If you’re someone that’s preparing to take the GMAT exam, it’s a sign that you’re probably a very organized person. Being organized is a very important element in ensuring a successful outcome for the GMAT, so if you’re not organized, it’s time to become organized quickly. A master’s degree is an enormous challenge and is only possible when all assignments and your dissertation are properly planned and time-dated, so why not practice now? It’s the perfect preparation for your future post-graduate study. If you’re planning to take the GMAT in 8 weeks’ time, you’ve come to the right place. What we’ve put together is the most definitive two-month GMAT study plan that’s going to be everything you need to ensure that the next 8 weeks are as streamlined and productive as possible. Read on to learn how to prepare for the GMAT in 2 months.
Table of Contents
Before Starting on Your Two-Month GMAT Study Plan
Before getting started, it’s important to know that preparing for the GMAT over 8 weeks is an intense commitment and is going to require roughly five hours of study per day, each day until the exam date. This is indeed possible, and there are people working full-time and parents to young kids pulling it off. Unfortunately, while it is possible, it isn’t easy and can’t be accomplished by anyone who isn’t extremely determined. So ensure that you really want this and that you’re ready to make the commitment that you need to make to achieve the score you’re hoping for. If you’ve decided that you want it and are indeed ready, then it’s time to get started.
Before you do absolutely anything else, you need to begin your GMAT preparation by booking the exam. Pick a test center, check the calendar and decide on a date that’s in 8 weeks’ time, then head over to the GMAT website and make your booking. Once it’s booked in, you can feel safe and excited, knowing that it’s definitely happening. Once that’s done, it’s officially time to get started to prepare for the GMAT in 2 months.
Two-Month GMAT Study Plan
First Day: Getting Started
There are many that argue about how your exam preparation should start, and our proposed first step is a controversial one. Our recommendation is that you take the first official GMAT preparation mock exam. Many have said, including us, that both free mock exams should be taken close to the real exam; however, for this 8-week GMAT study plan, we think the first should be taken at the beginning.
The reason for this is that the official GMAT mock exam is the best possible guide for how the true exam will look and flow. Mock exams from companies all over the world vary wildly in their accuracy and styles[1]. There’s no better way for understanding the true flow and style of the exam than taking the official mock exam. So, for the purpose of this two-month GMAT study plan, take the first free mock exam at the beginning of your first week of study. Use this mock exam as a guide for what the real one will look like, where you’re strong and weak, how the real exam will feel, and as a benchmark for future mock exams. Once you’ve taken this one, you’ll be able to spot ones that aren’t accurate or helpful.
First Month: Building Knowledge
Once you’ve completed your mock exam, you should have a far greater understanding of where you excel and which areas of focus you need the most help with. Once you’re aware of these indicators, it’s time to write a schedule. A schedule is your best chance of ensuring that you’re fitting in your 5 hours of study each day around work, school, kids, and any other considerations you may have, so you can effectively prepare for the GMAT in two months. Include notes into your schedule that remind you of the areas of study you most need to focus on as a reminder during the next phase.
Once your plan is established, it’s time to find the video courses and books that are going to teach you everything you need to know. There are many companies online, such as Manhattan GMAT Prep[2] and many others, that sell complete video series that teach all the theories you’ll need to know. Watching through the videos, reading the corresponding books, and taking detailed notes will take roughly a month of dedication to complete. Material made by each company will take different amounts of time, but all should fall between three weeks and seven weeks to complete. All the while, you should be taking very detailed notes that you’re keeping together in an organized and color-coded binder. The reason for this is that your notes are tailored specifically to you, your needs, and most importantly, the weaknesses you identified and wrote onto your study schedule. With tailored notes that prioritize your weaknesses and only include information that you didn’t originally know, you can ensure that studying these notes is beneficial every time.
During the first month, you should be taking the video courses and completing their books each day, beginning in the morning when you’re at your most fresh. Then, toward the end of your study session, ensuring that you’re finishing with a mock exam. There are many mock exams online made by a lot of providers, so over time, you’ll find the ones you like the most. On weekends you may want to rest from the course material, so use those days entirely for back-to-back mock exams. Ensure you keep a detailed running total of your scores, taking careful note of where you need attention. This type of data is critical and should be checked and analyzed weekly.
Weeks 5 and 6: Applying the Knowledge
By now, it’s likely that you’ve finished the course material and have filled up a binder or two with detailed notes. You are on a good way to prepare for the GMAT in 2 months. Now it becomes critical to test this knowledge and use your notes as your biggest resource. There are many GMAT books online that are filled with theories and material, but best of all, problems and questions. Now that you’ve completed a theory course, you have no need for more theory because you should have everything theoretical memorized. Now, what matters most are the questions and problems.
Online GMAT sites with problems and PDFs of GMAT books are now important resources. Find books and skip through the theory portions, focusing on the questions and completing the problems. Each day, plan to work through a book, and through a problem-generating website, and finally a mock exam. This is critical because knowing the theories is useless if you’re unable to apply them to a lot of different problems.
Even more important than knowing the theory and applying them is applying them in the timeframe that the exam requires. The GMAT exam only allows roughly two minutes per question and problem. Are you completing the practice problems that quickly? Are you using a calculator? Because the GMAT exam doesn’t allow those[3].
During these two weeks, practice completing questions and problems and doing so while timed. Ensure that you’re completing them fast enough; you should be aiming for 1.5 minutes per problem just to be on the safe side. If you know the theory, the answers should be coming to you faster and faster as you practice. Each day, complete as many problems as you can in 1.5 minutes per problem and make sure you’re always fitting in a mock exam.
Weeks 7 and 8: Refining and Perfecting
Now that you’re in your final two weeks, you don’t need to learn anything new; you’ve already filled your brain and are now ready to iron out all of the issues that are causing you to fall behind. It’s now time to pivot the plan, and that starts with adding a mock test to the beginning of each day.
In these final two weeks, you’ll take a mock test every day as the very first thing you do for the day. Then once you’re done, you will go through it and meticulously find everything you got wrong and investigate why you messed it up. Turn to your notes, and try to understand where you miscalculated or why your reasoning was off. If your notes aren’t helpful enough, turn to an online resource and learn until you understand. Then, write what you’ve learned into your notes and ensure that it’s deeply rooted in your brain. Then, at the end of the day, take another mock exam. Once you’re done, compare the two scores you achieved for the day, and don’t leave your computer and until you fully understand the scores you got and what you’ll do to ensure they’re both higher the next day.
This type of strategic study is going to take your score far higher and ensure that when the big day finally roles around, you’re as ready as humanly possible. Don’t forget to take the second free official GMAT mock exam in the days leading up to the real exam, and ensure you get 8 hours of sleep before the big day.
Summary
With this two-month GMAT study plan under your belt, you’re sure to prepare for the GMAT in 2 months, score well and achieve your educational goals. Let’s review the key points:
- Succeeding in the GMAT is entirely dependent on how organized you are and how committed you are to your study.
- The first month is all about learning. It’s important to find the online course you like (such as Manhattan GMAT Prep or a competitor) and study intensely, taking a lot of notes.
- Over the next two weeks, using those notes, GMAT book PDFs, and online GMAT question and problem resources, apply the theories to real problems to build your knowledge.
- In the final two weeks, bookend the beginning and end of your days with mock exams and track your results. Doing all of this will ensure a high score.
[1] GMAT Tutor, How Accurate are GMAT Practice Tests?, Economist Education, Accessed 2022, https://gmat.economist.com/gmat-advicegmat-study-strategies/practice-tests/how-accurate-are-gmat-practice-tests?utm_medium=cpc.adword.pd&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=a.22brand_pmax&utm_content=conversion.direct-response.anonymous&gclid=CjwKCAjwt7SWBhAnEiwAx8ZLakFwEteiuHtQ1A8f-5rJ3pl-uMEHrC-l2d83KpyoxuhOiPcMxzqFnhoCAF4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
[2] Ross, John. Manhattan PREP GMAT Review, Test Prep Insight, 2022. https://testprepinsight.com/reviews/manhattan-prep-gmat-review/
[3] MBA, GMAT Preparation Best Practices, Graduate Management Admission Council. Accessed 2022. https://www.mba.com/exams/gmat/before-the-exam/perform-your-best-on-test-day/gmat-preparation-best-practices