GMAT Preparation Tips for Beginners & Busy Professionals | GMAT Prep Strategies

Thinking about GMAT preparation, or confused about how to prepare for GMAT while working full-time? This post is all about getting started on GMAT prep and how to develop a GMAT study plan. A must-read for beginners and busy professionals.

Introduction

The summer is coming. People will be busy with planning summer holidays. However, there will be few folks who will be busy with planning with GMAT preparation and MBA applications. If you are thinking about attending a top international business school for the Fall (August/September/October) intake next year, then the summer (May - July) is the best time to take your GMAT exam.

When it comes to the MBA applications at the top schools, the GMAT score is one of the most important parameters. Of course, the GMAT score is not everything. A high GMAT score does not guarantee you an admission at a World Top 50 or Top 100 business school. But, a high GMAT score does improve your chances to get an admit at your dream school(s).

Fig. 1: GMAT Components and Weights (Source: Poets & Quants; Image Credit; MBA Crystal Ball)

If you look at the table above, the GMAT score carries the maximum weight and plays an important role during the MBA admissions. So, it's better that your get started with GMAT prep and study plan at the earliest.

GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) can be taken up to five times in a year. The registration fees is USD $250. The GMAT exam can be taken as per your convenience at any one of the 35 test centers across 31 cities in India. You do get the option to reschedule the GMAT exam seven days before the GMAT test date at an additional fee of $50. Read more about test centers and registration procedure here.

Objective of GMAT

Before starting your GMAT prep journey, you need to understand the objective of the GMAT exam. GMAT score is a tool for the admission committees of the business schools to judge if you could do well in an MBA program and/or other business programs like Masters (MS or MSc) in Finance, Business Analytics, Data Analytics or Management. GMAT aims to assess your ability of interpretation, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

Unlike other exams (like CAT), GMAT aims to assess your basic concepts, rather than make you remembering formulae and theorems.

GMAT is a Computer-Adaptive Test

GMAT is an Adaptive (or Responsive) kind of exam. Not everyone will see the same questions and the scoring is not simply based on how many questions you get right or wrong. Being an adaptive test, the more questions you answer correctly, the tougher the test will become. If you keep on answering the questions incorrectly, the questions will become easier. Unlike competitive exams that rate you on how many questions you can get right, GMAT aims to pinpoint your ability level. If you consistently get "720-level" questions wrong and consistently get "680-level" questions right, your score will fall somewhere between those points.

The final GMAT score also depends on individual GMAT questions. For example, if 10% of test-takers in a particular cohort get a particular question right, then that's a 90th percentile question (or "680-level" question). Generally, everyone starts with questions at the 50th percentile level. Due to all these complexities, your need Strategy and Regular Practice for GMAT. The mental adjustment is very critical for success in the GMAT exam.

Format and Sections of the GMAT Test

GMAT exam is of 3.5 hours duration and consists of 4 sections - Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, and Verbal. The total score out of 800 is only for the verbal and quantitative sections. You will receive independent scores for the remaining two sections.

Fig. 2: GMAT Test Sections and Question Patterns (Source: Official GMAT Website)

For the AWA section, you need to write an essay. The score for this section is on a 6-point scale. The Integrated Reasoning (IR) section is comparatively new (got introduced in 2012 only). The score is on an 18-point scale. The Quantitative section is designed to put your math skills to test. The Quantitative section revolves around basic Arithmetic, Algebra, and Geometry. The multiple-choice questions of the Quantitative section of GMAT falls under two categories - Data Sufficiency Questions and Problem-Solving Questions. the GMAT Verbal section has got three categories of questions - Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction.

How to Get Started for GMAT Preparation

The first thing you should do is to buy the Official GMAT Guide (OG). Read the first few pages to understand the format of the GMAT and question patterns. You should take a diagnostic test (sort of mock test) to evaluate where you stand. You need to identify the areas of your strength and weakness. It's better to start working on the weak points early on. Download the Free GMATPrep Software and take the Diagnostic Test. After the test, you will receive feedback about your strengths and weaknesses. The GMATPrep software is a great way to start your GMAT preparation. Not only because it is free. But, because the free software uses the same technology as the official GMAT exam, and provides you with scores, you will be more comfortable and confident on during the actual test.

How Much Time Should You Spend on GMAT Preparation?

There is no straightforward answer for this. It's better to develop a study plan and schedule according to your strengths and weaknesses. This is very important for the busy professionals. As per the experts and test-takers, you should allocate 3 months to yourself before taking the exam. However, there are several instances where people have scored 750, 770 and even 780 with 2 - 5 weeks of preparation. Below are the data collected from ~8,000 GMAT takers.

Fig. 3: Number of Hours of GMAT Preparation (Source: Official GMAT Website)

Fig. 4: Average Number of Study Hours, by GMAT Score (Source: Official GMAT Website)

Please be advised that these data are just for estimation. Studying 99 hours doesn't guarantee a 700+ score in GMAT.

GMAT Test Prep & Resources

The Official GMAT Guide (OG) is the best way to get started. You can buy the Official Guide for GMAT Review on Amazon & Flipkart. You could also get started with CAT prep materials (TIME or Career Launcher).

Besides the OG, it's also recommended to refer to an online test prep for studying and practice exams. There are a number of books and online test preps are available. You can also combine different resources. For example, using the Manhattan Prep or Kaplan for the Verbal section and Magoosh or Khan Academy for the Quantitative section. Please do your own research and speak to other people before opting for a GMAT prep.

Don't rely on a single source of GMAT test prep material. Try a combination of resources besides the Official GMAT Guide.

Below is the list of the Most Popular GMAT Online Test Prep Services.

• Manhattan Prep
• Kaplan GMAT Test Prep
• Magoosh GMAT Prep
• Princeton Review GMAT Prep
• CrackVerbal
• e-GMAT
• The Economist GMAT Tutor
• Khan Academy GMAT Prep
• Veritas Prep
• BYJU's
• Jamboree

Apart from the books and online test preps, it's also to spend some time at some of the popular online forums for GMAT, such as GMAT Club, Beat the GMAT, PaGalGuy. These are great sites to ask questions about anything related to GMAT related, and also to check out the discussions and see how others are preparing for the GMAT.

Some of the Most Popular & Best-Selling Online GMAT Courses to Get Started

GMAT Prep Course

The Complete GMAT Preparation Course (with Mock Tests)

GMAT Verbal-Critical Reasoning

GMAT Math Preparation Class

GMAT Math - Data Sufficiency Made Easy

Break Away: GMAT Verbal - Sentence Correction

Dominate GMAT Verbal - Comprehensive GMAT Verbal Prep Course

Ultimate GMAT Essay - Ace the Essay in 1 week

You might also like the following two courses:

How To Write The Most Effective Application Essays

Navigating the MBA Admissions Process

What is the Best Time to take the GMAT?

It's always ideal to apply early. So, Round 1 deadlines (September-October) is the best time to submit your MBA application. Hence, it's best to give the GMAT by June. If you end up with a lower score, you can have enough time to prepare a little more and re-appear. Now, there is no point in presenting a half-baked application. So, even if you don't get the desired score by September or October, you can appear again for the GMAT in September or October. You can then submit the MBA applications during the Round 2 deadlines (January-February).

Recommended Post: MBA and MS Business Analytics Deadlines (R3 & R4) for 2020 at Top Business Schools

Video on GMAT Prep & MBA Admission Strategies by Harvard Alumni

If you are craving for more tips on how to prepare for GMAT, I would strongly recommend you to watch the recorded version of the Stoodnt webinar on GMAT Prep & MBA Admission Strategies for Top International Business Schools. The webinar was presented by two Harvard Business School alumni - Ajay Singh and Tyler Cormney.

Starting early doesn't only help you to have a great GMAT score, but it also improves your admission chances at the top international business schools. You could also opt for our Early Stage MBA Planning & Profile Building Services: 6-Month or 12-Month.

You might also like to read the following articles:

Average GMAT scores for top MBA programs in the world

How to Pay for Your MBA in USA

Ajay's Journey from a small college town in India to Harvard Business School M.B.A. program

Top 20 Business Schools in the US

Tips for Getting into Top MBA Programs

MBA Scholarships for Women at Top Business Schools

Should one consider a part-time MBA?

Video on "What to look for in business schools?" by Stoodnt.

About Me: I have got a Molecular Pharmacology background with 5 years of research experience in the fields of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cancer Biology, Drug Discovery, and Biomarkers. I did my Masters from the UK (Aston University), and have worked at the University of Oxford (UK), Utrecht University (Netherlands), University of New South Wales (Australia), and MeetUniversity (India). Currently, I am working as an Admission Counselor and Career Adviser at Stoodnt, Inc.!