Five Steps for GMAT™ Exam Test Day Success
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“Fail to plan, plan to fail,” is especially true when taking your Graduate Management Admission Test™ (GMAT™) exam. This test is a significant part of your MBA application process, but don’t let test anxiety get the best of you. Consider these five steps to help you plan and stay focused.
1. Prepare, practice, visualize.
The best way to reduce or eliminate GMAT exam test stress is to prepare. Create a study schedule; give yourself the recommended eight weeks to study the material; then take the six official practice tests. Try several practice tests within a realistic timeframe until you confidently know the information. During this practice phase, use visualization to imagine yourself feeling calm and answering questions effortlessly on GMAT exam test day.
2. Create a healthy routine.
Make your overall health a priority throughout your GMAT exam process. Establish a routine of getting enough sleep, exercising, eating well, using meditation and deep breathing to relax. Also, prepare yourself the day and night before by eating a good dinner and breakfast; setting your alarm and getting all your belongings that you’ll need on test day (proper ID, snacks and water for breaks, etc.) ready; and allowing extra time so you arrive 30 minutes before the exam begins.
3. Timing and breaks.
Stick to the same timing strategy you developed during your weeks of preparation and practice testing. Since the exam can be mentally exhausting, take the scheduled breaks. While taking a break, eat a snack and drink the water you brought to help you recharge and refocus when testing resumes.
Take notes, guess, move on
No matter how much you’ve prepared, some questions may still stump you on GMAT exam test day. Don’t sweat it; have a strategy. Don’t spend too much time on the initial questions—take notes to help you work through your answers, but move on to keep to your test timing schedule. It’s perfectly fine to leave questions and come back to them if there’s time, or simply guess and proceed to the next question.
Prepare to be unprepared
Know that you can’t expect a perfect test day. If something unexpected happens like traffic getting there or distractions during the exam, know that you already did all you can to have your best GMAT exam test day possible. Breathe, forge on and feel good about your journey to get here—you’ve got this!
More Tools and Tips for GMAT Exam Test Day
Why take the GMAT exam? How do you establish a detailed plan and strategy for taking the GMAT exam? What do you do after the exam? Find the answers to these questions and much more by visiting this extensive GMAT exam resource page.
For more information about how to succeed on the GMAT exam or for advice to guide your business school process, create an mba.com account today.