3 Ways to Make Your GMAT Study More Efficient

When GMAT test takers face an approaching test day deadline, they often scramble to ‘cram in’ as much extra study time into their limited schedules as possible. While that type of plan might seem like a good idea, the reality is that quantity of GMAT study is NOT the same as quality of study.

If you’ve been studying a certain way for a long enough period, then increasing the amount of study that you do, but without drastically altering your methods, is not likely to lead to a big improvement in score. What's worse is that practicing bad habits could actually make it harder to improve, with these habits then harder to undo later. To earn that higher score, you have to make some choices about HOW you study and take advantage of certain efficiencies that can come with changing your GMAT study routine.

1. Studying for too long in one sitting leads to a lack of focus

Have you ever studied for more than four hours in a row? At what point do you start to feel like you can’t concentrate and that you need a study break? For many GMATers, the first signs of trouble occur about two hours into a study session. That’s actually one of the reasons why you’ll never have to work for more than 75 minutes straight on test day. As an aside, that’s also why its two eight-minute study breaks are so important – they give you the opportunity to stop working and rest a bit.

Since the average person can only concentrate for so long without repose, you have to account for that limitation and ensure you factor GMAT study breaks into your thinking. As a general rule, you should plan to take some type of study break every one and half or two hours. You can decide how long the break will be, but it’s often best to ‘get away’ from your studies for a bit, before coming back and resuming.

2. Studying at the end of the workday is less effective than studying at the beginning of it

Many GMATers have full-time jobs and busy lives, so they typically study after they’ve come home from work (when they’re likely to be tired from everything they’ve already done during the day). That type of fatigue can severely limit your ability to learn new concepts, hone skills, etc. The typical person learns best in the first four to five hours of the day. You can take advantage of that by adjusting your daily routine. By going to bed earlier and waking up earlier, for example, you can get in some valuable study time BEFORE you go into work when you’re more alert and capable of doing effective study.

3. Pacing issues are a big hint that you’re answering questions inefficiently

Pacing problems do NOT exist on their own – they’re the result of OTHER problems. If you have to ‘rush’ through questions at the end of a section, then the way that YOU handle GMAT questions is taking too long. If you have to read prompts over and over again, then that is inefficient. If you do work ‘in your head’, then that is also inefficient. If you don’t take enough notes (or take disorganized notes), then that too is inefficient. The solution to all of these issues is to take proper, organized notes that reflect a systematic approach. Taking great GMAT notes is an often-overlooked skill that, when mastered, can generate points.

Thankfully, every facet of the test can be planned for, but you have to consider more than just the materials that you’re using – you have to factor in how you go about your GMAT study. With the proper guidance and a bit of critical thinking, you can take advantage of all the efficiencies mentioned above and many more besides them. In keeping with that theme though, you should plan to seek out help SOONER rather than later, when it would likely be too late to take advantage of all of those potential benefits properly and even harder to undo counterproductive habits.