GMAT is one of the most popular MBA entrance exams, which is also highly competitive. Due to the high competition, the question that naturally arises is how tough the GMAT is.
Well, there is no straightforward answer to this question. Depending on your GMAT online preparation, the exam can get less or more tricky for you. But keep one thing in mind, GMAT is indeed a challenging examination. It is especially true if you want to cross the 700 marks threshold. Only around 5% of the whole batch can cross this benchmark every year.
GMAT helps you to get into the best business schools and shape your career in a high-profile job; so it will assess you tough. But there is nothing to fear if you prepare well. Studying regularly and taking adequate mock tests is going to help you a lot. You need to overcome your exam anxiety and be confident about your abilities.
Now, to understand how difficult GMAT is, there are certain angles or parameters that you need to consider –
- Duration of exam – The GMAT is a three-hour-long examination divided into three different sections that need your equal attention. It means that you will have to maintain the same energy level throughout the test, which is one of the most challenging aspects.
- Time management is the key – One of the main reasons you should take enough mock tests is to manage the timing. The questions are not that easy, and if you are not prepared enough, you will spend a lot of time on one question. If you do not answer all the questions, that will affect your overall marks. So you have to be sure about how much time you need to spend on each question. You should also keep track of your time throughout the exam.
- English skills – If your first language is not English, the test might seem more challenging. But if you meticulously brush up on your English skills, the verbal and writing section will no longer seem daunting. Complex open-ended questions are quite common in the analytical writing section; if you are not acquainted with the question type or pattern, you would get confused with the overall problem and waste a lot of time. The verbal section often contains uncommon words, which is difficult for international students. Start reading unfamiliar terms and practice a lot of grammar to excel here.
- GMAT is CAT – Well, what? Yes, GMAT is a Computerized Adaptive Test that might get confusing for a few, but practicing always helps. It is essential to answer all the questions, but your marks also depend on your question’s difficulty. Be careful to proceed with the problem, as due to the CAT format, you will not be able to go back. Also, do not spend a lot of time on one question as that might hamper you might end up spending too much time on a single answer.
- Complex questions with steps – GMAT contains a lot of complex multi-step questions. They are typically designed to confuse us. But you should practice clear thinking and answer all the parts of the problem to get full marks. For the quant section, there are a couple of open-ended questions that you would need to get familiar with to answer within the allotted time.
- No calculator – You will not be able to use a calculator during the examination. Still, the good news here is you will not have to perform any complex arithmetic operations that might get confusing. Many tricks make these calculations easier; you would need to practice them daily to use them during the primary test.
Different people find GMAT difficult, based on these parameters. That is the reason why the GMAT difficult level varies for everyone.
However, you can take advantage of two main aspects of this test, namely the exam pattern and the kind of questions.
One positive thing about the GMAT exam is that you would exactly know what type of questions to expect. You would get standard questions on all sections except the analytical writing section, which is good news.
And, as mentioned earlier, all the questions that come in GMAT are standardized. There are multiple options available for one problem, which means one of them is the right one. If you are unsure about any answer, you can pick up the options and match them against the question to eliminate the wrong ones. However, please do not do this for all questions as it would take up a lot of time.
