Phase III

Phase III - Full Sets, Time Management, Final Review

Here is your schedule for the final ten days:

Day 21

Day 22

Day 23

Day 24

Day 25

Full Set

Full Set

Full Set

Review

Full Set

Day 26

Day 27

Day 28

Day 29

Day 30

Full Test

Full Test

Review

Review

Review

DAY 21 TO DAY 25 (TIME MANAGEMENT, FULL SETS)

Congratulations! You’ve finished two-thirds of the course and are now well equipped with the techniques required. We have roughly ten days from today until your test day. We can accomplish a lot in that time.

In the first half of Phase III, one cycle is defined as follows:

•       60% – Practice Test

•       40%– Test Review

In the first half of Phase III, your daily study cycle should look like this:

•       150 minutes – Practice Test (75 minutes Verbal, 75 minutes Math)

•       90+ minutes – Test Review

If you don’t have the time to do a full set every day, do half a set every day and alternate between the verbal and the math sections.

Do a full set during the Practice Test period, and then check the answers during Test Review. Also during Test Review, review the materials that you’ve learned. We are putting all of our efforts into getting ready for test day, and doing these full sets will help you get familiar with how the actual test will be. In Phase III, we will do only two things:

1.     Review what you learned.

2.     Get ready for test day.

If you couldn’t finish some materials from the previous ten days, don’t worry. We have some time for you to study them. However, try to finish all of the materials by day 26 or 27 (five to six days from today) if possible, and leave the last few days for just reviewing materials and getting ready for test day. You want to feel relaxed and prepared by then.

Time Management

The concepts tested on the GMAT do not go beyond high school Science, Math or English grammar.

So why are people finding the GMAT so hard to beat?

One explanation is the issue of time management. Blowing the timing is one of the most costly, and unfortunately common mistakes students make. The GMAT is as much of a test of time management as it is a test of content. If you have fantastic content knowledge but poor timing, you will be outperformed by those who have far from perfect content knowledge but excellent time management. This is the nature of standardized tests!

You need to be strategic with your timing. For example, for the quant section there are 37 questions to be answered in 75 minutes. So it makes sense to spend 2 minutes on each question, right? Well, what is really important to know is that 2 minutes is just an average, a rule of thumb. Some questions you might be able to figure out in 10 seconds, others might take three or four minutes.

One of the top skills of the GMAT is recognizing when those extra seconds are worth spending on the question, or recognizing that you should just guess and move on.

This is something that perfectionists and overachievers in particular have a hard time with – they cannot just leave a question without finishing it, and end up taking too long on it. No matter how tempting it might be to keep plugging away at a question if you feel like you are “really close!” - let go of your stubbornness and move on.

Do not let your ego jeopardize a fantastic score!

Thought for Days 21-25.

You're in phase III and three weeks closer to your goal. You’ve come a long way, baby!

Everyone feels stressed during the final days before the GMAT, so know that any anxiety you are feeling is entirely normal. You have a certain amount of control over that anxiety though. Take care of yourself and don’t let it spiral out of control. Recognize when you need a break, and when you can use the stress to study even better. Remember that not all stress is bad stress; we all need a bit of stress in our lives to get stuff done.

These last days are for making you feel more sure about yourself, and to solidify the facts you have already learned. You may not feel like it, but you’re ready already.

Brandon's Tip

Time management, huh? Managing your time during the test is one of the most important factors that will affect your score. No matter how prepared you are for the verbal or math sections, poor time management can prevent you from getting your desired score.

Spend no more than four to five minutes on each question early in the test, and no more than two minutes later on in the test for the same section. As discussed, the earlier part of the section will have a greater impact on your final score than the latter part of the same section, so focus and spend more time on the early parts.

*Don’t think too much about any one question when working on the latter part of the section. You will have less time for each question, so if you can’t figure out an answer during the latter part of the section, just guess. *Unlike other standardized tests such as the SAT, the GMAT will not penalize you for guessing wrongly.

Now go ahead and start the final push for test day. Remember to time yourself and try to simulate the actual test environment when you take the full sets. If you notice anything bothering you during the test-taking session, write that down in your notebook and try to find a way to avoid the annoyance on test day. You have 75 minutes for the verbal part of the test and 75 minutes for the math part of the test.

On Review days, spend the full three to four hours reviewing the questions you highlighted before and the review techniques in your notebook and in the textbook. Participate in the online forums during the Review days if you feel that they are useful to you. You should also rest properly during this period, as taking these full sets can be stressful. Keep your mind sharp by getting enough water, sleep and fresh air.

Day 26 - Day 27 (FINAL REVIEW): 5 DAYS BEFORE THE TEST

Take a full practice test each of these days, starting with the essay and completing all 4 sections in one sitting. This will take a long time and some serious commitment, but it is important that you have the complete 3.5 hour GMAT experience before test day.

Thought for Days 26-27.

Are you experiencing thoughts such as 'I’m running out of time for the test!'?

Stop that already. You’ve had enough time and you’ve used it perfectly. You’ve learned as much as you could have possibly learned and you are well-prepared for the big day.

Now is the time for final review. You have a few more days, enough time to comfortably practice for the test. You should feel confident, and know that you can do it, and do it well. You have prepared well so relax and use all that you have learned.

Day 28 - Day 30 (FINAL REVIEW): 3 DAYS BEFORE THE TEST

The final three days!

We are almost there. There is only one thing that you should do in these final three days – review. You will most likely forget any new information that you cram into your brain now because you are too close to the test day. Don’t do it, no matter how tempting it is!

Instead, focus on consolidating what you have studied, and make sure that you understand the answers and reasoning to all of the questions that you previously answered incorrectly. Go back to the techniques you have used and quickly read through them to see if you missed anything.

Review your entire notebook and spend time on your most difficult subjects. Don’t feel stressed out about studying. Feel free to cut down on your study hours if you are comfortable with the topics. Use these three days to ready yourself mentally for the test. This involves staying calm, building your confidence and feeling positive.

Adjust your body to get ready for the test by sleeping well, eating right and getting enough fresh air and exercise. And try not to stay up too late!

Thought for Days 28-30.

You have achieved a lot of things over the last 30 days and can now take the test with confidence. You know how to concentrate, and how to manage your time. You should be calm in order to easily recall the techniques and strategies we talked about. Go show them – and yourself – what you got!

TEST DAY!

Finally, the test day has arrived.

Wake up early and have a good breakfast. Pack a bag with water, snacks, a pen and your notebook. Leave ample time to get to the test center, find parking and have a breather/ bathroom break before your appointment.

Briefly review your notes before the test, but don’t spend too much time trying to memorize everything.

Take a deep breath before you start the test. Remind yourself that you can do it.

There’s a message for you on the page after Final Word that I’d like you to read right before the test. If today is your test day, you can turn to that page now. If not, wait until test day to turn to it.

Relax and enjoy the ride!