{"id":37109,"date":"2017-05-10T06:45:58","date_gmt":"2017-05-10T13:45:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=37109"},"modified":"2017-05-10T06:45:58","modified_gmt":"2017-05-10T13:45:58","slug":"how-hard-do-i-need-to-study-to-crack-the-gmat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/how-hard-do-i-need-to-study-to-crack-the-gmat\/","title":{"rendered":"How Hard do I Need to Study to Crack the GMAT?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Free<\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a questions university professors hate to hear: \u201cHow hard do I have to study for this?\u201d You\u2019ve probably learned to be shy about asking just how much (or how little) you need to work for that top score.<\/p>\n

When it comes to the GMAT though, don\u2019t be shy with this question. You\u2019ve got a busy life! It\u2019s wise to figure out just how much study it takes to crack the GMAT<\/a>. Bear in mind, of course, that the answer depends a lot on you. Every GMAT test-taker has different study needs. What are yours? There are a few ways to figure this out:<\/p>\n

What Schools Are You Trying to Get Into?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the most obvious question to ask yourself. The GMAT score requirements at b-schools can vary a good deal, of course.<\/p>\n

Now, if you\u2019re aiming for the top schools, you\u2019ll obviously need higher GMAT scores. However, even in the most competitive MBA programs, score requirements still differ. To figure out exactly what scores are needed at your best dream schools, check out this table and infographic for GMAT scores at top schools<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Knowing your target score helps you know how much you might need to study. But researching competitive GMAT scores is just a starting point. In order to know how much you should study, there are still other things to figure out.<\/p>\n

What is Your Current GMAT Ability?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you need a higher-than-average score will you need to study more? Logically, it seems like you will. But this isn\u2019t always a case. And on the flip side, a lower target score may not mean less study.<\/p>\n

You see, your target score comes at the end of your journey, when you take your exam. But how much you need to study doesn\u2019t just depend on where you\u2019re going. It also depends on where you are right now.<\/p>\n

Suppose you\u2019re aiming for a 690. It\u2019s not a bad goal. This can get you into a mid-tier school pretty easily. A high 600s score can also give you a chance at a top school, provided the rest of your application is strong.<\/p>\n

But if 690 is where you want to go, where are you now? In other words, what GMAT score can you get right now? To find out, you need to take a GMAT practice test.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t just take any test! Look for a full-length practice test that is well-designed, as similar to the real GMAT as possible. (If you\u2019re not sure where to find a truly excellent practice test, here\u2019s some advice on where to find full length mock GMAT exams<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

If you get 650 on a practice test, then you don\u2019t that much further to go. Boosting your score up to 690 should be fairly easy. But if you\u2019re currently testing in the 500s or low 600s? In that case, you\u2019ve got a lot of study ahead of you.<\/p>\n

Make a Study Plan<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once you find your target score and compare it to your current score in practice, you\u2019re ready to make a study plan. This is where you figure out exactly how much you\u2019ll need to study in order to crack the GMAT. Make a specific weekly or daily planner. Outline the GMAT prep books and websites you\u2019ll use, the practice sets you\u2019ll go through, the lessons you\u2019ll read or watch on video, and so on.<\/p>\n

A well-researched, carefully crafted study plan<\/a> is the most accurate measure of how much work you need to do. Of course, that\u2019s not a 100% perfect measure either. You may find you need to do more studying along the way. Or you may learn even faster than you\u2019d hoped, so that you can shorten your study plan.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"magoosh\"<\/a>David Recine is a test prep expert at Magoosh<\/a>. He has a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He has been teaching K-12, University, and adult education classes since 2007 and has worked with students from every continent.<\/em><\/p>\n

Related Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 Affordable Online Test Prep,<\/a> a podcast episode
\n\u2022 Should You Take the GMAT or GRE?<\/a>
\n\u2022 Time Management Tips to Make the Most of Your Test Prep<\/a><\/p>\n

This article<\/a>\u00a0originally appeared on\u00a0<\/i>blog.accepted.com<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

Applying to a top b-school? The talented folks at Accepted have helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to their dream programs. Whether you are figuring out where to apply, writing your application essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away.<\/p>\n

Contact us, and get matched up with the consultant who will help\u00a0you\u00a0<\/i>get accepted<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a questions university professors hate to hear: \u201cHow hard do I have to study for this?\u201d You\u2019ve probably learned to be shy about asking just how much (or how…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,11,939,775,113,243],"tags":[1894,583,361,773],"class_list":["post-37109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gmat","category-mba","category-accepted","category-admission-consultants","category-applications","category-blog","tag-gmat","tag-gmat-advice","tag-gmat-tips","tag-study-plan","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37109"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37109\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37112,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37109\/revisions\/37112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}