How Difficult is the GMAT?

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The first thing you probably want to know before studying is "is the GMAT hard?".  Well, the answer is that it depends, but I can confirm that with the right study methods, it is very possible to do really well on the test.  You don’t even need to be naturally very good at taking standardized tests to do well.  With a great study plan and schedule and the right materials, you can disarm the GMAT and while the test will always be challenging, it is definitely doable.

 

The material on the GMAT is really not that overly complicated.  In the quant section, for example, the material is mostly comprised of middle and high school concepts.  The test makers, however, finds unique ways to make these concepts somewhat complicated by combining them with other seemingly unrelated concepts.  When the test combines probability and triangles, for example, that is when the test gets really tough.  The way to make things easier on yourself is to have a really great grasp of the math fundamentals.  From there, you need to do practice problem after practice problem to become accustomed to the unique ways the GMAT presents its questions.  On the verbal section, the material can be pretty hard if your English skills are not the best.  The best way to get better on this section is through a lot of practice.  Overall, however, I would say the material on the test in general isn’t overly complex.  The test gets to be tough because of the timing, the pressure, and the unique ways that the questions are asked.

 

Performing well on this test is mainly a function of how much time and effort you put into it.  Natural ability can definitely be helpful, but the best way to get better is through extensive practice.  Unfortunately there is no magic secret formula to doing well on the GMAT.  The GMAC frequently repeats the way it asks certain questions.  Your goal is to practice so much that you begin to see patterns in the way the questions are asked.  You should be able to do this in time, especially in sections like Critical Reasoning.  So how difficult is the GMAT?  Well, that really depends on you.  You first need to make sure you are studying with the best possible materials From there, you just need to practice a lot and all of a sudden the GMAT is a very doable test.