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Ace the GMAT In 1 Month: Tips, Strategies, and Study Plan

Updated on 24 May, 2023

Shivangi Mishra

Shivangi Mishra

Sr. Content Editor

As many as 124,112 GMAT examinations were taken by potential business school aspirants worldwide from 1st July 2021 to 30th June 2022, according to GMAC findings. They even sent 255,222 score reports for graduate-level management courses throughout the world. But why should you pay heed to these findings? They indicate the importance of the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) for your management education aspirations while showing you the sheer level of competition., especially if you prepare for GMAT in 1 month. The importance is further amplified by reports of 7 out of 10 applicants using GMAT scores for admissions to the top-100 ranked MBA programs worldwide. 

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How to crack GMAT in 1 month 

If you have limited time in hand, efficient time utilization is non-negotiable. Here are some other factors that you should consider: 

  • Knowing about your strengths and weaknesses is crucial. You will need to develop on areas you are confident in, while ironing out your weaknesses. 
  • A thorough understanding of the GMAT sections, structure, scoring pattern, and other aspects is necessary. Before learning how to crack GMAT in 30 days, you should be familiar with the four sections (Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, Verbal, and Analytical Writing Assessment) and their question types, along with the examination timings and question count. 
  • Before you start preparing for the GMAT in a month, get all your study materials in order. You can go with the GMAT Official Guide along with preparatory materials from Manhattan Prep or Kaplan. Several other books, e-books, and online resources are available across sections. Arrange these before you proceed. 
  • Creating a realistic study plan with targets is what you should focus on.  Take your weekly schedules into account along with your grasp of the GMAT sections and their core concepts. Allocate time judiciously to each section, practice tests, personal reviews, and the like. This study calendar will be your guide throughout your monthly preparation mission. 

How to Prepare for GMAT in 1 Month? 

Here are some strategies that may help you: 

  • Begin studying with the familiar sections and concepts that you are confident about. It will help you start on a positive note, while helping you finish several chunks of the syllabus (hopefully) faster. 
  • Keep identifying question types and concepts where you need more confidence. Consistent review and rework is the only way to improve in these areas. 
  • Take notes while you learn, simultaneously creating reference and revision material for the near future. 
  • If you are an absolute beginner, you should study for at least 6-7 hours each day for the examination, devoting around 200 hours throughout the month. You can allocate 100 hours for learning, practice, along with 100 hours for revision. 
  • Those who are already familiar with the GMAT and how it works, should put in 3-4 hours of intensive learning each day, while focusing more on revising and taking mock tests. 
  • Last but not the least, ensure that you stick to your study plan without fail. Maximize your time on weekends or holidays. Put in extra hours whenever you can and keep tracking your progress regularly. 

Sample Study Plan to Crack GMAT in 1 Month 

A sample study plan is given here for your understanding. Remember that you will have to create your own schedule, depending on your professional and educational commitments and other circumstances. 

Day Planner 
1-2
  • Take a diagnostic practice test to find out your strengths and weaknesses,  along with highlighting question types that need more work.
  • Familiarize yourself with the examination structure, sections, scoring pattern, and other important aspects. 

 

3-7 
  • Keep these days for Verbal Reasoning.
  • Check the question types, i.e. Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension.
  • Build a bank of sentence correction practice questions.
  • Find reading comprehension strategies and implement the same on diverse reading material.
8-12
  • Focus on Quantitative Reasoning throughout these days. 
  • Cover basic concepts across geometry, arithmetic, and algebra.
  • Go through number properties and other question types pertaining to Data Sufficiency and Problem Solving.

 

13
  • Review your progress on the Quant and Verbal Reasoning sections.
  • Take practice tests for both sections, marking areas where more work is needed.
14-19
  • Get back to Verbal Reasoning in this slot. 
  • Practice reading comprehension questions, while looking up their strategies. 
  • Practice critical reasoning questions, building a bank of question types for future revision. 
  • Use flashcards for revising grammatical concepts. 
  • Return to your sentence correction question bank and practice these questions once again. 
19-23
  • Bolster your grasp over Quantitative Reasoning, ironing out the weak points you noticed as part of your practice tests. 
  • Review your data-sufficiency strategies and go through the practice questions in the GMAT Official Guide. 
  • Review problem-solving questions and go through the GMAT Official Guide for practice. 

 

24-26
  • Integrated Reasoning will be the area of focus. 
  • Go through IR question types including graphics interpretation, table analysis, multi-source reasoning, and two-part analysis. 
  • Use the GMAT IR Prep Tool for practice.
27
  • Read up on Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) strategies, familiarizing yourself with the section.
  • Go through sample prompts and their answers.
  • Practice writing a couple of essays as per the strategies you come across.
28-29
  • These days should be earmarked for practice tests. 
  • Take Integrated Reasoning, Verbal, Quantitative, and AWA practice tests. 
  • Practice time management and make sure to note your mistakes and correct them. 
30
  • The final day is for rest and relaxation. 
  • Avoid over-stressing before the examination date. 
  • Light revision of core concepts is what you can do for 3-4 hours is what you can do on the last day. 

Conclusion 

You can prepare for GMAT in 1 month with a robust study plan. However, make sure to eliminate distractions and stick to your schedule as much as possible. Gather your resources and study materials in advance, while developing a thorough understanding of the examination and its format. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I study for GMAT in one month?

An average study plan for GMAT will require 200 hours, namely 100 hours of study and 100 hours of revision. You can divide it across a month, meaning 7 hours each day. It is tough but possible. 

Is 800 GMAT rare?

Any score above 750 is considered excellent for admissions into leading business schools worldwide. In general, scores above 700 are considered good enough for candidates. Scores above 800 are rare, with less than 1% getting them every year.

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Shivangi Mishra

Sr. Content Editor

She is an experienced writer and journalist who has extensively covered the education sector in India and Abroad. Now helping Indian aspirants realise their foreign education dream by providing them with relevant content and information through upGrad Abroad. Amateur traveller, loves to read Architectural Digest!

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Disclaimer

The above tips are the Author's experiences. upGrad does not guarantee scores or admissions.