Acing the GMAT: Your Key to Business SchoolAsif Mahmood Alam

Youve finally decided that IBA is not enough for you and you are going to Harvard for your MBA. But when you started your application for Harvard, you got stuck on a single word: GMAT! Yes, you didnt yet take this exam and know nothing about it but as you are determined on becoming a Harvard Alumnus, you chose to go for it. As a super fan of your decision, I will gladly guide you today giving you the right tips to get started with your GMAT journey and of course to get a head start on your Harvard plans. GMAT stands for Graduate Management Admission Test and is required when you apply at Top Business Schools around the world for any Masters degree on any business related subject. It is popularly used to compare MBA applicants around the world on a single measurement scale. The test mainly examines your reasoning skills, quantitative expertise, analytical ability, and decision making capacity. I wont tell you about the sections it consists of or how long is the test, thats up to you to google, but I will share some strategies with you so that you can hit the ground running from this very instant.Take 1: Follow the Holy book of GMATLike the holy books of different religions, there is a holy book of GMAT, namely the Official Guide, which contains problems retired from the real GMAT. The latest version of this book is an absolute must have for you and you should certainly concentrate on identifying question patterns, types, question traps, and common pitfalls to avoid from this book.The other holy source for you would be GMAT prep, the free practice test software which can be downloaded for free from mba.com (the official website for GMAT exam registration). Of course you will need to open a free account to download the software and you should provide information that exactly matches your passport details.These two resources give you the most reliable FREE practice questions if you want to ace the GMAT.Take 2: Start EasyWould you dare to face Shoaib Akhter when you never even played Taskin Ahmed?! Absolutely not I believe. But thats what a lot of students start doing early on in their GMAT journey. Concentrating your focus on harder problems is a good practice. But before you do that, make sure you are a master of relatively easier questions. GMAT is a computer adaptive test (google for more), and you are never going to see the harder problems, unless you ace the relatively easier ones. Yes, dont think you will breeze through the easy ones if you are an expert of frightening difficult questions! Remember learning to walk is important before you beat that Usain Bolts speed record!Take 3: Consistency is the KeyIf you are aiming to beat the GMAT, you must be consistent with your study efforts. All through my academic life, I studied right before my exam and surprisingly did well! But thats not going to happen with me on GMAT. Maintain regularity and be consistent. Even if you cant manage time, just try to study/practice for 20mins before you head to bed at night. Its time to kick out your procrastination.Take 4: Build up/Sharpen your Reading HabitIf you are not already a vivid reader of English literature or newspaper, you should definitely start doing it right away! No matter you go to Harvard or not, or you take the GMAT or not, a strong reading skill will always give you an edge among the mass. Forget about acing the GMAT with a poor and slow reading ability. Its something you should definitely work on harder.Take 5: Use Authentic ResourcesThe Chinese iPhone Clones will never perform like the real branded ones. Similarly, only authentic resources can help you to reach your target score. Terabytes of materials are available online, but only few are handy to use. To get your concepts right, Manhattan, and Veritas prep books are your best buddy. However, for the critical reasoning section, you should follow Powerscore CR bible. Forums like gmatclub.com, beatthegmat.com are your information bank, and facebook groups like GMAT Takers Group Bangladesh (www.facebook.com/groups/gmat.bd) are your authentic place of consultation with other native test takers!So hit the ground running. Hope to learn more about your Harvard journey when we meet next time!

The author is currently working as Investment Analyst at SEAF Ventures Management LLC