One of the key success factors in the preparation process is the way you manage your time. Read how to manage your time and get a starting edge.

In order to be well prepared for the GMAT exam, most students need to allocate a daily studying session for a period varying from 4 to 15 weeks. The total allocated time depends on the starting level, thinking style, mathematical and grammatical abilities, and the length of the daily studying sessions. It is not advised to lengthen the preparation time beyond a certain point when you might start to get tired of studying and burn yourself out. That is why our daily studying sessions should be as effective and efficient as possible.

The difference between being effective and being efficient:
Being efficient means accomplishing many tasks in a short period of time. Being effective means achieving our goals in the best way. That is why preparing for the GMAT is not about reading as much material as possible and solving as many questions as possible. Good preparation is about learning principles and methods.

The next stage is practicing these principles. This is done by solving practice questions that were specifically designed to demonstrate that specific principle or method. After solving a question, ask yourself the following questions: How did I solve the question? Is there another way to solve it? What was the subject of the question? What principles and methods were employed to solve it? How long did it take to solve? Will I be able to solve it faster and better if I see it again? These questions are asked in order to make sure that this question, with its principles and methods, will remain as a pattern in your brain. This pattern, used at the right time, will help you solve the GMAT questions faster and better.

Managing your study time should be about being both effective and efficient; to make sure you solve questions as illustrated above, and also to cover as much material as possible at each study session.

In order to be efficient, make sure your studying environment is as comfortable as possible. Silence your phones, disconnect the internet so not to receive emails (you can live without them for a couple of hours). Close the door if possible, and make sure everyone knows you are not to be disturbed. Prepare all your material in advance so nothing is missing when you need it. Bring a snack so you will not have an excuse to leave the table. Stay focused and cover each subject in depth. Chances are that you will not return to it, so make sure you know it well. Cover every question in full, and take the time to discuss it with yourself, as mentioned above. Prepare a page for all the formulas and rules. Print it on a big paper and hang it on the wall in front of you when you study. Take a smaller version of this paper with you to reread on the train, on your lunch break, or at boring meetings at work.

Collect your problematic subjects or questions. Ask someone for help to make sure you clear every problematic issue completely. No matter how small or unimportant this problem might seem, you are likely to encounter it on your GMAT exam.

Make your studying sessions between 2-3 hours long and take one 10-15 minute break when you need it. When solving computer simulations, the sessions will have to be around 4 hours for the exam and another 1-2 hours to review your mistakes. Try to go over your mistakes on the same day so you will still remember the questions, but take at least 30 minutes of rest after the exam to regain your energy and make the after-exam session more effective.

Preparing, focusing, and making sure each subject is covered in depth, will make your study time both efficient and effective. It will signal your brain that this material is important, so it will make the effort to save it and turn it into reusable patterns.

Study hard for a few weeks and be as prepared as possible to get the score you need the first time. If necessary, retake the test as soon as possible. (remember that 31 days must elapse before you can retake the test.) Most second time testers improve their score the second time they take the test. Do not count on luck. On the GMAT, luck is mostly against you You can still get a low score even if you are properly prepared, but chances are that if you have all the right tools the first time, you will succeed.