When one is on their way to becoming a #girlboss, there’s one giant hurdle that usually has to be jumped – the GMAT. For those who are interested in getting an MBA, the GMAT (or Graduate Management Admission Test) is the business school version of your SATs. But don’t let standardized testing flashbacks get you down! If you’re planning to take the GMAT, we have no doubt that you’ll ace the test – here are some of the best resources that will help you along the way.
The Best Books
GMAT Official Guide
Published by the GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council), this “Official Guide” is the only guide to use questions from previous, officially-administered GMAT tests. There are three versions of this guide – one focuses on the whole of the test, one focuses on the verbal section, and one on the quantitative – so you can focus on which section you need. Like other guides, the GMAC publishes new material every year, which means that every new guide will have new, recently published GMAT questions.
Manhattan Prep GMAT Strategy Guide
Do you like a challenge? If yes, this is the GMAT guide for you. Manhattan Prep GMAT Guides have sample questions that are significantly harder than the ones you’ll find on the real exam, so when you’re testing yourself on concepts – you’ll be going up against a very high standard. In general, this book covers every concept within the GMAT scope, so if you want to study everything that might show up – this is your book.
The Best Online Resources
MBA.com
The official website for the GMAT exam doesn’t just have all the need-to-know information for the exam, it also helps you find the best business program and plan to get there. Whenever you have a quick question about the GMAT schedule, what you can bring into the test center, or something else entirely, MBA.com is a great resource.
Kaplan
If you have a busy schedule, finding time to study a new chapter of your prep book can be difficult – but that’s one of the reasons we love Kaplan’s online offerings. Yes, Kaplan offers a lot of testing resources IRL, but we recommend their online offerings because they’ll send a GMAT test prep question to your inbox every day. You can also sign up for the site to participate in Kaplan’s “20-minute Workout” so instead of scrolling through your Facebook feed, you can spend the few minutes studying instead. Every little bit counts!
GMAC
The same company that publishes the official GMAT guide also has a very extensive website that you can trust for up-to-date GMAT knowledge. Aside from exam information, GMAC’s website also provides info as to how you can interpret your score – which also provides insights as to how a school admissions team will look at your exam as well. It helps put your score in perspective and also provides data as to how your score compares to other test takers.
And don’t forget…
On the day of, wake up early and eat a balanced breakfast. Arrive at your testing destination 30 minutes before your exam starts and bring the required materials (government ID, the list of the programs you want your scores sent to, and the letter/email confirming your exam time). Don’t forget to take a deep breath and calm your nerves – you’ve got this! Now go get ‘em.
