Strategy for 2 month study plan

[angmyt]

I just started studying for the GMAT about a week ago. I took the GMATPrep test before I started any sort of studying except completing the Diagnostic Test in the OG. I scored "above average" in all areas except reading comprehension where I scored "excellent." I did really take my time with the Diagnostic test though, probably averaged 5 mins or more per question in quants.

I thought I would do well on the GMATPrep test but I was upset when my score turned out to be a 530 (31Q, 32V). I didn't follow any test taking strategies and just took my time with it and I only ended up finishing 23 out of 37 questions in the quants section, and I rushed through the last 5 questions in verbal.

I plan to be studying 6-8 hours a day for 2 months and my goal is 700. I will be treating this like my full-time job. Is 700 possible? I really don't know what to expect on this. I feel like i have a good grasp of the concepts but i am just slow because i don't like to give up on questions and i like to double check because I'm prone to silly mistakes.

I bought Manhattan set of 8 books and I plan to finish all 8 books and give myself a week to do all the practice tests I can finish. Can you give me some tips on how I should manage my time and what to focus on?

[StaceyKoprince]

700 is possible, yes, but the first thing you have to learn is that timing is JUST as important as accuracy. You need to start dealing with that right away.

Read this:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... an-part-1/

That's a 2-part article; read both parts. Pay particular attention to the How to Study portion. Also read these two articles on time management and start doing what they say:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... to-win-it/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... nt-part-1/

Finally, 2 months of full-time study is going to be rough. You will burn yourself out if you're not careful and you will waste a lot of time if you're not effective. Read this:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... abilities/

And this:
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... you-crazy/

And why not this as well (same message as some other articles, but very important messages, so worth reading again):
http://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2012/10/ ... diers-make

Finally, use the below to analyze your most recent MGMAT CAT(s):
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... ice-tests/

Then come back here and tell us the results of your analysis and what you think you should do based on that analysis. (Note: do share an analysis with us, not just the raw data. Part of getting better is developing your ability to analyze your results - figure out what they mean and what you think you should do about them!)

[angmyt]

Thank you for those articles and tips.
I wrote a second practice test today and my score was 600, which is 70 points above my last test.

Let me share my analysis:

Date: Oct 20 (2 weeks from the last test)
Score: 600
Quant: 45
Verbal: 28
Wrote essay: No

String of 4 or more incorrect? No
Longest string of incorrect: 3
Ran out of time last 6 problems

# Way too slow (3min+): 12
Cum time on: 45:08
DS Vs PS: 4:8

% Too fast (1min-): 5 (Not including the 6 questions I guessed on)

# right: 20
# wrong: 17
%right: 20/37 = 54%

Average time: 2.01 mins
Avg time (right): 2.49
Avg time (wrong): 1.61

I am only looking at my Quant scores right now because I have spent the last 2 weeks intensely studying for Quant only and have yet to touch the Verbal part.

I definitely still have timing issues and not know when to give up a question. This was improved from my last test because I only finished 23/37 questions 2 weeks ago, versus finishing all questions this time, but running out of time on the last 6(and I guessed on those 6 questions).

Regarding measuring strengths and weaknesses in certain areas. I'm not sure if these are accurate because if I sort the results according to the topic tested, there are really only 3 questions max tested on a topic. But some general observations: I need to work on exponents/roots as I got all the questions wrong in that topic. Statistics is also a weak area.

I will continue to do practice questions on Archer with timing turned on. I need to get a sense of that 1 min mark and when to stop trying.

I finished the Verbal section with 25 mins to spare. I don't know how I managed that but I did read every question/passage at least once, but perhaps jumped to conclusions way too soon. I obviously need to work on my Verbal score. My focus will turn to Verbal in about a week. And I plan to spend 2-3 weeks focusing on Verbal alone, and the last week or two for general test taking improvement and review.

Any tips on how I can improve?

Is a Quant score improvement from 31 to 45 in 2 weeks considered good progress? What else can I do to make more progress?

[angmyt]

?

[StaceyKoprince]

Please remember to read the forum guidelines before posting. Please don't "bump" your own post. We respond to all posts in order, oldest first, and the date of your post is based on the date of the last post in the thread, not the first. If you bump your own post, you will wait longer for a response. (And you did in this case. I answered questions posted on 20 Oct - the date of the first of your two posts - days ago.)

Yes, as you noted, definite timing problems that need to be addressed. I assume that you have already started to work on that using the two time management articles I gave you last time, so just keep working on this!

Your "too fast" category SHOULD include the 6 on which you guessed - you lost those points as a direct result of spending too much time on those other 12. You want to point out to yourself the full consequences of spending that extra time. So you had 11 "too fast" questions and 12 "too slow" ones.

You're right that there can be limitations in figuring out specific topic areas that need work, since each test has only a few questions in each topic area. But look at the bigger trends (like exponents / roots, or the fact that you're a lot more likely to spend way too long on PS than on DS) and also trends over time - run the reports on both tests and see whether the extra data shows any bigger weaknesses in certain areas.

Wow, 25 minutes early on verbal! :) Okay, part of that is probably because you haven't been studying it much, and so you don't necessarily know everything that you're supposed to be doing, or how they're going to trap you, etc. That's okay - you'll figure those things out when you start doing verbal.

I will mention that it's a good idea not to focus exclusively on one area for weeks and then switch to another for weeks. Your brain will actually work better with a bit of variety. So start to work in some verbal now, even if your main focus is still quant, and when your main focus turns to verbal, still work in some quant there.

31 to 45 is a fantastic improvement for 2 weeks! A lot of that is simply because you got better at the timing - your ability wasn't truly 31 before, it was higher. Your score ended up at that level because of the time management issues. You'll find that, as you fix the timing problems, your improvement will slow down, because now you'll really have to improve the fundamental skills, content, and thinking. :)

You've still got some timing things to work on, but you should also be focused on HOW you're learning / getting better, and analyzing your work and the problems you do. Resources for that are in the second half of the Study Plan article I gave you last time (the first one in my last post).

Keep up the good work!

[angmyt]

Thank you for answering my question. I am sorry about bumping my post. I was concerned that it was missed because it hasn't been answered in 5 days. (I didn't actually post the bump until Oct 25, which was 5 days after my update post on the 20th.) But I apologize, I will not do that again.

I do have another question. I have been using the MGMAT books and doing all the problem sets and then the PS and DS questions on the list in the 13th Edition/Quant Review books. I have been doing well on those and can answer a lot of those questions with no problem. However, when I am done those, I try the questions from the question bank and they all seem very challenging, and I am only getting about 50-60% of those right. Is this normal?

I just feel like I am taking a big step backwards and it's lowering my confidence doing those questions. Thank you for your support throughout my studies! I appreciate it!

[StaceyKoprince]

Yes, it's not unusual to have to wait 5-7 days. If you see other unanswered posts around yours, you weren't missed. (And, really, I can't recall ever missing any in this thread, though it has happened in other threads with multiple teachers. In this one, it's just me, and it's very easy to see whether the last post is from me. :)

First, yes, the question banks have a higher proportion of harder questions. Second, though, don't do ALL of the OG problems chapter by chapter or even book by book. When you do that, you're doing all of the problems of a particular sub-topic together, so it's a lot easier - you already know what's coming. It's a lot harder when you have no idea what might be coming next (beyond a very general idea); you have to be ready for anything! :)

Finally, it's next to impossible to draw anything but fairly general conclusions about your progress while studying individual problems. You need to take periodic practice tests to see your actual progress; the adaptive nature of the exam changes everything. If it has been more than a few weeks since your last practice test and you feel that you've made some decent progress in that time, then it may be time to take another.

Also, remember this: in general, it's great to get stuff right, of course. But if you're getting everything right, then either you're ready to get a 750 score or you're not challenging yourself enough in some way. So be a little glad when you find something challenging; that means you're about to learn something. :)