GMAT Preparation

In 2016, GMAC collaborated with six prominent global business schools to create the Executive Assessment, a tailored assessment specifically developed to suit the admissions objectives of executive MBA programs globally. From a tool for evaluating Executive MBA candidate, the assessment has now been started accepting as an alternative to GMAT test for full-time MBA candidates as well.

Admissions officers have long relied on GMAT test statistics to estimate application trends. The Pandemic strained that relationship, partly due to advancements made by GRE.

If you have found balancing GMAT prep and your work schedule a near impossible task, don't worry!

6 Step Plan for you!

Setting 700+ performance goal for your GMAT exam is essential. However, studies by Gary P. Latham, Gerard Seijts and Dan Crim on The Effects of Learning Goal Difficulty Level and Cognitive Ability on Performance show that when the participants are focused on higher learning goals than higher performance goals the potential to reach their goals is higher. This is true only in the initial stages of the learning process.

When you are in the initial stages of GMAT prep, setting higher GMAT score goals will motivate you to start the process, but that does not guarantee a higher performance.

Here is Why

Bob Bjork, who studies interleaving, demonstrated this with an experiment where he used art to demonstrate our ability to remember and connect the dots. One group of participants were shown a set of painting from the same artists in consecutive sessions with each session marking the transition from one artist to the other while for the other...

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GMAT Preparation can last anywhere between 3 and 5 months and your attitude during the preparation can influence the results.

Learn how to motivate yourself during the 3-4 months of GMAT Preparation - A Secret used by GMAT 700+ test takers.

Motivation is the key to sustain GMAT preparation for 3-months to 5 months. The standards that you set for goals influence motivation. Jessica M. Nicklin & Kevin J. Williams have covered the correlation between goal setting and motivation in their paper: Self-Regulation of Goals and Performance: Effects of Discrepancy Feedback, Regulatory Focus, and Self-Efficacy.


Find out how first diagnostic test influence preparation and goals

You might argue that when you are in the zone, no distraction - external or internal would derail your GMAT preparation. For such lengthy span of attention, taking breaks would be the last thing on your mind. But for other daily GMAT Study sessions, 20 minutes sessions would be helpful, and produce the best results.

Find out why

After getting Business School research right, the next important step for an MBA Aspirant is GMAT Preparation. For 1-Month, 3-Month, or 2-Week GMAT study plan, practice sessions are an integral part of the preparation. But most aspirants are driven by two motivations: mastery or 700+ score.

You might argue that the goal behind each motivation is the same, but depending on the motivation that you choose, the results can vary.

Find out the difference between Mastery and 700+ GMAT Preparation

What truly makes the world class athletes worth watching is their competing spirit. Behind that intense focus, there were months of preparation - the kind of sacrifice that a normal person would never do to achieve their goals. Find out what Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Roger Federer, Sachin Tendulkar and Michael Phelps can teach you about GMAT Preparation. 

Starting your GMAT test with Integrating Reasoning section can affect your stamina. For the first year, Business Schools like Stanford has revealed that they will not give high priority to IR section, instead evaluate Verbal, Quant, and AWA along with the total score.

Find out the primary reason why top schools like Stanford, Harvard, Wharton, Kellogg, and INSEAD will not give any weightage for the IR Scores this year

The ideal time quoted by most GMAT Prep Companies and experts is 3 Months. More importantly it is not the time but the plan that you have during the 3-Month that will help you reach the 700+ target.

Overview of 3-Month GMAT Prep plan. Read Now!

You can plan to spend about 3 months on your GMAT preparation. Plan to secure 700 and beyond for the top 10 schools and Grockit definitely becomes very useful in achieving your goal with the other Official material.

So when do you really take the GMAT?

What’s the best way to get at it? Well there are different strategies and people figure out what works for them and what does not. But always remember this- If you were good in Math at one point of time, you are still good in Math. You have not lost your Quant and so do not loose faith…. Have confidence. It’s just a matter of days before you can catch on to it and then GMAT Quant is fun and you will enjoy it. The best way to work the Quant preparation is to get to the Official Guide notes and go through them. Try to not only read them but also try to derive..

Everyone learns in different ways and at a different pace. But when it comes to preparing for the GMAT and gaining a score reasonably reflective of your abilities – there are some general rules of thumb that can help you get the score you want.

RSM's  MBA Marketing & Admissions Director Maryke Luijendijk-Steenkamp has been helping prospective students through the MBA application process for years. Here she shares her observations on preparing for the GMAT in a way that can help ensure a successful application to an RSM MBA programme.

First up – make sure you DO prepare

It's not uncommon for people to go into the GMAT blindly and then have an unpleasant surprise when they achieve a score different to what they expected. Even people who are very confident in their cognitive abilities need to prepare. We have seen financial consultants and accountants with scores of 10%.  Doing well in the GMAT is not just dependant on ability, but being familiar with the sorts of questions that are asked, how they are phrased and so on. Everyone needs to prepare.

Familiarise yourself with the language and test environment

You might have started preparing for the GMAT. Before you start, identify your personality type. What happens during the GMAT prep process is that many test takers blindly follow a few top contributors in GMAT forums. This can be detrimental in reaching your goal – “Getting into a top Business School”.

There are 4 GMAT Test Taking Personalities - Lone Wolf, Test Fanatic, Silent Observer and Result Driven. Which one are you? Which is your GMAT Test taking personality?