To gain success in professional life in the 21st century, you have to begin as early as possible. And if you are a GMAT aspirant, you are well aware that GMAT preparation will be your first step in building a fruitful career. So instead of preparing by trial and error method, let’s discuss the best practices to jumpstart your GMAT prep.
1. Develop a Structured Study Plan
Simply selecting a date and enrolling for the exam will not help. Start from balancing your daily activities and stop procrastinating.
Building the habit to study, knowing what and when to learn is hugely vital. Instead of making a generalized plan like ‘Study Math for 1 hour’, ‘solve 25 equations in 1 hour at 4 pm’ will be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic & Time-bound.
Smoothen your learning path by referring to the official GMAT prep book. And don’t change the study plan unless you have any difficulty.
2. Analyze Yourself
GMAT is an adaptive test. GMAT preparation requires the application of logic and creative thinking within a limited time. Getting a rough estimate of your ability will make you understand where you stand and where you need improvement.
3. Look for Guidance
A crucial step is to reach out for expert help at the start — an expert who will set you in the right direction. Getting advice from experienced trainers helps you receive valuable insights. They guide you precisely on what you need to know and how quickly you get to know it. They give you time-tested and objective techniques to get a higher score.
4. Take Mock Tests to Boost Your Confidence
GMAT mock tests make you understand the entire syllabus in a combined way. They are trial runs that give you a natural feel of the exam in a simulated setting.
With the completion of every mock test, you revise the whole syllabus, understand the style of questions, level of toughness and finally benchmark your preparedness level.
5. Manage Time Efficiently
Managing time is challenging. Keep yourself flexible to utilize the odd hours to study. Otherwise, these odd hours are usually scattered throughout the day and ultimately wasted. Unexpected events crop up that disrupt your schedule, but you need to trade your time and make up for the missed study. Most importantly, finish your syllabus on time.
6. Look For Established Techniques For Quick Solutions
The GMAT exam paper can be broken into various sections – Reading Comprehension, Sentence Correction, Math, to list a few. A generalized approach is not the key to success. Look for proven techniques to approach a particular problem. A generalized approach to applying various grammar and math properties to solve a problem will only consume more time and effort.
7. Understand the Facts and Fundamentals of All Topics
In order to build a superstructure, you have to lay a strong foundation. When you have a good grasp of the fundamental knowledge, you will quickly identify what is being tested by a particular question and apply the appropriate technique to solve it.
8. Attend Seminars and Online Webinars
This is a great way to learn new aspects, look into a problem from different perspectives and gather the latest information. Industry experts share information and ideas on test-taking strategies, time management techniques, test analysis, and various other topics that gear you up for the exam.
9. Learn From Your Mistakes
Identify your mistakes and correct them instantly & permanently. If required, seek guidance and ask for feedback because minor errors can take you off track when you have to perform under time pressure.
10. Develop a Positive Attitude Towards the Exam
Understand that GMAT prep is a marathon and not a sprint that you can complete in a handful of days. So trust your abilities, stay relaxed and introspect 10 minutes before sleep to quickly review what you learned, how productive you had been, and how smoothly you are improving day by day.
Best practices are the razor edge tools in your arsenal for GMAT preparation. Enrolling in a GMAT prep course from a professional institute will place you on a better platform. Look no further; CareerLabs is that one-stop solution with renowned trainers to prepare you in phases, starting from basics to more challenging topics. Put your best foot forward and enrol for the GMAT prep course with CareerLabs.
Best of luck!