You need to have an impressive GMAT score to get into the top management universities in the country. The Graduate Management Admission Test or GMAT is a standardised computer-based exam that is used by universities all over the world to assess your critical thinking, written proficiency and problem-solving capabilities.
A 700+ GMAT score is considered exceptional and will take you one step closer to your dream college. Scoring above 700 requires extensive GMAT prep.
It is not just about preparing thoroughly, you have to be smart about your GMAT prep if you want to have an exceptional score. Here are ten steps to achieve just that.
Establish a Baseline
The first step is to understand where you stand. If you have taken the GMAT exam in the past, then you can use that score as your baseline. If you haven’t attempted the GMAT to date, then you can take a GMAT mock exam to better assess your present capabilities. This establishes a baseline for you to work with. You can use this assessment to understand areas that need more attention during your GMAT prep and also to understand how much harder you need to work to achieve that 700+ score.
Start GMAT Prep Early
GMAT is by no means an easy exam. You need to start your GMAT preparation pretty early if you want to score above 700. Not only will you need time to study the topics, but you also need time to chart out a strategy and run practice tests.
Get The Right GMAT Prep Materials
There is no dearth of GMAT prep materials – both online and offline. It is up to you to find one that suits your needs the best. You can ask others who have taken the GMAT regarding the materials they used. There are a variety of online courses that help you in GMAT prep. Many of them have a trial period that is free or low-cost. Use this time to assess the course and to understand if it is right for you. It will help you narrow down the best GMAT prep material.
Understand The GMAT Algorithm
GMAT uses an adaptive algorithm to score you. Your score is being generated as you answer each question and the questions that you will be shown will depend on your score as well. Since this is quite different from most of the other exam formats, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with it.
Pay Equal Attention to Quant and Verbal
Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. The natural tendency is to concentrate more on the area of weakness and neglect the strength. This strategy may not be ideal for GMAT prep. Both GMAT Quantitative and Verbal sections require equal attention.
If you are good in one and weak in the other, you can spend slightly more time in the area of weakness. But you still need to pay attention to other area as well.
Create a GMAT Prep Schedule
You need to allocate at least two hours each day to GMAT prep if you want to score above 700. This means that you will have to create a schedule for your day where you can carve out two uninterrupted hours towards GMAT prep.
Master the Fundamentals
Everything falls apart without a strong foundation. While many spend a lot of time studying advanced concepts, they often neglect the fundamentals. And it is precisely the fundamentals that stump them in the exam. Take your time and make sure that you are as clear as you can be about the fundamentals.
Understand Your Mistakes
When you start taking mock tests, you will get some questions wrong, or you will not be able to answer some questions. Note these questions down and understand your mistakes. Learning from your mistakes is the best way to avoid them in the future.
Guess or Skip?
To guess or to skip – it is the conundrum that plagues everyone who prepares for GMAT. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. There are certain situations where it is better to skip and there are a few others where it is better to guess. Spend some time to understand this and you will see your score improve significantly.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Set apart sometime towards the end of your preparation so that you can take up practice tests. Attempting questions while studying and attempting them in an exam environment are quite different from each other. Practice tests will help you understand your problem areas and will help you fine-tune your exam strategy.
Bottom Line
A GMAT score above 700 may seem daunting at first. But you can achieve this score with careful GMAT prep. Use the ten steps mentioned above and you will find yourself getting closer to the elusive 700+ GMAT score. You can also check out CareerLabs to further fortify your preparation.