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Some students are quiet because they don’t know the answers. They keep a low profile and don’t want the teacher to ask them questions. Maybe they’re tired and hungry, and just can’t learn (think Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs) so they tune out. I noticed it was mostly girls in that category. Possibly from low socio-economic backgrounds, dysfunctional families, or dyslexic, there was no interest in having them evaluated, since they caused no trouble.Oddly enough, some of the loudmouths act up for the same reasons. They hide their learning disabilites behind the cover of class clown, so no one will know they can’t read well. They take out their frustrations by being rude to teachers and spend more time in front of the principal’s office than doing homework. They’re struggling as much as the quiet ones, just louder. Since they’re disruptive, they tend to get more resources sent their way; maybe tutors, evaluations to determine why a seemingly bright kid is such a pain in class. I’m thinking of one student I had like that. She had a language disorder and couldn’t understand or express herself effectively.If I’ve learned one thing working in schools with learning disabled kids, it’s never make sweeping generalizations about any of them.

Use your tutor to help you with accent reduction, and, when you submit your independent and integrated speaking practice tests, make sure your tutor evaluates your speaking using the official TOEFL iBT rubrics. Your goal in using your tutor or teacher is to find out what delivery, language use, and topic development problems you are having. Once you and your teacher have identified your problems, then your teacher will need to provide specific lessons that you can practice so that you can overcome those language issues. For example, if your tutor tells you that you have problems with intonation, then you should be given access to lessons to help you improve your intonation.60 hours of practice and getting the right feedback from your italki tutor or teacher should get you going in the right direction.Good luck!Michael Buckhoff, [email protected]"The 7-Step System to Pass the TOEFL IBT"

We need a starting point, a target score and a time frame to come up with a study plan.I am making assumptions for all three to put together a study plan. You could use this as a template and then rework the timelines to suit your specific case.Starting Point: 580 to 600 in the GMAT diagnostic test. Engineer with 2+ years experience with above average academics.Target Score: 700 in the GMAT with a good balance between the quant and the verbal section of the GMAT. I will set a target of Q49 (74th percentile) and V35(76th percentile)Time window: 3 months (12 weekends).Week minus 1 and week 0:Take a diagnostic test. A good place to find one is the official GMAT website. Attempt both the verbal and the quant section with an optional 8 minute break. Note down your starting scores. The diagnostic test will help you know how far you have to go to reach the target.Research on preparation options and sign up with one. Depending on where you live and what your work schedule is, you will have the option of opting between an offline classroom program and an online course. If you do not reside in one of the larger cities, your options of finding a good GMAT classroom program is practically nil. Online courses may be your best bet.Whichever set of options you choose from, make sure you attend demo classes (for offline programs including private tutoring), evaluate trial courses (for online programs and online private tutoring options). Evaluate two to three providers before signing up with one. Online courses are usually friendly on the pocket. Offline classes are usually pricier than the online courses. Private tutoring, depending on the credentials of the tutor, are on the higher end of the price spectrum.A few points to note:i) Expensive programs need not necessarily mean good ones.ii) Do your due diligence before signing up. Ask all relevant questions about the course offering and get them clarified before signing up.iii) Make the judgement based on your learning needs and check whether you are able to relate to the teaching methodology of the course offered.Free options tend to be expensive. Massive amount of free content is available on the Internet and the YouTube. The search cost of collating what you need is quite high. You are training to be a manager. Use your resources well. If you are working, you will be hard pressed for time. You cannot afford to squander it in searching for free content. The GMAT exam costs USD 250. Investing about USD 250 will get a good GMAT classroom program. And you are likely to find online GMAT preparation for a fraction of that cost.Weeks 1 to 4: Complete one of the two sections - Quant or Verbal.An average student will require 100 to 125 hours to prepare for each of the two GMAT sections. Plan to invest about 3 hours a day during the week and another 10 hours during the weekend. There is a lot of ground to be covered.Get your basics in every topic in place before moving to practice and improving your speed. Basics include not just the how, but also the what, when and why.By end of week 4, you should have completed the quant / verbal section and get over 80% of the questions that you attempt in any chapter to section test correct in the stipulated time.Weeks 5 to 8: Repeat the exercise for the other section.Weeks 9 and 10: Revise quant and verbal, and prepare for IR and AWADo an accelerated recap of concepts in quant and verbal in about 10 days. In addition, spend 15 to 20 hours on IR and 8 to 10 hours on AWA. You must score 6+ in the GMAT IR section and 5+ in the GMAT AWA section. Though these two scores are not part of the GMAT Total score of 800, you cannot afford a sub par score in these two sections.Weeks 11 and 12. Take 6 Mock GMAT TestsThe official GMAT website has 2 free online GMAT practice tests and 4 paid ones. These are among the most representative tests. In addition, you will have access to full length online GMAT Mock Tests provided by your test prep company.Budget to take a test every other day and analyse and course correct your preparation based on the test scores.Two sides to your test dateIf you find yourself not meeting the timelines mentioned above do not be over critical about missing timelines. Take your real GMAT test a few weeks later. But do justice to your GMAT prep before taking the test. If a few weeks of additional prep will get you to your target score, it is certainly worth it.On the other side, quite a few of us do not pick a GMAT date and postpone the test infinitely. That is not going to help your cause. A 3-month window can stretch to 4 or possibly 5. But it cannot be postponed on a rolling basis forever. So, you may be better off committing to a test date 3.5 months from the start date by scheduling a test appointment. That will provide direction and discipline to your prep.Best wishes for your GMAT prep