Preparing for MBA - Part I - Taking the GMAT

Frankly speaking I didn’t do much prep with GMAT and was shear lucky to get some good score… but that could be because I was already studying for CAT for that whole year. However, here is what usually people think –

Time Required - Three months preparation time is a good time frame, more than this and you will start feeling bored… less than this and you might feel under-prepared… but again it is good to set a good timeline for yourself knowing your weak/strong points.

When to take GMAT - March-April is probably the best time to shoot for it. This will leave you with ample time to meet most of the first round deadlines and also give you some buffer to re-take the exam if something doesn't work out well.

What to do on first day of preparations - Register yourself and get a date. I cant remember myself working for it, until finally one day I got myself a date. This to me was the MOST IMPORTANT STEP. Then start with a mock-test on Day 1 itself to know where you stand and what areas you really need to work on.

Preparation - Many versions are available for this - From joining a coaching institute to studying from every book under the sun. However, I suggest that you go through Official Guide at least 4 times (so much so that you can recall the answer to 59th question is ‘D’’). I think preparing CAT-level maths (which I think it more difficult and time-wise more demanding) would certainly ensure that you would score full in Maths section. I never went below 400 in any of the mock in Maths. Verbal was always problematic for me so you might like to hear someone else for this.

One another important thing besides following Official Guide to GMAT (see it is important to be mentioned twice) is to take your MOCKs SERIOUSLY and in an EXAM LIKE ENVIRONMENT. A lot of people skip essays, don’t even think about it. GMAC publishes a list of essays (now I didn’t know that all essays come from that list only but this is a fact - bad thing is the list has almost 200 odd topics, but one can try!) … so pick one from there if you have to. Remember we haven't had the practice to be attentive and sit for 4 hours for a long time now, it is good that you practice this EVERY TIME you take a MOCK,

On Test Day - Well I don’t think if I helped you anyways so far, however, I can certainly tell you how not to prepare and still crack the examination…. You can try that form the word go in your Mocks too!

1. Reach the examination centre at least 45 minutes prior to the exam. My exam was scheduled for 1300 but started at 1240 itself. I reached at 1230 so you may think what condition I was in to.
2. Once you are in the exam hall, make the grid that you would use for the answers on the paper before you start the test and filling in the other information. It saves time. Trust me although every book talks about it, no one really do this in mocks and suffers later. Practice this in mocks.
3. Remember the list of universities you are sending your scores to. You will not be allowed to take even a scrap of paper inside so by heart this information. This includes the exact state, university and most important of all course names you want to apply for. GMAT requires you to fill in the choices prior to your exam so beware that you might like to keep your options open there.
4. For the Issue essays please think 4-5 minutes well before starting to type. Also keep 4-5 introductions and conclusions ready-made. Don’t waste time in thinking there; else you end up reiterating the stem like me. After you are done with 4-5 minutes of thinking and jotting down the main points, start with the ready made introductions and write down the approximate conclusion you want to end up. Then start writing the most important point. Take a stand right in the beginning, it helps to keep the flow and helps the construction. In about third paragraph, state a few pros of the alternative thinking and then go on saying however this is not the complete picture.
5. For the Argument essays, same thing with regard to initial 4-5 minutes and introductions and conclusions. Here a template will help you even more as you would not like to start with something, “Right from the known history, man has loved to battle for territory”. Rip apart the argument. There will be on an average at least 4-5 assumptions of data fallacies you will be able to spot. Start with the major point, and keep building in order of preferences. Another important thing to note here is that your e-rater will judge it against other essays to don’t try to be unique, you might loose points there.
6. Take a break after essays. Essays are the most brain-storming section as far as GMAT is concerned. So take a break here. Even if you loose a minute or two extra here, if won't matter much in quant (again not true for everyone… please use your judgement).
7. Quant: Caution, checks, double checks, think hard and read every statement carefully. There is no reason why you can’t solve any problem in GMAT. However, the traps are to be avoided at all costs. For DS, it might be good to read the second choice before first; you may be able to avoid a few of those traps. Leave your mental calculator outside the hall, do it on paper. You might be say the answer will be same, but writing will help you re-read the question, will slow you down and help you find that hidden “Positive” next to “Integer” or a “non-zero” just before the “real number”.
8. Verbal: Time the section well. For non-English speaking people like us, it is all the more applicable. Take almost 2 minutes in the beginning for around 10 questions and then speed up before you are left with no time in the end. Use the grid well here. Once you have strike out an answer choice it will help you not to read it again and again. Read the GMAT official guide from start to end, especially for CR. You will find a lot of reasoning in the same pattern. It helps.
9. Breaks: You will not be allowed to take out anything from your locker without prior permissions. But you can keep a chocolate or two. No one frisks you prior to exam, but during the exam everything is recorded. You are not allowed to eat or drink in the exam hall. So don’t even think of drinking water side by side. But as soon as you are out for break, don’t waste time, grab that chocolate and increase the body glucose, and enjoy life!
10. Attempt all questions - the MOST IMPORTAN THING - and I have to add it after hearing the shocking thing from a friend - PLEASE ATTAMPT ALL THE QUESTIONS. You are penalized the most for not attempting, so do it. If you think time is becoming a issue for any section, guess randomly… but at all cost don’t leave anything un-attempted.
11. Submit your exam - Contrary to the existing belief, most of the B-schools don’t care if you have taken GMAT umpteen number of times. So even if you are in doubt submit your answers and get a score. Guess what I was scared as hell when I gave my GMAT and I thought I didn’t do good at all… it was in fact worse than all my mocks and history has it I got 760 :) … now even if you don’t score well (and I don’t see why you wouldn't but hypothetically) you have time with you to take it again… in the end its just a 4 hour question answer thing and no one should be allowed to make a judgement on your capabilities based on this.

On a side note - If you are planning to take TOEFL, it will be a good idea to take TOEFL first as it will really prepare you for the big show. Not many universities really care about TOEFL score until it is above a required range so feel free to take this on. At the same time, it is interesting to note that TOEFL is not a requirement for most of the school so you might like to check that first.

I think this is all from my side. If anyone wants me to drill on anything in particular please let me know.