Tips for Beating the Business School Exam

Let’s face it: Even though admissions committees at top business schools want well-rounded candidates with solid applications, the GMAT score can make or break an applicant. Although an applicant with a low GMAT score can still get into a top program, it makes the rest of the application that much more important. Talk about pressure.

Preparing for the GMAT—in the hope of getting a score that falls into the typical range of your dream business school—is often among the first steps an applicant must make on his or her B-school journey. Some study independently with practice tests and books, some take online courses, and others attend in-person classes or private tutoring sessions. Whatever the strategy, the goal is the same: the best score possible. As a result, any insider information about the test is coveted.

What follows are tips from those who teach the test at some of the best-known GMAT test prep programs and have earned 730 or above on the GMAT.