. Each one was a 710. First was Q49,V40, second was Q48,V41
Final GMAT = 720 Q47,V42

Improvement of 70 points. 171 minutes per point.

rhyme · Answer

Can someone who is voting 400+ please elaborate? I'm really surprised there are so many at the 400+ mark. I'm wondering what the upper limit should have been, 500, 600?

Anyone care to tell their story?

FN · Answer

man i have spent way too much time ..too much precious time on gmat..and still havent achieved what i want..i could have made serious money on the stock market by now..yes..i said the stock market cause i have been a short seller for a long time..

fatb · Answer

Let's see...

hand-me-down materials from friends who took verita classes: spent 10 hours total
OG11: did everything once except data sufficiency: about 20 hours?
2 GMAT Prep, 4 hours each
AWA for 3 hours

total about 50 hours? Let me pad a few more in as "buffer" so safe to say it was under 100 hours total....

walker · Answer

I'm in 400+ :roll:

I started with verbal ~zero and finished with V40...I'm not a native English speaker. Actually, GMAT was a way to study English.

Yahsek · Answer

200-250 here but spread out over 9 months and 3 different attempts. I took a PR course that started in late 8/07 but did little studying outside of class. Then after my first attempt I did a lot of independent study that consisted of mounds of practice problems and virtually no practice CATS. After the second attempt bombed I did even more practice problems but completed 22 CATs in the span of 6 weeks. Final attempt was on 5/1/08.

Hours Studied: ~250
Assessment Test Score (Princeton Review): 570
Final GMAT Score: 760 (Q49, V45)

Gain: 190
Minutes per Point Increase: ~79

Hours Studied: ~250
Assessment Test Score (Princeton Review): 570
Final GMAT Score: 760 (Q49, V45)

Gain: 190
Minutes per Point Increase: ~79

kryzak · Answer

Let's see... here's a VERY rough estimate...

Roughly 2 hours a night, 4 nights a week during weeknights = 8 hours per week
Roughly 8 hours over the weekend = 8 hours per week

Started studying July 4th, took the test August 3rd. So let's say 4 weeks x 16 hours a week =
~64 hours total

Beginning score at start of study: 770 (first GMATPrep Test, without AWA)
Ending score: 760

Gain: -10 points (ouch! :shock:

maybe I shouldn't have studied? :wink:

)
Minutes per point: too depressing to calculate

My SC and Quant did improve quite a bit, though because of AWA and mental exhaustion, my RC and CR did drop a little from stupid mistakes, thus the lower total score.

maybe I shouldn't have studied? :wink:

) Minutes per point: too depressing to calculate

My SC and Quant did improve quite a bit, though because of AWA and mental exhaustion, my RC and CR did drop a little from stupid mistakes, thus the lower total score.

rhyme · Answer

770 without studying? Wow, hats off to you mate.

kryzak · Answer

yeah, I was a little surprised by that, and all my practice scores AFTER that test were in the 720-730 range... total fluke I tell ya.

xALIx · Answer

First attempt:
weekdays ~3 hours
each weekend day ~6-7 hours
for 4 months = 400+
I guess I boiled the ocean here, there are obviously some areas that one needs to focus on, like timing and stress managment.

Second attempt:
Currently underway, similar studying time, but different technique, different material, and relaxation/fun time

jasonc · Answer

I'm extremely surprised by the number of 400+ hrs responses... people have gotta be over-estimating...

I feel like even if I wanted to study for over 400 hrs, I'd be hard pressed to find material to study after the first 200 hrs...

comments from people who answered 400+?

*walker's situation seems to be a unique case

kryzak · Answer

JasonC, then again, 35 hours for a 760 score is also on the other side of the extreme

jasonc · Answer

I think we get a more complete story when we take into account my starting score and the incremental time cost per GMAT point increase

I started off with a 720 - without much familiarity with the test format - but solid in everything except for SC (missed ~10-11 of 14 on the first test) after the first ~10 hrs of studying (1 practice test + ~6 hrs of studying SC) my second practice test was at 750. so I spent the last 25 hrs studying for a gain of 10 points haha :p

kryzak · Answer

haha, ironically, my starting score was 770 (granted, I skipped the AWA so I was fresher by the verbal section), and after that, each test got lower until I had a 690. SC was my biggest weakness, so I spent most of my time there. The 690 scared me a bit so I probably did more than I had to. But in the end, I'm glad I did all the practice on math, since it gave me my Q51. Wish I did better on my verbal though. Never did as well as the first time (V44) I took the GMATPrep. Strange.

solaris1 · Answer

400 hours!!?!!? Alright, I swear you perfectionist 400+ hour gunners better not be part of my "learning team" in business school. :shock:

I fall under the <100 hours category (range of scores from MGMAT 620 to GMAT 740), and good lord I don't ever want to solve a GMAT question again. I guess just under 80 minutes per point increase (although my quant is a little weak, so don't quote me on that

)

highhopes · Answer

My rough calculations (4 hr/day weekdays, 8 hr/day weekend for a month) gives around 150, but I'd guess more like 200...now quality study hours is a different thing

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How many hours did you study for the gmat?

How many hours did you study for the GMAT?

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