You may have heard rumors that you need to know a lot of grammar for the GMAT. Unfortunately, it’s true that you’ll see GMAT grammar questions; however, the test focuses on just a few main concepts you need to know.
In this article, I’ll go over the six most important GMAT grammar rules, as well as offer tips for how to learn them so you can ace the sentence correction questions on test day. Continue reading “6 GMAT Grammar Rules You Must Know”
With so many idioms GMAT test writers love to use, idioms on the Sentence Correction section are already challenging. But what is even more difficult is when test writers intentionally use similar idioms in answer choices in the hopes of confusing test takers. In “The 8 Most Common GMAT Idioms Mistakes”, we go over the idioms that test takers most frequently mix up in GMAT Sentence Correction idioms problems.
While each GMAT idiom has a very specific use on the test itself, many these idioms are used interchangeably in real life. Some even have near identical definitions. For instance, “because of” and “due to” both indicate a cause and effect relationship, but we can never replace one with the other — watch the video to learn why! These words and phrases are incredibly easy to confuse, which is what makes these GMAT Sentence Correction idioms so difficult.
While memorizing every single idiom out there and how it’s used is impossible, we’re in luck: GMAT test writers tend to use the same few tricks over and over. If we memorize which idioms GMAT test writers like to mix up the most, we’ll be prepared when a few of these GMAT idioms tricks show up on test day.
In this video, we walk through each of the 8 GMAT idioms mix ups we’ve identified as being particularly common and particularly tricky. For each, we identify the differences between the mixed up idioms. Then, we look at an example or two of how these GMAT idioms should and should not be used so you can easily eliminate wrong answer choices on test day.
Watch the video to learn the 8 GMAT mix ups you need to avoid!
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Happy GMAT Sentence Correction studies!
There are dozens of GMAT prep options out there, but none as important as The Official Guide for GMAT Review 2019. After all, it does have the word “official” in it’s title.
But what’s the deal with the official GMAT guide? Should every test taker get one? Read on to find out what’s in the book, what it’s best and worst features are, and how to get the most out of it in your prep.
Continue reading “How to Study With the GMAT Official Guide 2019: Full Review”
Unlike a diamond, a GMAT score isn’t forever. But how long do GMAT scores last, exactly? After five years, GMAT scores are no longer valid for business school admission. After 10 years, you can’t even see them!
If you’re applying to a business program, you’ll need to send scores that are five or fewer years old. Read on to find out the exact policies around how long GMAT scores last and how these policies affect your test-taking schedule.
First, let’s take a closer look at the rules for GMAT score validity. Continue reading “How Long Do GMAT Scores Last?”
What is an MBA degree? What are its advantages and disadvantages? What kinds of classes will you take in an MBA program? Most importantly, should you get one?
In this article, I’ll go through the MBA degree definition, the foundations of MBA curriculum, the different kinds of MBAs, and the pros and cons of getting a graduate degree in business management.
GMAT rate problems are a constant on the Quantitative section. Many students dread rate problems because they aren’t quick or easy — they often require a series of steps to get to the answer. To make matters worse, this series of steps is usually not immediately obvious because there are so many elements to the problem and because these elements are usually presented as part of a difficult-to-interpret word problem scenario. This means that seeing a clear path to the finish line is difficult with many GMAT rate problems.
So what should we do when we run into a rate problem that we just can’t see how to solve? In “How to Conquer GMAT Rate Problems”, we discuss one of the most valuable GMAT math strategies — taking complex problems step-by-step.
GMAT rate problems give us limited information that we can use in limited ways. At any given step, we are only able to do one or two things with the information we have. Because our options at each step are so limited, we can usually make our way to the answer by figuring out only the next step we are able to take now given the information we have, then repeating the process with the information we learn at each step until we reach our answer. While working out a full, multi-step game plan up top can be overwhelming, simply answering “What can I do with this information?” at each step is more manageable and will eventually lead us to our answer.
In the case of GMAT rate problems, the next step we are able to take is usually doing the next possible conversion — converting the value we have into any another value we can using rates from the problem. We walk through exactly what this means by solving one of the real GMAT rate problems from the GMATPrep software.
Watch the video to see how it’s done!
With this strategy, you’re ready for any multi-step rate problems GMAT test writers can throw at you. However, this isn’t all — taking problems one step at a time when the solution isn’t immediately clear is one of the broader GMAT math strategies, as we can apply it to a variety of multi-step problems. Not sure what to do with a bunch of terms with exponents? See how you can combine two or three of them, then see if it simplifies further with your new term. Have a complicated geometric figure? See which angle or side you can solve for now, then see if you can solve for more with the new information.
As a final note, this strategy applies best to distance rate problems, but it can also be used on certain work rate and interest rate questions. If you’d like more detailed information on how to solve each of these specific types of rate problem, check out our rundown of the three types of GMAT rate problems.
To stay updated on our latest GMAT videos, you can subscribe to our new PrepScholar GMAT YouTube channel — we’ll have three new free videos every month.
Happy GMAT studies!
Does the GMAT test you on vocabulary? What vocab words or phrases will you need to know to succeed on the GMAT? In this article, I’ll give you a foundational GMAT vocabulary list and study strategies for learning the GMAT vocab that will help you excel on the exam. Continue reading “The Only 20 GMAT Vocabulary Words You Must Know”
Effective time management is something many GMAT test takers struggle with – with only two sections that contain many questions and multiple question types, the GMAT makes it easy to mismanage your time during a section and get behind schedule. So on the GMAT, how long should you spend on each question?
In “GMAT Time Management Made Simple”, we break down GMAT time management by the numbers.
In the first half of the video, we go over the length of GMAT Verbal and Quant. Using this information, we determine time per question for each section. We then discuss how on each section of the GMAT, time per question can vary, particularly if the question includes a passage. We use these differences to give guidance on approximate time spend per question type and per question element.
In the second half of the video, we delve into how to use this information on test day to improve your GMAT time management. Effectively managing your time on the GMAT comes down to setting checkpoints for how far you should be in the test based on how much work you have done — we walk through two tried-and-true methods for setting these checkpoints. If you’re behind schedule on one of your check-ins, your primary goal is to get back on track. As a final message, we close with a GMAT time management trick for making up for lost time quickly.
Watch the video to learn how to make the most of your time on the GMAT!
While it isn’t covered in the video, these same GMAT time management principles can also be applied to Integrated Reasoning and the Analytical Writing Assessment.
Test takers are given 30 minutes for 12 Integrated Reasoning questions. On the IR section of the GMAT, time per question should be about 2.5 minutes. However, it’s important to recognize that more complex question types, such as Multi-Source Reasoning, may be more time consuming than others. For AWA, test takers have 30 minutes to assess the given argument and write your essay. Dedicate a reasonable amount of time up top to understanding the argument and outlining your essay (directly on the screen!) before writing a single complete sentence.
To stay updated on our latest GMAT videos, you can subscribe to our new PrepScholar GMAT YouTube channel — we’ll have three new free videos every month.
Happy studies, and good luck preparing for the most important 3 hours and 30 minutes of your GMAT career!
While it’s impossible to know exactly what questions you’ll get on the GMAT, you can predict the structure of the test. Everybody gets a slightly different version, but each test taker sees the same GMAT pattern.
This guide will go over the GMAT exam pattern so you know exactly what to expect. After reading this article, you won’t have any surprises when it comes to format.
To start, let’s go over what you need to know about the GMAT before taking this unique test. Continue reading “GMAT Exam Pattern: Learn the Test Format”
GMAT questions are complex, testing a lot of concepts at once, so you need to really know fundamentals like math formulas, idioms, and grammar rules. But what’s the best way to learn them? GMAT flashcards! They can help you practice these key quant and verbal concepts until they become second nature.
In this article, I’ll talk about why flashcards are useful, how you should study with flashcards, whether or not you should make your own flashcards (spoiler alert: you should), and review some of the best GMAT flashcards available.
Continue reading “The Best GMAT Flashcards and How to Use Them”
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