Congratulations! You've arrived at the page that gives you a simple, efficient step-by-step guide to getting a great GMAT score. We've taken the opinions of hundreds of GMAT students and developed the GMATTutor.com Game Plan. The Game Plan will show you what to do and in what order and what resources to use to achieve your personal best score.
First, you'll need to figure out how much time you're willing to devote to studying for the GMAT. Be demanding of yourself and yet, be realistic. If your test is in two weeks, the Five-Hundred Hour Game Plan is not going to work for you! Also, understand that these times are only estimates. For example, if English is not your primary language, you will probably need to spend more time in some areas.
Determine the number of weeks between now and your test. Then, try to estimate how many hours a week you will be able to spend studying. Be conservative. This is a very intense form of studying and very few people can spend more than 20 hours a week. The average time per week is probably around 10 hours. Next, multiply the number of weeks by the number of hours per week. You've got a rough estimate of how much you'll be spending getting ready for the exam.
If you have an adequate amount of time before you test, you may want to look into taking a prep course to start your studies off on the right foot. Doing so could have a fundamental impact on the way you approach studying on your own. Read "Should You Take a Prep Class?" for more information.
Next, use the list below to determine where you best fit in:
- The Ten-Hour Game Plan - If your test is coming up soon, or if you're just really busy and know that you won't be able to devote very much time to your studies, start here. It's a quick-and-dirty approach, but should help you familiarize yourself with the test before you take it. Be warned though; don't expect a miracle with this approach. If you can find a way to spend more time, DO SO!
- The Fifty-Hour Game Plan - This Game Plan is designed for the busy person who knows they need to improve his score to get into his dream business school. It's perfect if you've got a couple of months before your exam and can put an hour or so a day into studying. Huge increases in your score are unlikely. However, you should see substantial improvement.
- The Hundred-Hour Game Plan - This is a serious Game Plan for a serious student. The rewards of going to a top business school justify the sacrifices made to get there. Don't try to do the Hundred-Hour Plan if you've got less than three weeks before your test. However, if you've got a couple of months or more before your test, this plan is probably perfect for you.
- The Three Hundred-Hour Game Plan - Let's face it, you've always been an over-achiever. Heck, that's why you're going to business school isn't it? Going through this plan is the Marine boot camp of test prep. It's tough and not too many people make it through, but man is it worth it! You'll need a minimum of three months to study if you want to attempt this route. Basically, this is just about everything there is out there that will help you to prepare.
What if you're between Game Plans (e.g. you figured you would be spending 75 hours studying)? The best advice we can give you is to choose the plan that you know you have enough time to do. Then, when you finish that plan, feel free to do things from the next-level plan. This way you won't be missing out on any of the most crucial tasks. In addition, if your situation should change during the course of your studying, feel free to try a different plan.
Great! You've chosen the Game Plan that's best for you. Click on the corresponding link above and get started on the road to your #1 choice business school. Your Game Plan will walk you through all the resources you'll need, what to do, and which parts of this site will help you the most. Good luck!
