It is one week before my Test Date. I am looking for some expert advice.

Where should I place most of my emphasis for this week.

I know my strengths and weeknesses.

Strengths - Verbal (I am not great at Sentence Correction)

Weaknesses - Quantitative - specifically: inequalities, geometry and probability.

I finish the Verbal section on time but am always pressed for time with Quatitative.

Do you suggest that I spend most of the time plowing through math questions, taking practice tests, just math practice tests, or focus on only weakness.

In advance, I appreciate your time and expert opinion.

JM,

Thanks for your question.

I would think of the GMAT as something of a test of skill, analogous to an athletic endeavor. My best advice for you would be to NOT burn out, overstudy, or run yourself ragged in this final week. Instead, try and keep your GMAT muscles 'toned' by doing sets of questions under timed conditions, and if you do take a practice test, take it several days before the real thing (not the day before).

It may be advisable even, this once, to do a handful of questions and not check the results! That way, you won't be discouraged by any negative results, and you'll be accustomed to simply forging ahead and not focusing too much on feedback or whether you get the question right or wrong.

The bottom line is that, as you've said, you know what your strengths and weaknesses are. You are unlikely to 'learn' something in the last days that will greatly influence your performance, as the GMAT tests your internalized skills as much as your content knowledge (i.e. 'doing' as much as 'thinking'). The best thing you can do at this point is get yourself confident and relaxed, do an occasional timed set of math problems and verbal problems to stay loose, and put forth your best performance.

A couple other tips for test day:

1. Plan to show up at the center a 1/2 hour early, so you're not stressed out getting there.
2. Take your breaks!
3. Eat well, but don't alter your routine dramatically the day of the exam.

And above all, stay positive! That means during the test, and leading up to it.

Hope that this is somewhat helpful! Let us know how it goes! All of the best, - Andrew

Thank you. I will keep you posted.

Hello. My test is April 30th, and I would also like your opinion.

My situation is similar to JM's
- Strengths: Verbal
- Weaknesses: Quantitative, specifically algebra, exponents, probability

Also, I feel a bit rushed towards the end of the verbal section. I average about 2:15 per critical reasoning question, yet I try to compensate for taking a shorter amount of time on sentence correction. Any practical time saving tips would be helpful. In general, I feel like I try to thoroughly comprehend each question without spending extra time. Would you recommend shaving time off problems I am weak in (i.e. Cr- assumptions, RC- specific details)?

I was considering taking 2 practice tests this week before, but would you recommend taking only one?

I plan on doing verbal and math practice sets each day, yet would it be advisable to focus on any given area (weakness, strength, etc.)?

Any advice you have about this week before is greatly appreciated!