GMAT Strategy

Hello everyone.
I took the GMAT about a year ago after having gone through the GMAT Prep software in a couple days and i took the test only on the basis of that.
I scored a 530 ( Q33, V30)
I had booked for the test a month ago thinking 2 months would suffice; given that i was determined to put the bad test score behind me. Now as i stare down the barrel, i have exactly 1 month to go, and i'm tense to say the least
I am a full time working professional, am married and have a kid so i'm finding it kind of hard to take time out..That said, i've still drawn out a plan which gives me about 150 hours of preptime including a few days off from my job.
I have all 3 OGs, the orange, the green and the purple and i wanted to check if those would suffice.
Can someone out there who's taken the GMAT within a month of prep work or anyone at all just confirm if the time would be enough for me to score a 700...i could use all the pep talk i can get at the moment.. I have above average aptitude ( which you obviously can't tell with my previous score ) and i am willing to put in the 150 odd hours in the least.
Stacey or Ian or Eric or Prasanna - i value your comments a lot so please help me and let me know if i look good or i need more time
Thanks a ton in anticipation !

Can anyone pls jump in to suggest what i can do. Any answer would help me in my prep work
thanks

There is a chance you could get 700+ in a month depending on how ready you are for the test when the time comes. I've read posts from people here who have managed to raise their scores considerably after getting lower scores than yours. Given your time constraints, it will probably be pretty tough.

The three OG books you have are definitely the books you need the most, but you may find some others helpful depending on your weaker areas. For example, if you don't remember a lot of the basic math and it isn't coming back to you from looking at the problems or reading the very brief descriptions in the OG, then you may want an additional book that does a better review of the basics.

The GMAT doesn't really test how smart you are; it tests how well you are able to take the test. There are a *lot* of very smart people who have trouble with this test!

Also remember, it is only one part of the application process. Do you *need* a 700+ GMAT score for the schools you plan to attend, or is it a score that you would just like to have? When schools provide their average GMAT score, that means that others have scored lower and still got into the program.

How old is your kid? If old enough, s/he might have some fun helping you out with studying some things, like if you make flashcards. Or you can both have your "homework time" together if your kid is in school. Might even be fun for the kid to know that the parent can't watch TV or go play until the homework is done too!

You also don't have to set aside huge blocks of time for studying. If you have things you need to do around the house, work on memorizing formulas or powers of 2 or whatever you need to have in your head. Instead of going over 50 problems in one sitting, go over just five since you may only have 15 minutes here and there. You can get a whole lot done in 10-15 minutes!

If your aptitude and test taking skills are otherwise good, you may be to attain your target score. You need to very carefully plan your time. Dont spend more than 2 hrs at a time in prep. Take breaks to improve your concentration. Since you have already taken the test, you should know what areas/question types - so weave a plan around them. 3 OG should be good enough unless you need help in any specific area from additional material. You may need additional prep tests. Use the tests well- you should atleast spend twice the amount of time on review that that you took for the test.

I think if you have the basics down ... long division / decimals / factorials / generally decent grammar skills .. then 150 hrs is pretty good.

I studied for roughly 150-200 (80-90% of which was during a three week vacation leading up to the test) and scored 750. I am generally good with grammar but had serious weaknesses in math (eg did not remember how to do complex long divisions with pen and paper).

Allocate a lot of time to doing and reviewing sample CATs. Aside from your knowledge of concepts your test taking strategy and stamina are crucial factors to a good score. When you take CATs, try to do the AWA as well and try to take minimal breaks between the sections (no more than 8 mins). CATs should allow you to simulate the real test environment as closely as possible.

Good Luck. I admire you guys who have family and cant take 2-3 weeks off for prep. I would not be able to do it.

My son is 5 and is quite a handful.
Thanks all of you, i believe i have the basics right, the only areas i need a bit of sprucing up on include inequalities, probability, geometry...arithmetic and algebra are ok and verbal is ok too.
i'm hoping for the best