GMAT
Preparation Tips and Advice
You
Can Easily Increase Your GMAT CAT Score by 50 to 100
Points
Despite
the official statements from the test-makers at ETS
(Educational Testing Service), you can improve your
GMAT score dramatically by simply spending some time
becoming "streetwise" about the GMAT CAT.
Quite simply, this is the lowest-hanging fruit of
your preparation and should not be ignored under any
circumstances.
Keep
in mind that the GMAT is a game and just like chess,
baseball, tennis, or any other sport, those who know
how the game is played have a huge advantage over
others who are ignorant of the game's idiosyncratic
rules.
As
a test taker, you should know:
The computer-adaptive structure of the GMAT
The
computer-adaptive test (CAT) version of the GMAT is
designed to get a more accurate assessment of your
skills while asking you fewer questions than its paper-based
predecessor. Here is how the test now works. The first
question you will see in a given section will be of
average difficulty. If you get the answer right, your
next question will be slightly more difficult. Conversely,
if you get the question wrong, your next question
will be slightly more easy. This also means that the
software will ask you different types of questions
in a rather unpredictable order as determined by its
algorithm.
You
can not skip a question or go back to an earlier question.
Unlike the paper version, once you click the answer
confirm box, your answer can not be changed.
The
types of exam questions asked and their common fallacies
Examples
and explanations of these can be found in the individual
component sections of the GMAT in this website. We
strongly encourage our clients to spend time learning
these before brushing up on their verbal and math
skills.
How
to manage your time wisely
Practice
The
main way to master your GMAT time management skills
is through practice and the practice theme is one
you will repeatedly see throughout this website. We
believe it is very hard to overstate its importance.
Therefore you are strongly encouraged to take at least
a few mock GMAT exams in the computer-adaptive format
and try to simulate the actual testing environment.
(Refrain from taking food breaks, engaging in telephone
conversations, etc. half way through a section.)
Spend
adequate time on the first 5 questions
If
you recall, we discussed how the GMAT CAT's algorithm
affects the difficulty of questions you are asked
based on your previous answers. The more difficult
questions are weighted more heavily than the easier
questions. After you have answered the first 5 questions,
the testing software will give you questions to fine
tune your score within a rather narrowly predetermined
range. Thus, your answers to the first 5 questions
will make a HUGE difference in your final section
score.
For
this reason it is imperative that you answer these
pivotal questions with extra care. Always double check
your answers to these questions and verify that the
incorrect choices are indeed incorrect. If you are
unsure of one of these first questions, at the very
least, take a very good educated guess using process
of elimination.
Don't
waste time
This
probably sounds self explanatory but we mention it
because we've had clients tell us how they revisited
the help screen or requested extra scrap paper after
they began their test. These activities, if undertaken
once the section has begun, will take time away from
working on the questions.
Read
the Questions Carefully
As
silly as this may seem, the undisciplined test taker
will feel the stress of the clock during the timed
sections and will try to cut corners to save time
however and whenever possible. As a result, questions
are often misinterpreted. We will guarantee that you
will encounter questions when you sit for the GMAT
with incorrect choices that were deliberately designed
to exploit a misinterpretation of what the question
is really asking.
Avoid
Random Guessing
You
must select an answer before the GMAT CAT will allow
you to move on to the next question. Even if you don't
know the answer, you will still want to take an educated
conjecture to avoid random guessing even if you are
running out of time on that particular section. Usually
you will be able to identify at least one choice that
is clearly wrong. Eliminating even one incorrect choice
will improve your odds.
Eliminate
the Deliberately Deceptive Wrong Choices
With
practice, you should begin to learn how to recognize
the GMAT's deliberately deceptive wrong choices. There
are a few common patterns here that will begin to
become apparent as you proceed through your preparation.
The
first is commonly found in the Problem Solving section
and involves an erroneous answer based on following
a common computational error. You can avoid these
deceptive choices by using scrap paper, checking your
answers and using estimation to at least judge the
general size of the correct choice.
Practice,
Practice, Practice
As
we stated at the top of this page, there are tips
and techniques to taking this test that will raise
your overall score significantly. As a result, this
is a test that you can prepare for despite what its
test-makers state. We strongly encourage you to practice
using the actual questions from previous exams as
we have detected a material difference between the
quality of the test questions prepared by ETS and
those written by the GMAT prep companies. We also
strongly encourage you to practice taking the exam
in its computer-adaptive format.
Finally,
while we believe every test taker will benefit by
reviewing each GMAT exam section, we encourage you
to spend the most time studying and practicing questions
in your weakest subject area. This will provide you
with the most efficient use of your test-prep time.
Don't
Wait Too Long to Take the GMAT
Should
you need to retake the exam, you will want to have
time to register for the test again and have the new
score submitted to the school in time. Waiting a long
time into the admissions season to take the exam is
also bound to cause undue stress in most test takers.
With some proper planning and insight, you can eliminate
most of these negative energies and become much more
focused on maximizing your GMAT score.
