Taking the GMAT Long After College

First things first: take a diagnostic test. Like any project, you need to

know where you are to determine where you want to be, which will then enable

you to set your intentions and organize a study schedule. Another crucial

step before organizing your study plan is deciding on a convenient and

suitable time to take the test and register in advance. This will ensure

that you take the test at your convenience help you determine the details of

your study plan.

Considering these factors along side general score expectations of your

favorite schools will help you set specific, achievable, and realistic goals

for your score.

One of the biggest obstacles for mature test takers is maintaining

motivation and keeping GMAT preparation as a priority. Concrete data and

good planning will help you on both accounts.

If possible, sign up for the GMAT when you won’t be juggling competing

responsibilities or priorities. The GMAT is an exam that will require a lot

of mental stamina and emotional stability. You need to ensure that you’re

not distracted during your preparation.

Create a realistic study plan and stick to it. You have a life to live and

other responsibilities. Having a defined GMAT study schedule is useful in

two ways: 1) it ensures GMAT study doesn’t get last priority in your life,

and 2) seeing the big picture will help you realize that, in fact,

preparation is “doable.”

GMAT is a sprint and a marathon. You will have to answer each question in

about two minutes. Maintaining an aggressive and industrious pace will

distinguish you. At the same time, the GMAT requires a level of mental

stamina you will need when you get to grad school. If you strike a balance

between these two temporal modes, you will outdistance a good number of GMAT

examinees.

Keep your score and expectations in perspective. Don’t obsess over

“acceptable” scores. It’s more constructive to review your diagnostic tests

and consider how to raise your score a bit from last time.

There will be a time, after you’ve taken several of practice tests in a row,

that you seem to keep getting the same score despite your amount of

studying. Ideally this will be around the same time you’ve scheduled your

test.

When this happens, don’t drag out the process by continuing to postpone test

day to allow more for preparation.  At some point your motivation, interest

and performance will start declining. Take the test – for your own sake –

before you start driving yourself crazy!

Ender Markal is the author of GMAT Math Workbook (Barron’s, 2011), a math

tutor and the founder of SFTutors. His company prepares students for

standardized tests such as GMAT, GRE, SAT/ACT and AP tests. Ender has a

Mechanical Engineering degree from METU in Turkey and an MBA degree in

finance from the University of Rochester. He is based in San Francisco and

can be reached at ender.markal@sftutors.com. For more information, visit

http://sftutors.com/.