Basically there are 3 important categories that make a world of difference on test day:

1. Preparation

2. Nutrition

3. Rest

Here is the checklist. Feel free to modify:

1. Visit the test center a day earlier to check
2. GMAT Appointment Printout
3. Passport
4. Revision Material/Notes
5. Water bottle
6. Snickers(or whatever bar you prefer)
7. Juice/Cold Coffee
8. Well rested before test
9. Revise timing strategy
10. Revise quitting strategy
11. Pray/Meditate/Listen to Music
12. Reach test center early
13. Splash eyes during breaks
14. Remind self to breath normally
15. Remember to fill in some safe schools too.

Reasons:

Snickers and other bars are the best kind of meals for your breaks. You really can't gulp down any other meal that fast. Plus, it gives you the all important energy so you can take on the next section.

You need water and juice, just to have a choice. Make sure to visit the center before you decide to carry all this stuff. Test centers offer everything from drinking water to the right kind of music in the washroom. Not that anyone is noticing. Personally, I prefer to carry everything.

You'll notice that although you need to remind yourself about timing and quitting strategies, you don't need to revise concepts. At this stage, if you try, you'd still not benefit from revisions. So, leave the concepts at home. Of course, if you think that revision will give you confidence, then by all means revise a little, but not a lot. The test is 4 hours long and your mind will need all the energy it can muster.

Also, If you splash your eyes/face with water, you immediately feel refreshing. The point about breathing seems funny, but sometimes we don't even realize how hard we are concentrating. If you aren't getting the right amount of oxygen into your head, the mind won't function too well, now would it?

Finally, the moment you look at the last point on the checklist, you realize that the test is just a means to get into a business school. Its not the boogieman that you think it is. In all your excitement/focus on the GMAT results, don't forget to fill in the right schools. Safe schools are generally not the kind of schools anyone likes to apply to, but they are important.

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1. Always plugin values into equations wherever you can.

You don't always need to solve questions. This is the GMAT, you get rewarded for being smart. The test makers have given you 5 choices, so you know that the answer is already in front of you. So why not just try a few answer choices to see if something clicks?
For example, if the questions contains a couple of equations (x+3y=2 and x-y=-1) and the answer choices have been given as x,y value pairs x=0, y=2 etc. You don't really need to solve the equations do you? You can simply plugin the values of x and y into the equations and see which one fits both the equations.

2. Always plug in values starting from choice (E).

The test makers aren't that easy to fool though. You know that they know that you can plugin values. So, they always provide answer choices such that if you plugged that value into one of the equations (continuing the previous example), the answer choice would seem to be a fit! That's how they trick you.
Usually, choice (B) or (C) would be such that when you plug values from that into the equation, it will apparently provide the solution. So, we go even one step further and bypass the test maker's trap. We start from choice (E). That way, instead of falling for the trap, we just get to the answer faster.

3. Know what you don't know.

One of the hardest concepts in life and indeed on the GMAT is that of quitting. We're taught as a child to "never give up". Society,family, movies, our beloved Simpsons character, all try to teach us to "never give up".

But, as the old saying goes,"If you don't quit while you have the choice, life may not give you the choice to quit later". And for those who have that ego that doesn't let them quit, remember this saying, "Trees that do not learn to bend to the wind, are taught how to when the wind breaks off their branches".

Now, that I've given you the positive philosophical pep talk, let us come back to the GMAT. On the GMAT you have to give up. You need a quitting strategy. Quit early and quit often is the real mantra. Of course, that does not mean you need to quit as soon as you see a question. You should try to solve the question.

But, there is an exception to that rule.

IF you know that you don't understand the concept or are usually wrong at a particular kind of question, what sense does it make to spend time on that question? The GMAT is a timed test, and you probably won't get another similar question during the test, so why not let that question go. Guess and move on!

For example, say Joe Shmoe did not know probability. And on the GMAT he runs into a probabilty question. Now, he THINKS he knows a formula, and so he tries that formula, and seems to get an answer that matches one of the choices. He spent 3 minutes on this question. He later realizes that he applied the wrong formula and wasted 3 minutes. 3 minutes on quant mean 3 solved questions, so imagine his plight when he has to leave 3 questions at the end of the quant section because of timing issues.

I hope the example clarifies the point I'm trying to make. You need to know what you don't know. So that you can let certain questions go on the real test.

4. Always draw a number line wherever applicable.

A number line is a great thing. On the GMAT, you may get a question related to fractions, or ranges, or integers, or a number theory related question. There is a very efficient way of solving these questions, and that is by using a number line.

For example, let us say you are asked to find out which one of 5 fractions (signed) is the smallest, chances are you could be confused. With the long history of GMAT test takers, you probably will be.
That is why, representing values on the number line is an effective strategy. Avoid the confusion and get to the answer faster.

5. Always check for units

This is so basic, and yet, we all have made this mistake at one time or another. You solve a problem solving question and you're really excited to click on the answer choices. You click on the answer choice and then just as you click next, you realize that the question demanded an answer in inches and you gave an answer in centimeters. Sadly, you can't go back on the GMAT.

Avoid that experience. Always check for units and measurements. Are they asking for an answer in pounds or kilograms, inches or centimeters, etc. The test makers also provide conversion ratios wherever needed, so you can use them to answer the question correctly. That's the max anybody can do for you. So, always check the units, convert to the right units and score well on the PS.

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Why should you worry so much about Data Sufficiency questions? Because, even if you knew all the formulas and even if you had all the backup methods in place, DS can still stump you.

The effective way to solve DS questions is to really work on your process of elimination. But first, we need to revisit what various choices mean on a DS question:

DS gives you two solutions (1) and (2) and you need to determine if

A. Only Solution (1) is sufficient in order to solve the question.
B. Only Solution (2) is sufficient in order to solve the question.
C. (1) and (2) together are sufficient.
D. Either choice is sufficient individually.
E. Neither choice is sufficient.

Let us look at the magical word: "Sufficient"

Here is how the GMAT Mind Games are played on you when it comes to DS questions:

You approach DS questions by first looking at choice (1). You think about whether this choice is really sufficient to solve the question. Then, you methodically move on to choice (2). But wait, now your sub-conscious mind is already biased because of choice (1). So, you may end up thinking that the choice is really C, when it may be D or even E.

Why?

Because, the human mind is designed that way. We can't help associating two separate pieces of information. Also, we can't help going sequentially, i.e. we have to take a look at choice (1) first and only then would we look at choice (2).

The test makers know that! And they do everything in their power to make sure you DO get confused.

So what can we do against the Powers that Be?

Start with choice (2). That's right. Always start with choice (2) no matter what. Your mind won't be confused, because that is how to the question have been designed. The second choice is usually the kind that you can eliminate or associate without bias.

Once you check choice (2) and find that it is sufficient, you know that the answer can eliminate A and D.

If (2) is irrelevant, then you can eliminate C as well.

So you are able to immediately narrow down your choices.

The key is to start from the second choice. I never got a single DS question wrong in practice once I started using this technique. I consider this technique to be one of 2 main reasons why I could easily score 700+.

So... try this technique and let us know what you think.

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If you liked my post, you can always check out my kindle book here

Almost everyone whose worth any money in the GMAT universe will tell you that you should ANALYZE your practice tests and questions.

But, what does that really mean?

Let us find out:

Analyzing Questions

Okay, so you have solved your daily quota of 20 questions. And you get 18 our of 20 right, so... you don't need to analyze anything right? At least, you don't need to analyze the 18 Qs you answered correctly... right? Well, you actually do need to analyze each and every question.

a. Compare your approach and line of thinking with what is given in the official solution.

b. Find out alternative approaches or solutions. Questions on the GMAT are usually wrong for multiple reasons, and you can always find something else wrong with the verbal or quant question.

c. Finally, you need to take a look at the questions you answered incorrectly and look for the right reasons. Did you lack the knowledge? Or did the test makers trick you? Most likely it will be the latter. And if that's the case, you need to commit to memory HOW they tricked you, so that you don't fall for the same trap again, ever!

Analyzing Tests

Although, different tests provide different kinds of reports for you to analyze, the official GMAT Prep tests do not provide such a report. GMATPrep does provide some information, but that is really not enough.

GMAT Prep Analysis - For this you will need to simply take screenshots of each question, as you see whether you got the question right or wrong. Screenshots are extremely important, because GMAT Prep does not really let you analyze the tests as thoroughly as (say) the Manhattan prep tests do. Paste all the screenshots in a word document, and then start your analysis.

a. Find out how many questions per sub section you got right. That would look something like this:
DS: 9/10, PS:17/31, RC:7/8, etc. You get the idea. This is not the most important part, but you need to keep score so that you can compare this to your next practice test performance. You can gauge your performance easily. Determine which sub-section you're the weakest on and then focus your attention on improving on that sub-section. For example, if you find out you're weakest in sentence correction, you can easily start focusing on it for the next week or so.

b. Analyze EACH and every question, irrespective of whether you got it right or wrong. The methodology for analyzing individual questions has been given above.

MGMAT Test Analysis - MGMAT offers one of the best analysis reports for their practice tests. So, you don't need to check how many you got right vs. how many you got wrong in each sub section. The MGMAT software will do that for you. All you need to do is look at the report and see which sub-section you're weakest in. Plus, they even give you a nice break-down according to question type, so you can simply look for advice and tips related to those question types online or in books.

Most other tests offer similar test reports. And so are really useful. But, I still maintain that official is still official. So, whenever possible, focus on the GMAT Prep software. You can retake the tests as many times as you like. You may get one or two repeats, but beyond that the test is worth every bead of perspiration you spend on it.

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If you liked my post, you can always check out my kindle book here

Verbal scores matter just as much as the Quant scores. Although, everyone seems to be able to do well on sentence correction, the CR and RC are not so simple to improve upon. But, I have a way that will instantly boost your verbal score.

So what is it?

Well, first of all, you need to understand that consecutive right answers on the GMAT help your score, whereas consecutive wrong answers can drop your score by as much as 50 points! So, we need to be careful about how to guess on the GMAT too. Some people like to guess the 3-4 questions in a row because of timing issues, but that does not help you at all. Instead, you may try alternating, i.e. guessing one, solving the next, and so on.

Anyways, now that you know that you could be punished for consecutive wrong answers, let us talk about the verbal sub-section that is all about consecutive questions--- that's right... it's the Reading Comprehension sub-section. You read a passage and then you answer 3 to 4 questions based upon that passage. This should be easy, considering that you can see the passage in front of your eyes all the while. But, that's not what happens, is it?

IF you comprehend badly, you are likely to get 2-3 questions wrong, and that means that a single passage can cost you as much as 30 points on the GMAT! But, worry not... there is a solution. Here is an approach that will save you all that headache and boost your score instantly:

1. Read Naturally: What does that mean? Well, when you read an article in the NY Times, do you try to memorize or scrutinize every detail? Of course not. You read the whole article as a single entity. And you get the gist, and nothing more (usually). That's exactly how you should read the RC passage. Some techniques ask you to make notes and all that, but you DON'T have time on the real test to take notes, and you shouldn't. Just get the gist.

2. Be aware of directions, topic and tone: In a single passage, the author may provide one side of the argument, and then refute that side in the next paragraph. You need to be aware about that. Again, its not something that requires you to re-read the passage! Just, go through the passage, pausing anytime you run into words like, "But", "However", "Therefore", "Consequently", "Additionally", "Subsequently", etc. Also, if you get the gist, you should really be able to tell yourself what the topic of the passage might be. Tone is also important because, you need to know whether the author is skeptical or in agreement with the topic of the passage.

3. Answer the question: Be aware of the different kinds of RC related questions. Not all questions are as simple as they look. You need to know how to modify your approach to the various kinds of questions. And answer what is really being asked, and not what you think is being asked. Be aware of the various traps that the test makers love to set up in your path to GMAT glory.

That's it. This is the magical formula that raised my verbal score by 5 points. Of course, I haven't seen too many people score above 45, they say its the maximum one can score. But, if you're in the 30s and want to get into the 40s, RC will turbo charge your verbal performance for sure.

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If you liked my post, you can always check out my kindle book here

Thankfully, GMAT score is only a small part of the overall MBA application process. This means that you don't have to sweat yourself until you score a hundred percentile on the GMAT. There are plenty of other things you can do.

You can improve your overall profile in other, more useful ways:

1. Contribute to society - that's right. Whether you want to become a Billionaire or a Saint, you can't do it unless you touch people's lives. So, give back to society and make an impact.

2. Climb that ladder faster- you can always climb the corporate ladder faster. Change jobs, kiss the right hands, etc etc. But, if like me, you don't want to kiss all those ugly frogs, maybe its about time you start a proper "side" business. Whatever gets your career rolling. BTW, you can neither succeed at business nor at a job unless you make a difference to someone's life, usually your client's.

3. Differentiate yourself with exotic experience- Did you just turn down that work tour to Dubai or Kenya or Seoul? Well, reconsider. You don't always have to go to China or some other hot market to become relevant. International experience is international experience, make the most of it!


You can improve your resume:

Your resume needs to be an MBA resume. Although, most schools specify that they want a "professional" resume, they don't mean that you put jargon into your resume. Instead of saying, "I helped develop CRM software that we had hosted on Amazon Web Services, which helped reduce response time by 30 seconds and enabled us to resolve a million tickets.", maybe you could say, "Developed software that helped my firm resolve customer complaints 30% faster and 3 times more efficiently." So, its quantified yet easy to understand.

You can think about how you want to be perceived:
Your whole application should highlight certain strengths, so that when the Adcom members can recall your case almost instantly. For example, they see finance-related profiles all the time, but they definitely won't remember all of them. They will certainly remember "That finance guy who volunteered for an ebola drive in africa." or "That finance guy who helped organize occupy wall street." You get the idea. This "recall pitch" is extremely important. This is your brand and your whole application should point the Adcom in the direction that you want them to be steered towards.

What about the essays?
Well, if you have your brand penned down, your resume firmly in place and your profile improved or differentiated, you can write a good essay. Anyways, I will be providing a proper checklist for systematically creating and editing your essay.

But, this is a GMAT blog and so I don't want to go off topic too much. A student of mine asked me to pen down my thoughts on the app process and so I wrote this post. Hope this helps.

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If you liked my post, you can always check out my kindle book here

Let us focus on the Tactical aspects of the GMAT.

You don't need to know a hundred different formulas to score a 45+ on the quantitative section!

Contrary to popular belief, the GMAT Quant section can be a walk in the park, if you know the answers to the following relevant yet simple questions:

1. What is the total sum of angles:

      a. Inside a Circle

      b. Inside a Triangle

      c. On a straight line

      d. Within a quadrilateral

2. How many equations do you need to solve:

      a. If there are 3 variables

      b. If there are 2 variables

      c. If there is one variable

      d. How do I plugin numbers into equations to obtain solution(s)?

3. When answering questions related to probability, why should I only need to find out the value of the denominator? How do I find out the value of the denominator anyways?

4. What is a prime number, whole number, rational number and irrational number? Is 0 a prime number? Is 1 a prime number? Which is the smallest prime number?

5. How do I represent a problem on a number line? How can I use this to solve problems related to range, statistics, fractions, etc.? 

If you have answers to these 5 questions, you can solve 75% of the problem solving questions on GMAT quant and most of the tough DS questions.

Am I going to give you the answers? Well, not yet... if I do, you'll never really remember the answers would you? I will be posting explanations soon, but till then, I invite you to find answers to these questions yourself (IF you're really serious about grasping the concept). 

You can answer these questions within the first 5 minutes if you google the info, but what is more important is that you retain these concepts and know how to apply them on the GMAT.

For example, the internal angel of a circle is 360 degrees, while the sum of the angles formed on a straight line is always 180 degrees. So, if you get a question in which a triangle is inserted into the circle, with one side of the triangle being equal to the length of the diameter and the question relates to angles, well, you know everything there is to know.

The point is, you should know as many shortcuts and formulae as you can. But, if you understand the concept behind the formula and you can still get to the solution. For example, there is a very handy formula that helps you solve questions such as, "If A can get the job done in 10 minutes and B can get the job done in 15, how fast can they get the job done together?" 

But all you really need to know is that the rates(1/10 and 1/15 in the above problem) are additive and you can solve the problem without some formula burdening your mind!

So understand the 5 points above and make sure your approach to the quant section is based on concepts instead of in formulae that you may or may be able to recall on test day!

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If you liked my post, you can always check out my kindle book here:

http://www.amazon.com/GMAT-Improve-Drastically-Business-School-ebook/dp/B00A7CTV1A/