So, you have your sights set on a top business program, and you’ve followed a rigorous, comprehensive GMAT study plan. The only thing potentially standing between you and the MBA program of your dreams is a top GMAT score. You’ve got your test date scheduled, and now you’re seeking some GMAT test-day tips. We’ve got you covered!
In this article, we’ll share valuable test-day GMAT advice to help you ace the GMAT. We’ll cover test-day wisdom and strategy, and perhaps impart some inspiration as well.
Here are the tips we’ll cover:
- Prioritize Well-Being in the Days Leading Up to Your GMAT Focus
- Don’t Take Practice Tests in the Days Right Before Your GMAT Focus
- Don’t Study the Day Before Your Test
- Don’t Study on Test Day
- Eat a Healthy Breakfast on Test Day
- Jam to Something That Will Pump You Up Before Your GMAT Focus
- Mentally Prepare Yourself for Some Ups and Downs
- Know What to Bring to the Test Center
- Know What Not to Bring
- Arrive Early at the GMAT Test Center
- Do Some Warm-Up Questions Before Entering the Test Center
- Check Your Equipment Immediately
- Don’t Worry About Running Out of Notepad Space
- Don’t Attempt to Handle Test Center Issues on Your Own
- Use Best Practices to Maintain Stamina for a Two-Hour Test
- Remember That You’re Not “Playing Against the Computer”
- Manage Your Time Properly on the GMAT Focus
- Stay Engaged in the Moment
- Don’t Try to Determine How Well You’re Doing While Taking the Test
- Focus on What You Can Control—Getting Correct Answers!
- Don’t Expect Perfection of Yourself
- Guess Strategically When You’re Stuck
- Don’t Worry If You Struggle With the First Question or Two
- Take Your Break and Use It Wisely
- Be Confident!
Let’s begin with a discussion of what you should and should not do in the days leading up to your GMAT Focus.
Tip 1: Prioritize Well-Being in the Days Leading Up to Your GMAT Focus
The healthier you are and the higher your level of well-being, the better you’ll perform on the GMAT Focus. Thus, the days leading up to your GMAT should center on things that prioritize your health and well-being.
Here are some tips to make sure you go into the exam ready for the fight.
Hydrate Properly
Your brain and body perform at their best when they are properly hydrated. In the days leading up to your test, make sure to drink enough water and other healthy fluids. On test day, drink an amount of water that you can comfortably tolerate. Remember, the GMAT Focus is over 2 hours long.
Get Some Exercise and Eat Healthy Food
Two great ways to optimize your well-being are to get sufficient exercise and eat a healthy diet. These tasks should be at the top of your list in the days leading to your GMAT. In fact, don’t wait until the week before your GMAT Focus to make these health-promoting habits part of your life. Start now!
Keep Your Stress Low
In the days leading up to your GMAT, do your best to minimize your stress. Stick to the people, things, and activities that keep your stress low.
Sleep Well
Getting healthy sleep is critical to your success on the GMAT Focus. Now is not the time to go to bed late or wake up extra early. Do your best to maintain a healthy sleeping schedule.
Visualize Your Success
Michael Jordan, one of the best basketball players of all time, would practice shooting hoops even when he was not on a basketball court. He’d visualize the net, the ball, the distance he was from the hoop, everything that goes into making the shot. Then, he’d visualize making shot after shot.
As it turns out, the brain responds very well to practice by visualization. So, in the days leading up to your GMAT Focus, spend some time visualizing your success on the test.
TTP PRO TIP:
In the days before your GMAT, take care of yourself. Hydrate, exercise, eat and sleep well, keep stress low, and visualize succeeding on test day!
Tip 2: Don’t Take Practice Tests in the Days Right Before Your GMAT Focus
Practice tests are a valuable tool in your GMAT Focus prep. However, taking full-length GMAT practice tests right before your official test is not a wise move.
Remember that practice tests are barometers of your skill at a certain point in time. In other words, a primary function of a practice test is to see how you are scoring at a particular point in your prep.
However, much of the learning that comes from practice tests has little to do with taking the test itself. The core learning comes from reviewing what you did well and not so well, then designing a plan to address your weaknesses. With just a few days before the exam, you probably won’t have time to effectively study these weak areas.
In addition, it takes a lot of energy to take a full-length practice test. As we’ve mentioned, you don’t want to wear yourself out in the days leading up to your GMAT.
If you’ve studied properly and strategically, these last few days provide little value in terms of learning new information. Instead of trying to cram new knowledge in the days before your exam, do some light studying and review. Reinforce what you already know. Give your brain and body a break; you’ll need them to be well-rested come test day.
TTP PRO TIP:
Taking full-length GMAT Focus practice tests right before your official test is not a wise move.
Tip 3: Don’t Study the Day Before Your Test
Here’s one of the best GMAT Focus tips: the day before your GMAT, the best preparation is no preparation. In other words, don’t do any GMAT Focus studying the day before your exam.
If you’ve followed a comprehensive study plan, you’re ready to go. There is nothing more you can add to your knowledge and skills the day before the exam. Contrary to what most people think is best to do (studying), the best thing that you can do the day before your GMAT is to relax. Take care of your mental and physical health so you’re fully refreshed and ready to ace the exam.
Think of the day before your GMAT Focus as your self-care day. Instead of studying for the GMAT, do some things that increase your well-being and energize you. For example, go out with friends for a healthy breakfast. Have some green juice, go for a walk at the beach, do some yoga, or meditate. Visualize your success on the test, or do anything else that you enjoy.
TTP PRO TIP:
Don’t do any GMAT Focus studying the day before your exam.
What If Not Studying Makes Me Nervous?
If the idea of not studying the day before your GMAT Focus makes you nervous, you can do some light studying.
However, it’s important to ensure that whatever GMAT prep you do does not make you tired. A mistake that we’ve seen people make over the years is to study so much the day before the GMAT Focus that they go into the test tired.
Don’t make this mistake. It’s important that both your body and your mind are well-rested on test day.
Here are some study ideas to consider for the day before your GMAT Focus:
- review your notes for a few hours (not all day)
- review Quant formulas that you’ve memorized
- run through some flashcards (not 2,000 of them)
- solve a few Quant or Verbal questions (not 300 questions)
- go over your test-day timing strategies
- read some inspirational stories about other people’s success on the GMAT
If you’re the type of person who tends to feel anxious when thinking about the GMAT Focus, check out this comprehensive list of practical strategies for conquering GMAT anxiety leading up to your exam and on test day.
TTP PRO TIP:
If you absolutely must study the day before your GMAT Focus, keep it light.
Let’s now turn our attention to test day itself.
Tip 4: Don’t Study on Test Day
Just as your most strategic move the day before your test is not studying, the same goes for test day. There is little benefit to waking up the morning of your test and studying for the GMAT Focus. Just as no marathon runner would get up and run 7 miles before the race, no GMAT-taker should study before the exam. As we’ve discussed, you want to go into your test fresh and energized.
The best things to do on test day get you to the test center on time with the best possible mindset. Many of these things center on keeping yourself healthy and happy.
For example, you could:
- wake up early and have a healthy, delicious breakfast
- meditate and visualize your success
- stretch or do some light yoga
- make sure that you are sufficiently hydrated
- make sure you have your morning coffee, if you’re a coffee drinker
- make sure that your room and desk are prepared, if you’re taking the GMAT online
- make sure that you leave early and arrive at the testing center on time, if you’re taking the GMAT at a testing center
TTP PRO TIP:
There is little benefit to waking up on the morning of your test and studying for the GMAT Focus.
Tip 5: Eat a Healthy Breakfast on Test Day
Your brain requires nutrients, including glucose, so test day is not the day to start a low-carb diet.
Unless you have dietary or medical reasons not to do so, be sure to fill up on healthy, energy-rich foods such as steel-cut oatmeal, whole wheat toast, bananas, peanut butter, or blueberries.
In fact, you may choose to begin preparing your body with healthy food right away. Why wait until test day?
At the same time, it’s probably not wise to try something new on the morning of the test. A crazy peanut butter wheatgrass smoothie is risky if your stomach is not used to digesting it.
Test day is not the day to start a low-carb diet.
To Caffeinate or Not to Caffeinate?
We personally love coffee. However, whether you drink coffee on the morning of your test is up to you. If caffeine helps you perform better, go for it. That said, it’s probably not the best idea to slam a venti caffè americano right before the test. Remember, you only have one break, and the entire experience takes over 2 hours from check-in to seeing your score.
TTP PRO TIP:
Caffeination is up to you, but make sure not to overdo it.
Gum or No Gum?
There are studies that show that chewing gum improves test-taking performance. I guess it can’t hurt. Just make sure that your test center allows gum. Some explicitly prohibit chewing gum during the test.
Tip 6: Jam to Something That Will Pump You Up Before Your GMAT Focus
This is a big day — it’s your Super Bowl, your World Cup, your Olympic gold-medal match. Get excited about it! Look forward to showing the test what you can do. Resolve to dominate the questions!
There is no better way to get in the zone and pump yourself up than to listen to some inspirational, feel-good tunes on the way to the test center.
Jeff Miller, head GMAT instructor at TTP, recommends “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC.
Amaury Peniche, VP of engineering at TTP, prefers Csárdás – Vittorio Monti (Violin & Piano).
I enjoy a good old-fashioned Rocky 4 Montage culminating in “Eye of the Tiger.”
Whatever your taste, from Beyoncé to Beethoven, find a way to get yourself excited to take the test.
TTP PRO TIP:
Use your favorite motivational music to get “in the zone” for the GMAT Focus.
Tip 7: Mentally Prepare Yourself for Some Ups and Downs
Think of the GMAT Focus as a long journey. As with all journeys, expect to encounter some ups and downs.
To quote Mary Schmich from the Chicago Tribune, “Sometimes you’re ahead. Sometimes you’re behind. The race is long…” Take the time to prepare yourself mentally for this fact.
Don’t get overly excited when you recognize concepts and questions. Similarly, and more importantly, don’t get waylaid when you hit some rough patches during the test. To earn a high score, you’ll need to persevere through the tough moments. Instead of getting rattled, stay level and focused. Be cool, calm, and confident.
TTP PRO TIP:
Before your GMAT Focus, take some time to mentally prepare yourself to stay calm and collected during the test.
Now, let’s discuss some tips for when you’re actually at the test center.
Tip 8: Know What to Bring to the Test Center
Make sure to bring the following items to the test center:
- A face mask. As of January 2024, Pearson VUE states that masks are only required if mandated by local regulations. Call your test center to determine the mask policy, or bring a mask to be on the safe side.
- Valid and acceptable identification. At the time of this writing, acceptable forms of identification are an International Travel Passport, a government-issued driver’s license, a government-issued national/state/province identity card (including European ID card), and a military ID card. Your name, date of birth, and country of origin must match the information you provided during GMAT Focus registration. If the information does not match, you will not be allowed to take your GMAT.
- Your GMAT Focus appointment confirmation. Although it’s not required, it couldn’t hurt to print your confirmation, just in case you have any issues checking in.
- A sweater or jacket in case it’s cold in the testing room.
- Some water. Remember that you have only one 10-minute break, so be careful not to over-hydrate before your exam.
- Some healthy snacks, such as a banana, trail mix, or protein bars.
- Prescription eyeglasses. If you need to wear glasses when sitting at a computer, make sure not to forget your glasses.
- Confidence and swagger! The GMAT Focus is a grueling exam. If you can walk into the test center with confidence, you’re one step closer to hitting your target score.
You may want to pack these items the night before your test, so that you don’t have to worry about gathering them on test day.
TTP PRO TIP:
Pack required items the night before your GMAT Focus, so you have one less thing to worry about on test day.
You’ll Get a Locker for Personal Items
If you’re wondering where to store the items mentioned above, you’ll have a locker to use during your GMAT Focus. If you need to, you’ll be able to put your sweater or jacket in your locker. Drinks and snacks must be placed in your locker; they are not allowed in the testing area.
You can read more about what to bring to the GMAT testing center here.
Tip 9: Know What Not to Bring
When preparing for your trip to the test center, it’s important not to overpack. Sure, you will be provided with a locker at the test center. However, the locker does not have unlimited room. So, just bring what you need during your 10-minute break, such as a snack or water. I suggest leaving most nonessential items at home.
Some items are not allowed at the testing center or in your locker. Do not bring any of the following items with you to your GMAT Focus appointment:
- Firearms, knives, or any other weapons
- Testing aids, including study materials, notes, calculators, blank sheets of paper, stopwatches, and flashcards
You can read more about what to expect at the GMAT test center here.
TTP PRO TIP:
Make sure you know what you’re allowed to bring, and bring only what you need during your 10-minute break.
Tip 10: Arrive Early at the GMAT Test Center
If you’re taking the GMAT Focus at a test center, it’s important that you arrive a little early.
A good rule of thumb is to arrive between 30 and 45 minutes before your scheduled test time. Arriving flustered because you hit an unexpected delay en route is not an optimal start to your test-day experience.
By planning to arrive 30-45 minutes before your test, you have an ample time buffer just in case your trip to the test center takes a little longer than expected.
If your commute goes smoothly and you arrive 45 minutes before your test, no problem. You can warm up with a few easy GMAT Focus questions or light review of your notes or flashcards.
Just as it’s important not to arrive late, it’s important not to arrive too early. For example, I would not plan to arrive at the test center 90 minutes before the exam. Arriving that early could potentially cause you to worry or become anxious. You could better use that time getting more sleep or relaxing at home before leaving for the test center.
Just remember that if you arrive more than 15 minutes after your scheduled GMAT appointment time, your appointment may be canceled. Don’t arrive late.
TTP PRO TIP:
If you’re taking the GMAT Focus at a test center, plan to arrive 30-45 minutes before your scheduled time.
Tip 11: Do Some Warm-Up Questions Before Entering the Test Center
Doing some practice questions before you enter the test center can help prepare you for the test in many ways.
Doing some practice questions before you enter the test center can help prepare you for the test in many ways.
Remember, we said earlier not to study on test day, so we’re not suggesting hours of questions. Rather, the point is this: doing a handful of Quant and Verbal questions can get you into optimal test-taking mode.
Practice questions get your brain warmed up and thinking in the way that helps you correctly answer GMAT Focus questions. They can help you relax and even make the test seem like merely an extension of your practice.
TTP PRO TIP:
Practice questions get your brain warmed up and thinking in the way that helps you correctly answer GMAT Focus questions.
Just remember, bringing study materials into the test center is against the rules. So, warm up in your car, at home, or at some other location where you can leave your study materials. Alternatively, before you enter the test center, you could use your phone to access practice questions online.
Tip 12: Check Your Equipment Immediately
If you’re taking the GMAT Focus at a test center, you’ll be provided with wet-erase markers and a notepad. It’s not uncommon for the markers to work less than perfectly. So, as soon as you get them from the proctor, inspect them. Make sure that they have good tips and write smoothly. If you don’t like the markers you’re given, immediately ask your proctor for new ones.
If at any point during your GMAT you’d like new markers, raise your hand and ask the proctor for them. I tell my students to keep working while their hand is raised so they don’t lose time. For example, if you are reading a Reading Comprehension passage and you raise your hand to get fresh markers, just keep reading until the proctor arrives.
One of the easiest ways to help ensure that you don’t have issues during your GMAT Focus is to test all of your equipment before you begin. Just as you should check your markers immediately, make sure your notepad, keyboard, and mouse function properly. Additionally, make sure that your chair and desk are comfortable.
TTP PRO TIP:
To help ensure that you don’t have issues during your GMAT Focus, test all of your equipment before beginning.
Tip 13: Don’t Worry About Running Out of Notepad Space
Taking the in-person GMAT Focus? The “scratch paper” provided by the test center is a spiral notepad containing 5 laminated pages. The pages look like yellow graph paper, and they are about the size of a sheet of legal paper.
You can write on both sides of each page. As you already know, the marker provided to you is a wet-erase type. So, even though each page is laminated, you won’t be able to erase the board. If you’re properly writing your work down (and not doing it mentally), you might run out of notepad space.
Don’t worry: you can request a new notepad. When you are down to 1 clean page, raise your non-writing hand and continue working. When the proctor comes to you, tell her that you’d like a new pad, but keep working.
As soon as you have the new pad, quickly make the transfer and resume working. Do not wait until you are out of space to request a new notepad.
TTP PRO TIP:
Ask for a new notepad before you need one so you can keep working.
If you typically need a new notepad during the GMAT Quantitative section, alert the proctor prior to your exam. Let them know that you will likely raise your hand at some point to ask for a new pad. You are also allowed to request a fresh notepad during one of your breaks, even if your old one is not completely used up.
Tip 14: Don’t Attempt to Handle Test Center Issues on Your Own
Most of the time, things go very smoothly for people taking the GMAT in person. However, if you have any issues, under no circumstances should you try to fix the problem yourself.
For example, do not attempt to fix issues with your computer, chair, or anything else provided by the testing center. Instead, raise your hand and alert the proctor right away.
TTP PRO TIP:
If you have issues with anything provided by the testing center, do not attempt to fix them on your own.
Tip 15: Use Best Practices to Maintain Stamina for a Two-Hour Test
There is no doubt about it: It’s going to take a concerted effort to maintain stamina for the entire GMAT Focus. So how can you accomplish this?
You’ve Already Built Your Stamina
The best way to maintain stamina on the GMAT Focus is to have already trained your ability to do so. The good news is that if you’ve been studying properly, you’ve already built your stamina over time.
For example, when you began your GMAT preparation, perhaps you could maintain focus for 30 minutes before tiring. As time went on, you probably increased your focused studying to 45 minutes or an hour. Near the end of your prep, you may have been able to stay focused for most of a weekend day.
Similarly, perhaps when you first started, you did sets of 5 questions. By the end of your training, you were doing sets of 40 questions or more.
You also built stamina by taking all 6 of the official GMAT Focus practice tests. When you took practice test 1, you may have gotten tired and lost your focus at some point during the exam. However, you were probably a little bit stronger on test 2. By the time you reached test 6, you probably noticed that you could concentrate for the entire test.
So, you can be confident that you’ve already built the stamina required to focus for over 2 hours on test day.
If you’ve been studying properly, you’ve already built your stamina over time.
Best Practices for Maintaining Test-Day Stamina
Let’s discuss some things you can do to take control of your test-day experience, and thus better maintain your stamina.
You Decide the Time of Day to Take Your GMAT
The first thing under your control is what time of day you take your GMAT Focus. The most strategic move? Schedule the test at the time of day when you are most alert and most energized.
For example, if you’re a morning person, it would be best to schedule your GMAT in the morning. In fact, I would say that you should not schedule your GMAT Focus for the afternoon or evening. Doing so would seem to be putting yourself at a stamina disadvantage before you even sit for the test.
Similarly, do you tend to have the most energy in the afternoon or the evening? Be sure that you schedule your GMAT for the afternoon or the evening. Don’t schedule it in the morning. Hacking your biorhythms is one of the best ways to help ensure that you have sufficient stamina on test day.
TTP PRO TIP:
Schedule your GMAT Focus for the time of day when you are most alert and most energized.
Think About the Times of Day When You Eat
It’s important to think about what times of day you fuel your body. Do you typically eat a large lunch at 2 p.m.? It would probably be a mistake to schedule your GMAT for that time because you would miss that lunch. As a result, you’d probably be hungry, and hunger can be distracting, especially if your blood sugar starts dropping.
In general, you don’t want to take your GMAT Focus when your body is waiting for something else.
Get Proper Sleep Leading Up to the GMAT
Get into the habit of getting sufficient sleep in the weeks or months leading up to the test. The night before your GMAT Focus, a good night’s sleep is imperative. It can make all the difference in your stamina the next day.
Fuel Your Body Properly
The morning of the GMAT Focus, be sure to eat a healthy, high-energy breakfast. Avoid anything that would lead to an energy spike followed by a crash. For example, avoid sugary cereals or sugary protein drinks. Don’t eat junk food. Stick to the things that work well with your body. For example, if a big hot bowl of oatmeal helps keep you going, that is what you should have. Don’t all of a sudden start eating avocados because you read that they are good for your brain.
Make sure to bring healthy snacks, such as a protein bar, a banana, or trail mix, to the testing center. Again, these snacks should be personalized to your tastes. Don’t bring an energy drink that you’ve never consumed to your GMAT. You don’t want to be a guinea pig on the day of the exam.
Tip 16: Remember That You’re Not “Playing Against the Computer”
A lot of students imagine that they are taking the GMAT Focus against the computer. That is, they somehow feel that they are scoring against the computer, that the computer is the opponent.
Remember that this is not true: your score is being compared only to those of other GMAT test-takers. It’s comforting to know that you are not playing against a computer that can’t be beaten. The computer simply facilitates the game and provides you with a score.
KEY FACT:
When you’re taking the GMAT Focus, the computer is there only to facilitate the game and provide a score.
Tip 17: Manage Your Time Properly on the GMAT Focus
A major component of earning a good GMAT Focus score is savvy time-management.
Although different students use different time-management techniques, whatever strategy you use, be disciplined about sticking with it. If you practiced spending 2-2.5 minutes per Quant question, don’t start spending 5 minutes on a question. If you’ve been spending 90 seconds on each Critical Reasoning question, don’t suddenly spend 4 minutes on each question.
If you can’t answer a question in the allotted time, quickly eliminate any answers you can and take your best educated guess from the remaining answer choices. Mark the question for later review, but realize that you might not have enough time remaining in the section to review it later. Remember not to leave any question unanswered.
Many GMAT-takers wonder if they should employ the “hack” of over-investing time on the first 7 questions of each GMAT section. Whether it’s Quant, Verbal, or Data Insights, this is a losing strategy. Spending extra time up front is unlikely to improve your score, and it may actually result in a worse score. After all, if you spend 4-5 minutes on some early questions, you may end up blindly guessing on the last 4-6 questions.
So, on test day, stick to the time-management techniques you’ve been practicing. If you need reliable time-management techniques, check out these GMAT Verbal timing strategies and tips on managing time on GMAT Quant.
TTP PRO TIP:
On test day, stick to the time-management techniques you’ve been practicing.
Tip 18: Stay Engaged in the Moment
Staying engaged in the moment is essential to your success. When you begin solving the first question on your test, don’t think about anything else but that problem. Don’t worry about the questions that lie ahead. Don’t worry about those final few formulas you couldn’t master. Certainly don’t worry about how other students in the room are doing. Just focus. Be in the moment. Own it. This is your time to shine.
Similarly, as you begin each subsequent problem, don’t ever think back to earlier problems. Don’t think about anything but what you’re working on at that exact second in time.
TTP PRO TIP:
Stay engaged by focusing completely on your current task: the question in front of you.
Tip 19: Don’t Try to Determine How Well You’re Doing While Taking the Test
To their detriment, many students attempt to determine how well they’re doing while taking the GMAT Focus. Don’t make this mistake.
It doesn’t matter what you think you know about the GMAT. It doesn’t matter how much experience you have with it. You’ll never know how well you’re doing until the test is over.
KEY FACT:
No matter what you think you know about the GMAT Focus, or how much experience you have, you’ll never know how well you’re doing until the test is over.
It’s important to realize the following:
- Despite your best intuition, you have no way of determining whether a question is easy or hard for scoring purposes.
- You have no way of knowing how other students did or are doing on a question.
- What seems easy to you may be hard for the majority, and vice versa.
- You won’t know which questions are experimental.
Thus, your best move is to get busy answering the questions presented to you. Don’t spend even a minute of time wondering how you’re doing on that section.
Similarly, do not try to guess how well you did on a previous section. You may feel like you really bombed the Quant section, but you have no real way of knowing. Worse yet, getting down on yourself can hurt your performance on the other sections. Assuming that you bombed on Quant may negatively affect your Verbal or Data Insights performance.
There is no way to know how you performed on a given section until the exam is over.
Tip 20: Focus on What You Can Control—Getting Correct Answers!
Why waste your limited energy thinking about things you can’t control? Just focus on doing the absolute best you can. Trying to determine how you’re performing can only help you earn a lower GMAT Focus score. Instead of worrying about things that can only harm your score, stay focused on getting correct answers.
TTP PRO TIP:
Focus on the one thing that can help your score: getting correct answers.
Tip 21: Don’t Expect Perfection of Yourself
Many students experience anxiety about how many questions they must answer correctly for a good GMAT Focus score.
First, we’ve already stated that worrying about your performance never improves your performance. Only being alert to the problem at hand can do that.
Worrying about your performance never improves your performance.
Second, realize that you can probably get more questions wrong than you think and still get a good score. The GMAT Focus is a computer-adaptive exam. That is, the questions you face become more difficult as your performance improves. So, at some point, you’ll face questions that will be very difficult or impossible for you to answer. It’s likely that you’ll get many of them wrong.
That’s OK — you should expect that to happen. It happens to almost everyone. To be clear, your goal is to answer as many questions correctly as you can. However, don’t expect to answer all questions correctly, and certainly don’t lose focus over missing some. You can incorrectly answer several questions in all 3 sections and still earn a great GMAT Focus score!
KEY FACT:
You can incorrectly answer several questions in all 3 sections and still earn a great GMAT Focus score!
Tip 22: Guess Strategically When You’re Stuck
Let’s be crystal clear about one thing. If you’re skipping and guessing on several questions, you’re probably not as prepared for the GMAT as you should be.
With that said, almost all test-takers encounter some problems that are just too difficult for them to solve. Recognize the problem types that are difficult for you, take your best guess, and move on.
For example, maybe you didn’t have the time to study functions sufficiently. Furthermore, let’s say you tend to incorrectly answer roughly 80 percent of all function questions you attempt. If you encounter a seemingly difficult function question, would it be wise to spend 3 minutes trying to solve it? Probably not. Instead, guess and move on, armed with the extra time that you gained by not fighting a losing battle. In other words, use strategic guessing to enhance your score. Fight the battles you can win.
TTP PRO TIP:
Use strategic guessing on the GMAT Focus to enhance your score.
Never Leave Any Question Unanswered
No matter what, don’t let time run out on a section, leaving you with one or more unanswered questions.
Let’s say you lost your focus early in a section and struggled to regain your concentration. You’re finally on a roll, and you’re answering questions carefully and consistently. However, you look up and, to your horror, discover that you have just 2 minutes to answer 4 questions. What do you do?
No matter what, do not leave any question unanswered. You might have to blindly guess 1 or 2 of those remaining questions, but that is better than not answering. After all, you have a 20% chance of guessing correctly. So, you have a measurable chance of getting at least 1 of the questions correct.
Additionally, if you use those 2 minutes strategically, you might find that, for some questions, you can eliminate answer choices. Doing so increases your chances of getting the questions right.
TTP PRO TIP:
Don’t leave any question unanswered. Use educated guessing where possible, but even blindly guessing is preferable to leaving a question unanswered.
Tip 23: Don’t Worry If You Struggle With the First Question or Two
Often, students who underperform on their GMAT Focus say they had trouble with the first few questions. As a result, they lost their focus on subsequent questions.
Of course, it would be desirable to recognize and easily solve the first few questions you encounter. However, if you can’t, or if the first few questions seem unusually abstract or difficult, don’t worry.
Just keep your focus. Put your energy into the questions to come; don’t ever think back. Stay engaged. Even if you did get the first few questions wrong, you can still earn a great GMAT Focus score!
KEY FACT:
Even if you miss the first few questions of any section, you can still earn a great GMAT Focus score.
Tip 24: Take Your Break and Use It Wisely
On the GMAT Focus, you get one 10-minute break. You get to choose when to use it: between the first and second sections, or between the second and third sections. The break lets your brain take a little rest, even if you just sit with your eyes closed. Take the chance to relax and refocus.
You can also use this time to use the restroom, eat a snack, drink some water, etc. Use this time to prepare yourself for the section to come.
Just don’t expect anyone to tell you when the break is over. Take note of the time your break started and watch the clock carefully. Any extra time taken will be deducted from the time you’re allotted for the next section.
Make sure that you do not violate any GMAT Focus test-day policies. For example, don’t look at study materials or use your phone. Also, leave time for the process of being readmitted to the testing area. For instance, getting the palm scan to work can take a few tries. If you’re taking the GMAT Focus online instead, leave time for the process of starting the next section.
Want a little more break time? Once you’re back at your desk, sit quietly during the time allotted for reading the directions for the upcoming section. Since you’re prepared, you won’t need to read them. Instead, rest and recharge for a few minutes. Just don’t go over the time allotted for reading the directions. The test will let you stay on the directions after the allotted time expires, but any extra time will be deducted from your section time.
TTP PRO TIP:
Although the break on the GMAT Focus is short, you can leverage this time to relax, refuel, and refocus.
Tip 25: Be Confident!
A positive attitude never hurt anyone. In fact, the power of positive thinking can go a long way toward helping you perform at your best. Start telling yourself that you own this test.
Hopefully, you found these tips useful. I wish you the best of luck on your exam!
GMAT Exam-Day Tips: Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to take the GMAT in the morning or afternoon?
The best time to take the GMAT Focus is when you’re mentally sharp and full of energy and stamina. Thus, if you’re a morning person, plan to take the GMAT in the morning. Alternatively, if you perform better in the afternoon, schedule your GMAT for the afternoon.
What should I do 3 days before the GMAT?
You should begin to seriously taper down your GMAT prep. Now is the time to let your brain rest up for test day. Don’t do anything strenuous in the 3 days before your GMAT Focus.
What should I do 1 day before the GMAT?
On the day before your GMAT Focus, your goal is to maximize your health and well-being. You’ll want to be in top shape on test day.
Should I study 1 day before GMAT?
The best move for most people is to avoid studying the day before the GMAT Focus. If not studying 1 day before your test makes you anxious, do the lightest amount of studying possible.
What’s Next?
Seeking more tips to help you prepare for the GMAT Focus? Here are 25 tips to help you earn a higher GMAT Quant score.
Looking for more GMAT test-day tips? Here is a great article to help you get in the test-day frame of mind.
Not familiar with the formats of Data Insights questions? Check out our guide to the Data Insights section.
Interested in GMAT Focus Tutoring? Sign up for a free consultation to see whether private tutoring can help take your GMAT prep to the next level.
