GMAT exam strategy

Question

Hi experts and friends,

What are some general GMAT strategy that one should know to get a good score ? For eg I know that missing a question due to time constraint has a higher penalty than moving on by guessing an answer and getting it wrong (please correct me if this is wrong)
Apart from this are there any other good to know strategies??. 
Also is it true that first 10-12 questions are most crucial in each section and can be a deciding factor? .

Also I just gave a practice test on Princeton review and scored a 51 on Quants (8 questions were wrong but they were after the 10 / 12 th question)and got a 24 in Verbal (8 questions wrong but got 3 out of those wrong in the first 3 questions itself) - does this have to be something related to my second query above?

Thanks in advance 
 karishma  @bunuel@bb@gmatninja@scotttargettest

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

For eg I know that missing a question due to time constraint has a higher penalty than moving on by guessing an answer and getting it wrong (please correct me if this is wrong)

The Official-Guide mentions there is a significant penalty for not completing the exam. Might be worth checking out the Myth vs. Facts. section.

How to score high on the GMAT. Why solving approach is important.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Rakhi08,

You ask a broad question - and the answer that you're looking for will depend a great deal on your overall Goals and the studying that you have done so far. Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far? What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used?
3) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

Goals:
4) What is your overall goal score?
5) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Contact Rich at: [email protected]

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi  Rakhi08 ,

Those are some really good questions, and you'll most likely get some good responses from other forum members to your questions. I would, however, urge you to focus on understanding the  concepts  tested on the GMAT, especially if you're looking for significant improvements in your main score. "Strategies" are just not as important as concepts and test-taking skill.

Finally, try to take an official practice test when you think you're ready. Non-official practice tests are usually not as good, though some are better than others.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Rakhi08,

You did quite well on your practice exam but have you also taken any official practice exams? Also, regarding your comment about the first 10 questions, give this article a read:

Should You Spend Extra Time on the First 10 GMAT Questions?

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Rakhi08  Really good questions. It is very important to actually understand the GMAT Test Algorithm well, otherwise you might end up scoring less than your true capability. Good thing is we have covered multiple Test Taking Strategies and scenarios in our Timing Strategy webinar. You can refer to it below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9dZN-MHK0I

To answer your questions in short, the first 10 questions matter a lot as they set the tone of the rest of the test, so you need to get a high accuracy there to have a great start but then remember a great start is just half the job done. You also need to capitalize on the questions that come later to maximize your score. Watch the entire webinar to understand the Strategy well.

If you need any other help with your GMAT Preparation, please feel free to reach out to us. Happy to help!

EducationAisle · Answer

Please don't  overdo  the strategy part. Strategy can only fine-tune and not substitute the rigor of your preparation.

So, focus on  conceptual clarity  at this stage Rakhi.

Good luck.

MBAHOUSE · Answer

Only use official materials. By the way, in the first pages of the official guide you find the answer to your questions about the first ten questions being crucial. 
You have 4 books and 2 practice questions at the official material and 9 mocks paper based, 6 cats (you can 2 twice each without repeating questions), 3 quantitative CATs and materials for AWA and Integrated reasoning. 
In my opinion, with 15 years of experience and more than 3K students approved since 2006, study other materials is a waste of time and money.
Remember that each official question was tested statistically to receive a score and be approved as an official question. It’s an unbeatable and impossible to reproduce method. 
Study only official materials and create a pattern. When you finish, repeat the operation until you almost memorize each question.

Rakhi08 · Answer

Thank you all for your guidance. This is helpful

	Target Test Prep - Save up to $599 $400 Discount + $99 Bonus GMAT Club Tests
	e-GMAT: 60% Off on GMAT Focus Get to 735+ from any starting point
	Magoosh increases your score, guaranteed - 15% off ALL Magoosh GMAT plans with code GMATCLUB15 + Free GMAT Club Tests.
	Manhattan Prep: $99 Bonus Score Higher on Your GMAT Exam. Guaranteed.
	Experts' Global - ~~$1720~~ $960 End-to-End GMAT Prep + App Support: 150+ Videos, 2000+ Questions, 15 FLTs +
	GMATWhiz - $299 ~~$499~~ Experience the course through a free trial.
	GMAT Club Tests - Free Included with every course purchase of $149+ View all deals

GMAT exam strategy

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards