How to Study for the GMAT

If you are considering an MBA program, you probably already know that you need to take the GMAT before you apply. I recently took the GMAT and write this article for tips to prospective GMAT test takers.

Take a Prep Course
I would strongly suggest that you take a GMAT prep course. Whatever your test taking skill level is, a prep class can only help prepare you for the test. If you are on a budget (like me), find a cheap class that's in your area. I passed on the Kaplan classes and took a course from Hunter College (I live in New York, so Hunter College may mean nothing to you, but I believe Kaplan is located nearly everywhere). The Kaplan class was around $1000 and the Hunter class was about half that amount. My teacher actually taught at Kaplan for about a dozen years before switching to Hunter, so I don't think I got an inferior class just because I paid half the price.

Although you can definitely study on your own, I recommend taking a class because the GMAT format has some unique things about it. Assuming your teacher is competent, having the test format explained to you by an experienced human being can be very advantageous. You could spend hours searching on the internet for a simple question that your teacher could answer in one minute. They may not help you double your score, but they can get you very familiar with the test, give advice and help you achieve the highest score that your innate intellect allows.

Study, Study, Study
I believe I probably scored about as high as I could without studying a freakishly ridiculous amount. While I advise you to study as much as possible, you have a life and can't expect yourself to study 5 hours everyday. Figure out an amount that is realistic for you without ruining your family life, job and social life. Of course you may want to opt out heading out to the bars for the ninth consecutive night in lieu of studying, but don't drive yourself insane. I preferred to study for a couple hours every other day, rather than studying all day Saturday.

Much of the GMAT covers material you probably learned in junior and senior high school. Hopefully you can recall a lot of this information. While you need to work at this and put in your time, I advise you not to dwell on memorizing specific formulas that confuse you or drive you insane. Several questions you study for are not going to be on the actual GMAT, you just don't know which ones will and which ones will not be on the test. I think you'll save some time and sanity if you just leave some of the material unlearned and hope it doesn't appear on the actual test.

Take Practice Tests
I can't stress this enough. After you have been studying/going to class for about a month, take as many practice tests as you possibly can. The last two months of my preparation consisted of exclusively taking practice tests. Don't just take them, review them and look at the explanations as to why you got your incorrect questions wrong.

When you sign up for the actual GMAT at http://www.mba.com, they will supply you with 2 exams. These are extremely realistic - save one of them to take the week before you take the actual exam. Also, depending on what book you have to buy for your prep course, you will probably get some tests with your book. Some decent tests can also be purchased from http://www.800score.com/ - 5 tests for about $20.

At the risk of sounding pessimistic, there is probably a score range that is inside of you. What I mean is you could probably study for a week and get a low score that is your natural low-end performance. You could also study for five months and achieve your natural high-end score. My point is you may not be able to master this exam no matter how hard and often you study. Don't drive yourself mad by trying to score a 740 when your high-end potential is actually a 620.

When you sign up for the actual test - sign up for a time that is best for your brain. This may seem obvious, but don't sign up for a 9am test time when you're not a morning person. I am not a morning guy at all. I have a flexible schedule so I always studied around 1 or 2 in the afternoon. Then, I scheduled a 2pm test time so I felt I was at my peak test taking mode. I took about 10 practice tests and felt comfortable going into the actual exam.

I hope this helps, and best of luck to you on the GMAT!