Many people want to pursue MBA but to get admission to the best colleges, they need to appear in several entrance exams. One such entrance exam is GMAT. The Graduate Management Admissions Test or GMAT — conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council — is a globally accepted standardized exam that can be taken all around the year. This exam is usually taken up by students and young professionals who wish to pursue an MBA program. To ace this exam, a lot of preparation is required as it’s a highly competitive exam. Following a comprehensive routine and strategy is highly advisable to clear the exam with a high score and get admission to your choicest college or university.
In this article, we share some basic preparation tips for the GMAT to help you get started, but before that, let’s give you an overview of the exam.
The GMAT Exam
The GMAT consists of four sections— Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Integrated Reasoning, and Analytical Writing Assessment. The duration of the exam is around three and a half hours. The verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning last for about an hour each. The integrated reasoning and analytical writing assessment last around 30 minutes each.
GMAT Score
The total GMAT score ranges between 200 to 800. The breakup of the scores for each section are as follows:
| Section | Scores | Number of questions |
| Verbal Reasoning | 0 to 60 | 36 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 0 to 60 | 31 |
| Integrated Reasoning | 1 to 8 | 12 |
| Analytical Writing Assessment | 0 to 6 | 1 |
The sum of the scores of verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning make up the total GMAT score. The integrated reasoning and analytical writing assessment scores don’t contribute to your total score but they are of significant value. Hence, it is imperative that you prepare for and perform well in each of the GMAT sections.
GMAT Preparation
You need to have a smart study plan. This is the first step in your GMAT preparation. This is where you decide what to study and when. You have to acquaint yourself with all the subjects/sections that you will be tested on. With consistent learning and practicing you will improve your logical, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills.
It is advisable you use GMAT official guides while preparing for the exam. These guides entail the GMAT syllabus, scoring scheme, mock tests and advanced question bank, practice questions, and more to help you prepare. Moreover, a very important part of your preparation is taking numerous GMAT mock tests. Attempting as many mock tests as possible will increase your chances of obtaining a good GMAT score as these tests show you how well you are prepared.
Preparation for a competitive exam like GMAT is not an easy task. You need to be consistent and dedicated. You can take up coaching classes to help smooth the process for you. Having said that, you need to be focused and willing to reach your goal. Hence, a smart realistic plan is what you need to stick to achieving that goal. However, in the process of your preparation don’t forget to relax and take some time out for yourself. A break is very much needed when you are preparing for the exam. All the best with your preparation!
