GMAT is the short for the Graduate Management Admission Test, which is one of the prerequisites for admission to any global business school. Cracking this multiple choice computer based GMAT exam is a dream of all aspiring candidates. There are various methods adopted to get a worthy GMAT score to fancy your chances to one of the best Business Schools abroad. Before delving deep into how to go about cracking it without coaching, let us check the components or sections of the GMAT exam first.
What makes for GMAT sections?
Your critical and analytical skills are required throughout the testscontaining four distinct sections. These sections are broken into two each for scoring separately and then combined for the composite score. The four sections are:
- Analytical Writing Assessment
- Integrated Reasoning
- Quantitative
- Verbal.
What is needed to crack GMAT?
There is no denying that there are coaching centers which help you crack GMAT exam, but be rest assured, ultimately it is your hard work, dedication, resolve and perseverance that gets you to desired GMAT score of 780+. It sounds easier said than done. What you basically need is belief in yourself to chalk out a methodical plan and a definite timeline for achieving your goal.
Groundwork for cracking GMAT without coaching:
When you mention without coaching, what you are basically hinting at is your dependence on self-coaching rather than on external. It is vital that you devise a strategy to reach your goal. The following can be the guideline for your preparation for a 780+ GMAT Score:
- Understand GMAT Structure: The first step is to familiarize with the basic structure of GMAT. Get to know the sections, number of questions in each, duration for each and finally the scoring mechanism. It provides for the right perspective for your preparations: You can take the first Mock Test just to ascertain where you stand based on your GMAT score
- Arrange for resources: It is a good idea to get hold of the Official Guides in each section and detailed ones like the Kaplan and the Manhattan so that you can work upon the areas as you go along with preparation. You can get hold of 700-800 level question bank soft copy by accessing GMAT Forum and GMAT Club.
- Fix a Timeline:The next step is to fix a time line which will include the final GMAT exam and the number of preparatory Mock Tests you will take in the interregnum. The ideal time line is six months of focused preparations.
Tips to crack GMAT without coaching:
Once you are prepared to undertake the grind, work on the defined strategy based on your strength and weaknesses. Let us see how:
- Start with the GMAT Quantitative Section. Indian students are generally better off in Mathematics. When you are in the 80% accuracy bracket it should be a confidence booster.
- The next step is to concentrate on Verbal preparation. Focus on Critical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension and Sentence Correction by extensively solving 700-800 level questions.
- In between take mock tests to check for the progress. You should aim for 90% accuracy in Quant and Verbal Any GMAT score near over 750 should be encouraging.
- The next stage is to focus on Integrated Reasoning and Analytical Writing Assessment. Buying online package and templates for AWA and IR should suffice in your organization.
- Just before the final GMAT date, it is ideal for you to take the final Mock test too. If your preparations have gone as per schedule, you should be on the way to a GMAT Score of 780+.
Conclusion:
Sticking to the official guide and mock tests is a good strategy to crack GMAT exam without coaching. The first part of the exam covers AWA and IR. After a break, you get to tackle Quant and Verbal sections. With dedicated hard work, a 780+ GMAT score is very achievable without coaching.
