5 Tips for Studying for the GMAT

I took the GMAT a little less than a month ago, and am quite content with my score. While my chances of going to an Ivy are slim, I feel good about my chances to get in to many of the other programs I’d be interested in attending. So I thought I’d help you out, if you’re thinking about taking it, to understand what helped me most while studying.

5 Tips for Studying for the GMAT:

1. Start Early

Starting your study routine early is really instrumental to long term success. It sucks, because you will spend so much time studying, but I really think that helped me to never feel like I was cramming. Get a few books (I had a mix of Kaplan and Manhattan prep books) and follow their guides for reviewing the entire test. The Kaplan book suggests you study for ten hours a week for ten weeks. I’d say I probably did about eight hours a week for thirteen weeks, with a few breaks in between.

2. Build a Routine

The only way I could continue to study is because I had told a lot of people I was and because I had built it into my daily routine. I would work, make dinner, study for a few hours, then hopefully make it to the gym for around nine so I could get a short workout in. On weekends, I would primarily take long practice tests and leave it at that.

The last month, the routine became a little more strenuous. I went to the gym less because I was spending more time studying (and sadly work got a little crazy at the end too).

3. Have Support

My relationships with friends and family weren’t neglected during this time, but certainly weren’t worked on either. Everyone understood that I needed to focus for awhile, but then I’d be back to normal after my test. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t see friends or have conversations, but your weekday dinners might not happen, and staying out late on the weekend may happen less than you’d want.

4. Take Breaks

There are some days you just aren’t going to want to study. That’s okay! Instead of getting frustrated by how poorly you’re doing, take that night off. It’s much better to miss a day (that’s why you built more time into your schedule!) than to get down about your study habits. As long as this doesn’t happen too often, you’ll stay on track and do well.

5. Test

The last three weeks or so of my prep was dedicated mostly to taking practice tests. While I didn’t feel like I could learn much more to help me answer problems correctly, I knew I needed to be exposed to more questions and to be more comfortable with taking tests. Don’t worry about the essays when you do this, but sit down multiple times a week, even after work when you’re exhausted, to get a practice test done. Your brain will get used to how much time you have to take each section, and hopefully your brain will eventually be coherent even at the end of the exam.

The Manhattan books come with six CAT exams that you can take multiple times. While you still see some of the same questions the second time around, you will likely see new questions, too. These tests are great because they also analyze what you do well and what you do poorly so that you know which sections to go back and review.

Do you have any tips for future GMAT takers?