Strategies to get you all set for your GMAT exam

• Take a mock test even before you start your preparation

Take a mock test even before you start preparing for the actual exam. Like that you will know where you have started from and you can expect an increase of 100 points with a couple of months practice. Some points to keep in mind while giving the test is you should take the mock test during the daytime trying to match the real exam hours, so that your body is ready to handle stress during that time. Take the test in a closed room without anyone disturbing you.

• Understand the idea of the test

It is very important to understand the nature of the questions appearing in the test. This will actually help you decide which questions you should invest more time, etc…

• There are the questions of different difficulty levels in the GMAT.
• Different level questions have different points.
• GMAT uses a computer adaptive test (CAT) algorithm.
• Getting two wrong questions in a row will impact your ability to score from the next 2 questions, which may be considered as a penalty.
• Instead of worrying about getting the tough questions right, worry about not getting the easy questions right.

• Summarise the psychology required for GMAT preparation

It’s very important to answer each question correctly in order to not let the level of questions the computer is asking you to drop. Focus on getting all questions right and prioritise the areas where you are getting the easy questions wrong. Measure. Prepare. Measure again. Rinse and repeat.

• How should you prepare for the exam?

To prepare extensively for exams you need to give a large number of mock tests in each area. It will show your level in every area. Questions are generally not labelled by difficulty or chapter. Indeed this is the key to your preparation. Always, always, always, guess the question type you are solving and its difficulty level while taking mock tests, even if the source does not tell you. That is also a skill for scoring well on the GMAT.

• Important issues that need appropriate planning while preparing:-

1. Finding sufficient good quality questions with good quality answers is the hardest part of preparing for GMAT

2. Even if you find questions there are issues like

• Difficulty level of the question is not indicated
• The solution is not proper
• The question is too similar to what you have seen before.
• The sub topic they belong to is not mentioned.

3. The problem of lack of questions cannot be solved completely but you can take measures to lessen the problem.4. Monitor your successPrepare a chart to identify the areas to strengthen and to evaluate yourself.Be sure to use quality practice material and beware of “free practice” websites that spam your emails and try to send ads, remember they won’t help you study.All the very best!