As the GMAT exam is a key step in being accepted to top MBA programs, maintaining some practices and utilizing those can be pretty effective. Successful GMAT performance is a determining feature in your MBA career, therefore superb assurance is relevant for a smooth preparation path.
Each section of the GMAT test has more tiny nuances than you know, so each requires preliminary research and a meticulous approach. Hence, to succeed on the GMAT, you must familiarize yourself with the types of questions and take practice tests. In this article, we aim to introduce you to some tips that are essential for your GMAT performance and MBA acceptance.
1. Remember what you are taking the GMAT for
Preparing for and taking the GMAT is stressful and time consuming. But you are preparing for it in order to get accepted to your desired MBA program. Remember why you are taking the GMAT. The path that you are taking right now is a long journey, which will lead you into your brightest future. Being successful means that you will be granted ample opportunities and doors for your professional prosperity will open!
2. GMAT is a marathon and not a sprint
We get it. The GMAT is a long 3 hour and 30 minute test that makes you anxious. However, those hours are building blocks to your future career. You cannot just jump over the materials without diving into each one. Every GMAT section requires meticulous thought and preparation. GMAT mostly checks your endurance and psychological tolerance. You are not supposed to know everything. However, you are supposed to behave appropriately in connecting the dots of the exam and focusing on what you see on the exam. Be confident in your selected answers but make sure to double check your responses. Even reading the question very carefully is a time-consuming task, but at least you know what is being asked rather than skimming through the questions and getting the answers incorrect for the sake of finishing the exam early.
3. Pick your MBA program before, or while, preparing for the GMAT
Find a school and program which fits your desires, goals, and aspirations! As we mentioned above, you should know why you are taking the GMAT. This includes knowing which school(s) you are hoping to apply to. For example, the dream of studying at Harvard can urge you to work harder and put in more effort. We recommend that you have a goal in mind of where you want to see yourself in the near future.
4. The GMAT is intense. So is business school
We do understand that GMAT preparation can be stressful and at the same time intense. But your future goals might be more challenging. Business schools and top MBA programs require you to develop high endurance. You learn valuable skills during your study prep which will serve you well during your MBA and professional career. Remember that you create your own path to MBA acceptance. This means accepting every single difficulty with high confidence.
5. Have a clear definition of your GMAT goals
A good practice for successful GMAT performance can be to consider your long-term goals and vision. You can think of this as a mission statement for yourself to consider why your goals exist. In addition to all these long-term goals, remember that GMAT falls into this category as well. The GMAT journey is an arduous one, but you undertake it in order to succeed in your goals.
6. Develop GMAT tricks and self-cheating
You need to have a list of tricks and cheating strategies for each section. For instance, for the GMAT Quant section, you may plug in the numbers to determine the correct answer. In this case, if you are not sure about the correct answer, make some strategic assumptions which will help you work through the problem. When it comes to the Data Sufficiency section try the trick of the elimination method. For the Integrated Reasoning section, keep track of the relevant information, there is no need to know everything. Eventually, the Analytical Writing Assessment will require you to come up with a plan or an outline and spend some time on digging deeper into the material.
7. Retake the GMAT if needed
We do realize that it might sound intimidating to take the GMAT exam a second time or even more, but if you don’t have the score needed, it is worth going through the process. Retaking the GMAT will surely increase your self-awareness. To get into some prominent MBA programs, your score needs to be in a certain range. It may not come easy, but the GMAT is necessary in this case. Being able to demonstrate your knowledge based on a high GMAT score is vital in succeeding at any university. You will be working in a business environment, hence you should be true to yourself and look for the MBA opportunity that is the perfect fit for you. It is easy to substitute between schools, but you need to be specific about one or some few schools and strive for excellence for those ones especially. MBA programs are seeking candidates that are more than “great on paper”. Resilience, persistence, demonstrated collaboration, and job experience with promotions are all important signs of program success. You can satisfy the majority of those features with a perfect GMAT score. The final result is the most important one. It does not matter how many times you have taken the exam.
8. Make yourself the conqueror
Your inner beliefs and thoughts are more important than anything else. There is an old saying “fake it, till you make it”, and the same can apply for the GMAT exam and MBA programs. It might be super hard to pull yourself out of your comfort zone to uncover every single thing about the GMAT, but convince yourself that everything is under control. The more you panic- either about studying or managing your time – the worse it turns out to be for your mental health. If you give yourself credit, even for the tiniest thing, you will see that things fall in place. You’ll be in a position that you once might have thought impossible to achieve.
9. GMAT is not a hindrance, it’s a ladder!
The majority of the students tend to consider the GMAT as a bog that pulls them down to drown with stress and irritated nerves, however that is not always the case. The GMAT is the thing that determines your MBA acceptance, which therefore provides you with ubiquitous pride and chances to thrive as a person. Instead of avoiding that, immerse yourself in that whole process. The more you sink the harder you need to work to get out. A good GMAT score can bolster your place in any school. With proper preparation comes the ability to absorb more as a test taker and student. You must strike a balance in your approach and skills to succeed on the GMAT. Like climbing a ladder, it takes effort to reach the top. The GMAT is there to help you, not to hinder you. Seek it, then make it.
10. Make the uncertain certain
The road to business school can be long and winding, and it can also be fraught with uncertainty. When you first start crafting your application piece by piece, you never know what will happen in the future. You are taking small steps towards your major goal. What if you actually could make it a reality? It is not that hard, the only thing is introducing yourself as a go-getter with gaining experiences that will undoubtedly lure the admissions officer.
First of all, as we mentioned earlier, know the “reason”. This is where an MBA application differs from most other graduate programs. You must not only demonstrate that you are academically and professionally prepared, but you must also clearly express your long-term career goals and how an MBA will assist you in achieving them. In order to make everything certain, you need to create yourself, sometimes from scratch. Develop the “how” strategy. Design yourself, create and then become.
Final Thoughts
We are sure you are already familiar with the GMAT exam and maybe you are now preparing. However, it is always necessary to come up with some best practices that can lead to successful GMAT performance which then results in quiet and peaceful MBA acceptance without any hurdles. In this article, we tried to gather some practices and tricks that you can make use of for your overall preparation process and success. One day you will become the achiever of your dreams and acquire the best in this world. The significant and essential thing is believing in yourself and walking into every situation proudly and positively.
Contributor: Ruzanna Mirzoyan