I’m considering taking GMAT some time this year. I’d appreciate any suggestions on which books to use for preparation, estimate of study hours, etc.
I expect you’ll crush math. Verbal is very tricky and subtle – spend 75% or more of your study time on that.
thtz a great post …COngratz on the great score !!
thanks for suggestions, gentlemen!
you can get 760 if you cheat.
thanks Rudeboi! you are not living up to your namesake!! 
nodes: I did not keep track of time but I estimate an honest 3 - 4 months. Take the exam when you think you are ready. Good Luck!
3-4 months is a lot of time … I don’t want to spend more than 2 months. Frank, there is not need to cheat. I think I’d enjoy studying for GMAT.
i think you would too. but k nwoing that cheating is available doesn’t sit well with me.
Books The Official Guide for GMAT Review, 9 th or 10 th edition Kaplan book I bought both but I used the Official guide for the most part. Prep - 1. Reviewed the concepts section for Math and Verbal for 2 hrs over a couple of days. I spent a little time on figuring out how I planned to solve each section. For example, in Reading Comprehension, should I read the questions first or skim through the passage first. The stratergies in the books sound great, but I just could not seem to fold all these techniques into my method to solve something and still be quick. Simple is better, no? 2. For 3 weeks, 5 days a week I spent 1 hr preparing. I only did practice questions out of the book. Not the exams. I spent 20 mins for Math and 20 for Verbal and split the time equally between all types of questions. I spent the final 20 reviewing my answers. I used a stop watch and stuck to the time limit. In the review, I first scored my work, and marked the incorrect ones. I went back to the incorrect ones and without peeking at the answer tried to pick a new answer and then only did I read the explanation for the answer. I think the explanations helped me prevent some of the mistakes I was likely to repeat. 3. Exam simulation - 1 week before test, 3 tests, 1 a day. Stick to time limit. No cheating of any kind. Complete the essay question at the end. 4. Do the top 10 things to do before exam day - should be similar to the stuff you do for CFA. 5. Exam day - Nothing new today, from breakfast to clothing to pencils. At the exam center, you are not so much in control, so be prepared, like dressing in layers, dont take valuables to the exam hall, request a seat away from anyone else (if possible). Take some ear plugs to the exam center. I scored a 750. Good luck.
IMHO, 710-740 range is feasible with 1-2 months prep. For the 760+ scores you need atleast 3 months (unless you are a true genius). GMAT is a need based exam. If you have top-notch workex and solid extra-curricular + prestigious undergrad, then there is no need for the 750+ Get your 710-720 and proceed with your application. Cheers, Sarthak.
sarthak Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > IMHO, 710-740 range is feasible with 1-2 months > prep. For the 760+ scores you need atleast 3 > months (unless you are a true genius). GMAT is a > need based exam. If you have top-notch workex and > solid extra-curricular + prestigious undergrad, > then there is no need for the 750+ Get your > 710-720 and proceed with your application. > > Cheers, Sarthak. what schools have you applied / are applying to ?? Candian or US ?
I am considering applying to Ivey and a few american and european schools. I have a low undergrad engineering gpa that I have to overcome. I am hoping CFA Level 1&2 will help to a certain degree. What about you Rudeboi?
it might be awhile before I apply I want to get levl 3 out of the way first …
hi…i am actually wondering if anyone knows where to take a sample GMAT test for free or just do a sample which can guage what your current score would be? just before I start, it would be beneficial to know the amount of work needed to get a good score… any help, much appreciated
The best bet for prep is the Kaplan practice exams…nothing prepares you better in my view. Spend roughly 60-80% of your time in verbal by the way. Math tends to go pretty smoothly for those quantitatively-minded people out there.
awesome sarthak ATB
I personally believe the GMAT is a fairly effective test, even though I’ve had problems with it. The math section tests for the technical skills common in engineers etc. The verbal sections tests whether you read enough growing up and whether you have liberal education type skills. Some people are really smart with verbal, others with math. The more common type is the math-smart person. I’m the opposite. Very strong at verbal, terrible at math. This is coming from someone who took it three times and maxed at 660 (97%V, 48%M)
I was contemplating taking the GMAT at some point, but decided to hold if off. I did take two of hte GMAT powerprep example tests, I thought the verbal was much easier then the GRE verbal and the Quant was perhaps marginally more difficult then the GRE quant. The only substative difference I noticed in material was that it had some basic stat stuff in it… The quant found in either th GRE or GMAT is not much beyond what you would expect from a High school graduate. It probably won’t take much reviewing to remember most of it, the “problem solving” I saw in the GRE was really really simple, like 9th/10th grade algebra problems about constant rates/proportions etc. Yous hould be fine.
SergeLang Wrote: > The quant found in either th GRE or GMAT is not > much beyond what you would expect from a High > school graduate. It probably won’t take much > reviewing to remember most of it, the “problem > solving” I saw in the GRE was really really > simple, like 9th/10th grade algebra problems about > constant rates/proportions etc. Yous hould be > fine. for those of you with a technical education math is easy. you should not put down those of us who find this stuff difficult by suggesting that any high schooler can do it. maybe where you come from. but some people like myself come from literary-intellectual family backgrounds where math isn’t considered essential. i have no time for anyone who does not understand the value of a liberal education.