Top 15 GMAT Preparation Tips to Boost Your Score

Over the past five years, more than 750,000 people worldwide have taken the GMAT, all hoping to secure a spot in a top business program.

With that many candidates, standing out isn’t just about putting in hours; it’s about studying smarter.

You might find yourself practicing the same problem types without real progress, or second-guessing whether your current strategy will hit the score you need.

As test formats evolve and question styles shift, it’s more important than ever to stay adaptable and focused on the right techniques.

So, with GMAT preparation tips at hand, you can use every minute of study time more effectively.

In this post, we’ll guide you through practical tips to structure your GMAT preparation, tackle the toughest questions, and sharpen your test-taking mindset.

15 Essential GMAT Preparation Tips to Help You Succeed

Thinking about how to prepare for the GMAT?

To achieve a high GMAT score, begin your preparation several months in advance to give yourself the best chance of success.

For this, you must structure your study plan in the right way to build the skills for each section and keep your mind focused.

Here are the 15 best GMAT preparation tips to be at your best on test day.

1. Create a Realistic Study Schedule

Building a study plan that fits your life, not the other way around, is the key to consistent progress and avoiding burnout.

Instead of chasing ideal scenarios, map out study times based on your daily commitments.

For most working professionals, a balanced and effective schedule looks like:

• Weekday study: 2–3 hours in total, perhaps an hour in the evening or a power session early in the morning.
• Weekend deep dives: 4–5 hours spread over one or both days for full-length sections, error analysis, or mock tests.
• Total weekly target: 12–15+ hours.

This study schedule lets you prepare for the GMAT in a few months without overwhelming your mind.

Balancing Work, Life, and GMAT Prep

Having a healthy balance is tough but essential.

Here are some proven GMAT Prep Strategies:

1. Consider a 5-2 method

For an efficient study schedule, follow the 5-2 method, where you can study five days, leaving two days for review or rest. Also, consider our weekly schedule, meetings, family time, and commute when planning this.

2. Use micro-learning

Short bursts of prep, 5 to 20 minutes, during breaks, can help reinforce key concepts. Think flashcards, mental math, or listening to a topical podcast.

3. Choose your best times

Are you more active in the morning or evening? Schedule new material during your peak hours and save review tasks for your off-hours.

4. Protect your rest and relationships

Consistent sleep, time with family or friends, and exercise all help keep your prep sustainable. Many candidates recommend planning occasional “cheat days” to recharge.

With these realistic strategies, you can create a study schedule that fits your life and boosts confidence to boost GMAT performance.

2. Understand the GMAT Format and Sections

Before planning your preparation time, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the test format.

Knowing what’s coming, how many sections, how much time, and what question types helps you tailor your study plan to suit the exam rather than just studying in broad strokes.

Here’s why knowing the format helps your prep:

• Practicing within the same timing and structure
• If you’re weak in quant, you can allocate more time there
• Familiarity with the GMAT exam format reduces anxiety
• Align skills with business school expectations

What to Expect on Test Day

GMAT is a computer-adaptive test that lasts 3 hours and 7 minutes, plus one optional 10-minute break, and consists of three sections taken in any order you choose:

• Quantitative Reasoning: 21 questions, 45 minutes
• Verbal Reasoning: 23 questions, 45 minutes
• Data Insights: 20 questions, 45 minutes (includes data sufficiency, graphic/table interpretation, multi-source reasoning, and two-part analysis)

And after finishing each section, you can review and edit up to three answers, so staying sharp but adaptable is key.

3. Focus on Your Weaknesses

To be prepared for whatever comes your way on test day, you must work to identify and address specific weaknesses.

However, one big mistake is spending too much time on just one weak area. If you ignore other sections for too long, it’s easy to forget what you’ve already learned.

Taking a diagnostic test at the beginning of your preparation helps establish a baseline and identifies areas that need improvement.

Here’s how it helps you to identify weak areas:

• Identify Core Weaknesses: Use the test’s detailed analytics (e.g., GMAT Focus Edition reports) to pinpoint your weakest sections (Quant, Verbal, Data Insights).
• Simulate Real Conditions: Take tests under timed, exam-like pressure to uncover issues with pacing or nerves affecting specific areas.

Once you’ve identified your weak areas, it’s essential to allocate more study time to these sections.

For example, if you find Data Insights challenging, dedicate extra time to practicing this section.

Thus, focus on understanding the underlying concepts and practicing with a variety of questions to build confidence and improve performance.

4. Practice With Official GMAT Materials

Using official GMAT resources is one of the best ways to prep.

These materials are created by the same people who design the real test, so the question style, difficulty, and logic are all exactly what you’ll face on test day.

Here are some effective GMAT study tips to practice using official GMAT materials:

• Realistic questions: Official questions closely match the actual exam in wording, structure, and logic.
• Accurate difficulty: You’ll experience how GMAT questions actually scale in difficulty.
• Better time management: Develop a realistic pacing strategy using official practice tools with a realistic exam format.
• Trusted performance insights: View detailed performance reports, highlighting your strengths and weaknesses.

How to Incorporate Practice Tests in Your Study

Familiarity with official content lowers anxiety and gives you a clearer picture of what to expect.

Here are some key tips to consider:

• Start with a diagnostic test early in your prep to assess your study plan.
• Take a full-length test every 2–3 weeks to check your progress.
• Spend more time analyzing your mistakes than celebrating correct answers.
• Take your practice tests at the same time of day as your actual exam.
• Keep a simple log of test scores, section breakdowns, and question types you struggled with.

With these tips, you’ll train your mind for the real thing and improve your scores.

5. Use Active Learning Techniques

Passive review, such as reading notes or watching videos, can only take you so far. To truly improve your GMAT performance, you need to actively engage with the material.

Taking Notes and Summarizing

When studying, don’t just read or listen, write things down in your own words.

Taking notes forces your brain to process information more deeply. Summarizing a concept after learning it helps you check your understanding and makes it easier to review later.

Use a notebook or digital app to:

• Jot down key formulas, strategies, and mistake patterns.
• Write short summaries of tough concepts in plain language.
• Create flashcards for quick revision, especially for idioms and math rules.

Regularly reviewing these notes keeps important ideas fresh in your mind and helps you avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Teaching Concepts to Others

Explaining a GMAT concept to someone else, whether a friend or even yourself, is one of the most powerful learning strategies.

When you try to teach, you’re forced to organize your thoughts clearly and identify any gaps in your understanding.

You can:

• Talk through a question out loud as if you’re guiding a beginner.
• Use a whiteboard or notepad to walk through problem steps visually.
• Start or join a study group where everyone teaches one topic to the group.

If you can teach it well, it means you truly understand it. This method is especially helpful for tough areas like sentence correction, grammar rules, data sufficiency logic, or tricky word problems.

6. Time Management Strategies for the GMAT

Time is one of the biggest challenges on the GMAT.

You don’t just need to solve questions correctly, you need to do it quickly and consistently.

Thus, learning how to pace yourself and make smart decisions under pressure will help you stay in control throughout the exam.

Each section of the GMAT gives you about 2 minutes per question, but not every question should take the same amount of time.

Some may take 30 seconds, while others could take closer to 3 minutes.

Here are some time management strategies for the GMAT prep:

1. Use a Timing Benchmark for Every Question Type

Know your time-per-question targets, ~2 min for Quant, ~1.5–2 min for Verbal.

Practicing with these benchmarks trains your internal clock and helps you spot when you’re over-investing.

2. Practice With the Clock On, Then Off

First, build accuracy under timed conditions. Then rework the same questions untimed to understand why you struggled. This layered approach builds both speed and insight.

3. Flag, Skip, Move On

If a question feels like a time trap, flag it, make your best guess, and keep moving. You can revisit if time allows, but letting go is often the smarter play.

4. Run Sectional Drills, Not Just Full Mocks

Working on full tests is useful, but you’ll improve faster by running 20–30 minute targeted drills under timed conditions. This isolates pacing issues and builds stamina in focused bursts.

5. Build a Buffer in the First 10 Questions

Aim for confident but efficient pacing up front, don’t rush, but don’t linger either. Building a small time cushion here can reduce end-of-section pressure.

6. Analyze Time Spent During Review

When reviewing practice sets, log how long you actually spent on each question. If you got something right but spent 4 minutes on it, that’s a red flag.

Remember, good pacing keeps your energy steady and reduces anxiety as the clock counts down.

7. Learn to Handle Difficult Questions

Tough questions are built into the GMAT on purpose, it’s a computer-adaptive test, after all.

But spending too much time on one hard problem can hurt your score more than skipping it.

Here’s how to manage difficult questions smartly:

• Recognize traps early: If a question feels overly complex or confusing, it might be designed to slow you down.
• Use process of elimination: Narrow down your options to boost your chances even when unsure.
• Guess strategically: If you’re totally stuck, pick the best guess and move on. A timed guess is better than a blank answer.

Remember, you don’t need to get every question right to score high, you just need to be consistent, strategic, and calm under pressure.

8. Set Time Milestones During the GMAT test

Setting time milestones during the GMAT is a smart way to avoid running out of time and making rushed guesses at the end. Many candidates don’t realize they’re falling behind until it’s too late.

To prevent this, try using timing checkpoints like these:

• At 60 minutes remaining (15 minutes in), you should be around Question 7–8.
• At 30 minutes remaining, you should have answered at least 15 questions.
• You can check more benchmarks by dividing questions into groups (e.g., 4 or 5-question blocks).

That gives you time to adjust strategies, like skipping a hard problem or speeding up to avoid frantic guessing later on.

9. Stay Consistent and Avoid Burnout

Over the long study marathon, it’s easy to feel drained, lose focus, or see your scores stagnate.

Here are some effective breaks and mental health tips for you:

• Use micro-breaks throughout each session: Take 5–10 minute breaks every 25–75 minutes, stand up, stretch, walk around, or rest your eyes.
• Schedule daily downtime: Carve out at least one hour a day for relaxation, go for a walk, listen to music, or enjoy a hobby.
• Take full rest days: One day a week entirely off from GMAT prep allows your brain to consolidate knowledge and helps avoid burnout.
• Prioritize sleep and exercise: Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep, walking, yoga, or gym sessions can relieve stress and sharpen your mind.

Being intentional with breaks and self-care keeps your mind fresh, focused, and ready to learn.

Moreover, tracking progress is important to stay motivated. For this, you must record session scores, set short and long-term goals, join a GMAT forum for support, and treat yourself after a tough study week, or take a cheat day after a full mock test.

10. Leverage GMAT Prep Courses and Tutoring

Using structured prep courses or tutoring can elevate your GMAT preparation, especially if you’re aiming for a significant score jump or retaking the GMAT.

Here’s when it makes sense to bring in a more targeted approach:

1. You need a fast, focused score increase

If you’re stuck at a mid-600s score and aiming for a 700+, more practice isn’t always the answer.

What actually moves the needle is identifying why you’re stuck, whether it’s poor question selection, inconsistent logic, or inefficient review.

Therefore, a course with structured feedback can speed up that diagnosis and correction.

2. You’re short on time

When life’s full or the test date is close, scattered prep won’t cut it.

Efficient sessions that guide your attention to what matters most, such as specific question types, missed patterns, or pacing blind spots, can save weeks of wheel-spinning.

3. You learn best with structured guidance

Some people thrive with videos and books. Others don’t.

If you find yourself second-guessing answers or repeating mistakes, it’s probably not a knowledge issue; it’s a learning process issue.

Thus, real-time feedback helps you course-correct faster than any textbook can.

Benefits of Group vs. Private Coaching

Choosing between group prep and private coaching isn’t about which one is better. It’s about which one fits how you learn, how fast you need to improve, and how much structure you need.

Group classes give you a set schedule and a clear curriculum. That can be great if you’re early in your prep or need external structure to stay on track.

However, if you’re already scoring in the 600s, you might outgrow the material quickly.

A private coaching, like an online tutoring platform, on the other hand, adapts to you.

You receive real-time feedback, focus on your specific gaps, and strategies that align with your approach. That’s often what makes the difference between improving slowly and finally breaking through.

Thus, for many, online preparation ends up being the best choice, as it offers flexibility to study at one’s own pace and learn strategies that fill gaps during the GMAT exam.

11. Get Familiarized With Computer-Based Test

The GMAT is a computer-adaptive test (CAT), meaning the difficulty of questions adjusts based on your performance.

Additionally, the test is timed, and you cannot pause the clock.

Therefore, it’s important to practice in conditions that closely mimic the actual exam to build comfort and reduce test-day anxiety.

Here are some key tips for effective on-screen practice:

• Take practice tests in one sitting, following the actual exam’s timing and structure.
• Avoid distractions and use the same tools permitted during the exam.
• Prioritize official GMAT practice materials, as they closely replicate the actual test’s format.
• After each practice session, review your answers, especially the incorrect ones, to understand your mistakes and improve.

12. Interpret Data Graphics Efficiently

Focus on the information that matters and avoid getting sidetracked by irrelevant details.

Understand what the question is asking before analyzing the data. That way, you can zero in on relevant data and avoid distractions.

Start by reading the title, axis labels, legend, and any accompanying text. This gives you context and helps you see the “story” behind the data before diving into answers.

Set a personal time target (about 2–2.25 minutes per DI question). If a question starts to bog you down, make a smart guess, flag it, and move on .

Thus, by filtering out noise and practicing methodically, you’ll turn tricky graphics into clear insights and turn Data Insights into a strength on test day.

13. Push Your Limits with Advanced Questions

Working through tough, high-difficulty questions trains your brain to think faster, adapt to complexity, and develop precision.

Consider these top GMAT tips and tricks to push your limits:

• Solve complete sets of 150 Quant and 150 Verbal from the GMAC pack.
• Do 15–20 of these hard questions in about 35–40 minutes.
• Don’t just mark your wrong answers; evaluate each step of your reasoning.
• For each question, identify at least two valid approaches.
• Log your performance on these hard questions.

Over time, that edge in advanced content can make a big difference in your GMAT score.

14. Don’t Just Practice, Review it

We’ve discussed learning each math topic and practicing it, which is great for initial understanding.

But as you move forward, it’s easy to let earlier topics slip from memory.

To avoid that, make weekly review sessions a regular part of your study plan.

One effective way to review is with flashcards.

Since they’re portable, you can flip through them anytime, on the bus, while waiting in line, or between errands. This keeps concepts fresh even when you’re away from your desk.

You should also do mixed problem sets covering old topics.

For example, if you haven’t practiced percent and probability in a while, do a 20-question quiz combining both.

This quickly shows where your understanding is still strong and where you need more work.

15. Final Tips Before Test Day

Finally, the test day is here. Your goal should be to arrive prepared, mentally and logistically, so nothing unexpected throws you off track.

Must-have items:

• Valid ID: Bring a government-issued photo ID (like a passport or driver’s license) that exactly matches your registration details; carrying a backup ID is smart.
• Appointment confirmation: A printed or digital copy can help if there’s any confusion.
• Comfy clothes: Dress in layers, test centers can range from chilly to warm.
• Extras for break time: Store a snack, water, and allergy or health items in your locker for your break; these aren’t allowed in the test room.

Most importantly, if you choose a morning slot and are an early riser, great; if not, pick an afternoon slot, just be sure to wake up with enough buffer time.

Once you’re at your desk, stay focused on what will give you the best chance on test day. Here’s how:

• Warm-up brain gently
• Monitor your pace
• Tackle section order wisely
• Use breaks smartly
• Stay positive and focused
• Guess strategically if needed

Remember that you’ve done the hard work, now show it!

Conclusion

GMAT preparation tips are more than a checklist; they’re a roadmap for consistent improvement.

As you’ve seen, everything from setting realistic schedules and pacing milestones to drilling advanced questions and simulating real test conditions plays a role in building both skill and mental resilience.

Pacing strategies and milestone tracking train you to manage the clock effectively and avoid rushed guessing in the final minutes.

Tackling advanced questions challenges your limits and primes you for high-difficulty content.

With these practical GMAT study plan tips, you’ll not only be well-prepared, but you’ll also have the skills to take the exam with confidence.

Trust the process, your hard work will translate into results, and let your preparation shine through.