GMAT study plan for the GMAT Focus Edition
Most GMAT candidates study around a full-time job, so the plan has to be realistic about evenings. This prompt has your todo.is agent build a Focus Edition plan from your diagnostic, weight Data Insights properly, schedule the official practice exams and keep an error log that shows why you miss questions, not only which ones.
The prompt
- Create a GMAT Focus Edition study plan for me. Test date: [TEST DATE]. Target score: [TARGET SCORE]. My diagnostic: [DIAGNOSTIC RESULT]. I can study [WEEKLY HOURS] hours a week, mostly [WHEN I STUDY]. Split the weeks across Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning and Data Insights based on my weakest section, use the Official Guide and the official practice exams (with links), and plan a full practice exam every two weeks. Build an error log template that sorts mistakes by cause (content, careless, timing). Give me an Excel plan and a PDF summary, and every Sunday at 18:00 email me next week's tasks.
What to change
- [TEST DATE]: E.g. "November 15". Leave time for a retake before round 2 deadlines.
- [TARGET SCORE]: E.g. "655". Focus Edition scores run from 205 to 805, so check that the program's average is on this scale.
- [DIAGNOSTIC RESULT]: Score and section scores from an official practice exam, e.g. "585: Q 79, V 81, DI 76". Attach the report if you have it.
- [WEEKLY HOURS]: E.g. "10".
- [WHEN I STUDY]: E.g. "weekday evenings and Saturday mornings".
Example result
- GMAT Focus plan: 10 weeks, 585 to 655
- Test: November 15 · Diagnostic Q 79, V 81, DI 76 · 10 hours a week
- The Focus Edition format
- • Three sections of 45 minutes each, about 2 hours 15 minutes in total
- • Quantitative Reasoning: 21 questions, problem solving only, no calculator, no geometry
- • Verbal Reasoning: 23 questions, Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning (no Sentence Correction)
- • Data Insights: 20 questions, on-screen calculator. Data Sufficiency, Multi-Source Reasoning, Table Analysis, Graphics Interpretation, Two-Part Analysis.
- • You choose the section order, and you can review and change up to 3 answers per section.
- Time split
- Data Insights 40%, Quant 35%, Verbal 25%. DI is your lowest and counts as much as the other two.
- Weeks 1 to 3: core skills
- • Quant: number properties, ratios, rates, percentages, exponents. No calculator, so practise clean mental arithmetic.
- • DI: Data Sufficiency method. Test statement 1 alone, then 2 alone, then together. Learn the five answer choices by heart.
- • Verbal: Critical Reasoning. Find the conclusion first, then the gap in the argument.
- Weeks 4 to 6: mixed practice
- • Table Analysis: sort columns before reading the statements
- • Two-Part Analysis: solve each part separately, then check they fit together
- • Practice exam 2 at end of week 4, exam 3 at end of week 6
- Weeks 7 to 9: timing and review strategy
- • Roughly 2 minutes per question. If a question passes 3 minutes, guess, flag it, move on.
- • Decide in advance how you use your 3 answer edits (only on flagged questions with a clear new idea)
- • Practice exam 4 in week 8
- Week 10
- • Practice exam 5 six days out, then review only
- • Try your chosen section order in the last two mocks
- Error log columns
- • Date · Section · Question type · My answer · Correct · Cause (content / careless / timing) · Rule to remember
How to do it with todo.is
- Take a free official practice exam to get a baseline, then fill in the prompt.
- Paste it into todo.is on the Today screen, or send it to your agent by email or WhatsApp.
- Open the Excel plan and the PDF summary. Your first week starts on the next Monday.
- After each practice exam, forward the score report. Your agent rebalances the remaining weeks.
Tips for a better result
- Do not use pre-Focus materials for Sentence Correction or geometry. They are no longer tested.
- Data Sufficiency is about whether you can answer, not what the answer is. Stop calculating once you know.
- Track careless errors separately. If they are more than a third of your misses, the fix is process, not content.
- Practise with the same section order you plan to use on test day.
GMAT study plan: FAQ
- How many hours does GMAT prep take? Many test takers spend 80 to 150 hours over two to four months. A higher target or a weak math background needs more.
- What is a good GMAT Focus score? It depends on the program. Look up each school's class profile and check that its averages are reported on the Focus Edition scale.
- Is there a calculator on the GMAT? Only in Data Insights, as an on-screen calculator. The Quant section has none.
- Can my agent find official GMAT materials? Yes. It finds the official practice exams and guides on the GMAC site and adds the links to your plan. You buy any paid ones yourself.
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