All TTP Monday is Funday GMAT Tips at one place

Whenever a student approaches me with the question, “How can I improve my GMAT score?,” I immediately ask about the student’s tendency to make careless mistakes. Careless mistakes come in all shapes and sizes, and they are all costly.

For example, you might overlook a crucial fact in the provided information, such as “x is less than zero.” You might make a calculation error, such as simplifying 14/34 as 7/16. You might not notice the word “except” in a Critical Reasoning question stem. As a result, you choose an incorrect answer.

If you make even one of these careless mistakes, your GMAT score will suffer. Thus, reducing the number of careless mistakes when answering GMAT questions will have a significant impact on your overall score.

Careless Mistakes Are Unforgivable

Unlike other errors that result in incorrect answers, careless mistakes do not typically reflect gaps in your content knowledge. Rather, careless mistakes are frequently the result of poor habits, such as:

• reading questions too quickly
• rushing through calculations
• relying too heavily on mental math
• taking sloppy and disorganized notes

Careless mistakes are debilitating and frustrating because they can cause you to miss questions that you should have answered correctly. So, if you have a tendency to make careless mistakes, correcting them will certainly result in a higher GMAT score.

Fortunately, careless mistakes are preventable and can be avoided. You should maintain focus, follow a sound strategy, and put in the necessary time and effort into your work.

Careless Mistakes Are Completely Preventable

Become aware of your own tendency to make careless mistakes. This awareness is one of the most effective things you can do to reduce your chances of making them. If you are aware of your patterns, you can catch yourself in the act of making a mistake. In other words, you can alert yourself before you make a specific type of mistake.

Consider the following scenario: you notice a pattern of answering questions that aren’t being asked. So, you start double-checking what the question is asking before you choose your answer. You make sure, for example, that you do not answer a question about Theresa’s age when you’re asked to determine Martha’s age.

Or let’s say you notice that you frequently mix up numbers or lose track of calculations that involve math skills about which you are confident. After noticing that pattern, you could review your note-taking techniques and brush up on your calculation skills.

Making careless errors is quite common among test takers. Correcting them will have a significant positive impact on your GMAT score. Your error log will assist you in understanding the types of errors that are preventing you from making significant improvements in your score. So, make a note of any instances of your getting a question wrong due to a careless mistake, as well as the nature of the mistake.

Slow Down When Answering Questions

In addition to becoming aware of the careless mistakes you make, you must approach your work with a mindful and methodical approach when answering GMAT questions. For many test-takers, this approach involves doing something they dread: slowing down during their examinations. Concentrate on the problem at hand. Move slowly and methodically through it; this will help you make fewer careless mistakes and improve your score significantly.

Concentrate intently on each problem, working through each step as efficiently as possible. Don’t rush through the problem-solving process.

Honestly, it is better to take your time and avoid silly mistakes on four questions — even if doing so forces you to guess on the last question because you ran out of time — than to rush through those four questions and get them all wrong because you made mindless, avoidable mistakes.

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep

We often think of investments as equities, property, or businesses. However, one of the best investments you can make is in yourself.

When you’re studying for the GMAT, you are investing in yourself. You are investing in your skills, abilities, and knowledge. Most importantly, the time and energy expended are an investment in your future. Unfortunately, most people in the world never get the opportunity to do what you are doing. Don’t let that fact get lost on you.

We already discussed how studying for the GMAT will help you improve your verbal and quant skills. However, the primary goal in scoring high on the GMAT is to gain acceptance to a top business school, so that you can land a great job and ultimately have greater earning power throughout your career.

According to the annual US News survey, the average starting MBA salary (with bonus) among the top 132 full-time MBA programs for 2023 graduates was $101,034, about $40,000 higher than the salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business. Even if we assume that your salary does not increase throughout a 30-year career (which is unlikely), that starting salary translates to roughly $1.2 million more in earnings, on average, with a top-130 MBA than without.

The disparities are even more significant when considering starting salaries for graduates from the top 10 full-time MBA programs. The average starting salary (with bonus) was $172,265. So, you’re looking at an extra $3.2 million in earnings over 30 years. To see the return on investment, divide $3.2 million by the 400 hours you spent preparing for the GMAT. You’ll find that you “earned” $8,000 per study hour.

Keep in mind that, while the average cost of an MBA is around $65,000, not all MBA students pay the full cost (or any cost) for an MBA. Business schools offer various scholarships, which often come with the price tag of a high GMAT score. So, the next time you groan at the thought of sitting down to study, think about the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: high GMAT score = acceptance to a great (maybe free) school = great job = great salary.

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep

Math teacher turned psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth studied public school students, teachers, salespeople, cadets at West Point Military Academy, and National Spelling Bee contestants to find the common predictors of success among them.

Surprisingly, the one characteristic that the most successful people in all of these different groups shared wasn’t IQ. It was grit.

In addition, Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck had a similar observation. She studied thousands of students to determine what tendencies led some to achieve higher grades. In doing so, she discovered that the key to their achievement was what she called a “growth mindset.”

While some students found learning-related setbacks discouraging, and thus avoided further challenges, students with a growth mindset bounced back from setbacks and welcomed challenges as opportunities. The result? Unsurprisingly, the first group plateaued, continuing to perform poorly. Conversely, the second group was able to persevere through rough patches and ultimately improve their performance.

As you can see, grit is incredibly valuable for anyone preparing for the GMAT but especially for test-takers who worry that their grasp of GMAT concepts isn’t up to par. For example, maybe your ​​Quantitative Reasoning skills have gotten rusty. Or perhaps Verbal Reasoning has always been an area where you’ve felt weak. Whatever the reason for your lack of confidence, the key is to keep going.

Instead of viewing your setbacks as walls, view them as stepping stones.

The truth is, anyone can learn GMAT concepts provided they work hard enough and long enough. As a GMAT teacher, I’ve seen it firsthand time and time again.

So, if you’re having issues staying motivated in your GMAT preparation or reaching your long-term goals, consider whether a mindset shift is in order.

Then, keep going!

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep

Happy Monday! Let's start our week with an exciting topic: how having a growth mindset can lead to score improvement on the GMAT.

The connection is that a person with a growth mindset believes that he or she can develop his or her abilities, and scoring high on the GMAT requires developing abilities.

So, a growth mindset is exactly what’s needed for GMAT success. To see why more clearly, let’s consider some examples.

For instance, let’s say someone preparing for the GMAT is strong in quant but weak in verbal. If she has a fixed mindset, she’s likely to give up easily if her verbal preparation doesn’t go well. She might even start thinking things like “I’m just not a verbal person,” and stop putting in the effort. On the other hand, if she has a growth mindset, she’ll see any trouble she’s having as just a natural part of the learning process and continue working until she succeeds.

Also, a person’s mindset can have a huge impact on a person’s psychology when he’s taking a test. If he has a fixed mindset, on some level, he’ll be constantly wondering whether his supposedly fixed abilities are strong enough to get him to his score goal. So, he may take any trouble performing as desired on a test as a sign that his abilities aren’t sufficient. Having such a mindset can be super anxiety provoking. On the other hand, a person with a growth mindset will see test performance issues as something to power through or just a sign that he has to prepare more. He’ll remind himself that progress takes time and that setbacks are normal—not indicators of some permanent limitation.

In general, GMAT students with a fixed mindset see mistakes or other issues as indicating something about them personally, whereas students with a growth mindset see their mistakes as signs that they haven’t mastered something yet and need to keep going. That subtle shift in perspective can make a huge difference. After all, it’s a lot easier to keep putting in the work when you believe the work is going to pay off.

Reach out to me with any questions about your GMAT prep. Happy studying!

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep

A significant obstacle that GMAT students face is anxiety. If you’ve ever suffered from anxiety, you know that it can be paralyzing. It clouds your thinking, saps your energy, and makes even simple tasks feel overwhelming. If anxiety creeps in during your GMAT preparation, it will negatively impact your motivation to study. So, let’s look at two common reasons GMAT students feel anxious — and how to address them.

One common issue is not giving yourself enough time to prepare. I can’t tell you how often I speak with GMAT students who need a 200+ point score increase yet give themselves only 5 weeks to study. Unfortunately, obtaining such a score increase in such a short period is like trying to push a boulder up a mountain: it’s just not going to happen.

But even knowing this, many students still try to make these situations work. They shorten their sleep, cram in long study hours, and hold onto the hope that sheer determination will make up for lost time. In doing so, they pile unnecessary pressure on themselves and get overwhelmed with anxiety. Their confidence drops, their motivation weakens, and eventually, they burn out.

If you find yourself in this situation, your path is simple: reschedule your GMAT for a later date. While you may be taking the GMAT at a certain time to meet an application deadline, that deadline won’t matter if you don’t hit your target GMAT score. In fact, submitting an application with a subpar score may actually hurt your chances. So, by giving yourself more time to prepare, you reduce any potential anxiety that could derail your motivation — and you give yourself a fair chance at success.

Another source of anxiety is the expectation of overnight success. There’s a misconception that you can study hard for a few weeks and score high. However, this type of “overnight success” is impossible for most GMAT students.

So, if you’re just beginning your GMAT journey, don’t expect to increase your score by 200 points in 2 weeks. Even students with strong academic backgrounds need time to get used to the test’s format, question types, and reasoning demands. By believing that such a score increase is possible, you are setting yourself up for failure. Then, when that miracle does not happen, you will likely feel demotivated — not because you can’t succeed, but because your expectations weren’t aligned with the reality of what this test requires.

Rather than rushing the process, take a gradual, structured approach to your GMAT studying. Set realistic goals. Track your progress. Build your skills step by step. In the end, you will be happy that you took the time to do things the right way — not the fast way.

Reach out to me with any questions about your GMAT prep. Happy studying!
Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep

Many GMAT test-takers labor under the misconception that Verbal questions are not “precise” like Quant questions are. These test-takers tend to have beliefs such as the following:

• Correct answers to Verbal questions are subjective.
• Correct answers to Verbal questions are based on the question-writer’s opinion.
• In many cases, getting a Verbal question correct is a matter of luck.

When answering Verbal questions, these test-takers are more prone to guessing, going with what “sounds,” “seems,” or “feels” right, or just plain giving up than other test-takers are. Unsurprisingly, test-takers who use such haphazard strategies have a lot of trouble achieving high scores in GMAT Verbal.

Of course, we can’t use equations or calculations to solve Verbal questions, as we can for, say, Problem Solving questions in the Quant section. However, we can still point to clear, specific reasons why each answer choice in a Verbal question is correct or incorrect, just as we can with choices in any Quant question.

In Critical Reasoning, a choice may weaken an argument when we need a strengthener. In Reading Comprehension, a choice might contradict what the passage says is true. Moreover, eliminating those incorrect choices would be a matter of luck only if we weren’t trained to spot such errors.

The truth is, whatever the Verbal question type, there is always one or more specific things we can point to that makes an answer choice correct or incorrect. The more you train yourself to identify those specific flaws or strengths, the less guessing you’ll have to do — and the more consistent your performance will become. In fact, one of the best ways to improve in GMAT Verbal is to approach each question like a mini logic puzzle: one correct solution, several traps, and no room for "gut feeling."

So, don’t buy into the myth that Verbal is fuzzy or subjective. The precision is there — your job is to train your eye to spot it.

Reach out to me with any questions about your GMAT prep. Happy studying!

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep

Breath meditation isn’t for everyone—and that’s completely okay. If you’ve tried focusing on your breath and found it difficult, dull, or even stressful, you’re not alone. While some people thrive with breath-focused meditation, others find their thoughts racing or their attention drifting no matter how hard they try. The good news? There are effective alternatives. One of the most accessible and powerful ones is mantra meditation.

With mantra meditation, instead of watching your breath, you quietly repeat a word or phrase to yourself. This word or phrase—your mantra—serves as your point of focus. It gives your mind something to engage with, which can make it easier to remain centered. If focusing on your breathing leaves too much room for intrusive thoughts to creep in, mantra meditation may feel more structured and grounded.

Now, if the word “mantra” brings to mind someone chanting “Om” in a dimly lit room, you’re not wrong—but your mantra doesn’t have to be traditional or even meaningful. You might pick a nonsense word that feels soothing to say. Or you could choose a short affirmation like “I am calm” or “Let go.” What matters is that the sound or meaning of the mantra resonates with you. Some people even rotate mantras depending on their mood or what they need that day—one for anxiety, another for confidence, another for focus.

One reason people often prefer mantra meditation over breath meditation is that it feels more active. You’re not just noticing; you’re doing. That built-in activity can help anchor your attention and keep boredom or mental restlessness at bay.

As with any meditation practice, there are no rigid rules. You can repeat your mantra out loud or silently. You can sit, lie down, or even walk slowly while practicing. And most importantly, you don’t need to carve out long periods of time. Starting with just 2–5 minutes a day can yield benefits, especially when done consistently. Over time, you can increase the length if and when it feels right.

Meditation is a tool to support your GMAT prep, not another task to “get perfect.” The goal is to find what helps you quiet your mind, reset your focus, and build resilience—whether that’s through your breath, a mantra, or something else entirely.

Reach out to me with any questions about your GMAT prep. Happy studying!

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep

While studying for the GMAT, you may come across a few people who are openly negative about the process. You’ll hear comments like, “I’m great at business, so why do I need this test?” or “What does the GMAT even measure?” These individuals are often frustrated. They’ve likely found the prep difficult and, instead of adapting their approach, have turned that frustration into criticism of the test itself.

This mindset is not helpful. It distracts from the work that needs to be done. If you let those opinions affect your outlook, your motivation may suffer. The truth is, preparing for the GMAT requires time and effort. Complaining does not lead to results. Focused practice does.

In fact, your willingness to stay committed while others give in to frustration can be a real advantage. If they are spending more time venting than preparing, and you are doing the opposite, your odds of success improve.

So, stay focused. Stay steady. Let others get distracted. You have a goal to reach.

Reach out to me with any questions about your GMAT prep. Happy studying!

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep