GMAT Preparation

The GMAT is a tough test. Success in the GMAT depends not only on working hard, but also on working smart. Based on my own experience of talking to various people who have taken it (and I have a substantially large database of 100+ people who I am talking about here), here is the list of the most common mistakes made by GMAT test takers. 

As you read this article, the entire summer is ahead of you.  But if you are planning to apply to business school this fall, you should heed the warning that you learned in your earlier scholastic days – time flies when you’re having fun, and the fall, like those objects in your rearview mirror, is probably closer than it appears.

Rest assured that you can still enjoy most of your summer even if you don’t plan on taking the GMAT until later in the fall.  But even without dedicating much of the summer to studying, there are at least four habits you can add to your day-to-day lifestyle that will get you ready to hit the ground running when you do begin your GMAT preparation in earnest sometime soon:

1) Read

If you’re planning to apply to a top MBA program this coming fall (or even if you’re just starting to think about it), this is the perfect time to start preparing for the GMAT. Why?

Because starting your preparation now will put you in position to take the GMAT by late July. If you get the score you are aiming for, then great. You can put the GMAT out of your mind and start planning the rest of your application. If not — and it is not unusual for an applicant to take the GMAT two or three times — then you still have plenty of time to prep some more and take the GMAT again, before you start pulling together your Round 1 business school applications in October.

When it is early in the calendar year and applicants ask us, “What can I do NOW to most help my MBA admissions chances in the fall?” we often say, “Start earlier! Give yourself more time than you think you’ll need, for everything — the GMAT, your essays, your letters of recommendation.” Sometimes they listen, and sometimes they don’t. But the ones who do listen always become advocates of the “Start early!” school of thought.

1. Time

Sure, you’re busy now — but chances are you’ll be even busier once you’re out in the real world working 40-60+ hours a week. With that kind of schedule, it will be difficult to section off time to study for the GMAT. Also, beginning your prep now — when you know that you’ll still have ample time to retake the exam should it not go too smoothly — will allow you take the pressure off yourself on test day.

The language and communication skills that the GMAT tests are as straight-forward as any algebra problem.  So let's look at how you can take control of your score on the verbal section. Let us look at Test taking Strategies and Timing Goals for improving GMAT Verbal Score.