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Make the most of your break with the most realistic GMAT™ prep. Take up to $700 off select products.
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In Episode 4 of our GMAT Ninja CR series, we tackle the most intimidating CR question type: Boldface & "Legalese" questions. If you've ever stared at an answer choice that reads, "The first is a consideration introduced to counter a position that...- May 14
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Most GMAT test-takers are intimidated by the hardest GMAT Verbal questions. In this session, Target Test Prep GMAT instructor Erika Tyler-John, a 100th percentile GMAT scorer, will show you how top scorers break down challenging Verbal questions..
06 Feb 2026, 09:40
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GMAT Distraction Control: How to Stay Off Your Phone While Studying
Social media scrolling, text notifications, and email pings all compete for our attention when we’re doing our best to stay focused during GMAT prep. Here are some tips to keep your phone and other devices from hijacking your GMAT prep.
Tip #1: Put your phone in Do Not Disturb or Focus mode.
This may seem like an obvious action to take, but we’d be remiss not to mention it. Smartphone notifications are designed to grab our attention, so silencing your phone for a set amount of time is key to a productive study session. Even better, put your phone out of reach in another room. Smartphone addiction is a real thing, so this may be difficult at first. Try thinking of phone time as a reward after studying, and over time, you’ll grow accustomed to it.
Tip #2: Be mindful of internet search rabbit holes.
When we’re studying and hit an unfamiliar topic, the first thing many of us do is search for answers online. Often, this search is actually procrastination in disguise! Searching for one simple thing can lead to another, and before we know it, we’re completely derailed. Instead of continually pausing your studies to search for answers online, try keeping a list of questions for later. Then, set aside 10 or 15 minutes to answer them before your next study session.
Tip #3: Use focus apps to stay on track.
To overcome procrastination, GMAT students sometimes need more than willpower alone. The good news is, there are apps that block distracting websites so we can follow through with our study plans. Some GMAT focus apps to try include Freedom, Cold Turkey, and StayFocusd.
Warmest regards,
Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep
07 Feb 2026, 08:40
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These are solid tactics, Scott! As someone who battled phone distractions hard during my own 725 prep, I'd add one psychological angle that made a huge difference for me.
The "two-minute awareness check" was my breakthrough. Every time I felt the urge to check my phone during study, I'd pause and ask myself: "What am I actually looking for right now?" Nine times out of ten, the answer was just dopamine—not anything urgent. That moment of awareness was usually enough to break the autopilot grab.
Your point about putting the phone in another room is critical. The research on this is clear: even having your phone visible on the table—face down, silent, whatever—measurably reduces cognitive performance. Your brain is still using background resources monitoring it. Out of sight really does mean out of mind.
One thing I'd add to your app blocker recommendation: make it inconvenient to turn off. I used Freedom with a setting that required restarting my entire computer to disable it. That extra friction was usually enough to stop me from "just checking Instagram for 2 minutes" (which we all know turns into 20).
The reward system you mentioned works, but I'd flip the framing slightly. Instead of "phone time after studying," I started thinking of focused study sessions as the reward themselves—proof I could still control my attention in a world designed to fracture it. That mindset shift made the whole process feel less like deprivation and more like reclaiming something valuable.
Bottom line: your phone isn't the enemy, but treating it like a tool you control rather than a reflex you obey is the difference between 2-hour study sessions that feel productive and 2-hour sessions where you "studied" but can't remember what you covered.
Free gamified GMAT prep: edskore.com | 725 GMAT Focus
The "two-minute awareness check" was my breakthrough. Every time I felt the urge to check my phone during study, I'd pause and ask myself: "What am I actually looking for right now?" Nine times out of ten, the answer was just dopamine—not anything urgent. That moment of awareness was usually enough to break the autopilot grab.
Your point about putting the phone in another room is critical. The research on this is clear: even having your phone visible on the table—face down, silent, whatever—measurably reduces cognitive performance. Your brain is still using background resources monitoring it. Out of sight really does mean out of mind.
One thing I'd add to your app blocker recommendation: make it inconvenient to turn off. I used Freedom with a setting that required restarting my entire computer to disable it. That extra friction was usually enough to stop me from "just checking Instagram for 2 minutes" (which we all know turns into 20).
The reward system you mentioned works, but I'd flip the framing slightly. Instead of "phone time after studying," I started thinking of focused study sessions as the reward themselves—proof I could still control my attention in a world designed to fracture it. That mindset shift made the whole process feel less like deprivation and more like reclaiming something valuable.
Bottom line: your phone isn't the enemy, but treating it like a tool you control rather than a reflex you obey is the difference between 2-hour study sessions that feel productive and 2-hour sessions where you "studied" but can't remember what you covered.
Free gamified GMAT prep: edskore.com | 725 GMAT Focus
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