As you have landed on this page, I guess you are searching for the best way to prepare for your GMAT. If you are just at the beginning stage of your preparation and checking out for strategic advice, this post is for you!
Understanding GMAT
To have a better understanding of the GMAT examination, it is crucial that you familiarize yourself with the whole structure of the exam as well as identify what GMAT will actually test in candidates. You can go for a mock test to understand your position and preparation. Personally, I will suggest that you should not take the marks too seriously because you have not yet started preparing. The only reason behind the mock test at this stage is to understand the questions that actually come in the exams.
Creating a study plan
If you have a goal without any solid plans, certainly it will lead you nowhere. It is definitely important that you plan the preparations beforehand. During this planning phase, it’s suggested to consider some quintessential factors:
- The accurate learning technique
- The scores you should target and how to approach the various sections in the question paper.
- Prepare a schedule based on the time you have for preparation.
- Execute the plans
3 learning stages
We know nearly one-third of GMAT candidates struggle to perform well in the exams. But what’s there to struggle with if you study in an organized way? When we refer to multiple sources, it leads to inconsistency and makes everything time-consuming. As a beginner for GMAT prep, you should follow a specific strategy. Suppose you are going through a particular topic, make sure you concentrate on the vital 3 stages.
Level 1—Learn the concepts
Level 2—Learn the right strategies for applying the concepts
Level 3—Practice questions available on the specific topic
Not everyone can crack the GMAT examination; and do you know where candidates go wrong? It is pretty common for students to jump from level 1 to level 3 without even realizing the fact that they do not understand the right strategies for solving questions. Therefore, they will repeat the same mistakes again. Ultimately, most of them end up getting confused with the last two options and fail to solve questions within 2 minutes. So, it is crucial to learn the accurate methods for problem-solving. Finally, to learn the proper techniques you should never skip out on the second level, i.e., Level 2.
Which resources should you refer to?
If you prefer to learn from books, you can check out the Manhattan guides, Official Guide, and Power scores Bible. However, from my personal experience, I would like to conclude that books are definitely the best when it comes to learning concepts but not an accurate option for teaching strategies for applying those concepts. Besides books, opt for online courses if you really want to learn the best strategies for problem-solving with the highest accuracy in just less than 2 minutes.
Step 4—Performance Access
It is important to assess your own performance as a part of the preparation. Most students prefer to assess their performance on the basis of accuracy and time took. But they really fail to realize the point that none of these 2 metrics is sufficient.
Step 5—Performance Optimization
Once you are completed with the modules like RC, CR, SC, and others, check out the module test with 15-20 questions to identify the sections in which you are failing to score a minimum of 70%. Work hard on those areas and improve your understanding.
Once you have completed the learning phase, keep a minimum of 15 days for fine-tuning. You can also choose an effective way by creating 7-day drills, where you will be simply focusing on the weak areas and work hard to make improvements. For best guidance and support of expert mentors, you can join Jamboree Education Pvt Ltd. they have special facilities for GMAT like classroom trainings, live classes, online coaching and private tutoring for their students.
Finally
Lastly, I would like to conclude that you should appear for mock tests to understand the right strategies as well as get a proper understanding of the right sequence for attending different sections. Make sure you have the final strategy in hand that you should stick to for at least the last two mock tests before finally appearing for the GMAT.