GMAT Test Tips

Doing the GMAT test? Read TopMBA.com's tips on preparing and passing the test. 

The Graduate Management Admission Test, or GMAT is the most common test for hopeful MBA applicants wishing to attend business school, with 267,000 participants taking the test in 2009.

For some, the GMAT can prove one of the most anticipated aspects of the MBA admissions process, with some spending far more time on their GMAT preparation than other parts, such as their admissions essays.

“After hours of research, attending fairs like the QS World MBA Tour and speaking to students, I made the decision to study for an MBA,” explains Giselle Weybrecht, London Business School graduate and author of The Sustainable MBA. “Little did I realize at the time that, out of the many application requirements, the GMAT would prove the hardest.”

Consisting of four sections (Quantitative, Verbal, Integrated Reasoning and an Analytical Writing Assessment), MBA applicants taking the GMAT test are allowed a total of three-and-a-half hours to finish. For some, these three-and-a-half hours can be the difference between being accepted on an MBA program, and being rejected.

Spending the right amount of GMAT preparation time is key to any successful MBA application. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that devoting as much time as possible is the answer.

“My biggest piece of advice is not to stress,” says Weybrecht. “First of all a perfect GMAT score is not necessarily going to get you into a business school. If the rest of your application is weak, you’ll have problems getting into most schools.”

Further, Weybrecht advises that if test takers know that they will find aspects of the GMAT difficult, they should prepare themselves to take the test on multiple occasions, ensuring that they leave enough time between their MBA application deadline and their test date in order to do so.