"I can't improve my GMAT score!" ... "I don't know where to start studying for the GMAT" ... "Maybe I'm just not smart enough to do well" ...
Over the years working for Admit Master, a leader in the GMAT test prep industry, I have heard many students say things like the statements above. People feel lost, confused and don't know where to start or why they are not improving.
There is good news: You can improve your score!
The primary reason why people do poorly on the GMAT is that they do not study for it in the correct way. How most people study for the GMAT is they study the same way they have studied for their University and college exams. Buy some books, try to memorize everything in the book, and they think that will be enough. This strategy works well for knowledge based exams, but the GMAT is NOT a knowledge based exam.
According to GMAC themselves, the GMAT is "a computer adaptive test intended to assess certain analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills in written English".
This means that the GMAT is a skill-based exam and needs to be approached in a similar way to other skill-based exams. Fortunately there is another skill-based exam most people have done that we can draw an easy parallel with: the driving exam!
Step 1: Learn the Theory
The first thing you would have done when learning to drive was pick up a book on the rules of the road. This is a step everyone must go through, but if you memorize everything in that book, are you now a good driver? Obviously not. The same thing goes for the GMAT. There are theories, formulas and rules that you need to learn. But like with a driving exam they are not sufficient, nor are they the most important part of the process. This is a step in the process you'll want to move on from fairly quickly.
Step 2: Learn the Strategies
The next thing you probably did when learning to drive was get someone to sit in a car with you and take you through the different skills you need. This person could be a professional driving instructor or could be older brother, but they do already know how to drive. At this stage in your GMAT prep, you also need to learn the strategies. GMAT questions ask very simple things in very complicated ways and answering the question without being lured into a trap requires skill. The best way to learn the skill of answering GMAT questions is to get someone to show you! This again could be a professional GMAT instructor, either as a private tutor or as part of a course, or a friend who knows these skills. Working with someone else is by far the most efficient way to learn these skills, just like it is for driving!
Step 3: Practice & Master
Finally, if you want to pass your driving exam and be a good driver, you'll need lots of practice. The same goes for the GMAT: all of the previous steps will be for nothing, if you do not practice. This is the most important step and the most time-consuming step. One of the most important things to do during this step is to learn from your own mistakes. Doing many problems won't help unless you learn from them. Do not mistake activity for accomplishment! Be sure to budget at least 1.5 times the time you spend doing questions to reviewing questions and learning from the mistakes you make. If you follow these three simple steps, you will be well on your way to GMAT success!
About the author
Tristan Harcourt graduated from University of Toronto in 2013, with a Bachelor's degree in Economics. After working in Nairobi for year, Tristan started his career in Canada, where he worked in various test preparation institutions, as an instructor and as a program manager. He joined the Desautels MBA in 2017, with the intend to focus on Strategy and Leadership.
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