What did you do as a GMAT-prep beginner?

Question

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to the forum and happy to have such a wonderful resource at my finger tips. GMAT Club seems like a great community! I have decided to take the plunge and begin my GMAT preparation after the holidays, and I'm currently looking for a good study schedule that I can stick to. I have a baby boy coming in May, so that gives me 5 months to get the score I need. Here is a little summary about me:

Target Score : 700+ (I can live with 650+ for some of the schools I'm looking at)
 Target Schools : Marriott (BYU), W.P. Carey (ASU), Anderson (UCLA), Marshall (USC)
 Stretch Schools : Stanford, Kellogg (Northwestern), Haas (CAL) 
 Undergrad GPA : 3.55/4.0
 Work Experience : 2 years in field sales (1 year managing team of 5 reps), 1 year in Brand Marketing (Fortune 500 Company)

I'm planning on using Magoosh's 3 month study plan for beginnners, as I do not feel confident going into this prep. Magoosh recommends supplementing this plan with the following resources:
 OG GMAT 2016
Manhattan Prep Series
Outside Reading (I'm going to subscribe to the Economist)

Questions:
  Is this enough to achieve my goals (assuming that I am diligent in following this schedule perfectly)? 
 What other resources/strategies would you reccomend? 
  The most important one, What did you do as a GMAT-prep beginner? (specifics are much appreciated)

A million thanks for your time and insights! I really look forward to getting to know everyone on here!

With Gratitude!

mvictor · Answer

magoosh has a very nice program. Nevertheless, I believe that it is strong on quant only. e-gmat's verbal is much more detailed. I have both subscriptions; combining them both has a pretty nice outcome, as I see how my results have improved over time.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ehoustman,

You've clearly thought through your timeline and goals, which is good. It sounds like you're just starting out. Is that true? Have you done any studying so far?

If you're just beginning, then it would be a good idea to take a FULL-LENGTH practice CAT Test; you can download 2 for free from www.mba.com (and they come with some additional practice materials). If you want to do a bit of practice first, so that you can familiarize yourself with the general content and question types first, then that's fine - but you shouldn't wait too long to take that initial CAT. A FULL CAT takes about 4 hours to complete, so make sure that you've set aside enough time to take it in one sitting. Once you have those scores, you should report back here and we can talk through your study plan. There are plenty of options when it comes to preparing for the GMAT, so you might find that adapting your plan (to account for the data from your first CAT score) is something to consider.

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

ehoustman · Answer

Thank you for your reply, mvictor! That's not the first time I've heard that Magoosh is a little weak in verbal. I am a native speaker, and it looks like eGMAT targets non-natives speakers. Am I right in my assumption? Do you think a native speaker could still benefit from using eGMAT? Or is Magoosh sufficient?

Both Quant and Verbal intimidate me, but I would say that I am less worried about verbal since my undergrad was in Humanities.

Both Quant and Verbal intimidate me, but I would say that I am less worried about verbal since my undergrad was in Humanities.

ehoustman · Answer

Hi Rich! Thanks for your insights. I am new to the GMAT. I've been reading on here and have dabbled in some practice questions, but have not yet fully committed time and money. However, I have spent a lot of time researching courses and ways to tackle this beast. I'm going all in come January, but I want to make sure that I'm not buying a bunch of resources I don't necessarily need. I've thought about taking one of the free CATS, but I'm worried that I'm just going to waste a test because I'm pretty confident I will bomb it. I haven't taken a math class in years, and would need a complete refresher on basic quant topics. But then again, I guess that's what practice tests are for right? :wink:

dLo · Answer

I disagree with Rich and agree with you. I wouldn't waste one of the GMAC CATs like that. Save both of those for the end of your prep prior to taking the test to really gauge how well you are doing.

I started with the Manhattan GMAT books and just went through them, and did tons of OG problems. The Manhattan GMAT online lectures (online videos) were immensely helpful if you have the money and time to spend. They are amazing supplements to the books, but if you're an amazing book learning & studier, then the books are sufficient for learning the right strategies.

They key is drill, drill, drill. Take the OG diagnostic, see what you're weak in or need to brush up on. Then go through MGMAT, learn their strategies enough that they're second nature but drilling more problems as you go. Keep doing problems. Download some GMAT flashcard / quick-test apps for your phone and do them in your spare time so you're constantly thinking of how to solve these types of problems.

Doing that, I went from an abysmal 540 initial diagnostic score (after maybe 2 weeks of concept review) to a 690 in practice tests within 2 months; I ended up with a 640 on my first GMAT because of poor testing conditions and anxiety. more focused studying on weak areas that I garnered stats on from my MGMAT CATs (there are 6 you can take and learn your weak areas from) pushed me to a 740 on the GMAC diagnostic, and a 710 in the actual GMAT test, which I took in my ideal test conditions (later in the day, after work, no caffeine).

bb · Answer

My suggestion would be that you time any practice questions you do/attempt. Don't just solve them but solve them in 2 mins or less.
As to the GMAT Prep, you are unlikely to waste a test since you are going to get a low score at this point in time and the questions you encounter will be on the easier side. Later when you are in a better shape, you will have a whole different set... but that is theoretically speaking

Good luck!

ehoustman · Answer

Great feedback, guys!

Thanks  dLo ! Congrats on your 710. Unfortunately, MGMAT is a little out of my price range, so that's why I was leaning toward Magoosh (i need something visual/audio to supplement my reading). I'm hoping the OG questions will be enough for my three month dance with the GMAT. Are these questions high quality enough to use exclusively in my prep? I like the idea of using the diagnostics test to gauge where I should focus my study, and then take a CAT a little later in my prep.

Thanks  bb ! The timing tip is big. Do you suggest that I count every question completed in 2min+ as wrong during my prep? What is the best way to make studying with a timer effective? In other words, how do I incentivize myself to complete each questions under 2 minutes?

Thanks again, everyone!

mvictor · Answer

I believe OG is not quite enough for preparations, as it contains only a few of really tough questions. Thus, I recommend using GMATClub as well. Timer is a really helpful tool.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ehoustman,

For free math practice and help, I recommend that you set up an account at Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org). The site is completely free and makes the learning a bit more fun and 'game-like' (as opposed to the dry academic approach taken by most books). While the site is vast, you should limit your studies to basic Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry. After spending a little time re-building those skills, you can start your GMAT studies.

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

AjiteshArun · Answer

I wouldn't mind bookmarking this post just so that I could show it to (some) students who say they are under a lot of pressure

Try to take your exam at least a month before you expect to become really busy. That'll give you a chance to take the exam again should you need to.

ehoustman · Answer

haha AjiteshArun I feel the pressure alright. Thanks for the tip. I was hoping to take the GMAT after three months of study, which would give me about two months to take it again if I need to. The trick is to study right the first time so there isn't a second time!

	Manhattan Prep: $99 Bonus Score Higher on Your GMAT Exam. Guaranteed.
	Target Test Prep - Save up to $599 $400 Discount + $99 Bonus GMAT Club Tests
	e-GMAT: 60% Off on GMAT Focus Get to 735+ from any starting point
	Magoosh increases your score, guaranteed - 15% off ALL Magoosh GMAT plans with code GMATCLUB15 + Free GMAT Club Tests.
	Experts' Global - ~~$1720~~ $960 End-to-End GMAT Prep + App Support: 150+ Videos, 2000+ Questions, 15 FLTs +
	GMATWhiz - $299 ~~$499~~ Experience the course through a free trial.
	GMAT Club Tests - Free Included with every course purchase of $149+ View all deals

What did you do as a GMAT-prep beginner?

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards