How to score 700+ on the GMAT exam

I have attempted the GMAT exam twice, scoring 690 on my first attempt in June 2018 and improving my score to 750 on my second attempt in August 2018.

In this blog, I answer some of the most frequent questions that test takers preparing for the exam have:

Q1. Can I prepare for the exam on my own or do I need to join a test preparation institute?

Q2. How much time should I devote to the preparation?

Q3. How do I prepare for the GMAT exam? What study resources should I use?

Q4. How do I stay motivated while preparing?

Q5. What should I expect on the day of the test?

Knowing the answer to Q5 is very important because the improvement in my test scores from 690 to 750 in 1 month had everything to do with my experience at the test center. Read on to find out how. :)

Q1. Can I prepare for the exam on my own or do I need to join a test preparation institute?

I prepared for the exam independently since I was in a full-time management consulting role and did not have the time or energy to attend external classes.

I believe test takers can do well on the exam by studying independently, provided they:

1. Give themselves enough time

2. Know which study material to refer to

3. Find the motivation to put in consistent effort

I look at each of these components in more detail.

Q2. How much time to devote to the preparation?

Give yourself 3-4 months to prepare and take the exam for the first time. Additionally, keep 1-2 months handy if you are unhappy with your scores on the first attempt and plan to retake the exam. I have added some buffer time to account for unanticipated delays while preparing.

Ideally, you should begin your preparations by February-March if you plan to apply to colleges in September. The suggested timeline is for working professionals who might be able to spend a maximum of 1 to 2 hours a day preparing for the exam.

It should take less time if you can devote more time each day or are already familiar with the Math and English concepts tested. This time calculator gives a good estimate of the required study time.

Q3. How to prepare for the GMAT exam? What study resources to refer to?

Let's first talk about the study resources.

I would recommend keeping things simple when it comes to preparation resources. I suggest three resources.

1. Manhattan Prep Foundations of GMAT books: very good at helping build a solid foundation for your concepts.

2. Official GMAT guidebooks: the questions mimic the questions that come in the actual exam.

3. Official GMAT full-length practice exams: mimics the actual exam's structure, flow, and difficulty.

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Now let's come to how to prepare for the exam.

Scoring well in the GMAT exam requires - high accuracy, speed, and stamina. Therefore, preparing for the exam should be broken down into three distinct stages, each focusing on a specific element.

Stage 1: Achieving Accuracy (1 to 2 months)

In this stage, build your foundation. The goal is to have a very clear understanding of all the concepts being tested. I suggest the following steps:

Step 1: Understand the exam structure and the concepts being tested. Refer to this link for details.

Step 2: Give 1 full-length GMAT practice exam to set your baseline and identify your areas of strength and weakness. You can register and access the practice exam on the official GMAT website here.

To derive maximum benefit from the exam, give it in an environment mimicking the actual test i.e., sit for 3+ hours without any distractions.

Step 3: Develop concept foundations. Use the Manhattan Prep Foundation of GMAT guidebooks for this. Read each chapter 2-3 times to grasp the concept and then practice using the questions at the end of the chapter.

Step 4: Answer topic-wise questions in the Official GMAT Guidebook. Track how many questions you got right and how many you got wrong. Analyze the questions you got wrong to identify the sub-topic whose concept needs revision.

Step 5: Go back to the Manhattan Prep Guidebook for that sub-topic and revise the foundational concept again. Repeat steps 4 and 5 till errors become close to zero.

Stage 2: Developing Speed (1 to 2 months)

In the actual exam, you will have around 2 minutes to answer each question. Stage 2 should therefore focus on reducing the time you take to answer each question accurately.

Use the topic-wise questions in the Official GMAT guidebooks for practice.

Step 1: Keep a timer next to you

Step 2: Start the timer --> attempt a question --> stop the timer --> note down the time.

Do this for all the practice questions you attempt.

Step 3: Identify questions that

a) Took more than 2 mins to solve but was solved correctly

b) Took more than 2 mins to solve but was solved incorrectly.

Both usually indicate that the concept is still not clear. Go back to the Manhattan Prep guide and revise the topic.

Stage 3: Building Stamina (1 month)

Once you are comfortable with both the accuracy with which you are answering questions and the speed at which you answer them, focus on building your stamina.

GMAT is a 3+ hour long exam and being able to maintain your focus for the entirety of the exam is very important. I would recommend the Official GMAT full-length practice exams. They are the most accurate representation of the actual exam.

I suggest taking the practice exams while mimicking the actual exam environment. Also, take the practice exams during the time slot of your actual exam.

Q4. How to stay motivated while preparing?

There are 2 types of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic.

Intrinsic ways to motivate yourself:

1. Think of where you are now and where you want to be. Think of a good GMAT score as a step closer to where you want to be.

2. Keep track of your preparation. In the previous section, I talked about tracking both speed and accuracy when attempting practice questions. Seeing improvements in speed and accuracy acts as a good motivator to keep going forward.

Extrinsic ways to motivate yourself:

1. Prepare for the exam together with a friend and keep each other accountable.

2. Join a preparation class.

There is no one size fit all here. Find your motivation and be consistent in your preparation.

Q5. What to expect on the day of the test?

I gave the test at the test center, so I will primarily cover what to expect at the test center. GMAT has also introduced the option to give the exam online. Refer to this link for more details.

What to do before the exam:

1. Reconfirm the location, date, and time of your exam. The information is available on your admit card. Arrive at least 30-45 minutes early than when your exam is scheduled.

2. Bring your ID. Only passports are accepted at test centers.

3. Review the list of items that are allowed inside the test center.

4. Have a list of 5 B-schools to whom you would want to send your test results. Sending scores to up to 5 B-Schools is free. The prompt to enter the B-school names to whom you want to send your scores will come up once you are finished with the exam.

5. Decide on the order in which you want to give the exam. The different orders available are given here. I suggest tackling the section that requires you to put in the most effort and concentration first. For me, that section was the Verbal section.

Once you reach the test center, you will be asked to sit in a waiting area. Once ready for you, you will be asked to present your admit card and ID for verification. You will be provided with a key to a locker where you can store your mobile phone and other items. You can only take your admit card, ID, locker key, and prescription eyeglasses inside the exam room.

What to do during the exam:

1. When you enter the exam room, you will be asked whether you would like noise-canceling headphones or earplugs. I prefer the earplugs since they are less restrictive.

2. You will be guided to your assigned testing station.

3. Pencils and paper pads will be provided for your calculations.

4. Once the test starts, avoid the urge to spend a lot of time on each question to make sure you are getting it right. During my first attempt, I spent a lot of time on the initial questions and then struggled to complete the remaining questions in time. Maintain an even flow.

5. After the completion of each section, you can take an optional 8-mins break. Take it. Raise your hand to let the test administrator know that you want to take your break. You will have to leave the exam room. Take a walk and get some blood flowing. Keep track of time and be back before the next section is about to start.

What to do towards the end of the exam:

1. Once you have completed the exam, you will be shown your rough score. You will have a 2-min window to accept or reject the score. If you do not decide within the 2 minutes, then your score gets automatically canceled.

2. If you reject the score, it will not appear in your test records. It would be as if you never gave the GMAT exam.

3. However, I suggest you accept your score in case the score is close to what you wanted. For example, suppose you were targeting a score above 700, but got a score of 650. In this case, accept the score.

4. Once you accept your score, you will be prompted to send that score to up to 5 B-Schools.

Why should you accept a score less than what you were targeting?

On my first attempt, I got a score of 690. This was less than the 720+ score I was targeting. Accepting the score of 690 is what helped me score 750 on my second attempt. How?

During the 1-month gap between my first and second attempts, I revised my foundations from Manhattan Prep and practiced questions from the Official GMAT guidebooks. Nothing changed in that sense.

But on the day of the exam for my second attempt, I said to myself "I already have a decent 690 score. If I score less than 690 on this second attempt, then I can reject the second attempt score and it will not appear in my records. However, if I score above 690, then I can accept the second attempt score and select that score to be sent to the B-Schools. The B-schools consider only the best attempt and do not look at the number of attempts given, so there is no downside."

This change in mindset allowed me to be more relaxed during the exam. And that is the key to doing well in the GMAT exam. To be calm and relaxed.

If you can achieve that mindset during your first attempt, more power to you. However, if you are like me and did not get your desired score on your first attempt, know that there is always the next try.

I hope this blog helps you. If you have specific questions, please feel free to reach out to me. :)