How should I prepare for the GMAT exam and when should I start?
Start preparing three to six months before your target application round, building in a one-month buffer for a possible retake, since most candidates need roughly 80 to 120 total study hours. Begin with a free official diagnostic test, then study 8 to 12 hours a week using official GMAC materials.
The GMAT rewards a steady, backward-planned schedule far more than last-minute cramming. Start by working out your application round, then build your prep timeline and weekly routine around it.
Working Backward From Your Application Round
| Application Round | Typical Deadline | When To Start Studying |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | September/October | Around February or March of that same year |
| Round 2 | January | 3 to 6 months before, with a retake buffer |
| Round 3 | March/April | 3 to 6 months before, with a retake buffer |
Your Preparation Plan
- Take a free official practice exam on mba.com before studying anything, to see your baseline across Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights.
- Look up the average GMAT scores at your target schools to set a concrete goal.
- Study 8 to 12 hours a week across 4 to 5 days, reviewing fundamentals like arithmetic and algebra before drilling hundreds of questions.
- Use the GMAT Official Guide and official mba.com practice exams, since third-party questions do not mimic the real scoring algorithm as closely.
- Keep an error log and take a full official mock exam every 3 to 4 weeks under strict test conditions.
My Advice
Take your diagnostic test this week, even before you finalise your target schools, so you know exactly how many months of 8 to 12 hour weeks you realistically need. Building in that one-month retake buffer now is far less stressful than discovering you need it two weeks before your deadline.
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