Every candidate aspires to score well on their GMAT Exam, to get into the Business School they wish to join. More unconventional methodologies are used for preparing for this exam. The training is not all that rigorous, but needs to be more systematically organized.
How To Prepare For GMAT?
- Conduct research on all the Business Schools that interest you. Check the dates of their course commencement and application deadlines. What score ranges do they accept? Prepare yourself accordingly.
- Learn about the 4 Exam Sections
- Analytical Writing Assessment (30 mins)
- Integrated Reasoning (30 mins)
- Quantitative Reasoning (62 mins)
- Verbal Reasoning (65 mins)
- Select your study material– There is a huge pile of information or study material everywhere. Referring to too many sources will simply confuse you. Hence, be selective and stick to the official GMAT curriculum and prepare yourself. Study previous GMAT Exams and try attempting them. If you are taking coaching, stick to study material you’ve been assigned. If you more have time, go through other resources.
- Devise a study plan– Assign yourself a period of time to be solely devoted to your GMAT Preparation and be diligent in your practice. Whether it is 3 months or 6. Start early. Create a sequence of sections and follow a strict schedule. While preparing, stick to one section at a time. Review your performance after taking mock tests. Select the date you’d like to appear for the exam and book it.
- Work on improving your speed and performance– You get 3 hours and 7 minutes to answer 80 questions. Time is of utmost value in GMAT. Attempt mock papers often, to be able to assess your speed and see which section is taking you more time.
Gradually develop your speed by practicing and particularly working on the section where you are lagging. In case there is a specific category of questions you are struggling with, to finish, give it more time than the rest. Keep working on it till you master it.
- Practice is key- Devote time to practice problem solving every single day in the months leading up to your exams. Do not get complacent. This way, you will be better prepared and be more efficient on the actual day of the exam.
However, this is not enough to ace your exam. You must also design a strategy to be followed through your preparation.
What Strategy Can Be Used For GMAT?
Approach the exam with a strategic approach, so you’re not bewildered but ready when the time comes.
- Utilize your strengths by maximizing your potential and taking much lesser time to answer those. Work harder on your weaknesses.
- Focus on one section of the syllabus at a time. Don’t get distracted with any other question or doubt while you are attempting this section.
- Prepare a list of mistakes you make and the concepts you faulter in. This will give you deeper insight into why you’re going wrong. Paying heed to this will only further your chances of not repeating these mistakes on the exam day. The more familiar you are, the easier it will be for you to spot an error.
- Attempt mock tests to be more familiar with the idea of what the question paper will look like, your speed in finishing individual sections and accordingly, improve your test abilities. You will be able to experience the anxiety before hand and know the level of difficulty that will present itself. Manage your time adequately, so you can finish your exam and still be able to revise.
- Push yourself harder– Do more than what is required out of you. This is how you’ll be ahead of the rest. Whether you’re stuck in a limbo with mathematical problems or verbal reasoning skills, you have to keep soaring through. Improve your general knowledge, read more. Work harder on your shortcomings and push yourself. You need to run an extra mile in exams as competitive as this.
- Consistency– Being consistent is what takes you far. Setting aside time everyday to study and practice without fail will fetch you results. You need to enhance your skills and polish them daily.
- Move on to the next– On the day of the exam, you might encounter difficult questions and might even get stuck somewhere. Make sure after you think you have given enough time and are still not able to resolve it, move on to the next. Getting stuck there will waste time and do more harm than good to you.
What Is The Syllabus To Prepare for GMAT?
- Analytical Writing Assessment
Argument Essay- Candidates will be asked to write an essay or be given a passage, on basis of which they will have to answer a set of questions. Based on critical assessment and analysis of data and how you support that with clear logic to the examiner. The structure of your answer will be taken into consideration in accordance to the statements given that make most sense.
Issue Essay- In 600 words, you will be asked to answer and form your argument. The focus will be on how you structure your writing and how well and convincingly you present your argument.
- Integrated Reasoning
The candidate will be presented with a lot of data, including graphs, spreadsheets, statistics etc.
This section assesses the candidate’s ability to process a lot of information and use it to solve complex problems, verbal or quantitative.
There are 12 questions, to be solved in 30 minutes.
- Verbal Reasoning
This section is meant to assess the candidate’s reading and verbal skills. First, your reading comprehension skills are evaluated. After which, your critical reasoning skills, where questions are based on a short reading passage, usually less than 100 words. You have to choose one answer out of 5 that goes with the statement.
How you phrase a, your word choice, grammar etc. are evaluated.
- Quantitative Reasoning
This section tests the mathematical skills of the candidate along with the ability to analyze and interpret mathematical problems.
You have to answer 31 MCQs within 62 minutes. The questions include algebra, geometry, trigonometry and mathematical equations. GMAT is meant to test your aptitude. It doesn’t follow any particular curriculum or set theory. All said and done, it requires extensive preparation and time to reach a score high enough to get into the school you desire to enroll in.
