The GMAT and Me

Last year I had this crazy idea to go business school and get an MBA.
Getting an MBA for some can be a great career move. I’ll get to that part later on. However, before you even step in the classroom (digital or otherwise) you have to take the GMAT. It’s the standard entrance exam to get into an MBA program. If you took a STEM degree for an undergrad, waivers can be available. Being that my degrees were in Political Science I had to prove my math chops. I bought some books and got started.

Study Materials

I now understand why Kaplan books and programs are so expensive. They work. I can personally vouch for them. I bought the GMAT study guide published by the test-makers and it was not helpful. I learned the most by really digging into the Kaplan books and flashcards. I can’t recommend them enough if you’re taking the GMAT and I am not getting paid to say that. I really just believe in their materials. If you can afford to take their online course, do it. I used all the free stuff I could get from them and it really raised my score and the initial score was not great.

When I started I scored in the 200s, not good. I hadn’t had much math in high school due to being homeschooled. So I set about learning high school math in a short period of time. Part of my problem with the test was my weakness in math. I will warn you now: the quantitative section counts more to your score than anything else and you can’t make it up in the qualitative either due to how the test is scored. If you are weak in math, then start there, just like me.

The best thing to do is take the pre-test in front of whatever study book you’ve chosen and see where you are. Then develop a solid study plan so you can turn studying into a daily habit. I was working full-time while I was studying this so it was important for me to have a plan.

My Study Plan

I had 3 weeks to take the test before the application deadlines I was working for so I had to work quickly on studying. I studied every day, 7 days a week. I made sure to work on something for each section of the test everyday. This might mean I start with qualitative for the first hour and then do quantitative for the second hour. I check my work constantly and figured out why I got an answer right or wrong. Understanding what you’re doing well or not is crucial to improving your score.

Study Plan:

• Flashcards over lunch (I bought the Kaplan flashcards)
• 2-3 hours of study after work (2-hour minimum) I watched this youtube channel: Veritas
• I focused mostly on Quantitative because that was my weakness.
• Solved mock problems using online tools
• Reviewed material from the day before.
• Relearned how to do mental math (you’re only allowed a calculator on the integrated reasoning portion)

There are 2 main areas with 4 sub sections:

• analytical writing assessment
• integrated reasoning section
• quantitative section
• verbal section

The best thing you can do is become familiar with each of the problem types in each section. You don’t know how many of what kinds there will be but you can be very familiar with each of them. In your study, make sure to read about a section of the test, understand the problems used in that section and then use the practice problems until you get them right.

Test Day

Before any standardized test I take the 24 hours before the test to rest my brain. I don’t recommend studying right before the test. I didn’t before I took the GRE and I scored in the 600s on that back in 2009 after 2-3 months of study. For the GMAT, I had a 2-hour drive to the testing center so I really just took a break the day before. When it’s the day before, any studying that happens probably isn’t going to help that much anyway. A fresh mind is best.

The test itself will take place on a computer at a registered testing center. You’ll have to have ID so keep that handy. Breaks are limited, so make sure to go to the bathroom. You will have an optional break so use that to your advantage to go to the bathroom and rehydrate if you need to.

If you have time to take a full mock test to get used to the timing of everything, then you should do that. I didn’t have time for that and I had taken a major test before so I skipped that. However, if taking a 4 hour test sounds like a form of inquisition torture, then take a mock test so you know what you’re up against.

The Test

Timing is very key in this test. You’ll want to complete each section. Not completing a section is going to damage your score in a big way. Get to know exactly how long you have for each section and be mindful of the clock. It’s also important to remember that wrong answers count (not so in all big entrance exams) and take away from your score. It’s important to be accurate and complete with each section. That’s where timing comes in. You can break each section into how many minutes you can allot to each section. You simply can’t afford to spend too much time on any one problem. I only finished about 15 minutes early. You’ll need every second of available time.

When you sign up, you can decide what order you want to take the test in. I chose qualitative so my mind would be fresh. I recommend starting with the section you find most difficult and then finish with the area in which you are strongest. That way, as you go you’ll be able to manage your brain as a resource and feel better as you go along.

While you’re taking the test remember:

• Time (how much do you have left?)
• Breathe!
• Water!
• What section are you on and what’s in the section

The Result

Ultimately, I decided not to go business school. Not only was getting an MBA not for me but my score was just below the minimum needed to get into the program I wanted. Studying for this test in 3 weeks is not sustainable and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Most people study for this test for at least 3 months before taking it and I think that’s the best thing to do. I know if I had another month I probably would have scored a little bit better. At the same time, I also know that my overall lack of a solid education in math was really handicapping me. My overall lack of skill in that area showed. I did learn a lot from the test and it improved my mental math skills immeasurably. Not entirely a loss on the experience.

Why Do You Want to Get an MBA?

There are many videos on Youtube discussing this in great detail and I recommend you watch them. You need to have a very clear idea of why an MBA is going to improve your life and what you can do with the degree. You’ll also want to think about how you can enhance the program you are going into.

I will also say, and it bears true, if you aren’t looking at a really good MBA program, the degree most likely won’t pay off. I also can’t recommend going into debt for an MBA. I was planning on taking out loans to do it and I’m glad I took a step back and decided a different course with my life. If you can get your existing company to pay for your MBA or you can do it without debt then you are in a good position. If you can also use that to get into a good program then you’re in an ideal MBA position. An MBA can pay off, but you really have to have a well-respected institution to see the benefits in salary.

I’m glad I explored the path. It made me fix some things about myself. I fixed my skin (finally) and made other improvements to my life because of going down this road. I wasn’t really looking at any elite MBA programs and I was planning on taking on more debt (yikes!) to do it. Ultimately, I was not an ideal MBA candidate even though I think my experiences in business would have been added value to any program I was in. You’ll have to decide for yourself if an MBA is for you. Be clear in your plan and intention.

I hope this post is helpful to you. If you want to talk about the GMAT or MBA stuff catch me on social media.