John
It’s been awhile since I’ve written here. I’ve been busy with you know, life; and of course I’m still trying to get into Auburn University’s MBA program. In doing so, I’m required to take the GMAT in part of everything else to see if they’ll accept me. The GMAT stands for Graduate Management Admission Test. This is a timed exam that gives schools the ability to find and compare candidates that will succeed in their programs. I just took the exam – for the second time. I was graciously sent an email from the admissions team at Auburn University to see if I wanted to retake it for a more competitive score, so I did. From previous emails, Auburn University accepts students into their MBA program with a score of high 500’s, so that was my goal. For my first exam, I came out with a 410. After that email, I studied like crazy to increase my score by at least 150; I came out with a 430, 20 point difference (that hurt).
After reflecting on what issues I struggled with, I’ve come to the conclusion that the amount of allotted time to answer each question was not enough for me – especially the quantitative section. On average, you have about 1.5 to 2 minutes to complete each question. To be honest, the questions weren’t too complicated, but I suppose I’m slow to get to the answer quickly. This becomes nerve wrecking and I end up making silly mistakes that decreases my overall score. With that being said, here are some of my tips if you’re planning on taking the GMAT. I broke it out by overall tips and by each section.
Analytical Writing
- The best tip I can give here is to be a decent writer. Sentence structure, different usage of words, and flow of the work will be beneficial.
- Since you’re trying to find flaws of the argument, I found it was easier to become a “Negative-Nancy”. Find all issues and pick a few of them to write about.
- Think, jot down notes, or type down notes before actually writing. It’ll save you time when you have a base to go off of and you won’t waste time deleting sentences and trying to make a bad structured answer work.
Integrated Reasoning
- Sometimes thinking outside the box is helpful.
- Get used to analyzing data in forms of graphs, charts, and tabs.
- Sometimes it may be easier to read the question first, then go look for the data.
Quantitative
- Become familiar with the basics of math; algebra, geometry, formulas, and word problems. Once you’ve mastered that, you can probably come up with easier ways to solve problems by taking shortcuts or finding patterns.
- Understanding why certain formulas work will also benefit to see the whole picture. For instance, I’ll embarrassingly admit I finally understand how the surface area of a cylinder can be found using the formulas for the area and circumference of a circle.
Verbal Reasoning
- I find it was easier to practice reading, as dumb as that sounds. In my professional work, I tend to scan, get what I need, and reply in a manner that is most concise. Due to that being a habit of mine, I struggled with grammar for the GMAT. I had to re-learn everything there was about grammar to reverse how my mind works.
- Really pay attention to what the questions are trying to ask you, or how things are formatted. A lot of the times, you can find patterns that can help you answer questions a lot faster.
- While prepping, research what some of the words you don’t know. Expand your vocabulary and you may find it helps to understand sentence structures better.
Overall
- Don’t hesitate to spend the money on the various prep resources out there. I tried to be cheap and use the free exam prep tool, only to find spending money on other prep books and such, dramatically helped me understand the structure of the exam and understand how to answer questions better.
- There are also free resources like YouTube channels such as Veritas, Khan Academy, and Magoosh.
- Become comfortable with using the computer and the exam format. The GMAT is a computer based exam and you will be typing, using the mouse, and looking at a screen for a little over 3 hours. I’m a developer that stares at monitors for hours, and I still had eye-strain and fatigue during the exam. The font is bigger than I would’ve liked it to be, so I had a hard time reading with ease. Also, being a slow at typing may affect your performance during the analytical writing section.
- Make sure to take time into consideration. That was my Achilles’ Heel when trying to answer any of the questions. I kept thinking I didn’t have enough time and didn’t manage it well.
- Create a study plan and stick to it. Make it a priority.
If you’re still studying, or going to study for the GMAT, I recommend finding different plans online that will work for you. Click here for one that seems to be really popular article/blog post on it.
If you’re in need of help to understand things, there are multiple websites out there where a lot of the questions you’re working on are answered and detailed as to how they got the answer. One of the ones I find myself on the most is the GMAT Club.
Hopefully that will help you stay on top and get the score you want on the GMAT. In the mean time, I’m waiting to hear of a miracle that Auburn University has accepted me. Wish me luck!