How to prepare for GMAT - The GMAT Preparation Guide

GMAT Test Prep

Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is conducted by GMAC  to assess the eligibility of a candidate for admission to nearly 5400 management courses in various Business schools. It is a computer-based test, which is considered as the criteria by many institutes, which definitely hints to its popularity, authenticity and acceptance. Hence many candidates will be appearing for the test, and you will have a lot of competition.

So before you take the test, you need to prepare yourself first. Understand the GMAT test format in detail – all the four GMAT sections and the marking criteria. Once you get an idea of how the test is conducted, start preparing for each section.

Below are few books for GMAT Quant section that will help you improve your problem-solving techniques –

• GMAT Advanced Quant: 250+ Practice Problems & Bonus Online Resources (Manhattan Prep GMAT Strategy Guides).

• The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review 2017 with Online Question Bank and Exclusive Video.

• GMAT Foundations of Math: 900+ Practice Problems in Book and Online (Manhattan Prep GMAT Strategy Guides).

• Advanced GMAT Quant (Manhattan Prep GMAT Strategy Guides).

• Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by R.S. Aggarwal.

Here are few books of GMAT IR section that will help better your analytical capabilities –

• GMAT Integrated Reasoning and Essay (Manhattan Prep GMAT Strategy Guides).

• GMAT Premier 2017 with 6 Practice Tests: Online + Book + Videos + Mobile (Kaplan Test Prep).

• GMAT Integrated Reasoning Practice Questions: Volume 1 (Test Prep) Integrated Reasoning and Essay GMAT Strategy Guide, 5th Edition (Manhattan GMAT Strategy Guides).

• McGraw-Hills Conquering the GMAT Math and Integrated Reasoning.

Here are few books for GMAT Verbal Section that will help improve your vocabulary –

• The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review 2017 with Online Question Bank and Exclusive Video Paperback.

• Kaplan GMAT Verbal Workbook (Kaplan Test Prep) Paperback.

• GMAT Foundations of Verbal (Manhattan Prep GMAT Strategy Guides) Paperback.

• Verbal Workout for the GMAT (Graduate School Test Preparation) Paperback.

• GMAT Verbal Strategy Guide Set (Manhattan Prep GMAT Strategy Guides) Paperback.

Here are few books for GMAT AWA Section that will help improve your writing skills –

• GMAT Analytical Writing: Solutions to the Real Argument Topics (Test Prep Series Book 1).

• The Official Guide for GMAT Review 2017 Combo Set.

• Ace the GMAT in 40 Days.

How to go about it? – One at a time

Nail one section at a time! Start with quants. Spend a month to 45 days focusing only on the quant section. Sign up for an online or offline course.  Even though there is enough information available online, nothing beats taking in a structured training program. You will be saving a lot like the search cost of finding, comparing and bringing structure to free content is high and you will also have a mentor to help you out during the difficult phases of preparation.

Lets race!!

The first week is usually spent in cranking the engine and establishing a preparation rhythm. That is the max you can allow yourself before you accelerate your pace. Within the next 4 weeks, cover the basic concepts in all relevant quant topics including solving medium to difficult questions. Reserve the last week to recap all that you have learnt and push quant to low gear and get ready to switch to verbal.

How do you measure your preparation? It is neither the number of hours of prep nor the number of questions that you solve that matter. What matters is whether you feel confident about answering questions on each topic that you have completed.

Maintain a spreadsheet to track progress, then repeat the same process with the verbal section. You will need another 4 to 5 weeks to get to 700 level preparedness in the verbal section.

Even if you have scored better, one thing you cannot master in verbal is RC.

Usually, many candidates face issues with the reading comprehension section. Please remember that more than a third of the questions in GMAT verbal section are reading comprehension questions. You have to master this part. The best part is the skill that you pick up for RC will help you comprehend passages better in CR. How well and quickly you understand plays a significant role even in the quant section. Improve your focus when reading to score high in RC. It works all the time. I know it is easier said than done. Figure out your own way of improving focus.

Time to put efforts of last 10 weeks to the test – a feedback loop.

Now, revise quant and verbal one after the other. Start taking full-length practice tests and set up a feedback loop for each test. Always pick two areas in each – verbal and quant that you want to improve based on the analysis. These two areas will give you the maximum improvement in the least possible time. Ensure that you have gained sufficient ground in these identified areas before taking the next test. Repeat the feedback loop for every test and validate it against score improvement.

Lastly, practice as much as you can as no amount of prep would seem enough. Schedule a 12 to 14-week prep timeline, commit to test date and work your schedule from day one.

Week 1: 3 tasks – Survey

Task 1: Take a full-length test available at the official GMAT website. Make a note of your score before you start any serious prep. Do not worry much about what your first score is. What is relevant is getting a first-hand idea about what exactly is tested in the GMAT. You need 4 to 5 hours to complete this task.

Task 2: Browse for various preparation options available. Take help from your friend or colleague who has taken up GMAT before to choose a best private tutor or online GMAT preparation courses. Go through what they have to offer. Draw a list of must-haves from your GMAT prep course – it could be a course that is focused on quant because you are weak in quant.

There are quite a lot of options including free resources. Do not over analyse what is offered. Shortlist 2 to 3 options to help you with your GMAT prep. Complete this task in 2 to 3 days. It is better if you join a course because it provides structure and discipline to your prep and reduces search cost substantially.

Task 3: Ask for a demo class if you are choosing an offline course. Take trial sessions if it is online. Use this time effectively. Go through all the facilities/services offered and ask all questions to the student counsellors to know whether you are signing up for what will work for you. You should complete this task by the end of week 1 and get ready to start your prep.

Weeks 2 to 8: Core Learning Phase – No compromises.

GMAT tests quantitative reasoning topics that are taught at high school level. And in the verbal section, the scope of what is tested will again fit how the language is used during the undergraduate study. However, GMAT places a great deal of emphasis on the ‘why’ and ‘what’ of each concept as much as the ‘how’.

For instance, we all have learnt how to factorise a quadratic equation at school. Some of us may have forgotten how to do it – but in less than 45 minutes you will be speeding up on factorising quadratic equations. So, the how to do is something you can take for granted. But how many of us really know what the geometric representation of a quadratic equation is. What shape are you likely to get when you plot a quadratic equation on a graph sheet? What do the roots of the equation represent on the x-y plane? Will the shape that you get be different for real and equal roots? How is it likely to be if the roots are imaginary?

The idea is to focus on the ‘why’ and ‘what’ as much as just the ‘how’.

GMAT quant has about 20 topics. And the break up of what is tested is 40% arithmetic, 40% algebra and 20% geometry.

Whatever that’s mentioned about the way you should prepare for quant holds good for verbal as well. For instance, when it comes to GMAT Sentence Correction, grammar is important. But it is not all that is tested. GMAT SC focuses on communication – so knowing grammar rules is necessary but not sufficient.

So, spend your time and effort during these 7 weeks grasping as many concepts as you can. The more fundamental the idea – the better will its use be in acing the test.

Weeks 9 and 10: Section tests

Take timed tests in each subsection. Set up a 60 minute, 30 question test in geometry. Or a 20 minute, 12 question test in sentence correction. If you are working, budget to take one section test in quant and one in verbal each day. About an hour of testing and another hour analysing the tests to plug in the gaps in preparation. And triple your effort during weekends.

If you have taken a holiday to prepare for the GMAT, take two sections test each in quant and verbal each day. By the end of this phase, you should have taken about a couple of dozen tests, each in quant and verbal.

Weeks 11 to 13: Take Full-length practice – iron out rough edges.

Take full-length tests. You have about 3 weeks in hand. You should plan to take anywhere between 6 and 9 full-length tests before you take the actual exam.

What is more important than taking the test is the quality of analysis you do with the test. Maintain a log of areas that require attention. Create a timeline to address them and put a check mark as you complete those tasks. Maintain an error log of the typical mistakes you do. Go through the error log before every subsequent test you take – it will help you stay alert during the test and avoid some of the avoidable mistakes.

Do not try to do it all yourself. Find a mentor. Your objective is to reach your target score. Get as much help as you can.

Find a study partner.

Find a mentor within the framework of your GMAT prep course or outside it – to help you correct along with your journey.

It helps a great deal if you can find a study partner. Ideally, someone who can complement your strengths and whose target scores and intensity of preparation are closer to yours. A study partner helps to stay focused and motivated. Warning – find one or max two study partners to work with – and not a dozen of them.

Do not expect miracles on test day.

If you have gone through the preparation process as outlined, you should have no problem reaching your target score. However, pay heed to what your practice test scores indicate. If your target score in the GMAT is 710 and the maximum you have reached in your mock tests is only a 650, revisit either your target or test schedule. Very few test takers have surprised themselves with such an improvement in score on the real test.

If 710 is what you need, stay committed to your path and postpone your test. Scoring 710 a couple of weeks later is way better than settling for something lesser.

Lastly, enjoy your GMAT preparation. You are likely to do way better in the exam if you enjoy the challenges it poses.