OK, you are starting more or less from scratch, and you want to prepare for the GRE in six months. You need a strategic plan to organize yourself. I designed two different versions of the Six Month Plan, and I need you to start with a little self-diagnosis. Which sounds most like you?
6 Month GRE Study Plan for Math Beginners: I hate math! I desperately need help with it if I going to survive the GRE at all!
6 Month GRE Study Plan (Advanced Math): I’m pretty good at math, and I really would like to nail Quantitative section of the GRE.
6 Month GRE Study Plan for Math Beginners
Essential Materials:
- Magoosh GRE Prep
- ETS’s Official Guide to the GRE book (+ our free video explanations)
- ETS’s POWERPREP II Software
(If you are a Mac user that can’t use ETS’s Poweprep, or would prefer to take the practice test on paper, you can print out ETS’s practice test PDF (with video explanations here). Take note that the Poweprep software and the paper-based test have overlapping material, so it won’t be of much help to do both, unless you space them out far enough so that you won’t recognize the questions and answers! I recommend using the Poweprep software if you can, since taking the test on a computer is a better simulation of exam day conditions.) - Subscribe to The Economist magazine
- Reading material — For a variety of reasons, I will include in this plan a bit of time to read every day. The reading that will most help you for the GRE would be scholarly, erudite non-fiction. That would include both books as well as high-brow periodicals: Scientific American, Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, National Geographic, The Economist
- a journal or notebook (yes, a physical hard copy item)
- Notecards
- Buy Volumes #1-6 of the Manhattan GRE book. One main purpose of getting these books is to get the code in the back, to register and get access to six practice tests online. (If you would also like additional verbal practice, get Volumes #7-8 as well.)
- Barron’s New GRE, 19th edition (We don’t have a particularly high opinion of this book. We are just going to use this volume for the practice tests.)
- The GMAC OG to the GMAT, 12th edition
- McGraw Hill’s Conquering the New GRE Math
- Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know — a good starting point for learning GRE vocabulary
NOTE: Don’t write in any of the test prep books, because for any of them, after a period of time you may want to go back and do a problem again that you haven’t seen for a while. You can only start it fresh if the page is free of your marks.
Supplemental/Optional Materials:
Any of the steps listed in the schedule for the materials below are purely for extra practice, so they are to be done as optional tasks if you have extra time.
- Download the Magoosh Android or iPhone app, for mobile practice
- Quizlet.com — gives you online access to flashcards, making it easier, say, to quiz yourself on your mobile device
- WordSmart – very basic “level 1″ definition of words with simple sentences
- Dictionary.com —- very good example sentences with definition
- Worknik.com —- provides a flood of example sentences
- Word Dynamo — give you little quizzes & games to add some variety to vocab learning
A NOTE ON LEARNING GRE VOCABULARY: first of all, it’s important not only to learn the literal dictionary definition (the denotation), but also to understand the metaphorical use of the word in context (the connotation). For example, the word “opaque” literally means “not transparent”, but metaphorically it can means “hard to understand” or, describing a person, it can mean “thick-headed, stupid.” Ultimately, you should strive to learn both the denotation and the connotation of each word.
Nothing beats physical stacks of flashcards: You could have one pile for words whose denotation you are trying to master, another containing words for which you know the denotation but not the connotation, and a “done” stack that gets reviewed only rarely. Daily review of vocab is vital. I wrote this schedule recommending the Barron’s 1100 Words as a basic word list, but if you have another vocab list you would like use as your starting point, use that. DO NOT limit yourself to just the Barron’s words, or just the MGRE words. AS YOU READ and find more words you don’t know, look them up, make flash cards (including context), and mix them into your piles.
This six-month plan enjoins a relaxed pace that should be followed diligently, lest things get out of hand through procrastination. It’s designed to have you improve as much as you can improve in a six months. I have designed 25 weeks, assuming 1-2 hours for each of the five weekdays, and one 4-5 stint on weekends, mostly in the second half (“Day Six”). If you would prefer to work on both weekend days, and free up some weeknight time, feel free to make those changes. Notice that a six-month period is actually 26 weeks, so I have left one week free, knowing that inevitably something (a camping trip, a wedding, etc.) will arise and interrupt studying for about a week. If you can work straight through, that gives you more time for concentrated review at the end.
Also, as much as possible, get enough sleep during this period, especially in the last couple months. REM sleep plays an important role in encoding long term memory, and in an eight hour period of sleep, the last hour has the most REM. If you are getting 7 hours/night instead of 8 hours/night, you are depriving your brain of one of its most powerful systems for learning and remembering. Caffeine and energy drinks will keep you feeling awake if you don’t get enough sleep, but they don’t do bupkis to replace the lost opportunity to encode more information into long term memory.
Abbreviations
OG = the ETS Official Guide to the GRE, revised General Test
GMAT OG = The GMAC OG to the GMAT
MGRE = Manhattan GRE
BNGRE = Barron’s New GRE
MH = McGraw Hill’s Conquering the New GRE Math
MC = Multiple Choice math questions
MA = Multiple Answer math questions
NE = Numeric Entry math questions
QC = Quantitative Comparison math questions
DI = Data Interpretation
TC = Text Completion verbal question
SE = Sentence Equivalence verbal question
RC = Reading Comprehension verbal question
PA = Paragraph Argument
AWA = the Analytical Writing Assessment, the essay-writing section
Week One
1) Go to http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about/content/, and read about the content of the GRE. Click on and read each sub-heading link.
2) In the OG,
Read Chapter 1, “Introducing the GRE revised General Test”
Read Chapter 2, “GRE Analytic Writing” (just the descriptions of the question, not all the sample material)
Read the introductory few pages of Chapter 3, “GRE Verbal Reasoning” (everything up to the sample questions)
Read the introductory few pages of Chapter 4, “GRE Quantitative Reasoning” (everything up to the sample questions)
3) Work through the GRE Math Review in the OG. Take notes in your journal on whatever is unfamiliar. Do the four Exercises sets as you come to the end of each section, and correct your answers right after you do each Exercise set. Take note in your journal on what you got wrong. If you can’t figure out why you’re wrong from re-reading the Math Review, then ask us at Magoosh. — If, in this process, you find you remember a lot more math than you thought, or that you are better at it than you thought, you might wish to reconsider which six-month study plan you are following.
4) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Math: under “Integer Properties”, all fifteen videos in that section
NOTE: as you watch Magoosh videos —- If the content is new and/or unfamiliar, take notes on it in your journal. If the content is too easy, click ahead to the end and read the summary, just to verify that there’s nothing new you missed.
5) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
6) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the first 50 words. I suggest doing 10 words each day. For each word, if the definition (denotation and connotation) is not immediately obvious to you, make a flashcard for the word. Each day, review your stack of flash cards.
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
10 MC
NOTE: For all Magoosh questions — If you get the question wrong, watch the video explanation, and take notes in your journal on whatever you need to learn from the question. If you got the question right, simply skim the text solution (below the video), to verify you got the question right for the right reason.
Week One, Day Six:
1) Download and read the Magoosh eBook: A Complete Guide to the Revised GRE
http://magoosh.com/gre/gre-ebook/
This will give you an excellent overview of the entire test.
2) Download and skim the Magoosh Math Formula eBook
http://magoosh.com/gre/2012/gre-math-formula-ebook/
You will learn all of these as part of this plan. Simply notice how many look familiar right now. You may find it helpful, a few times during the six-months, to review to this as a way of measuring how much your math skills have solidified.
3) Download and skim the Magoosh GRE Vocabulary eBook
http://magoosh.com/gre/2012/gre-vocabulary-ebook/
Read the strategy section (“Making Words Stick”). Use this book’s word lists and its way of clustering together either related words or words important to distinguish as a complement to your other vocabulary learning. When you learn a new word, say, from the Barron’s 1100 list and you remember it was one listed her, go back to review the connections here.
Week Two:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Math: under “Arithmetic and Fractions”, all eleven videos in that section
In AWA: the first six videos in that section
In Verbal: the first four videos under “Paragraph Argument”
2) In MH
Read Chapter #1-6; do all exercises in the course of those pages.
NOTE: For exercises in the MH book: As soon as you work through an exercise set, correct your work. See if you can figure out your mistake on your own first, and then read the solutions thorough, taking notes in your journal on whatever was new, unfamiliar, or confusing.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #1, read Chapters 1-2. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapter and the Problem Set at the end of chapter.
Skim the “GRE Math Glossary” at the end of Volume 6: presumably, you will become familiar with these terms as you work through the MGRE volumes. It’s important now just to know about the glossary, so that you can use it as a ready go-to source if you have any math term questions.
NOTE: For drills in the MGRE book: As soon as you work do one of the drills, correct your work. See if you can figure out your mistake on your own first, and then read the solutions thorough, taking notes in your journal on whatever was new, unfamiliar, or confusing.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 50 words. I suggest doing 10 words each day. For each word, if the definition is not immediately obvious to you, make a flashcard for the word. Each day, review part of your stack of flash cards.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
6 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
NOTE: For questions in the GMAT OG book: As soon as you work through an exercise set, correct your work. See if you can figure out your mistake on your own first, and then read the solutions thorough, taking notes in your journal on whatever was new, unfamiliar, or confusing. Also note: for each Problem Solving question in this book, you will find a video explanation on Magoosh’s YouTube channel.
Do all the OG questions timed. Do 10 problem solving problems in 17 minutes. Do 6 CR questions in 11 minutes. For RC, multiply the number of questions times 1.75, add 2, and round to the nearest integer: that’s the number of minutes you should allot yourself for the passage & questions.
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
10 MC
5 QC
5 TC
3 PA
Week Two, Day Six
1) On Magoosh
Take a practice GRE. You launch the practice test from the Dashboard, following the link: “Take a practice test.”
As much as possible, try to mimic the GRE conditions. Give yourself relatively short breaks in between sections. Only eat the kinds of snacks that you are planning to bring to the real GRE. Note how your sleep the night before affects your work. Note how what you had for dinner the previous night and what you had to eat earlier that day affects your energy level and concentration. Write any observations in your journal.
Week Three:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Math: under “Percents and Ratios”, all eight videos in that section
In Math: under “Algebra, Equations, and Inequalities”, the first four videos in that section
In AWA: the last four videos in that section
In Verbal: the remaining videos under “Paragraph Argument”
2) In MH
Read Chapter 7, up to the first Number Properties test. Do the Practice Problems and the Numbers Properties Test 1.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #1, read Chapters 3-4. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapters and the Problem Sets at the end of chapters.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 50 words. I suggest doing 10 words each day. For each word, if the definition is not immediately obvious to you, make a flashcard for the word. Each day, review part of your stack of flash cards.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
6 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
20 MC
5 QC
5 TC
5 RC
3 PA
(Do all the questions associated with a single RC passage at once; that may mean you have to a couple more or a couple fewer questions this time; simply adjust the next time you do Magoosh RC.)
Week Three, Day Six
1) Review your entire stack of vocabulary flash cards
2) Today, you are going to write two essays, half an hour each. You will write two Issue essays.
For topics, go to the ETS GRE Issue Pool (http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/issue/pool) Figure out a way to pick topics at random (maybe you print the lists, cut it into slips of paper, and choose some at random). Write the essays in a word processing program.
Now that you have these essays, what do you do with them? If you have a friend or mentor who is a gifted writer, see if they would read the essays for you and critique them. If they are willing, you can show them the assessment criteria in the OG, and ask them to follow it. If you can’t convince anyone else to read it, you may try posting them in one of the free GMAT club forum, and see whether an expert there will critique your essay. Failing either of these options, at least you can set the essays aside, and in a couple days re-read them with the OG’s rubric beside you.
Week Four:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Math: under “Algebra, Equations, and Inequalities”, through “Strange Operators”
In Math: under “Data Interpretation”, all four videos
2) In MH
Continue working through Chapter 7, up to the second Number Properties Test 2. Do all associated sets of Practice Problems up to and including the Numbers Properties Test 2.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #1, read Chapter 5. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapter and the Problem Set at the end of chapter. Do all the Chapter 6 Drill Sets.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 50 words. I suggest doing 10 words each day. For each word, if the definition is not immediately obvious to you, make a flashcard for the word. Each day, review part of your stack of flash cards.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
6 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
10 MC
5 QC
3 DI
5 SE
5 RC
Week Four, Day Six
1) On Magoosh
Take another practice GRE. You launch the practice test from the Dashboard, following the link: “Take a practice test.”
As much as possible, try to mimic the GRE conditions. Give yourself relatively short breaks in between sections. Only eat the kinds of snacks that you are planning to bring to the real GRE. Note how your sleep the night before affects your work. Note how what you had for dinner the previous night and what you had to eat earlier that day affects your energy level and concentration. Write any observations in your journal.
NOTE: as you do practice questions from Magoosh over the coming months, you will see some repeat questions at various points. That’s actually a great opportunity for you: if you get the question wrong the first time, can you learn from it sufficiently so that, when it reappears out of the blue months later, you can nail it? The mark of an excellent student is never to make the same mistake twice.
Week Five:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Math: under “Algebra, Equations, and Inequalities”, the last six videos in that section
In Math: under “Word Problems”, the first ten videos in that section
2) In MH
Do the Solved GRE Problems and the GRE Practice Problems at the end of Chapter 7. In Chapter 8, read through the first two sets of Practice Problems, and do those Practice Problems.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #1, do Chapter 7, the Algebra Practice Questions Sets.
In Volume #2, read Chapter 2. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapter and the Problem Set at the end of chapter.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 50 words. I suggest doing 10 words each day. For each word, if the definition is not immediately obvious to you, make a flashcard for the word. Each day, review part of your stack of flash cards.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
6 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
20 MC
5 QC
5 TC
5 SE
3 PA
Week Five, Day Six
1) Review your entire stack of vocabulary flash cards
2) Today, you are going to write two essays, half an hour each. You will write two Argument essays.
For topics, go to the ETS GRE Argument Pool (http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/argument/pool). Figure out a way to pick topics at random (maybe you print the lists, cut it into slips of paper, and choose some at random). Write the essays in a word processing program.
When done, share the essays with a trusted friend/mentor, or post in the GMAT forum, or set aside and critique it yourself with the OG rubric in a few days.
Week Six:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Math: under “Word Problems”, the last eleven videos in that section
In Math: under “Powers and Roots”, the first five videos in that section
2) In MH
Continue reading Chapter 8. Do all the associated sets of Practice Problems up to, but not including, the Arithmetic Computation Test 1.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #2, read Chapter 3-4. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapters and the Problem Sets at the end of chapters.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 50 words. I suggest doing 10 words each day. For each word, if the definition is not immediately obvious to you, make a flashcard for the word. Each day, review part of your stack of flash cards.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
10 MC
3 DI
5 QC
5 TC
5 RC
3 PA
Week Six, Day Six
1) Review your entire stack of vocabulary flash cards
2) Today, you are going to write four essays, half an hour each. You will write two Issue essays and two Argument essays.
For topics, go back to the topics from the ETS Issue Pool & Argument Pool. Again, choose topics at random. Write the essays in Word.
When done, share the essays with a trusted friend/mentor, or post in the GMAT forum, or set aside and critique it yourself with the OG rubric in a few days.
Week Seven:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Math: under “Powers and Roots”, the last nine videos in that section
In Math: under “Coordinate Geometry”, the first five videos in that section
2) In MH
Do the Arithmetic Computation Test 1, as well as the Solved GRE Problems and the GRE Practice Problems that follow it.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #2, read Chapter 5. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapter and the Problem Set at the end of chapter. Do all the Chapter 6 Drill Sets.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 50 words. I suggest doing 10 words each day. For each word, if the definition is not immediately obvious to you, make a flashcard for the word. Each day, review part of your stack of flash cards.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
10 MC
5 QC
5 SE
5 RC
Week Seven, Day Six
1) Review your entire stack of vocabulary flash cards
2) In the OG:
a) in OG, do the Verbal Reasoning Practice Sets 1-6
b) in OG, do the Quantitative Reasoning Practice Sets 1-4
Treat this as a mock GRE. You might even combine it with two essays, and do consecutive batches of 2-3 set without interruption, to simulate more effectively a real GRE. Set a timer for the time limits. Here are the time limits to observe:
OG Verbal Reasoning Set 1 = 9 minutes
OG Verbal Reasoning Set 2 = 10 minutes
OG Verbal Reasoning Set 3 = 9 minutes
OG Verbal Reasoning Set 4 = 10 minutes
OG Verbal Reasoning Set 5 = 10 minutes
OG Verbal Reasoning Set 6 = 10 minutes
OG Quantitative Reasoning Set 1 = 22 minutes
OG Quantitative Reasoning Set 2 = 23 minutes
OG Quantitative Reasoning Set 3 = 24 minutes
OG Quantitative Reasoning Set 4 = 11 minutes
After you are done, check all your answers. For any question you got right, skim the explanation to verify that you got it right for the right reason. For any question you got wrong, read the explanation thorough, taking notes in your journal on any concepts you didn’t understand and anything about the question format that psyched you out. If you still can’t make sense of the question after reading the explanation, email us at Magoosh.
Week Eight:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Math: under “Coordinate Geometry”, the last four videos in that section
In Math: under “Geometry”, the first ten videos in that section
2) In MH
Continue reading Chapter 8, through to the section “Motion and Work Problems.” Do the three associated sets of Practice Problems in that stretch.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #2, do Chapter 7, the FDP Practice Questions Sets.
In Volume #3, read Chapter 2. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapter and the Problem Set at the end of chapter.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 50 words. I suggest doing 10 words each day. For each word, if the definition is not immediately obvious to you, make a flashcard for the word. Each day, review part of your stack of flash cards.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
20 MC
5 QC
10 TC
5 SE
Week Eight, Day Six
1) Review your entire stack of vocabulary flash cards
2) Today, you are going to write four essays, half an hour each. You will write two Issue essays and two Argument essays.
For topics, go back to the topics from the ETS Issue Pool & Argument Pool. Again, choose topics at random. Write the essays in Word.
When done, share the essays with a trusted friend/mentor, or post in the GMAT forum, or set aside and critique it yourself with the OG rubric in a few days.
Week Nine:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Math: under “Geometry”, the last five videos in that section
In Math: under “Statistics”, all five videos in that section
In Math: under “Counting”, the first six videos in that section
2) In MH
Continue reading Chapter 8, though the section “Types of Averages”; do the three associated sets of Practice Problems in that stretch.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #3, read Chapters 3-4. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapters and the Problem Sets at the end of chapters.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 50 words. I suggest doing 10 words each day. For each word, if the definition is not immediately obvious to you, make a flashcard for the word. Each day, review part of your stack of flash cards.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
10 MC
5 QC
3 DI
5 TC
5 RC
3 PA
Week Nine, Day Six
1) In BNGRE
Take Model Test #1. Write the essays on your computer, in Word. Take the whole test, and as soon as you are done, grade yourself. For whatever you got wrong, first try to figure it out yourself, and then read & study the explanations, taking notes on whatever you got wrong — whatever about the concepts or the questions format was unclear.
When done, share the two essays with a trusted friend/mentor, or post in the GMAT forum, or set aside and critique it yourself with the OG rubric in a few days.
As much as possible, try to mimic the GRE conditions. Give yourself relatively short breaks in between sections. Only eat the kinds of snacks that you are planning to bring to the real GRE. Note how your sleep the night before affects your work. Note how what you had for dinner the previous night and what you had to eat earlier that day affects your energy level and concentration. Write any observations in your journal.
Week Ten:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Math: under “Counting”, the last five videos in that section
In Math: under “Probability”, all twelve videos in that section
2) In MH
Continue reading Chapter Eight, through the section on “Simple Probability”; do the two associated sets of Practice Problems in that stretch, everything up to but not including “Arithmetic Computation Test 2.”
3) In MGRE
In Volume #3, read Chapters 5-6. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapters and the Problem Sets at the end of chapters.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 50 words. I suggest doing 10 words each day. For each word, if the definition is not immediately obvious to you, make a flashcard for the word. Each day, review part of your stack of flash cards.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
20 MC
5 QC
5 RC
3 PA
Week Ten, Day Six
1) Review your entire stack of vocabulary flash cards
2) Today, you are going to write four essays, half an hour each. You will write two Issue essays and two Argument essays.
For topics, go back to the topics from the ETS Issue Pool & Argument Pool. Again, choose topics at random. Write the essays in Word.
When done, share the essays with a trusted friend/mentor, or post in the GMAT forum, or set aside and critique it yourself with the OG rubric in a few days.
Week Eleven:
At this point, you have already seen each Magoosh Math Lesson video once. Over the rest of the weeks, each video will come up a second time. If the lesson is easy the second time around, just click ahead to the end and read the summary, to verify that you know it all.
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Verbal: under “Text Completion – Overview”, all six videos in that section
In Math: under “Integer Properties”, the first ten videos in that section
2) In MH
Do the Arithmetic Computation Test 2, as well as the Solved GRE Problems and the GRE Practice Problems at the end of Chapter Eight.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #3, read Chapter 7. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapter and the Problem Set at the end of chapter. Do all the Chapter 8 Drill Set Questions.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 40 words. For four of the five days, go over 10 additional words, make flash cards for the ones you don’t know; then review some portion of your stack. For the fifth day (which may occur any day in the week), review a substantial portion of your stack of flash cards, all if possible.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
6 NE
5 QC
5 TC
5 SE
2 PA
Week Eleven, Day Six
1) In BNGRE
Take Model Test #2. Write the essays on your computer, in Word. Take the whole test, and as soon as you are done, grade yourself. For whatever you got wrong, first try to figure it out yourself, and then read & study the explanations, taking notes on whatever you got wrong — whatever about the concepts or the questions format was unclear.
When done, share the two essays with a trusted friend/mentor, or post in the GMAT forum, or set aside and critique it yourself with the OG rubric in a few days.
As much as possible, try to mimic the GRE conditions. Give yourself relatively short breaks in between sections. Only eat the kinds of snacks that you are planning to bring to the real GRE. Note how your sleep the night before affects your work. Note how what you had for dinner the previous night and what you had to eat earlier that day affects your energy level and concentration. Write any observations in your journal.
Week Twelve:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Verbal: under “Sentence Equivalence”, all six videos in that section
In Math: under “Integer Properties”, the last five videos in that section
In Math: under “Arithmetic and Fractions”, the first five videos in that section
2) In MH
Begin reading Chapter Nine, through “Radical Expressions”; do the three associated sets of Practice Problems, everything up but not including “Algebra Test 2.”
3) In MGRE
In Volume #3, do Chapter 9, the Geometry Practice Question Sets.
In Volume #4, read Chapter 2. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapter and the Problem Set at the end of chapter.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 40 words. For four of the five days, go over 10 additional words, make flash cards for the ones you don’t know; then review some portion of your stack. For the fifth day (which may occur any day in the week), review a substantial portion of your stack of flash cards, all if possible.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
20 MC
5 QC
5 TC
5 RC
3 PA
Week Twelve, Day Six
1) Review your entire stack of vocabulary flash cards
2) Today, you are going to write four essays, half an hour each. You will write two Issue essays and two Argument essays.
For topics, go back to the topics from the ETS Issue Pool & Argument Pool. Again, choose topics at random. Write the essays in Word.
When done, share the essays with a trusted friend/mentor, or post in the GMAT forum, or set aside and critique it yourself with the OG rubric in a few days.
Week Thirteen:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Verbal: under “Reading Comprehension”, all eleven videos in that section
In Math: under “Arithmetic and Fractions”, the last six videos in that section.
2) In MH
Do the Algebra Test 1, as well as the Solved GRE Problems and the GRE Practice Problems immediately following that test.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #4, read Chapters 3-4. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapters and the Problem Sets at the end of chapters.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 40 words. For four of the five days, go over 10 additional words, make flash cards for the ones you don’t know; then review some portion of your stack. For the fifth day (which may occur any day in the week), review a substantial portion of your stack of flash cards, all if possible.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
10 MC
5 QC
5 SE
5 RC
3 PA
Week Thirteen, Day Six
1) Today, you are going to take your first of the MGRE practice GREs. Take the whole test, and then read & study the explanations, taking notes on whatever you got wrong — whatever about the concepts or the questions format was unclear.
As much as possible, try to mimic the GRE conditions. Give yourself relatively short breaks in between sections. Only eat the kinds of snacks that you are planning to bring to the real GRE. Note how your sleep the night before affects your work. Note how what you had for dinner the previous night and what you had to eat earlier that day affects your energy level and concentration. Write any observations in your journal.
Week Fourteen:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Verbal: under “Text Completion – No Shifts”, all four videos in that section
In Math: under “Percents and Ratios”, all eight videos in that section
In Math: under “Algebra, Equations, Inequalities”, the first four videos in that section
2) In MH
Continue reading Chapter Eight, through the section “Factoring Algebraic Expression.” Do the three associated sets of Practice Problems.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #4, read Chapters 5-6. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapters and the Problem Sets at the end of chapters.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 40 words. For four of the five days, go over 10 additional words, make flash cards for the ones you don’t know; then review some portion of your stack. For the fifth day (which may occur any day in the week), review a substantial portion of your stack of flash cards, all if possible.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
10 MC
5 QC
3 DI
5 TC
5 SE
3 PA
Week Fourteen, Day Six
1) Review your entire stack of vocabulary flash cards
2) Today, you are going to write four essays, half an hour each. You will write two Issue essays and two Argument essays.
For topics, go back to the topics from the ETS Issue Pool & Argument Pool. Again, choose topics at random. Write the essays in Word.
When done, share the essays with a trusted friend/mentor, or post in the GMAT forum, or set aside and critique it yourself with the OG rubric in a few days.
Week Fifteen:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Verbal: under “Text Completion – Sentence Shifts”, all nine videos in that section
In Math: under “Algebra, etc.”, up to “Quadratic Equations”
2) In MH
Continue reading Chapter Nine, up to the Algebra Test 2. Do all associated sets of Practice Problems and do the Algebra Test 2.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #4, read Chapter 7-8. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapters and the Problem Sets at the end of chapters.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 40 words. For four of the five days, go over 10 additional words, make flash cards for the ones you don’t know; then review some portion of your stack. For the fifth day (which may occur any day in the week), review a substantial portion of your stack of flash cards, all if possible.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
10 MC
5 MA
5 QC
5 TC
5 RC
3 PA
Week Fifteen, Day Six
1) Today, you are going to take another of the MGRE practice GREs. Take the whole test, and then read & study the explanations, taking notes on whatever you got wrong — whatever about the concepts or the questions format was unclear.
As much as possible, try to mimic the GRE conditions. Give yourself relatively short breaks in between sections. Only eat the kinds of snacks that you are planning to bring to the real GRE. Note how your sleep the night before affects your work. Note how what you had for dinner the previous night and what you had to eat earlier that day affects your energy level and concentration. Write any observations in your journal.
Week Sixteen:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Verbal: under “Text Completion – Double Blanks”, all five videos in that section
In Math: under “Algebra, etc.”, up to “Inequalities and Absolute Value”
2) In MH
In Chapter Nine, do the Solved GRE Problems and the GRE Practice Problems immediately after the “Algebra Test 2.” Then, continue reading, through the section “Equations with Radicals”, and do the Practice Problems at the end of that section.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #4, do the Chapter 9 Drill Sets
In Volume #5, read Chapter 2. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapter and the Problem Set at the end of chapter.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 40 words. For four of the five days, go over 10 additional words, make flash cards for the ones you don’t know; then review some portion of your stack. For the fifth day (which may occur any day in the week), review a substantial portion of your stack of flash cards, all if possible.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
10 MC
5 QC
5 SE
5 RC
3 PA
Week Sixteen, Day Six
1) Today, you are going to take the first hard copy GRE in the OG, GRE Practice Test #1.
For the two essay questions, write the essays in a word processing program. These essays you will either share with a trusted friend or mentor, or post in the online forums asking for feedback, or critique later with the OG rubric.
As much as possible, try to mimic the GRE conditions. Give yourself relatively short breaks in between sections. Only eat the kinds of snacks that you are planning to bring to the real GRE. Note how your sleep the night before affects your work. Note how what you had for dinner the previous night and what you had to eat earlier that day affects your energy level and concentration. Write any observations in your journal.
Week Seventeen:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Verbal: under “Text Completion – Triple Blanks”, all seven videos in that section
In Math: under “Algebra, etc.”, the last two videos in that section
In Math: under “Word Problems”, the first six videos in that section
2) In MH
In Chapter Nine, continue reading through the section “Quadratic Equations and Inequalities,” and do the three associated sets of Practice Problems.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #4, do Chapter 10, the Number Properties Practice Questions Sets.
In Volume #5, read Chapter 3. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapter and the Problem Set at the end of chapter.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 40 words. For four of the five days, go over 10 additional words, make flash cards for the ones you don’t know; then review some portion of your stack. For the fifth day (which may occur any day in the week), review a substantial portion of your stack of flash cards, all if possible.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
20 MC
5 QC
5 TC
3 PA
Week Seventeen, Day Six
1) Review your entire stack of vocabulary flash cards
2) Today is the last time you are going to write two essays, half an hour each. You will write one Issue essay and one Argument essay.
For topics, go back to the topics from the ETS Issue Pool & Argument Pool. Again, choose topics at random. Write the essays in Word.
When done, share the essays with a trusted friend/mentor, or post in the GMAT forum, or set aside and critique it yourself with the OG rubric in a few days.
Week Eighteen:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Math: under “Word Problems”, the last fifteen videos in that section
2) In MH
Continue reading Chapter Nine, through the entire long section “Algebraic Word Problems,” and do the two associated sets of Practice Problems. This is everything up to, but not including, “Algebra Test 3.”
3) In MGRE
In Volume #5, read Chapters 4-5. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapters and the Problem Sets at the end of chapters.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 40 words. For four of the five days, go over 10 additional words, make flash cards for the ones you don’t know; then review some portion of your stack. For the fifth day (which may occur any day in the week), review a substantial portion of your stack of flash cards, all if possible.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
10 MC
3 DI
5 QC
5 TC
5 RC
3 PA
Week Eighteen, Day Six
1) Today, you are going to take another of the MGRE practice GREs. Take the whole test, and then read & study the explanations, taking notes on whatever you got wrong — whatever about the concepts or the questions format was unclear.
As much as possible, try to mimic the GRE conditions. Give yourself relatively short breaks in between sections. Only eat the kinds of snacks that you are planning to bring to the real GRE. Note how your sleep the night before affects your work. Note how what you had for dinner the previous night and what you had to eat earlier that day affects your energy level and concentration. Write any observations in your journal.
Week Nineteen:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Math: under “Powers and Roots”, all 14 videos
2) In MH
In Chapter Nine, do the Algebra Test 3, as well as the Solved GRE Problems and the GRE Practice Problems at the end of the chapter.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #5, read Chapter 6-7. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapters and the Problem Sets at the end of chapters.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 40 words. For four of the five days, go over 10 additional words, make flash cards for the ones you don’t know; then review some portion of your stack. For the fifth day (which may occur any day in the week), review a substantial portion of your stack of flash cards, all if possible.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
10 MC
10 NE
5 QC
5 SE
5 RC
2 PA
Week Nineteen, Day Six
1) Today, you are going to take the second hard copy GRE in the OG, GRE Practice Test #2.
For the two essay questions, write the essays in a word processing program. These essays you will either share with a trusted friend or mentor, or post in the online forums asking for feedback, or critique later with the OG rubric.
As much as possible, try to mimic the GRE conditions. Give yourself relatively short breaks in between sections. Only eat the kinds of snacks that you are planning to bring to the real GRE. Note how your sleep the night before affects your work. Note how what you had for dinner the previous night and what you had to eat earlier that day affects your energy level and concentration. Write any observations in your journal.
Week Twenty:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Math: under “Geometry”, all fifteen videos in that section
2) In MH
Read Chapter Ten, through the section “Triangles,” and do the three associated sets of Practice Problems.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #5, read Chapter 8. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapter and the Problem Set at the end of chapter. Do the Chapter 9 Drill Sets.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 40 words. For four of the five days, go over 10 additional words, make flash cards for the ones you don’t know; then review some portion of your stack. For the fifth day (which may occur any day in the week), review a substantial portion of your stack of flash cards, all if possible.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
10 MC
5 QC
5 TC
5 SE
2 PA
Week Twenty, Day Six
1) Today, you are going to take another of the MGRE practice GREs. Take the whole test, and then read & study the explanations, taking notes on whatever you got wrong — whatever about the concepts or the questions format was unclear.
As much as possible, try to mimic the GRE conditions. Give yourself relatively short breaks in between sections. Only eat the kinds of snacks that you are planning to bring to the real GRE. Note how your sleep the night before affects your work. Note how what you had for dinner the previous night and what you had to eat earlier that day affects your energy level and concentration. Write any observations in your journal.
Week Twenty One:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Math: under “Coordinate Geometry”, all nine videos in that section
In Math: under “Statistics”, all five videos in that section
2) In MH
Continue reading Chapter Ten, through the section “Circles,” and do the three associated sets of Practice Problems.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #5, do Chapter 10, the Word Problem Practice Questions Sets.
In Volume #6, read Chapters 2-3. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapter and the Problem Set at the end of chapter.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 40 words. For four of the five days, go over 10 additional words, make flash cards for the ones you don’t know; then review some portion of your stack. For the fifth day (which may occur any day in the week), review a substantial portion of your stack of flash cards, all if possible.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
20 MC
3 DI
5 QC
5 TC
5 RC
2 PA
Week Twenty One, Day Six
1) The Paper-Based GRE
Go to http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare, scroll down to the link under the section “Practice Book for the Paper-Based GRE revised General Test, 2nd edition. Download that pdf: it contains a soft copy of a full length GRE, starting on p. 35.
Take this GRE: you can either print the whole schmiel from p. 35 onward (a ton of paper!) and write the answers on the test, or just follow the pdf on your computer and write the answers a piece of scrap paper.
As much as possible, try to mimic the GRE conditions. Give yourself relatively short breaks in between sections. Only eat the kinds of snacks that you are planning to bring to the real GRE. Note how your sleep the night before affects your work. Note how what you had for dinner the previous night and what you had to eat earlier that day affects your energy level and concentration. Write any observations in your journal.
NOTE: there is some overlap in the questions between the Paper-Based Test and the Power-Prep tests you will take in a few weeks. Theoretically, if you learn well from your mistake, you will get those questions all correct the next time around. Remember: the mark of an excellent student is never to make the same mistake twice.
Week Twenty Two:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Math: under “Counting”, all eleven videos
2) In MH
Continue reading Chapter Ten, through the section “Coordinate Geometry,” and do the two associated sets of Practice Problems. This will be everything up to, but not including, the “Geometry Test.”
3) In MGRE
In Volume #6, read Chapter 4-5. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapters and the Problem Sets at the end of chapters.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 40 words. For four of the five days, go over 10 additional words, make flash cards for the ones you don’t know; then review some portion of your stack. For the fifth day (which may occur any day in the week), review a substantial portion of your stack of flash cards, all if possible.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
10 MC
5 QC
5 SE
5 RC
3 PA
Week Twenty Two, Day Six
1) Today, you are going to take another of the MGRE practice GREs. Take the whole test, and then read & study the explanations, taking notes on whatever you got wrong — whatever about the concepts or the questions format was unclear.
As much as possible, try to mimic the GRE conditions. Give yourself relatively short breaks in between sections. Only eat the kinds of snacks that you are planning to bring to the real GRE. Note how your sleep the night before affects your work. Note how what you had for dinner the previous night and what you had to eat earlier that day affects your energy level and concentration. Write any observations in your journal.
Week Twenty Three:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
In Math: under “Probability”, all twelve videos in that section
2) In MH
Do the Geometry Test as well as the Solved GRE Problems and the GRE Practice Problems at the end of Chapter Ten.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #6, read Chapter 6-7. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapters and the Problem Sets at the end of chapters.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 40 words. For four of the five days, go over 10 additional words, make flash cards for the ones you don’t know; then review some portion of your stack. For the fifth day (which may occur any day in the week), review a substantial portion of your stack of flash cards, all if possible.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
10 MC
10 NE
3 DI
5 QC
5 TC
5 SE
Week Twenty Three, Day Six
1) Today, you are going to take the last of the MGRE practice GREs. Take the whole test, and then read & study the explanations, taking notes on whatever you got wrong — whatever about the concepts or the questions format was unclear.
As much as possible, try to mimic the GRE conditions. Give yourself relatively short breaks in between sections. Only eat the kinds of snacks that you are planning to bring to the real GRE. Note how your sleep the night before affects your work. Note how what you had for dinner the previous night and what you had to eat earlier that day affects your energy level and concentration. Write any observations in your journal.
Week Twenty Four:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
Review any ten Magoosh videos you would like to see again.
2) In MH
(a) Review whatever sections you feel you need to review
(b) In one 35-minute sitting, do GRE Math Practice Section 2.
3) In MGRE
In Volume #6, read Chapter 8. Do all “Check Your Skills” in the course of the chapter and the Problem Set at the end of chapter.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the next 40 words. For four of the five days, go over 10 additional words, make flash cards for the ones you don’t know; then review some portion of your stack. For the fifth day (which may occur any day in the week), review a substantial portion of your stack of flash cards, all if possible.
6) GMAT OG
10 Problem Solving questions
5 Critical Reasoning questions
1 RC passage, with its associated questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
5 MC
10 MA
5 QC
5 TC
5 RC
3 PA
Week Twenty Four, Day Six
1) Go to http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare and download the POWERPREP II Software.
2) Today, you are going to take the first practice GRE available through the GRE POWERPREP software. Pay attention to any differences you notice between the MGRE tests and this one: this one is presumably much more representative of the real GRE.
As much as possible, try to mimic the GRE conditions. Give yourself relatively short breaks in between sections. Only eat the kinds of snacks that you are planning to bring to the real GRE. Note how your sleep the night before affects your work. Note how what you had for dinner the previous night and what you had to eat earlier that day affects your energy level and concentration. Write any observations in your journal.
At the end, copy the essays you wrote into a Word doc, and as before, these you will share with a trusted friend or mentor, or post in the online forums asking for feedback, or critique later with the OG rubric.
Week Twenty Five:
1) In Magoosh, watch the following videos
Review any ten Magoosh videos you would like to see again.
2) In MH
(a) Review whatever sections you feel you need to review
(b) In one 35-minute sitting, do GRE Math Practice Section 3.
3) In MGRE
Go back and re-do any Problem Sets or Drill Sets on which you think you need more practice.
4) Read half-an-hour each day. In a week, you should read 4-6 full articles from The Economist, and multiple chapters from your books.
5) In Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know
Look over the last40 words. For four of the five days, go over 10 additional words, make flash cards for the ones you don’t know; then review some portion of your stack. For the fifth day (which may occur any day in the week), review a substantial portion of your stack of flash cards, all if possible.
6) GMAT OG
5 Critical Reasoning questions
7) In Magoosh, do the following questions
10 MC
5 QC
5 RC
3 PA
Week Twenty Five, Day Six
1) Today, you are going to take the second practice GRE available through the GRE POWERPREP software. Pay attention to any differences you notice between the MGRE tests and this one: this one is presumably much more representative of the real GMAT.
As much as possible, try to mimic the GRE conditions. Give yourself relatively short breaks in between sections. Only eat the kinds of snacks that you are planning to bring to the real GRE. Note how your sleep the night before affects your work. Note how what you had for dinner the previous night and what you had to eat earlier that day affects your energy level and concentration. Write any observations in your journal.
At the end, copy the essays you wrote into a Word doc, and as before, these you will share with a trusted friend or mentor, or post in the online forums asking for feedback, or critique later with the OG rubric.
After Week 25: Concentrated Review
At this point, if you have been following the schedule, you should have done every question in just about every book at least once. For whatever days remain before the test, keep up work on GRE math and verbal. Some suggestions for what to do:
1) Through selecting question type & difficulty on the “Dashboard”, do Magoosh problems over again, and see how you do a second time.
2) Keep watching for an additional time 5-10 Magoosh lesson videos a week, on whatever topics you feel you need to review
3) Keep reading your challenging material, to build vocabulary and acclimate your ear to eloquent style.
4) Keep drilling your vocab cards.
5) Re-read any topics in the MGRE books or in McGraw-Hill’s Conquering the New GRE Math — any topics where you feel you would benefit from further review.
Day before the test:
1) No GRE preparation all day
2) Eat a large, healthy, leisurely dinner – no alcohol!
3) Go to bed earlier than usual.
Day of test
1) ABSOLUTELY NO LAST MINUTE GRE PREPARATION!
2) Eat a large breakfast, full of protein
3) Do relaxing, fun activities to pass time until the test
Bring to the test
1) A liter of water
2) Healthy energy-packed snacks (nuts, protein bar, etc.)
3) On breaks, make sure to get up, move & stretch – moving & stretching the large muscles of the body (legs & torso) will get oxygen flowing throughout, which will help keep you awake and keep you thinking clearly.
Any questions on this plan? Just leave us a comment!
Hi
I am fairly good at math but need a vocab centric study plan. Can you recommend a plan similar to the 6 month plan for math beginners – but focused on verbal and essay writing instead.
Thanks
Diksha,
If you are really good at math, you might try to the Six Month: Advanced Math plan. Either with this one or with the other, you get a tremendous amount of verbal review, so don’t worry about that. Also, if verbal is a challenge for you, I would highly recommend: go through every single article on this blog written by my friend Chris. He is a verbal guru. His Vocab Wednesday videos are a fantastic way to build vocabulary. His verbal lessons inside the Magoosh product will also help you immensely.
Does all this make sense?
Mike
It does make sense. I have started reading the blogs by Chris.
Had one question for you – would you say 161 in math a good score?? I wouldn’t. So do you suggest me following the beginners in math study plan along with the one focused on verbal. I know my verbal is the one that needs real practice. I scored 153 and that did not get me anywhere this year – need a great score this year so I can go to college for sure next year.
Also is there a way some one can evaluate the AWA practice I do?
I know its too much – but can some one evaluate my statement too? Or if you can point me to a website who can help me further on this.
Thanks a lot for your help.
Dear Diksha,
Well, 161 is not great as a “final product” result, but as a checkpoint along the way, it’s not bad. Furthermore, you originally identified yourself as “fairly good at math”, which strongly suggests to me that you will pick up the math quickly. I would still suggest using the “Advanced Math” version, to challenge yourself. I think you want to really stretch yourself and reach for excellence in math, to help balance your verbal score. That’s why following the Advanced Math plan is so important for you.
As far as finding someone to evaluate your AWA, that’s hard. You might hire a writing tutor, share with that person the ETS guidelines, and pay that person to “grade” your writing and review it with you. Short of that, see what I recommend on Week 3, Day 6 — try posting the AWA on the free GMAT forums, and perhaps someone will read it there.
I hope all this helps.
Mike
hi there,
I am planning to take the GRE in about 4 months. For the programmes I am planning to apply to it is mainly the quant score that matters and not the verbal score
so I will concentrate on the quant part. Right now I am looking for the right Prep books.
You have listed the GMAT OG 12th edition for additional exercises. I just saw that there is new edition of that book. Which one would you say is better for GRE preparation.
Generally are GMAT quant questions good practice for the GRE as well? (I still have the ManhattanGMAT advanced quant book from when I took the GMAT two years ago, however I sold the GMAt OG 12th edition that I had)
Can you recommend any other good books that offer lots of quant practice. I will buy the ManhattanGRE books to make sure I get the concepts but I am still looking for more quant practice questions, preferably the harder ones.
Yes, there is now the OG13 — for your purposes, it really doesn’t matter which one you get — you might be able to find the OG12, or even an earlier edition, for much cheaper because it’s not current. GMAT Problem Solving questions tend to be a little more sophisticated than GRE MC, so in that sense it’s excellent practice. Normally, I would tell GRE students not to bother learning the GMAT DS question type, but since you appear to know it already, that’s an excellent format in which to practice all kinds of sophisticated mathematical thought. —- For more resources, see the 90 day plans, versions C & D — in particular, the NOVA book has some very challenging practice problems. The MGMAT Advanced Quant is also great. —- I would say — if you learn everything in those two books and the GMAT OG and in the MGRE math books, you will be in excellent shape for the GRE!
Mike
Thanks alot Mike
I just checked for the Nova book. The one in the study plans C and D is linked to the book review which is for the nova book for the old GRE.
Nova now seems to have releasd both the gre prep course and the gre math prep course also for the new GRE format. Are they both worth buying or should I stick to one of them (do you know if there is any overlap between them?)
I am also thinking of signing up with Magoosh. Does Magoosh offer an interactive study plan? It would be nice to have something more than an excel sheet to track my progress.
Cheers
Since you are more concerned with Quant, just get the GRE Math Prep course.
Within the Magoosh product, there’s not an interactive study plan, but the system certainly tracks your progress with the Magoosh questions, and at any time, you can get a bird’s eye view of where you are with them. With the OG questions & other books, I guess I was imagining you would just have a few “stickies” bookmarks that would keep advancing as you completed those problems. Probably no need for an excel spreadsheet. (Those of us born decades before the advent of the internet tend to think that low-tech solutions to basic issues are sometimes far more effective.)
Mike
Thanks again Mike !
I guess you are right sometimes pen and paper is the easiest way to go. Too much technology might just be an unecessary distraction
You are quite welcome. Best of luck to you!
Mike
Good day,
I REALLY need your help.
I would like to prepare myself for the GRE and don’t know where to begin. I’m thinking about taking the test in about 8 months and am an absolute beginner when it comes to math and basically need to prepare for all the different areas of the test.
I would really appreciate it if you could e-mail me and tell me about your program, cost and any other information you think might be helpful.
Thank you very much for your time and I’m looking forward to getting started.
Great website – thakns!
Hi, Phil
Just sent you an e-mail!
Best,
Margarette
Hi Mike!
This looks like a great plan! but this plan involves only having the MGRE books optionally. But most of us do have the complete series. Could you sketch out a rough study plan involving the MGRE series as well?
Thanks for the great work!
Sanjna
Dear Sanjna: Actually, the MGRE books are only recommended as a supplemental resource, not an integral part of our plan. You are on your own to use those books as you see fit Because we don’t view them as essential, we are not going to outline a full-blown study plan for them.
Mike
Hi there,
I have been looking at your resources (website, blog, free trial etc) since late last year to begin my studying in June [I will be grad. with a B.Sc.then]. Awesome work!! I have a question about the reading recommendations. Must you actually subscribe to these websites or magazines? For example, I see that The Economist would be about 71.25 for 25 weeks. Can you simply keep up with the readings they have posted on their sites for free daily, i.e. http://www.economist.com/node/21553457 ?
I’m just wondering because I’ve briefly read all your wonderful recommendations, including your recent Vocab PDF booklet (which, thanks by the way), and well…I feel overwhelmed with all the material to select from (i.e. The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Economist, Scientific American, The Best American Series, the National Geographic etc.
Al though, I graduate I will still have access to my university’s library resources. Do you know any of any of the recommended that can be substituted with what a University Library may offer?
Thanks a bunches team Magoosh…I will be looking forward to signing up with you guys soon.
Paola
Paola: I would say, if you will continue to have access to a university library, by all means milk that for all it’s worth!
They must get some good periodicals and newspapers. The free articles from websites like the one you cited would also be helpful. What’s important is that you are regularly stretching yourself with challenging non-fiction reading, and these two options should provide plenty of fodder for that. We look forward to serving you in the future.
Mike
Thank you!!!
You are quite welcome. Best of luck to you.
Mike
Hi –
I graduated from college in 98 and haven’t used my “school brain” since, sadly! I want to take the time to re-learn the math I’ve forgotten but I also need work on vocab. I am the mom of four kids and money is always an issue – could you let me know roughly how much this six month program, purchasing the materials you have suggested, will cost? Or if there are items that would be best to start with if you can’t purchase everything at once? Any advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks so much!
Ami
Hi, Ami
Here are the essentials (luckily, everything but the first two items are free
):
Magoosh GRE Prep: http://gre.magoosh.com
ETS’s Official Guide to the GRE book: http://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-revised-General-Test/dp/0071700528/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333391089&sr=8-1
ETS’s PowerPrep Software
a journal or notebook
Notecards (or Quizlet.com)
WordSmart (or Wordnik.com)
Recommended magazines: Scientific American, Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, National Geographic, The Economist
Additionally, you should be able to find most of the other books (which I would consider supplemental/optional) listed on Amazon for very cheap if you buy them used.
The daily steps for the books/websites I’ve listed are crucial, and the ones that include the other material (McGraw Hill, GMAT OG, etc.) are just for extra practice, so even with just the the material I’ve listed above, you should have plenty of study material to work with.
I hope that helps! Feel free to let us know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Margarette
This plan is great!!
I’ll definitely follow the beginner’s path. Yet, there is something I would like to ask you guys.
In order to follow your Study Plan, should I buy the new edition of the books you are recommending ?
When I click the link to buy the OG through Amazon.com, it says that there is a newer version of the book (purple front cover. 2nd Edition). Which should I buy?
Thanks
Daniel: all these current plans are designed to with the first edition, the current edition. When are you planning to take the GRE? The 2nd ed doesn’t come out until, I believe, August —- you can pre-order it now, but that’s a long wait.. When the 2nd edition is released, we will update these plans accordingly. If you are taking the GRE any time in the next 3-4 months, then use the current edition of the OG, because the 2nd edition won’t even be out yet.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any further questions.
Mike
This looks like a GREAT plan for me. Thank you! I was following the older recommended GRE 6-month plan, but I think this is more attuned to my needs. I’m a busy mom returning to pursue a PhD and really need a study plan that targets my weaknesses (essentially, math). I’ll give this plan a shot and let you know how it works out.
Thank you again!
You are quite welcome. Thank you for your kind words. Please let us know however we may support you. A busy mom going back for a Ph.D! Very cool! More power to you!
Mike