Studying for the GMAT is very different than studying for most of the tests that students take in school or college. That means that students tend to make mistakes while studying. Some key differences include the fact that the GMAT is computer adaptive and doing well is more about strategy and less about content. Here are some GMAT preparation mistakes and how to avoid them.
- Not starting with a practice test
The GMAT calls for knowledge that you might already have. So in order to make the best use of your time and money, you need to know how you should direct your study. The best way to do this is to take a GMAT practice test, which you can get free from GMAC.
- Not taking notes
There is a lot of content and strategy to remember when studying for the GMAT — too much to remember by simply reading a book or listening to a teacher. You need to be an active learner. That means you need to take notes. You are much more likely to both remember and understand concepts that you write down by hand.
- Not studying to your level
The GMAT is a computer-adaptive test. That means, the better you do, the harder the test becomes. If you want to score in the higher levels, you need to complete GMAT practice with a lot of higher-level questions so that you can be prepared for them.
- Not going over answer explanations
Because so much of doing well on the GMAT is creatively solving problems, the best way to learn is to practice and see how others have done it. That way you can learn better and faster ways to tackle problems. It is essential to go over GMAT practice problems as well as the answer explanations.
Avoiding these problems will make your study habits more effective and efficient, so learn the best way to plan your GMAT preparation before you actually start studying.
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