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April 6, 2026 400 views

The GMAT Test: Expert Tips, Tricks & Advice

the GMAT test

Are you applying to business school in the upcoming admissions cycle? Now is the time to lock in your GMAT test strategy. The GMAT requires serious preparation, and getting a running start in the spring leaves ample time for essays and other application components over the summer and early fall.

A note on the test itself: the GMAT has evolved significantly in recent years. The current version features a streamlined format with three sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights. It uses a 205-805 scoring scale and no longer includes the Analytical Writing Assessment.

If you took the previous version of the GMAT test, your score remains valid for five years and is accepted by schools just as it always was. For most applicants today, though, this refreshed format is your GMAT.

In addition to MBA admissions consulting, Stacy Blackman Consulting offers GMAT test prep services led by expert tutor Anthony Ritz. SBC’s director of test prep has worked as a GMAT and GRE instructor for more than two decades. The tips, strategies, and insights throughout this post draw on his extensive experience guiding MBA applicants to their target scores.

Partner with Stacy Blackman’s best-in-class GMAT test prep experts and increase your score significantly. Check out our test prep services here. Request a free game plan chat with SBC’s lead test prep coach by emailing testprep@stacyblackman.com.

 Why Your GMAT Test Score Still Matters

Candidacy evaluation is a holistic process, but GMAT test scores carry real weight. “The scores provide important information to schools about whether you’re prepared to handle both the intellectual rigor and the significant coursework of business school,” Anthony explains.

Of course, the GMAT isn’t the only path.

Many applicants wonder whether submitting a GRE score instead puts them at a disadvantage. Stacy weighs in directly.

When to Start Prepping for the GMAT Test

The GMAT test demands serious preparation time. “If applying to b-school is on your radar, the sooner you start, the better,” Anthony says. “This is a major commitment: two to three months minimum, at two to three hours a day on average.”

Ideally, anyone considering an MBA within the next five years should take the GMAT now rather than later. Your quantitative skills will only get less fresh over time. “If there’s any chance you might go to business school in the next five years, get the GMAT out of the way now and know that you can keep it in your back pocket until you need it,” he adds.

Also, if you wait until you’re also juggling essays and recommendations, it becomes virtually impossible to make the score progress you need, even with good tutoring. Another reason to start early: there’s a good chance you’ll take the GMAT test more than once.

“These tests are really hard,” Anthony acknowledges. “You don’t entirely know what you’re getting into until you’ve tried the real thing.”

Even official practice tests don’t fully replicate the stress of test day. That’s why most students take the GMAT two or three times, and that’s completely fine. Schools take your highest score, and you can cancel a bad result without leaving a trace if you want total reassurance.

Self-Study, Classes, or Private Tutoring?

Before choosing a study path, take a practice test. Check the average scores reported by the programs that interest you and identify your target range. See where you’re strong, where you’re struggling, and what gaps stand between you and your goal score.

If money is tight and you have enough time to self-direct, there’s nothing wrong with self-study as a first attempt. Supplement with books, pre-recorded videos, and online courses from reputable test prep companies.

If you’d benefit from more structure and can fit a live course into your schedule, group classes from those same companies are a solid middle-ground option. They work well for applicants scoring in the middle of the range or slightly above. The tradeoff: you don’t get the personal attention or tailored pacing that comes with one-on-one work.

One-on-one tutoring is the most expensive option, but also the most effective. “It’s the best possible yield on average,” Anthony says. “And given the dollars involved in attending business school, the financial aid that may be in play, the added salary down the road, I think there are a lot of reasons to make that investment.”

His advice for applicants with a tight timeline: don’t wait to see if self-study works. “If your timeline doesn’t allow for a course first, and doesn’t leave space to reassess if self-study doesn’t pan out, go straight to tutoring.”

The SBC GMAT Test Prep Experience

SBC’s test prep approach is customized from the start. Students begin with a two-hour trial test review session. By the end of that session, Anthony provides a clear picture of how SBC can address your specific needs, target score, and application timeline.

“I find that students often struggle to self-assess effectively,” Anthony notes. “It’s irresponsible for the tutor to jump into reviewing specific topics without first getting a full picture of everything.”

From there, sessions typically run weekly at two hours each, with homework to keep progress moving between meetings. Beyond that, the experience varies considerably based on each student’s background and what the initial session reveals.

For procrastinators who haven’t left much runway, Anthony’s advice is direct: take a practice test immediately and speak with a tutor right away. That way, you can build a plan around the time you actually have rather than the time you wish you had.

Common GMAT Test Mistakes to Avoid

Some students take several attempts before realizing they’re not studying effectively. “You need to do something different, because continuing to bang your head against the wall in the same way isn’t going to get you a different result,” Anthony says.

One of the most common mistakes: studying until you get a question right, then moving on. “A lot of people make the mistake of studying until they get the problem right,” he notes. “But they should be studying until they can’t do the problem wrong — until it feels so automatic that it’s totally inconceivable that you’d ever miss it.”

Another pitfall is misunderstanding how the GMAT test’s verbal section works. Many students think they’re getting close when they narrow a question down to two answer choices. But Anthony is direct about this: there are no shades of gray. There is always one correct answer and four definitively wrong ones.

Time management is another common weak point. If your approach only works when you have unlimited time, the clock will expose it. “If you’re too stubborn and can’t let go of problems you’re unable to solve,” Anthony says, “you’ll torpedo your pacing and ruin your score.”

Take a Data-Driven Approach to GMAT Test Prep

Regardless of your study path, Anthony’s systematic approach is available to anyone. The core principle: spend more time on explanations and less time rushing to the next question.

“If you miss a question — or get it right but had to guess, or just took way too long — you need to really read the explanation, take your time, and truly understand it.”

His most powerful tool is the error log: a spreadsheet where you record every question you struggled with, the topic and sub-topic, how long you spent, what answer you chose, why you missed it, and what you learned. “You want to data mine your errors to root out patterns of thinking that you can improve.”

Once you’ve mastered a question in your error log, revisit it a week later. If you get it right cleanly, you’ve learned it. If you miss it again, it goes back through the full review process. “It’s a long, tedious, painful process,” Anthony admits. “But if you really want to see better results, this is the sort of purposeful practice it takes to do it right.”

Want to hear more from Anthony? He joined the B-Schooled podcast to go even deeper on GMAT test prep strategy. B-Schooled Podcast Episode #106: Admissions Test Deep Dive is worth a listen before you finalize your study plan.

Get our Cheat Sheet!

Before you leave, don’t sleep on this test prep resource: Anthony’s GMAT Math Cheat Sheet, a must-have for any GMAT test taker. This comprehensive 10-page compendium is the only cheat sheet that includes absolutely every rule and strategy you need to know on topics such as Geometry, Data Sufficiency, Algebra, Word Problems, Statistics, and more.

The strongest MBA applications don’t happen by accident. Request a free 15-minute advising session with Stacy Blackman Consulting to find out how we can help you put your best foot forward.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.

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Did you know that SBC offers test prep services? We’ve recruited a team of best in class instructors who will help you recognize your individual learning style, discover holes in your foundation knowledge and set manageable yet ambitious goals. We focus on a deep understanding of the content, and later a grasp of smart test strategies. Let SBC’s long tradition of excellence support all aspects of your application process.