GMAT preps - How long is good enough?!?!

I am in that kind of mood today.

With just a tad more than 20 days for the test, and almost 85% of my preps complete (don't ask me how i reached that number) - the test day seems to be both painfully distant and frighteningly close. I am still not able to decide.

It has been more than 2 months now, since i stared the preparations keenly. With Kaplan Premier 2006, Princeton 2006 and the Kaplan 800 books taking up the first 5 weeks - I am working on the OGs now. I am done with the Math Qs in the big book and have completed the Math Review as well. I am presently at the fag end of the Verbal Qs in the big book and once done, I'll jump into the Verbal Review. Then all that is left will be the preps for the AWA section.

In my estimate, all this should not take more than 2 weeks. And then i have some 10 tests to give - including the all important GMATPrep 2 and PowerPrep 2 tests, apart from the i-dont-care Princeton and Kaplan tests. Give that a week or so. so in the next 3 weeks - i should be all done with preps.

The really big Question is - Has it all helped?!?! I'd say yes!!! I'm not that rusty (or rather hyper-confident) in Math and i know i can score really well if i keep concentrating throughout the 37 Qs. I've brushed up important grammar (especially the GMAT specific grammar) stuff, refreshed and streamlined my techniques on RC and CR. I know i can do well, but can also end up selecting many many wrong answers if i dont concentrate.

As is obvious, the key word seems to be CONCENTRATE!!! Must do on D-day!!!

Now - to the Q that lead to the post. I'd say something which I've been saying always - there is no "one size fits all" strategy for GMAT. But prepping is an important part - so ppl shud take care, investigate enough and plan really well. I'd say that the number of required hours will be a better thing to analyze.

I was able to give around 2 hrs every day and atleast 5 hrs of the weekend for GMAT preps. Calculate all that and i get around 200 hours, or around 20 hrs per week. That'd be it. Plan how you can draw those 200 hrs from your life - let it take weeks or months, 200 hrs will be it.

Now just when u thought I'd made it simple, I'd like to add this factor to the eqn. The proficiency level. I'd consider myself to be good in Math and above average in verbal (a statement which will be tested on the 6th of June of course) So if u guys differ, plz do consider that too when deciding on the number of hrs u'd wanna put in. If u are not sure abt ur proficiency level - taking a diagnostic test from somewhere wud help.

So yeah - looks like I've solved an important problem everyone seems to be having. That's my social service for the day. Gotta sleep now.

Ciao...