Preparing for the GMAT – Profile of a Judge Business School Student

The GMAT test is a critically important part of the MBA admissions process. It tests whether you have the skills and capabilities to be part of an MBA class, serving as an easy way (though not in isolation) for admissions officers to decide whether or not you are suitable for their MBA program.

It is used by over 1,600 universities and institutions in 82 different countries as part of the selection process for prospective students.

The test has a reputation for difficulty – its purpose being, of course, to ascertain someone’s academic suitability for a challenging master’s degree. Jessica Toh, a current full-time MBA student at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, certainly emphatically proved her suitability, with a GMAT score of 760 on her first attempt. So, how did she do it?

Meet Jessica

With an undergraduate triple major in electrical engineering & computer science, applied math and statistics, Toh is no stranger to hard work, and, having taken a number of years out to prioritize work and family life, she decided last summer to make the move into the world of business education.

“I wanted to get a solid foundation in business fundamentals, expand my view, and gain access to entrepreneurship networks and resources.  I also wanted to experience living in a different country, which I did through the MBA.” Toh is from the US but moved to the UK with her family in August of this year to pursue her MBA and plans to stay afterwards.

Preparing for the GMAT

With over six years’ work experience but only one month in which to revise, Toh did not have an easy ride preparing for the GMAT. As a mother, she studied at home for two hours every weekday while a friend babysat her son, and every weekend, with her husband at home, she took a practice test.  As part of a family unit, Toh emphasizes the need for isolation but also the equal need for support. “I always prepared in seclusion and utter silence because I needed that focus given the short time I had, but I had a lot of support from my husband, friends and family. Many times I felt carried by their practical help, encouraging words, and smiles.”

Like many GMAT takers, Toh invested in a helping hand and registered for an online-only prep course at Magoosh which cost US$99 but which she claims was invaluable to her. “It had great video explanations including tips on how to approach different types of problems. This helped me get faster at solving GMAT test problems, which was my main issue.”

Despite confessing to a hatred of tests, Toh says she enjoyed the instant gratification of solving GMAT practice problems which, as an online test, gives instant results along with solutions to wrongly answered questions.

Timing the GMAT

The most common slip up on the GMAT test is the miscalculation of timing, Toh admits that even she struggled with this in her preparation; “I had only gotten through two-thirds of the math section in my first practice test when time ran out.  Given my undergrad degrees, this was a wake-up call.  I was used to starting from theories and deriving what I needed, but there’s no time for that on the GMAT.” Even as a seasoned pro in BSc examinations, the harsh time restrictions made Toh scrutinize her answering times during preparation.

“The thing that helped me the most was reviewing not only practice questions that I got wrong, but also the ones I got right to see whether the official solution did the problem in a faster way.  Also, during the test I kept a chart of the approximate number of questions I should have answered by a given time.  If I was too far behind then I knew it was time to make an educated guess.

“With the GMAT it’s not always about whether you can do something but you also need to be able to do it efficiently. It forces you to take an approach other than the one you have been taking, or that you’re used to taking, and being open to the possibility that there are faster ways to do the same thing.”

Other GMAT test quirks to consider

Compared to other examinations the GMAT test stretches its candidates in different ways. Toh says the main difference, as well as the attention that must be paid to timing and speed, is the inability to skip a question and come back to it later. As an online test, entrants must answer each question consecutively in order to be able to move on to the next question. Get a question wrong, an easier question will be asked. Get it right, you’ll be faced with a harder one. This again makes the ability to make quick educated guesses very useful.

She also relates how her general knowledge was also tested while preparing for the GMAT; “The weird thing was that there were sections for which I didn’t think I’d need to spend much time, but found myself making mistakes and ended up reviewing the fundamentals for every section.  For example, I thought I knew all the rules of English grammar, but there were some subtle things that I did not know before studying for the GMAT, like the difference between ‘compared to’ and ‘compared with’.”

A GMAT score isn’t everything

All in all, the GMAT, although daunting, is a test that can be beaten by anyone given some well-directed preparation. To get a great GMAT score however, contrary to what a lot of MBA applicants might believe, isn’t the be all and end all. “I think it does a decent job of assessing one’s abilities as a student,’ Toh concludes, ‘but does not determine how successful someone will be in their business career.  The softer skills and leadership potential are more important in determining that.” So, yes, a high GMAT score will open doors for you and, yes, it will pique the interest of prospective employers, but once you’re admitted on to your course, all your time spent preparing for the GMAT is forgotten (most disappointingly for those in the 700+ gang) and the hard work really starts…