Building your GMAT study plan is the first step toward success in the actual examination. Without a proper self-study timetable or blueprint, it is hard to organize everything and track your progress. Here’s why you should make your study plan:
- Keep it Organized- You will find it easier to organize your preparation with a study plan. It can contain specific timelines and objectives for each week, helping you stay on track amidst all your other commitments.
- Extensive Section-Wise Coverage- Study plans help you cover all the core points of GMAT sections. Divide them into days, weeks, and months based on your needs. A study plan will help you allocate time to all major parts of the GMAT without any hassles.
- Progress Monitoring- Tracking progress is possible with a good study plan. You can have a baseline score target in mind while using practice exercises for developing your skills in diverse areas. The study plan will ensure better visibility on concepts covered till a particular date.
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How to make a GMAT study plan?- Vital Pointers
How to make GMAT study plans? It depends on your specific circumstances. Some of the key points to note include the following:
- What is your level of preparation?
- How much time can you devote each day to GMAT preparation?
- When is your examination and how much time do you have before the same?
- What are your strong and weak areas?
- What is your targeted score?
Once you get the answers to these questions, a study plan starts coming together. It will naturally have dedicated timelines for each concept/topic, in addition to reviews, practice tests, and study sequences.
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Factors to Consider while Preparing GMAT Study Plans
Creating a GMAT study plan is not as easy as it sounds. Here are some tips to help you with the process:
- Desired Score Improvements- The more points you want for improvement, the more time you will need to study. It is a direct equation in this case! For instance, 50 hours are necessary for 0-50 point improvements. If you wish to enhance your score by 101-150 points, putting in at least 150 hours is a good idea.
- Pre-Examination Time- This will directly influence the plan. If only three months remain before the GMAT examination date, you will naturally need a three-month study plan.
- Weaknesses & Strengths- You should start by listing areas you are already comfortable with or find easy, along with difficult concepts/sections. The latter may require more hours in the study plan.
GMAT Self Study Time Table- Sample Options
Here is a GMAT study plan sample that you can use as a reference.
3-Month Study Plan (Week-Wise):
Week | Targets |
Week 1 | · A diagnostic test to learn where you stand currently · Start with the quant section, tackling basics like percentages, number properties, and ratios · Familiarize yourself with grammar rules for the AWA section · Start reading books, newspapers, and periodicals to enhance reading comprehension abilities · Practice questions on algebra, ratio and proportion, permutation and combination, subject-verb agreement, and sentence correction |
Week 2 | · Tackle concepts like inequalities, quadratic equations, and linear equations, while also begin to practice some questions · Practice questions from critical reasoning, finding assumptions, and related concepts · Practice questions from integrated reasoning like graph reading, case studies, and data interpretation · Continue with reading books and journals for reading comprehension · Keep practicing topics you have revised so far and note the mistakes you make |
Week 3 | · Cover concepts pertaining to coordinate geometry and geometry · Familiarize yourself with data sufficiency questions and related concepts · Keep practicing reading comprehension through regular reading exercises, while training yourself to find keywords and understand question types · List out the quant topics that you have covered and practiced, before making a formula sheet of these concepts for future revision. |
Week 4 | · Cover basic statistics concepts · Find AWA topics and practice using examples to support your arguments while writing · Practice sentence correction, reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and concepts like parallelism, paradox, rhetoric, and so on · Practice data sufficiency and problem-solving questions for Integrated Reasoning |
Week 5-8 | · Begin with section/topic-wise questions of difficulty levels 600-800 · Practice verbal and quant questions, while analyzing your mistakes and marks · Go through the mistakes and try lowering your time with every attempt |
Week 9-12 | · Take 3-4 Sectional tests · Try to complete 5-6 full-length practice tests · Analyze your marks and errors, along with questions that are hard to answer. Keep doing this before every practice test in order to keep improving on your weaker areas · Focus on managing your time and accuracy levels with practice tests throughout these weeks · Keep revising your core concepts with the help of formula sheets, flashcards, and the like |
There are various such GMAT study plans that you can create, depending on your specific requirements. The plan given above is only a sample. You may make 1, 3, or 6-month plans to help you learn and organize yourself ahead of the test, based on the time you have in hand. Remember that a solid study plan is half the job done. Hence, invest time and energy into the same from the outset.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should you study for GMAT?
There is no fixed time frame for GMAT preparation. It depends on the time left before the examination date and your proficiency levels. Most people require two to three months to study for the GMAT, while some require even more time.
Is scoring 700 on GMAT easy?
Scoring 700 is not easy in GMAT. It requires hard work, preparation, and high skill levels across all the sections. You will need a solid grasp of grammar, mathematical problems, and argumentative analysis, to name a few aspects.