How Long To Study For The GMAT?

We are all unique individuals with different levels of competence and life experiences. Like other GMAT aspirants, you have identified a goal to achieve. And as an adult, you have to direct your own learning experience for GMAT prep. 

The GMAT exam is a standardized computer adaptive test. It is designed to test your analytical and critical thinking skills to solve a problem under time pressure. Developing and honing these skills is not a walk in the park but requires months of effort. 

We commit ourselves to something when we find it engaging and motivating. We can spend hours thinking about that one move in the game of chess. Likewise, how long you have to study to secure a place in a reputed Business School depends on your Ability, Self-Motivation, Quantity of Instruction, and Quality of Teaching.  

The curious mix of ability & motivation propels you to think about your future success. You imagine yourself placed in a reputed B school, getting ready to soar high as a professional. But your imagination only gets wings when aided with the proper quantity & quality of instruction. Surprisingly, these four crucial factors are so closely knitted that they tend to substitute or compensate for one another. 

For example, long hours of study might be required to learn a moderate topic if ability and motivation are low or the quality of instruction is lacking. On the contrary, fewer hours of study will be good enough if you plan well and focus.

Thus, there is no rigid answer regarding the number of hours you should spend for GMAT prep. But consistently studying for a fixed number of hours in a day will guarantee higher scores. 

Internal Factors

Ability

Analyze your ability at the start so that you know where you stand and where you have to reach. Unlike children, you have decided objectives; hence, select appropriate paths and then invest time. 

You can appear for a diagnostic test to check your current score and then set a target score for yourself. Based on your current score, you can plan on the number of hours of study you have to put in for GMAT prep.

Self-Motivation

Self-motivation is intrinsic to oneself that drives you to study, learn a new topic, solve a complex problem and move to the next level. You study not to get an immediate reward or out of external pressure.  You do so because the learning itself is fun & challenging. 

Invest time to solve mock papers. You get the natural feel, and you can easily map your progress. If you are self-motivated, you invest more time in seeking new challenges, appear for more GMAT mock tests and finally come out with flying colours.

External Factors

Quantity of Instruction

Loads of information pours in when you pick a date and enrol for the exam. Just grab an official GMAT preparation book at the earliest. Go through the syllabus, see the various sections, look into the scoring pattern and understand the exam basics. These are the prerequisites that help to plan your study schedule. Once you get the fundamentals right, you are all set to detect what a particular problem is trying to test you on. 

Quality of Teaching

When it comes to quality, trust none other than an expert. Seek expert guidance to smoothen your learning curve. Quality mentoring means a structured study plan with a phased growth model to ease the exam’s toughness.  

You can attend online webinars to gather the latest information, gain insights and new perspectives from eminent speakers. The quality of instruction inculcates the habit of studying and keeps you focused.

Conclusion

Whether you devote 4 hours or 6 hours daily to study, ensure it is used productively. In general, our capacity to focus is 45 minutes. Hence, it is advisable to take a small break every hour.GMAT preparation is an endurance run. To thrive, you need stimulating conditions. To boost your learning conditions, CareerLabs has some industry-renowned faculty for your guidance and personalised learning experience.