How many hours aside from the prep class should I be studying? I have a demanding schedule at work, with family and I travel a lot. I Plan to take the test in Aug. but I feel like I'm not devoting enough hours to my homework, studying and taking the practice test.

Can someone give me some pointers?

Our research indicates that most students who score above 700 spend about 15-20 hours a week preparing for the GMAT. Obviously, the exact amount is highly individual since there are many personal factors involved. If you can't spend that much time per week (many people can't; life gets in the way :) ), studying fewer hours per week but for more weeks is a viable option.

If you could post a sample weekly schedule (study time and work, family, & other obligations), we can help you adjust it to make it more effective.

Bill

Thank you Bill. That helps a lot.

Bill,

How many weeks of 15 - 20 hours of prep is enough to aim for a 700+?

Thanks.

Hey, akgmat:

That's a tough question - it's hard to say that anything is "enough" for a score like that, as a lot depends on the quality of that time, your own starting point, etc.

In general, we've found that about ten weeks is a good baseline - 7 weeks of a class and 3 weeks of study afterward. But obviously there are ranges for each student. My advice is to aim for a schedule like that and then be specific in your studies - if you know that you need extra work on the fundamentals, then move out your timeframe from 10 to 12 weeks to build in two weeks of math fundamental work. If, halfway through the course, you realize that your pacing is off, then build in a week to do some pacing drills.

There isn't really a one-size-fits-all study plan, but if you use a 10-week plan as a baseline and then tinker with it according to your progress, that's a pretty good strategy.

Thanks Brian!

Will look you back up as my course progresses to get some more advice.

Have a wonderful day.

That's really helpful, thanks Bill.

Just to clarify -- do you suggest 15-20 hours per week outside of class?

I am wondering the same thing.

Hello, everyone:

That 15-20 hours per week should include the class (which hopefully is the highest concentration of value-added time you spend during each week), and keep in mind that that's an average of what 700+ scorers DID, not necessarily what's REQUIRED. Like Bill mentioned, life gets in the way a lot of times and the key is to ensure that you stay as on-track as possible and put in quality time. You're much more likely to succeed by putting in 12 good hours per week for 2-3 months than by putting in 20 hours two straight weeks, then falling off the wagon and taking two weeks off, then trying to re-start, etc. Make sure that you design a schedule that works with your lifestyle and that emphasizes quality time over just "checking the box" time.