All CoursesYou have only one month left to write your GMAT exam, and you’re probably feeling anxious. You might be looking up a one-month study plan for GMAT on the internet at this stage. It is time to stop overthinking and start managing your time more efficiently. There is no time to waste in these 30-31 days.
Take an objective look at your current situation. Let us discuss a few cases in detail:
Case 1: Is it your first time appearing for the GMAT? If yes, ensure that you understand what this particular exam is all about. List the different subjects. Know the distribution of marks for each subject.
For instance, GMAT is divided into Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment, and Integrated Reasoning sections. The scores/points are distributed as 6 – 51 for Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning, 1 – 8 for Integrated Reasoning, and 0 to 6.0 for Analytical Writing Assessment.
It would help if you are highly focused and can devote extra hours to cracking the exam. A complete one-month study plan preparation for GMAT takes about 200 hours on average, i.e., at least 7 hours per day. Ensure that these 7 hours are the most productive hours of your day.
Any other activity that could take more time should ideally be rescheduled or skipped. You must devote the first two weeks of the month to learn the fundamentals of all the topics you will face in the test and the next two weeks to practice various problems. This will help you understand the difficulty levels of each topic.
Case 2: Is this your second or third attempt? If yes, take the time to recap all that you have studied before. Spend some time reviewing your previous results, noting what went well and, most importantly, what improvements you need to make.
Ask questions to yourself and get answers before making your one-month study plan for GMAT. The following personality test will help you precisely with what you need to do.
- Did you thoroughly understand the material before? If not, the best option is to go back to the beginning and relearn whatever you had trouble with. A good grip on the basics is essential.
- Chalk out a detailed plan for how you will schedule your studies for each subject before you begin studying.
- Do you usually make many silly errors? If yes, develop your writing habit when learning the subjects. Note down everything in your diary about what you have learned throughout the day. Stay calm and be a little patient while solving mathematical problems. This will help you make fewer mistakes.
If you have already studied for the GMAT, an average of three-four hours a day reviewing and reacquainting yourself with the theories and solutions will help. Dedicate the remaining time to multiple online and offline mock tests. Moreover, if you’re dissatisfied with your mock results, it is better to postpone the assessment. A good preparation strategy will increase your confidence levels, making you achieve your target seamlessly.
After identifying your current situation, let us start making a proper one-month study plan for your GMAT preparation:
The First 3 Weeks
- Set a goal for your GMAT score: Do you have a specific goal score in mind, or are you just dipping your toes in the water and wishing for a ‘great’ GMAT result?
You should know the minimum GMAT score for your target program beforehand. And if you are seeking scholarships from the university you want to get into, it is vital to define your target for the GMAT scores as comprehensively as possible for that particular university.
Moreover, to get a scholarship or fellowship, you should strive for 30-40 points above the average grade points. This will help you stand out from the crowd of students applying for scholarships.
- Devise a plan: To devise a perfect plan for your GMAT score, you must know your strengths and weaknesses. It will help if you know whether you are good at Quantitative Reasoning or Verbal Reasoning. And if you are confused, you can take a free GMAT mock exam.
If your test score reveals that your current strength lies in Verbal Reasoning, you must focus on this asset by aiming for a higher score there, before preparing for Quantitative Reasoning grades.
- Put up a Study Schedule: Do not sit down to study before designing a detailed timetable for your 1-month study plan for GMAT. You have to study every day without diversions.
Discipline will be crucial in ensuring that you put in the maximum effort in your GMAT preparation. The number of hours you intend to spend each day should be part of your routine. It is advisable to take 1-2 hours off everyday to do something you enjoy, so as to not exhaust yourself.
Tips for Designing a Study Routine
So, how will you design your study routine so that you can take the GMAT in one month?
- Starting your study with the sections you are good at will help you get a good start on planning. It will be easier for you to remember, and you can finish the portion within your budgeted timeline. You can also assess your preparation on a topic-by-topic basis, and plan only for the areas or topics that you expect to have more trouble with.
- You will need to devote more time to making improvements for areas where your understanding is comparatively weaker. To solve GMAT-style questions in these subjects, you must ensure that you understand the topics and the methods. Since you will have a limited number of hours on hand, you must focus on this portion only to achieve the desired grade points, rather than finishing the entire section in-depth.
- Take notes while you study for revisions and retests later.
- Divide the subjects according to the hours you can give for that particular subject on a given day.
- Candidates starting from scratch should set aside at least 6-7 hours a day for GMAT preparations. They would need to devote approximately 200 hours of their time over the course of the whole month, with a maximum of 100 hours spent revising the concepts and the remaining 100 hours on learning and practicing the particular concepts.
- Others who are not studying from the beginning should have 3-4 hours of thorough study, using their time to write as many mock tests and revisions as possible.
4. Study Hard: Get all the online and offline resources you can and start your one-month study plan for GMAT. You must have the following resources with you:
- Resources you need to study.
- Resources to track your progress, such as daily and weekly mock tests.
You must ensure that you do not divert from your routine even for a day. Reaching your goal score is only a matter of time when you practice with the sole purpose of succeeding in the exam.
Here’s a well-structured timetable you can follow:
| Days 1-3 | No. of Hours |
| Test on official GMAT site | 4.5 |
| Grammar Basics 1, 2, and 3 | 12 |
| Quantitative Concepts (Practice Questions after reading through the Concept Video) | 4 |
| 20.5 Hours |
| Days 4-5 | No. of Hours |
| Introduction to GMAT Errors | 5 |
| OG-13 | 10 |
| OG-12 | 1 |
| Quant Concepts (Algebra and Arithmetic) | 4 |
| 20 Hours |
| Days 5-8 | No. of Hours |
| Section Tests 1-5 | 5 |
| Adaptive Question Bank for Sentence Correction | 1 |
| Quantitative Concepts (Focusing on Statistics and Geometry) | 10.5 |
| Section Tests Questions 1-100 of Quantitative PS | 4 |
| 20.5 Hours |
| Days 9 and 10 | No. of Hours |
| Sentence Corrections for Section Tests 6-10 | 5 |
| Adaptive Question Bank for Sentence Correction | 1 |
| RC Rules and Reading Principles | 11 |
| Practice of RC Rules | 3.5 |
| 20.5 Hours |
| Days 10-12 | No. of Hours |
| RC – OG-13 | 14 |
| RC – OG-12 | 2.5 |
| Questions 101-150 for Quantitative PS Section Tests | 2 |
| Questions 1-100 for Quantitative PS Official Guide 13th edition | 2.5 |
| 21.00 Hours |
| Days 13 and 14 | No. of Hours |
| Questions 101-230 for Quant PS Official Guide 13th edition | 4 |
| CR Basics | 18 |
| 22 Hours |
| Days 15-17 | No. of Hours |
| CR Practice Questions | 5 |
| RC Passages (the first 12 passages) | 5 |
| 1-45 for Quantitative PS Official Guide 12th edition | 1.5 |
| Question Bank for Quantitative PS Adaptive | 2 |
| CR – OG-12 | 2.5 |
| CR – OG-13 Questions 1-20 | 4 |
| 20 Hours |
| Days 18 and 19 | No. of Hours |
| Questions 21-124 for CR – OG-13 | 10 |
| Tests 1-5 for Quantitative PS High Level | 5 |
| Questions 1-174 for Quantitative DS Official Guide 13th edition | 6 |
| 13-25 RC Passages | 5 |
| 21 Hours |
| Days 20-22 | No. of Hours |
| Tests 1-5 for CR Section | 4 |
| Question Bank for CR Adaptive | 1 |
| Question Bank for RC Adaptive | 2 |
| Test Passages 1-10 of RC High Level | 12 |
| Quantitative Official Guide 12th edition | 1 |
| 20 Hours |
| Days 23 and 24 | No. of Hours |
| CR Tests 6-10 of Section | 4 |
| Tests Q1-150 of Quantitative DS Section | 6 |
| Tests Q1-30 of DS High Level | 2 |
| CR Tests 1-15 of High Level | 8 |
| 20 Hours |
| Days 25-27 | No. of Hours |
| Quantitative DS Adaptive Question Bank | 2 |
| Quantitative DS High-Level Tests 1-75 | 6 |
| Integrated Reasoning 100 questions | 9 |
| AWA Essays | 3 |
| Review of Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning Basics | 3 |
| 23 Hours |
| Days 28-30 | No. of Hours |
| Mock Tests 1-5 GMAT | 22.5 Hours |
| Days 31-33 | No. of Hours |
| Mock Tests 6-10 of GMAT | 22.5 Hours |
The Final Week
Thorough Revisions and Retests: Devote your final week to revisions of what you have already studied, and mock tests. Daily mock tests for both Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning sections are required. Track your improvements.
Do not worry if you think you are not making enough progress. Keep trying. Repeatedly read the notes you made previously and get explanations to find out the solutions. It would be best if you spend extra time on weaker sections. Don’t practice the questions where you are already securing 100 percent. Allow more time for subjects that you struggled with throughout the first three weeks.
The Day Before the Exam
Sleep tight and have a well-balanced dinner the day before you appear for your GMAT exam. Try not to stress too much, and don’t start a new chapter. Take a final look at what you have read during your 1-month study preparation for GMAT. Pack all necessary items that you will need for the exam and memorise the directions of your test centre.
Things to Keep In Mind:
Some key things to implement during your one-month study preparation for GMAT:
- Zero distractions: Ignore your cell phone at intervals. Shut down your laptop/computer after you use it.
- Divide your time well: Do not entirely ignore the topics you find difficult to understand. You can study it during the review days. And if you think you’re not clear fundamentally on a particular topic, give more time to such subjects, taking some time away from the easier ones.
- Treat your mistakes as opportunities: Keep a detailed list of various mistakes you make, examples, and advice on avoiding them. It is preferable to answer 50 questions honestly than to answer 1000 questions inefficiently.
- Get at least 7-8 hours of sound sleep: It is important to be well-rested. Additionally, exercise and meditation can help you focus on your studies.
We have reached the end of this guide to help you prepare your one-month study plan for GMAT exams. We hope you now have enough ideas to study for your GMAT papers and ace them. By staying focused on the goals, you can achieve wonderful results. And remember – yes, you CAN take the GMAT in 1 month!
FAQs
- What are the GMAT Sections?
The GMAT consists of four sections —Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Integrated Reasoning, and Analytical Writing Assessment.
- Can I retake the GMAT?
Yes, you can retake the GMAT. However, you can only retake the GMAT after 21 days of your previous GMAT attempt. You can also retake the GMAT upto 5 times within a year and about 8 times in your lifetime.
- If I plan on preparing for the GMAT within a month, how many hours must I spend per day preparing for the GMAT?
An efficient GMAT preparation plan for one month requires you to prepare for an average of 200 hours. This means you may have to spend a minimum of 7 hours per day preparing for the GMAT.
Best wishes for your exam!
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