My GMAT Strategy

What’s on GMAT?

Graduate Management Admission Test has 3 Sections.

I. Analytical Writing Assessment

60 minutes

Analysis of an Issue and Analysis of an argument.

1 topic each.

30 minutes each topic.

II. Quantitative Section:

75 minutes.

Problem solving and Data Sufficiency

37 questions, out of which 9 are experimental

Almost 2 minutes per question

III. Verbal section:

75 minutes

Sentence correction, Reading Comprehension and Critical reasoning

41 questions, out of which 11 are experimental

Almost 1:45 minutes per question

What is inferred from these questions?

1. Analytical Writing Assessment

Designed to test your ability to communicate effectively and your capacity for incisive thought under pressure.

2. Problem Solving (23 Questions)

Designed to test your ability to convert real life situations into mathematical models that can be analyzed and solved easily.

3. Data Sufficiency.(14 Questions)

Because a manger must know what information is necessary to make a business decision before asking an employee to gather data.

3. Reading Comprehensions (4 RCs, 200-300 words, 14 Q)

Designed to see if you can gist of the prose, like managers need to pore over volumes of reports and get the key facts that contribute to a decision.

4. Sentence Correction (15 Qs)

A business leader is only as effective as his or her ability to communicate goals and agendas clearly and effectively to colleagues and employees.

5. Critical reasoning (13 Qs)

Business Managers need to apply these same critical thinking skills every time they evaluate the merits of a business proposal.

What books am I planning to read, with preparation time?

1. GMAT verbal workbook. (2 weeks)
2. GMAT 2006. Premier Program (4 weeks)
3. GMAT 800 (2 weeks)
4. Official Guide 10^th edition (4 weeks)
5. GMAT Barrons – Don’t plan to use it though.

When do I plan to take the test?

Need to decide, say in 2 weeks time, after reading up the basics for each of the sections. Mostly Jan 15^th time frames.

How many hours of effort do I plan to invest?

I think will be able to put in 200 hours of effort, though would want to put in 300 hours of effort. Would want to taper down in the last week before the test. Plan to put in 2 hours a day atleast during weekdays and 5 hours a day during weekends.