General tips for the GMAT
If you choose to self-study for the GMAT, use more than one guide. Not all GMAT guides are created equally. Different prep books have different strengths. Use multiple guides that complement each other’s weaknesses. I recommend using at least two or three if you’re aiming for a great score.
If you do choose to take a course, do your homework. Talk to current and past students. Find out the company’s retake policy. Some will let you continue to take additional classes at no additional charge if you bomb the exam. Be realistic about your expectations. An expensive course is not necessarily the easy way to a high score. It will still require long and grueling hours on your part.
Take multiple full-length practice CAT exams. I cannot stress this enough. You need to train yourself to stare at a computer screen for three hours without becoming mentally exhausted. Additionally, you’ll get better at pacing yourself through the exam. You’ll know which types of problems you’ll need more time on, and which ones you can breeze through. I took about fifteen practice CAT exams before the actual GMAT. Practice makes perfect.
Perform practice problems from every section during each of your study sessions. After you’ve spent a couple weeks learning all the sections, I don’t recommend focusing a week on one section, and then another week on another section. For example, do fifteen practice problems from each section every study session. This will train your mind to switch gears from one type of problem to another- a skill you’ll need the day of the exam.
When taking practice exams, simulate testing conditions as much as possible. Don’t get up during the test to grab some food or to turn the radio on. However, do get up during the five-minute breaks to stretch and to use the restroom. Additionally, take your practice tests at the same date and time as your scheduled GMAT exam. For example, if you are registered for Saturday at 8A.M., be sure to take a practice exam every Saturday at 8 A.M. This will get your mind used to thinking at that time of day.
Get a good night’s sleep the night before. Your mind will be more alert when you do. Eat a small breakfast before the exam, and most of all- relax!