How to Achieve a Perfect GMAT Score: Prep Strategies That Helped me Ace the Test

The writer is an MBA student at Copenhagen Business School and GMAT strategy and content manager at Target Test Prep

What does it take to get a perfect score on the GMAT exam?

For me, it took nearly a year of discipline and structured study, with a tailored plan incorporating a range of tools to get the best out of my studies.

I’m one of a few dozen test-takers (out of nearly 600,000 since 2019) who have achieved a perfect GMAT score of 805. When I first got my score, I thought there had been a mistake, since my ambitions at the beginning of the process were modest—I just wanted to do my best, and maybe earn a few scholarships along the way. 

I thought I’d study for a few weeks, take the exam, and see what happened. But I quickly realized how unrealistic that timeline was. I was working full-time while studying, and the test content was overwhelming in its scope and depth. I adjusted my expectations and got started. 

Here’s a breakdown of key steps that worked for me: 

1. Take it Easy

Instead of setting a schedule up front, I gave myself permission to take however long I needed. 

In total, I studied for 10 months, logging hours in the evenings and on weekends. That mindset made a huge difference, allowing me not just to learn the content but to develop an intuitive feel for the GMAT. When the day arrived, I felt confident that I wouldn’t need to retake the test, which I think helped me relax and think clearly.

2. Be Strategic, not Just Intensive

From the beginning, I used a mix of official resources and a comprehensive online test prep platform. I was drawn to one that offered personalized study plans and smart analytics to track errors and progress. This helped me get a clear sense of my progress relative to my goals and showed me where to spend my time.

Crucially, it also offered bite-sized video lessons—which were essential supplements to the official practice exams when I wanted to understand why an answer was wrong— and infinite practice problems generated through AI. That meant I could drill specific concepts over and over until they stuck, and, let me tell you, it sometimes took a while.

3. Learn the Test, not Just the Content

What many people don’t realize is that GMAT success isn’t just about knowing math or grammar. For the best score possible, you need to understand how the test works. 

One of the first breakthroughs I had was learning about the structure of the exam: the way it adapts based on your performance, the weight of different sections, and how timing impacts your score. That context turned my approach to each question into a strategic game that boosted my score.

4. Review, Repeat, and be Realistic

I took all six official GMAT practice exams. After each one, I did a deep review to find patterns in my mistakes and compare my logic to the correct approach. This ensured that future hours of practice wouldn’t be wasted. 

Repetition was another key. By design, I saw some problem types so many times I felt like I could answer them in my sleep. Because of how much this kind of personalized analysis helped me, I think it’s valuable for GMAT takers to find a study platform that can serve up questions based on your performance. That way, you can revisit weak spots until they become strengths.

5. Over-Prepare

I made the deliberate choice to over-prepare. By the time I walked into the testing center, I knew I had faced questions much harder than the ones on the actual exam. I also built healthy habits into my routine—sleep, hydration, regular workouts. Those things sound simple, but they made it easier to retain information, focus, and recover from burnout.

6. Remember There’s no ‘Right’ Timeline

I started studying almost a decade after finishing undergrad. It’s easy to believe that if you’ve been out of school for a while, you’re at a disadvantage. But that’s simply not true. I had no recent test-taking experience and still scored above my expectations (way above). What mattered in the end was practice, mindset, and being honest with myself about when I was ready.

I didn’t set out to achieve a perfect score. I just set out to be as prepared as I possibly could be.

7. Think Beyond the GMAT

The GMAT isn’t all that goes into an MBA application. But a great score certainly doesn’t hurt, and it offered me scholarship opportunities that opened up a lot of doors. 

For me, the GMAT was a lesson in discipline, resilience, and growth. If you’re starting your GMAT journey, know this: A perfect score is possible if you’re willing to put in the time, and to trust that every day is moving you closer to success.

Listen to the Inside the GMAT official podcast to hear more about how to achieve a perfect GMAT score