4 Essentials to a Successful GMAT Study Plan

Regardless of the time of year, many business school applicants enter into the application process without really thinking about all of the various ‘steps’ involved. GMAT prep is a key example. As with any life-changing event (and earning an MBA is certainly one of those events), it’s important to conduct thorough research so that you can map out all of the work that is required and approach this whole process in as efficient a way as possible.

1. Research the schools/programs that you plan to apply to so that you can define your timeline and MBA application deadlines

Each business school program publishes its MBA application deadlines (and there are usually several to choose from, so make sure to note them all). To properly ‘market yourself’ to each program, you should expect to put in a great deal of effort into each individual MBA application that you send out. All of those MBA applications require a high level of attention-to-detail, so you have to expect to invest a significant amount of time on each.

2. You will almost certainly need more time for GMAT prep than you think you will

When starting a GMAT study plan ‘from scratch’, it’s quite common for GMATers to require three months (or more) of consistent study time to hit their ‘peak’ scores. Depending on your personal score goal, you might need more or less time for GMAT prep than that though. From a statistical standpoint, the 700+ score (which is what many test takers are after) is about the 90th percentile, meaning that 90% of test takers either can’t or won’t do what it takes to score at that level. To hit that high score AND make your application deadlines, you’ll have to make sure that you’ve allowed sufficient time in your GMAT study plan.

3. A few GMAT books will probably NOT be enough materials

The GMAC Official Guide books are fantastic resources for practice questions, but those GMAT books are not built to teach you strategies, all of the built-in patterns of the test or any of the various ‘secrets’ to the various GMAT questions that you’ll face on test day.

Overall, most GMAT books are limited in terms of what they can teach you. Often, the writing can be excessively ‘technical’ and will have a ‘style’ that might not match up well with your way of thinking (or with your skills). For test takers looking to score at a high level, a GMAT course of some type (either guided self-study or instructor-led) can be highly beneficial. Other resources you could use in your GMAT study plan are the various online GMAT forums are also great resources for researching questions and receiving advice.

4. Taking practice Computer-Adaptive Tests (CATs), in test conditions, is essential to your improvement on the GMAT

The ONLY practical way to measure your ‘skills’ throughout your GMAT study plan is to take FULL-LENGTH CATs (including the essay and IR sections) under conditions that will mirror what you’ll face on test day. The initial diagnostic CAT should be taken early on in your studies as it helps to define your natural skills, strengths and weaknesses. Taking CATs at regular intervals (a CAT every one or two weeks) is a series of ‘events’ that you should plan for (each CAT takes about 4 hours to complete and requires time for review).

Regardless of what you may think about this process, every step of GMAT prep IS predictable, so you can gather the necessary information, prepare and deliver a successful result. You should also be willing to admit that you don’t have all of the ‘answers’, so reaching out to the experts (sooner, rather than later) can make a big difference.