5 GMAT Tips for Getting a 700+

By Grant Me Admission Updated Aug 28, 2014

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Introduction
1. Have the time & availability to study for the GMAT
2. Have the best study materials
3. Utilize an error log
4. Understand why answer choices are correct AND incorrect
5. Understand your weak areas and focus down

1. Have the time & availability to study for the GMAT

I cannot stress this enough! You should try to take the GMAT during the fall or winter before you apply. This allows you to focus on one specific part of your application and gives you enough time to take it again in case you don't get the score you want.

I had a really crazy schedule which meant that I was stressed out and not 100% when I was studying. Don't be like me. Don't wait to the last second! Also, I believe that studying at least one or two hours every day for three months will definitely give you a 700+. I did two months (both times), and they felt really rushed.

2. Have the best study materials

Make sure you check out my top six key resources for some excellent GMAT tips. You aboslutely should buy the OG book and additional tests. These are the materials that are the closest to actual exam material and will help you greatly, and they include some awesome GMAT tips! Also be sure to check out Magoosh (I'm a big fan of them!); their program helped prepare me for my first 710.

3. Utilize an error log

One of the biggest GMAT tips I can give you, is to make sure you use an error log. This is an excerpt about keeping an error log from a post I made about my biggest mistakes:

"An error log is ABSOLUTELY critical in studying. Typically, GMAT test takers make one of three types of errors: 1) careless errors, where you know the content and logic, but made a silly mistake 2) content errors, where you did not know the needed information to solve the problem, or 3) logic errors, where you knew the content, but not the GMAT logical way to solve it.

“My error log consists of using 3×5″ index cards. For every careless error I make, I keep track of it on one card. For example, if I make two careless errors out of 20 questions on 7/16, I will write “7/16 – 2/20″ and keep track of all my progress on one index card. Towards the end of your GMAT prep, you should not be making any careless errors.

“For ’real errors,’ I write whether it was a content or logic error, what type of question it was, what is the content matter of the question, and how the solution should have been found. It is REALLY important to understand not only WHY you got the question wrong, but HOW to get the question right next time. I will then review my 3×5″ index cards every few days, drilling myself on content & logic."

4. Understand why answer choices are correct AND incorrect

If you understand why certain answer choices are correct, great! That will get you a 600! To get in the 700 range, you have to be able to quickly determine why certain answers are incorrect.

The abilities of those test-takers that can fluently communicate why certain choices are incorrect directly correlate with their ability to get a 700+ (and how high of a 700+ as well).

5. Understand your weak areas and focus down

The last of my five GMAT tips; you absolutely must understand what areas you are weak in and get help! Study partners, GMAT programs, BeatTheGMAT, gmatclub, whatever it takes... get that area fixed! I highly recommend working with a tutor (local area tutors can be cheap).

If I could do it all again, I would probably do that. When you are studying, having someone walk you through difficult questions can be extremely valuable!