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How to Prepare for GMAT?

Taking the GMAT is a critical point in the academic lives of many people all over the world, including India. You need to be fully equipped with the essential skills and knowledge to prepare for the GMAT and ace it.  It is quite understandable that you must be familiar with the concepts and their applications to succeed at GMAT.

However, the significance of the preparation phase cannot be understated when it comes to making sure that you can achieve an excellent score. Many people think that only reading a GMAT guide book or taking prep classes is enough to get high marks in this aptitude test. While all of these strategies will help you, you should also examine your specific situation and determine the best way to prepare for the GMAT.

Taking sufficient time to plan for GMAT will help you in the long run because you will have everything mapped out efficiently. No matter how intelligent you are, you must not take this preparation phase lightly. Both hard work and smart work will help you in acing the GMAT.

Once you are familiar with the fundamentals of GMAT, the next thing to do is to start preparing for it.

Must Read: All about GMAT exam

In this article, you will get the answers to some of the most common questions associated with preparing for the GMAT.

How long does it take to prepare for GMAT?

Generally, the following factors have the greatest influence on how much time it will take to prepare for the GMAT:

  • Your current level of preparation
  • Target GMAT score
  • Resources you are using to prepare for GMA.

To determine your GMAT baseline score, you can take the GMAT mini quiz or an extensive practice test.  Ultimately, the exact amount of time can greatly vary from student to student.

How to develop the stamina to prepare for GMAT?

It is important to have enough energy and stamina through the GMAT exam to make sure you can achieve a high score on all of the sections. Many students tend to get exhausted by the last section of the exam. Hence, you have to be good at sitting for continuous 4 hours to succeed at GMAT.

Some important tips that you should follow in this regard are:

  • Attempt the 4-hour GMAT practices at least every two weeks.
  • Do not take breaks between these tests as you will not have such an option in the actual exam.
  • Attempt the entire practice test in one go and do not skip sections. It is always a good idea to follow the given order, so you are used to it by the time you take the GMAT exam.
  • Ensure that you are getting used to taking the exam physically as well as mentally.
  • Focus on improving your analytical and decision-making skills because you will have to make around 350 decisions during the exam.

Taking the GMAT exam can be strenuous for anyone, so ensure that you are equipped with the right skills to get through the exam, and practice is the best way to get these skills.

Should I take GMAT Practice Tests?

Definitely, yes! To prepare for GMAT and achieve a high score, you should never ignore the importance of taking GMAT practice tests regularly. These tests help you in measuring and tracking your progress, getting used to performing under time pressure, reviewing the missed problems, and fully understanding the errors you made. When you take GMAT practice exams regularly, you will not feel much pressure on the test day.

You can use the following resources to attempt GMAT practice tests:

  1. GMAT Official Guide 2021
  2. Kaplan GMAT Complete 2021
  3. Business schools like London Business School provide free online GMAT practice tests.

What are the most important parts of the GMAT?

It is important to note that the GMAT exam is not only a test of your intelligent quotient (IQ). Similarly, it cannot be limited as a test of one’s English skills, verbal skills, or mathematical ability. While these subjects do play a role in the test, the fact is that GMAT exam questions are unique and force the candidate to think creatively and apply relevant concepts to different questions.

Your real objective should be to develop critical thinking skills and mental math skills to get a good score in all of the sections. Moreover, you must be able to perform well under time pressure and apply your skills to GMAT questions without getting overwhelmed during the exam.

Learn more about the format and syllabus of GMAT.

How can I avoid procrastination as I prepare for GMAT?

Getting started with preparing for any exam, including GMAT, can be challenging for many people. In fact, it would not be wrong to say that procrastination is one of the major reasons why many candidates end up not scoring low on the aptitude exams.

Following are some of the useful tips that you should follow to avoid procrastination while preparing for the GMAT:

  1. Take small steps towards preparing for GMAT by reading about the exam, pattern, syllabus, and other such important information.
  2. Never plan a lengthy preparation session of 3 to 5 hours in one go, as you will end up burning yourself out and start procrastinating.
  3. Watch the online lectures or attend a GMAT prep session to avoid procrastinating.
  4. Make a study timetable and reward yourself when you achieve your goal of the day to ensure you stick to the timetable.

How Should I Create My Study Plan?

Once you have decided to prepare for GMAT, you should start the process by creating a timetable and sticking to it to ensure you are able to cover all of the topics and attempt practice tests to get used to taking such lengthy exams.

Online resources and books like GMAT Official Guide can help you in following a relevant study plan and prepare for the GMAT. You should divide your time as per the four sections of the GMAT:

  1. Analytical Writing Assessment
  2. Integrated Reasoning
  3. Quantitative Reasoning
  4. Verbal Reasoning

One thing that you should never do is create an overly ambitious timetable. It is common to get carried away and plan out long preparation sessions. However, this kind of timetable will end up overwhelming you and making you unproductive in the long run.

Therefore, you should create a timetable with small tasks, especially in the initial days of preparation, so that you are able to stick to it and remain committed to acing the GMAT.

Conclusion

These are some of the most important aspects that you should keep in mind when you are starting to prepare for the GMAT. Other than following these tips, you should always try to find your learning style so that you remain self-motivated throughout the process of preparing for the GMAT. You might like studying simple prep books, or you might be one of those students who only study in a class.

Whatever might be the case, you can excel at GMAT by following these tips and making sure you are preparing for the GMAT in the best way possible.

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