I thought of taking you all through the D-Day mindset, the importance of time management during preparation and during the test and some Dos & Don’ts (I know most of you are still in the preparation stage; however, you all will realize that the D-Day mindset is crucial and will eventually decide your final score).

One day before ‘The Day’:

– Do not have a heavy or fried dinner.

– Sometimes pre-test anxiety makes it hard to sleep, but it is important you don’t use any kind of external substance to help you in this (Such as alcohol, sleeping pill etc).

– Do not study on this day. The mind needs to relax before the final test.

– You need to go to bed early as it might take you a little longer to fall asleep the night before the test.

‘The Day’ (assuming the test is in the afternoon slot):

Before entering the test centre

– Get up early (not too early though)

– Eat a filling breakfast. While eating, just read a RC (do not solve), read 3-4 CR’s & SC’s. The idea is to get the brain working without exhausting it.

– Be aware of the test centre location and carry your ID proof (Passport) and printout of the test confirmation.

– Be aware of the test centre location and carry your ID proof (Passport) and printout of the test confirmation.

– Pump yourself – Do have the self-belief of cracking the paper.

During the test

– Handling your nerves is the key. GMAT is exactly designed to test this attribute. (Realize this fact so that you are mentally prepared to tackle this paper)

– Time Management is the key in GMAT. It is not advisable to rush through problems as it leads not only to score-killing mistakes, but it also adds extra pressure on you. Always be ready (mentally) to guess some questions and move – (You need to move on after you have spent the average amount of time for a particular question).

– Know your strengths and weaknesses before the paper. This will help you to make educated guesses while solving the questions.

– Make sure your concentration is of the highest order while taking the test. Follow the “Process” on each question type and be confident while marking the answers.

Post Test

– Enjoy the score & relax. Get ready for the grueling activity of B-school admission process.

More on the “Process” for each question type in the next blog. For those fighting it out, keep going :).