Master the GMAT

by Brian R. McElroy

Harvard grad, 99% GMAT Scorer, and Professional GMAT Tutor since 2002

copyright 2021 McElroy Tutoring Inc.

contact: mcelroy@post.harvard.edu

“So who are you,” you might ask, “and why are you qualified to write this book?”

My name is Brian McElroy, founder of McElroy Tutoring. I’m a 42 year-old Providence,

RI native, and I live with my wife, our three daughters, and our two dogs in beautiful
Colorado Springs, Colorado. Ever since graduating from Harvard with honors in the
spring of 2002, I’ve worked as a private test-prep tutor, essay editor, author, and
admissions consultant.

I’ve taken the real GMAT 6 times—including the GMAT online—and have scored in the
700s each time, with personal bests of 770/800 composite, Quant 50/51, Verbal 48/51,
IR 8 (2 times) and AWA 6 (4 times) *, with 3 consecutive 99% scores on Verbal. More
importantly, however, I’ve coached hundreds of aspiring MBA students to significantly
better GMAT scores over the last two decades, including scores as high as 720 (94%),
740 (97%), 760 (99%, 770, 780, and yes, even the elusive perfect 800, with an average
score improvement of over 120 points.

Unlike so many other shady characters and money-grabbing content providers in the
GMAT prep business, I’m no con artist out for a quick $19.99: I simply know this test
inside-out. To prove it, I’ve abandoned the profit motive and published this GMAT book
for free as a publicly accessible Google document, for the benefit of any and all
potential readers, as well as that of my own private students.

*Want incontrovertible proof of my personal test-center GMAT scores (within the last 5 years)? Go to the Pearson Vue website and
enter my birthdate of 09 December 1979 to directly download an official copy of my test taker score report. Never trust a PDF score
report that comes directly from a third party, such as a GMAT tutor or company, since the PDF (or paper copy) could easily be
doctored/forged/faked/manipulated with computer editing software such as Photoshop and Acrobat, or other physical tools. Fake
GMAT score reports are a real, persistent problem in the GMAT Prep / Business School admissions fields. For this reason,
ALWAYS DOWNLOAD SCORE REPORTS DIRECTLY FROM THE PEARSON VUE WEBSITE TO ENSURE THAT YOUR GMAT
TUTOR OR INSTRUCTOR IS TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT HIS/HER SCORES.
 The Structure / Format of the GMAT

Source: GMAC webinar in India in preparation for the updated, shorter GMAT, 4/8/18

The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)—the main admission exam

required for business school—consists of 4 main sections: 1) AWA (Analytical Writing
Assessment) 30 minutes, 1 essay question 2) IR (Integrated Reasoning), 30 minutes,
12 multi-part multiple choice questions, 3) Quant, 62 minutes, 31 multiple choice
questions and 4) Verbal, 65 minutes, 36 multiple choice questions.

Before 2017, the sections of the GMAT used to be administered in a specific order that
was not subject to change (Order #1 below). However, in July of 2017 the GMAC
introduced a program where you can now select among two alternate section orders in
addition to the “classic” order (order #1). Those alternate section orders are (#2)
Verbal, Quant, IR, AWA and (#3) Quant, Verbal, IR, AWA. Personally, I prefer order #2,
but order #3 is also appealing to many (I would not recommend order #1 (the classic
order) because it puts the two most important sections of the test at the end, when your
mind is the most tired.
 Source: GMAC Website

On the real GMAT, but not the GMATPrep software, 15.2%* of the questions are
experimental (“pretest”) questions that will not count toward your score. However,
recent ESR research has suggested that your responses to the experimental questions
might affect the overall difficulty level of the questions you are served, and thus could
still have an minor impact on your score.

*We have learned this fact by analyzing hundreds of student ESR (Enhanced Score
Report) results and the "percent correct" on each quarter--or in the case of IR, on the
entire section--which reveals the true number of counted questions. For example, the
denominators of each rounded percentage correct on the IR section (11%, 22%, 33%,
44%, 56%, 67%, 78, 89%) always align with 9 questions, so we know that there are
exactly 9 counted questions on IR. Quant quarters are 7/7/7/7 and Verbal Quarters are
8/7/7/8, by the same “denominator method” / logical and mathematical deduction.

Sample ESR from GMAC (frustratingly, the ESR option is still not available for the
GMAT online after 1.5 years)

Analytical Writing Assessment

The Analytical Writing Assessment ( Analysis of an Argument) is 30 minutes long, and
includes one “Analysis of an Argument” question. It is graded on an 0-6 scale, in
half-point increments. Sample 6/6 GMAT AWA Essay

The “analyze an argument” essay is your opportunity to be the CEO of your own
corporation. In other words, you are the boss, and you are given a chance to evaluate
the argument/presentation made by your employee. Instead of attacking the argument
outright, make it clear that there is not yet enough information to make a clear decision
(after all, this is your thesis every single time!). You might believe him, and you might
not. But either way you will have to defend your positions and explain what extra
information is needed, and how your decisions would depend on the results of that
information.

When writing your AWA, it is very helpful to have memorized the 5 main categories of
Assumptions (adapted from “Ace the GMAT”):

1) Cause and Effect (aka “correlation and causation”): on the GMAT we cannot dispute
factual claims. However, we can dispute their interpretation. Simply because we know
that A happened does not mean that we know that A caused B.

2) Comparison and Analogy (aka “Apples to Oranges”): If the evidence being cited is
of a different nature than the conclusion being drawn, then we can call this an “Apples
to Oranges” assumption (taken from the saying, “you can’t compare apples to
oranges.”). If I am using data from cities to support a conclusion pertaining to rural
areas, for example, then I am relying upon an Apples to Oranges comparison, because
cities and small downs are far different in nature.

3) Representativeness (aka “Outlier or Typical Example?): An “Outlier” assumption

occurs when we assume that something that is true in one particular case will
necessarily be true in most others. For example, “it is a good idea to drop out of
Harvard, because it worked great for Zuckerberg and Gates!” That might be true for
those 2 particular individuals, but we can all agree that graduating from Harvard is
probably a better idea than dropping out. In other words, these Gates and Zuckerberg
are outliers, not examples of a general trend.

4) Implementation (aka “How Practical or Realistic is this Proposal?): This category of

assumption is not very useful for CR, but still comes into play on the essay. If the
argument proposes something unrealistic or difficult to accomplish, then you could cite
an Implementation Assumption.

5) Quantitative Evidence (aka “Are the Numbers Deceptive?”): This category of

assumption pertains to situations where the statistics provided might be deceptive, or
not tell the entire story. For example, “crime rates increased by 50% this year” sounds
much more ominous than “crime rates rose from 1% to 1.5% this year,” although both
statements are mathematically equivalent. Sometimes the stats don’t tell the whole
story.

Feel free to write down these categories at the top of your essay for reference (but
make sure to delete them before finishing, of course). These categories are also
super-helpful for critical reasoning questions. For this reason, I suggest that you
commit them to memory using whatever order of letters suits you best, such as QIRCC
(think: “quirky”).

Don’t worry about your writing “style” too much: because the GMAT is a test for
business school, the GMAC puts a premium on simple, straightforward writing styles
and doesn’t care much for artifice. Instead, focus on logic and reasoning, as well as
writing as much as possible within the 30 minutes provided.

Pro tip: although your essay should have an introduction and a conclusion, there is no
need to write your essay “in chronological order.” In other words, feel free to write the
body paragraphs first, and the introduction later, especially if you’re having trouble
deciding how to start the essay. Because of the fact that the GMAT essay is typed, and
you have cut/copy/paste functionality during the test (but no spell check!), there is no
need to be a perfectionist when writing--get your ideas out first, and then worry about
polishing them. You can also use the top of your essay as a space for outlining and
brainstorming.

From the GMAC website: “Each essay receives two independent ratings, one of which
may be performed by an automated essay-scoring engine, which evaluates more than
50 structural and linguistic features.

If the two ratings differ by more than one point, an expert reader provides a third
evaluation to determine the final score.
Expert readers are trained college and university faculty members who consider the
following:

● The overall quality of your ideas about the argument presented

● Your overall ability to organize, develop, and express those ideas
● The relevant supporting reasons and examples you used
● Your ability to control the elements of standard written English

Readers are trained to be sensitive and fair in evaluating the responses of examinees
whose first language is not English.”

If you believe that your AWA score is not accurate, you may request that your essay be
rescored using the Essay Rescore Request Form.”

Integrated Reasoning Section:

The Integrated Reasoning section is 30 minutes long, and includes 12 multi-part

dynamic questions and a slew of graphs, charts and text information, including
multi-part tables that can be sorted by category. It is graded on a scale of 1 to 8, and
includes questions in Multi-Source Reasoning, Graphics Interpretation, Two-Part
Analysis, and Table Analysis. Your IR score is essentially the number of questions that
you answer correctly out of the 9 counted questions.

The general consensus about the IR section is that while it does matter somewhat, it’s
not nearly as important as your Quant and Verbal scores. Please note that the IR
section, like the AWA (essay), is a separate score from your composite score, and has
zero effect on the 200 to 800 composite score.

Quantitative Reasoning Section:

The Quantitative Reasoning section is 62 minutes long, and includes 31 questions,

which are (roughly) evenly divided between Data Sufficiency (DS) and Problem Solving
(PS) sub-categories, with a slight emphasis toward Problem Solving. Of these 31
questions, 28 are counted questions and 3 are experimentals.

Problem Solving (PS) questions are your typical multiple-choice math questions (five
choices per question). Like Data Sufficiency questions, PS questions test basic
mathematical principles such as percents, exponents, statistics, number properties,
average, median, mode, rates, geometry and probability. Though the mathematical
concepts tested are relatively basic, the questions are asked in complicated ways.
By the time you take the test, you should be very comfortable with the following math
concepts:

Algebra/Arithmetic: fractions, decimals, percents and percent change, converting from

percents to fractions to degrees and vice versa, exponents, roots, positive and negative,
odd and even, negative exponents, fractional exponents, patterns and dividing with
remainder, slopes and linear equations, radicals, simultaneous equations, quadratic
equations, inequalities, absolute values, ratios, factors, multiples, divisibility, quadratics,
simultaneous equations.

Statistics: range, mean (average), median, mode, and standard deviation

(understanding the concept is much more important than the actual equation).

Geometry: lines, triangles, circles, rectangles, cubes, rectangular solids, area,

circumference, arcs.

Word Problems: combinatorics (permutations and combinations), functions, sequences,

groups and sets, probability, revenue, profit, interest, rate & work.

Data Sufficiency (DS) questions are a very particular type of question--before

embarking on your GMAT Quant preparation, I highly recommend that you become
acquainted with the rules of DS questions.

DS questions can be very tricky at first, until you get the hang of them.

Here are the rules of DS questions:

A = #1 only is sufficient to answer the question

B = #2 only is sufficient to answer the question
C = neither #1 nor #2 works by itself, but in combination, they are sufficient to answer
the question
D = Either #1 or #2 individually is sufficient to answer the question (they both work by
themselves, NOT in combination)
E = Neither #1 nor #2 is sufficient to answer the question

Sometimes I like to think of this as “A, B, BEN.”

A = A (#1) only
B = B (#2) only
C = B oth
D = E other
E = N either

Remember to write down your letter answers in two groups: “A/D” and “B/C/E”

Shorthand: “works” = is sufficient

If #1 works, then the answer must be A or D. If #1 doesn’t work, then the answer must
be B, C, or E.

If #2 works, and #1 also worked, then the answer is D.

If #2 works, but #1 did not work, then the answer is B.
If #2 does not work, but #1 did work, then the answer is A.
If #2 does not work, and #1 didn’t work either, then the answer is either C or E.

If #s 1 and 2 work when combined, but NOT individually, then the answer is C.
If #s 1 and 2 do not work when combined, nor individually, then the answer is E.

Verbal Reasoning Section:

The Verbal Reasoning Section is 65 minutes long, and includes 36 questions, which are
(roughly) evenly divided between the Critical Reasoning, Sentence Correction and
Reading Comprehension sub-categories, with a slight emphasis toward CR and SC
over CR. Of these 36 questions, 30 are counted questions.

Critical Reasoning: Critical Reasoning questions are essentially logic games. They
consist of an argument which is supported by evidence (also called the premise). For
each CR question, force yourself to clearly identify the Conclusion and the Premise
(Evidence). Consider the main CR question types:

1) Strengthen: in this case you want to make the conclusion stronger, either by
eliminating an alternate explanation or strengthening the original premise.
2) Weaken: for these questions you want to make the conclusion weaker, in most
cases by proposing an alternate explanation, or by weakening the original
premise.
3) Assumption: asks you to find the assumption in the argument. Think of the
assumption as “the thing you need to be true for the argument to work.” You can
 also try the “Assumption Negation Technique” for these questions: negate the
assumption, and ask yourself whether this disproves the argument. If so, then
you have found the assumption.
4) Flaw: asks you to find the flaw in the argument.
5) Logical Completion-Inference/Must be True/Most Supported: these are all
variations on the same type of question. They are essentially Critical Reasoning
questions that are lacking a conclusion (the answer is the conclusion itself).
6) Main Idea/Conclusion: exactly what it sounds like.
7) Fill in the Blank: exactly what it sounds like.
8) Role: typically selects sentences from the passage and asks about their overall
role is in the argument, such as the evidence, the conclusion, and the
“intermediate conclusion”.

Other question types: Additional Evidence, Cause and Effect, Evaluate Argument,
Except, Method of Reasoning, Must be True, Resolve Paradox, Similar Reasoning.

For CR questions, it’s a good idea to force yourself to write down the Conclusion
and the Evidence for each question.

For example, if I say, “Because A, B,” then A is my Evidence and B is my Conclusion.

Your job as a test-taker is to try to “get inside” the argument and focus on the Inference:
that which connects the Evidence to the Conclusion.

In order to succeed on CR questions, you must be intimately familiar with the trap
answer types: pre-evidence, out of scope, post-conclusion, and splitting hairs (I
invented all of these terms, other than “out of scope,” of course, so don’t expect to find
them elsewhere).

Pre-Evidence trap answers are answers that don’t directly affect the evidence.
Out of Scope trap answers are answers that aren’t directly relevant to the evidence,
inference, and/or the conclusion.
Post-Conclusion trap answers are answers that don’t directly affect the conclusion, or
in some cases even acknowledge the conclusion.
Splitting Hairs trap answers tell us something that we already know in a basic sense, in
a more detailed way, one that doesn’t affect the main conclusion in any significant
manner.
For example, if I were to say “because it is cold outside, you should wear a hat.” and the
question asked you to Weaken this argument...

A Pre-Evidence trap answer would be something like “it isn’t usually cold in this part of
the country.” Well, who cares? It is cold now, and we are trying to deal with it.

An Out of Scope trap answer would be something like “hats aren’t fashionable.” It
might seem related because of the mention of hats, but it’s not directly tied to the
connection between hats and warmth. Fashion is not our concern here.

A Post-Conclusion trap answer would be something like “even if you do wear a hat,
you will still need boots for your feet.” Well, that might be true, but it has nothing to do
with whether hats are effective at warming your head. Plus, this answer has already
acknowledged our conclusion!

A Splitting Hairs trap answer would say something like “wearing a hat is only the 2nd
most effective way to stay warm, according to scientists.” That might indeed be
true—nor can we dispute the veracity of / “fact check” any claim on the GMAT—but this
more detailed information about hats does not ultimately change the fact that hats still
protect well against the cold.

Sentence Corrections

● GMAT SC often involves a "totem pole" of multiple grammar rules: meaning

comes first, then strict rules of grammar, then general usage
● TOP OF TOTEM POLE = intended meaning, and rules that cannot be modified:
subject-verb and noun-pronoun agreement, meaning, modifiers, parallel
structure, correct sentence construction, faulty comparisons, redundancy.
● BOTTOM OF TOTEM POLE = preferences, not requirements: word choice,
idioms, sentence length, word placement. ex. "However" vs. "Although" =
"WASH"
● Most questions have 2 or 3 moving parts and concepts that are tested, which can
make it difficult to classify them accurately. For example, 1 question could have
subject verb agreement, parallelism, modifiers and meaning all tested at the
same time.
● Nearly all SC questions don't provide the "perfect" answer. Instead they provide
the "best" answer with slight flaws.
 ● Technique: read the stem version (same as Choice A), look for an error, then
seek to correct it in the answers. But be aware that you might fix the original
error, but end up inserting another error inadvertently.
● Suggestion: "Top 2 Drill." Find the top 2 answers and compare them directly.
COMPARE ALL ANSWERS TO EACH OTHER DIRECTLY INSTEAD OF JUST
READING THEM ONE AT A TIME. THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE
ANSWER CHOICES WILL OFTEN ELUCIDATE THE GRAMMAR / MEANING
ISSUES BEING TESTED.

Topics Tested: Subject-Verb Agreement, Noun and Pronoun Agreement, Parallel

Structure, Non-Essential Clauses, Relative Pronouns, Adverbs vs. Adjectives,
Modification, Faulty Comparisons, Word Pairs, Redundancy (aka Conciseness and
Concision), Idiomatic Expressions, etc.

Check out an example of an SC explanation I wrote on GMAT Club.

Check out this helpful overview of Sentence Corrections from the Economist GMAT.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT CHOICE A: Please do not believe the rumor that you are
supposed to “preserve” the meaning of Choice A / the original underlined sentence on
GMAT SC. This is very simply not true: you are supposed to choose the answer that
best conveys the intended meaning of Choice A.

Reading Comprehension:

Topics tested: main idea, tone, inference, detail, inference, out of context, logical
structure, likely author agreement, etc.

TBC.

Required Math Formulas on the GMAT

You don’t need to know too many math formulas for the GMAT. Below is a full list of all
the formulas and concepts that you need to know (or might need to know, just to be
safe).

1) Percent change (this works for both percent increase and percent decrease):
(difference/original) x 100. Please note that “original” signifies that the number
 we are comparing to (usually follows the word “than”). For example, to answer
the question “2 is what percent less than 3?” You would subtract 2 from 3 to get
1, then divide by the original, 3, to get ⅓. Then, multiply by 100 to get a 33.3%
decrease.
2) Percent of = (part/whole)
3) Average = total / # of things, or (Average)(# of things) = total
4) Direct Proportion: A 1 / A 2 = B1 / B2
5) Indirect Proportion: (A1 )(A2) = (B1 )(B2)
6) The 30/60/90 (𝑥, 𝑥 3, 2𝑥) and 45/45/90 (𝑥, 𝑥, 𝑥 2 ) side ratios of special right
triangles
2 2 2
7) Pythagorean Theorem (𝑎 + 𝑏 = 𝑐 ) with a, b, and c representing the base,
height and hypotenuse of a right triangle. Also, just in case, the Super
2 2 2 2
Pythagorean Theorem for 3-D shapes: (𝑎 + 𝑏 + 𝑐 = 𝑑 )
2
8) Area of a circle = π𝑟 , Circumference of a circle = 2π𝑟
9) Exponent rules (same base) for multiplication, division, and taking an exponent to
a power, as well as the “same exponent” rule for multiplication and division:

𝑏 𝑐 𝑏+𝑐
𝑎 × 𝑎 = 𝑎
𝑏 𝑐 𝑏−𝑐
𝑎 ÷𝑎 = 𝑎
𝑏 𝑐 𝑏𝑐
(𝑎 ) = 𝑎
𝑏 𝑐 𝑏𝑐
(2𝑎 ) = 4𝑎
𝑏 𝑏 𝑏
𝑎 × 𝑐 = 𝑎𝑐
𝑏 𝑏 𝑏
𝑎 ÷ 𝑐 = (𝑎/𝑐)

10) All 3 Quadratic Identities (unfactored to factored form)

2 2
𝑥 −𝑦 = (𝑥 + 𝑦)(𝑥 − 𝑦)
2 2 2
𝑥 + 2𝑥𝑦 + 𝑦 = (𝑥 + 𝑦)
2 2 2
𝑥 − 2𝑥𝑦 + 𝑦 = (𝑥 − 𝑦)

11) The Formula for a Line (slope intercept 𝑦 = 𝑚𝑥 + 𝑏 format, standard form
𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑦 = 𝐶, and point-slope format: y-y1 = m(x-x1), and the slope equation
(y2-y1) / (x2-x1).
 12) The Third Side Rule for Triangles 𝑎 − 𝑏 < 𝑐 < 𝑎 + 𝑏 if c represents the “third
side” and b and a represent the lengths of the other two sides. In other words,
the value of the third (unknown) side of a triangle must lie between the sum and
difference of the other two sides.

13) How to manipulate absolute value inequalities.

14) The compound interest formula when P=principle, r = interest rate, and t=unit of
time:
𝑡
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 𝑃(1 + 𝑟)

𝑛
15) The number of subsets of a set with n elements = 2 (includes the “empty set”
subset).

16) The combined rate equation: 1/a + 1/b = 1/c.

If a and b are the time it takes two people to complete a job, then c is the time
that it takes for them to complete the job together.

17) Overlapping set formulas for both 2 and 3 elements:

CLASSIC 2-ELEMENT FORMULA:

TOTAL = GROUP A + GROUP B - BOTH + NEITHER

3 ELEMENTS:

TOTAL = GROUP A + GROUP B + GROUP C - AB - BC - AC - 2 (ABC)

Required GMAT Math Concepts

1) PEMDAS AND THE ORDER OF OPERATIONS. The “order of operations” in

math is exactly what it sounds like: the correct order to perform specifical
mathematical operations such as adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying.
The correct order is 1) Parentheses, 2) Exponents, 3) Multiplication, 4) Division,
5) Addition, 6) Subtraction, which can be remembered with the acronym
“PEMDAS.”
2) MEAN, MEDIAN, MODE. Mean is the same as average. Median is the number in
the middle after rearranging from low to high. In the case that the list has no true
middle because it has an even number of terms, find the average of the middle
two. So the median of the list { 1 1 5 5 } is (1+5)/2 which equals 3. MODE is quite
simply the number that appears the MOST. Multiple modes are possible if there
is a tie for greatest frequency: the example I just listed, for example, has two
modes, 1 and 5. To calculate the median of an odd number of terms, simply add
1 and divide by 2. To calculate the median of an even number of terms n, take
the average of the (n/2) term and the following term. 


3) INTEGERS. Integers are whole numbers, including zero and negative whole
numbers. Think of them as hash marks on the number line. (For those who don’t
know what hash marks are: picture the white yardage markings on the grass of a
football field.) Don’t forget that zero is an integer and that negative whole
numbers are integers too. Remember that -3 is less than -2, not the other way
around (sounds simple but is a common mistake. If I fooled you initially with that
one, think of “greater than” as “further to the right” on a number line, and “less
than” as “further to the left.”



4) PRIME NUMBERS. Prime numbers are positive integers that are only divisible by
themselves and the number 1. Be able to list all the primes you between 1 and
50…remember that 1 is not a prime and there are no negative primes. By the
way, 51 is not prime…that question actually showed up on a recent SAT. 17 x 3 =
51. What, you forgot your times tables for 17?

2,3,5,7,11,13,17,19,23,29,31,37,41,43,47,53, etc…

Also, be able to use a factor
tree and find all the factors of a number and perform a “prime factorization” of a
number (this means you find a series of prime numbers that multiplies together to
equal that number). The prime factorization of 18, for example, is 3 x 3 x 2.



5) PYTHAGOREAN TRIPLES. These are particular types of Right Triangles that

just happen to have exact integers as sides. The GMAT loves to use them, so
know them by heart and save yourself the trouble of calculating all those roots.
Here are the ones featured most frequently:

 3/4/5, 5/12/13, 6/8/10, 7/24/25,
8/15/17

. Please note that Pythagorean Triples are not the same as 45/45/90 and
30/60/90 triangles, whose ratios you should also be familiar with.

6) Y LESS THAN X” 
(for example, “x-7” is the correct mathematical translation of “7

less than x.” Be careful because many students will write this as “7-x”, which is
incorrect.)


7) THE WORD “OF”: “Of” always means multiply.

8) DIGITS. Digits are to numbers what letters are to words. There are only 10
possible digits, 0 through 9.



9) MULTIPLES. The MULTIPLES of x are the ANSWERS I get when I MULTIPLY x

by another INTEGER. For example the multiples of 5 are 5,10,15,20 etc. as well
as 0 (a multiple of everything because anything times zero is zero) as well as -5,
-10, -15 and other NEGATIVE MULTIPLES.



10) FACTORS. The factors of x are the answers I get when I divide x by another
integer. For example the factors of 60 are 30, 20,15,12,10,6,5,4,3,2,1, as well as
-5,-6,-10 etc.



11) REMAINDER. Remainder is the whole number that’s left over after division. For
example 8/3 equals 2 remainder 2. Remainder is particularly helpful on pattern
and sequence problems.



12) CONSECUTIVE INTEGERS. Consecutive integers are integers in order from

least to greatest, for example 1,2,3. The ACT may also ask for consecutive even
or odd integers. For example -6,-4,-2, 0, 2, 4 etc (yes zero is even) or 1, 3, 5
etc.

-SUM. Sum means the result of addition. The sum of 3 and 5 is 8. I know,
duh, but you’d be surprised how many students will say “15” if they are not
paying close attention.



13) DIFFERENCE. Difference is the result of subtraction.



14) PRODUCT. The result of multiplication. Do not confuse with sum!



15) ODD AND EVEN NUMBERS. Even numbers are all the integers divisible by 2,
and odd numbers are all the other integers.



16) POSITIVE and NEGATIVE NUMBERS. Be aware that if the problem asks for “a
negative number,” that does not necessarily mean a negative INTEGER. -1.5 will
do just fine. Zero is neither negative nor positive. Be aware of strange tricks with
negatives, and that negatives taken to EVEN powers are positive and that
negatives taken to ODD powers are negative.


 17) GEOMETRY and TRIGONOMETRY. You’re going to have to remember basic
geometrical concepts (180 degrees in a line, 360 degrees in a quadrilateral, 360
degrees in a circle, all radii of a circle are equal 180 degrees in a triangle, rules of
parallel lines and transversals, trapezoids have two parallel sides, vertical angles
are congruent, perpendicular lines have slopes that are negative reciprocals of
each other).

18) NUMBER PROPERTIES. You will need to understand the inherent logic of math
2
and numbers, including such concepts as: 𝑥 is always positive, if 𝑥𝑦 = 0 then
>1
either 𝑥 = 0 or 𝑦 = 0 or both, that a (𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛) is always going to become
𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑑𝑑
smaller, that a (𝑛𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒) = 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 and that a (𝑛𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒) = 𝑜𝑑𝑑.

19) STANDARD DEVIATION AND THE 34/14/2 RULE (OR 68/38/4 RULE).

20) MAXIMUM AREA OF A TRIANGLE WITH FIXED LEGS, OR A RECTANGLE

WITH A FIXED PROPORTION. The maximum area of a triangle with two fixed
legs is a right triangle. The maximum area of a rectangle with fixed proportion is
a square (which is a specific form of right triangle).

21) FUNCTIONS. Understand the basics of the y = f(x) input/output system of math,
where x is the input of the function and y is the value of the function.

The GMAT Scoring System and Percentiles

Source: GMAC Website

The Quant and Verbal sections of the GMAT are scored from 6-51. The IR section is
scored from 1-8 in 1-point increments, and the AWA (Essay) Section is scored from 0-6
in 0.5-point increments. The Quant and Verbal sections are the only 2 sections that
count toward your composite score, and are thus the 2 most important sections of the
test.

Because your scores on the AWA and the IR sections are separate scores which do not
factor into your composite 200-800 score, the AWA and IR sections are traditionally
given less attention.

Here are some GMAT percentile screenshots from the GMAC website, as of October
2021:
 Composite Score Percentiles

Any composite score above a 750 is 99%.

 Quantitative Reasoning

Please note: every year the GMAT Quant percentiles are driven lower and lower by an
increasingly skilled and educated group of international test-takers. You will hear from
many highly selective business programs that they prefer Quant scores “above 80%,”
but you will notice that only scores of 50/51 and a perfect 51/51 are now enough to earn
that distinction! For more: GMAT Percentiles and 80th Percentile Confusion
Verbal Reasoning
Integrated Reasoning
 AWA (Analytical Writing Assessment)

What’s a Good GMAT Score?

That’s a loaded question! It all depends on what’s realistic for you, and how high your
Business School goals are set. Here are some general guidelines:

200-300: Seriously Below Average

300-400: Very Below Average
400-500: Below Average
500: Slightly Below Average
550: Average
600: Above Average.
650: Competitive Score for Top 50 B-schools
700 (88%): Competitive Score for Top 25 B-schools
730 (96%) plus: Competitive Score for Top 10 B-schools
 740 = 97%
750 = 98%
760+ = 99%

As you can see from the charts above, the Average GMAT Score is 550, Q39, V27, IR4,
and 4 AWA.

If you’re looking to get into a top 50 B-School, then you should aim for a GMAT score of
650 or above.

If you are looking to get into a top 10 B-school, then you should aim for a GMAT score
of 750 or above. The current median GMAT score at Harvard Business School, for
example, is a 730. Anything above a 750 is 99th percentile, and perfect 800 scores are
extremely rare, due to the high difficulty level and fast pace of the test.

Below are the detailed GMAT statistics for the Harvard Business School Class of 2019.
You can’t get any more competitive than HBS, so keep that in mind--most schools have
averages far below these. You will also notice, despite the fact that Harvard’s median
score is 730, that students with GMAT scores as low as 580 have been admitted.
 How Much Can I Expect to Improve?

A common answer to this question is “50 to 150 points,” which I think is a reasonable
estimate, but the answer to this question depends upon your starting point.

Let’s start with standard deviation. According to GMAC, the standard deviation of the
GMAT is 121 points. This means that over 2323 (68%) of all GMAT test-takers will score
somewhere between a 430 (15%) and a 670 (83%). If you can manage to break your
way out of this massive group of students, then your chances for improvement are
much better.

A standard deviation (SD) is a great way to predict test-score improvements, since most
test-takers won't improve much more than 1 SD, and nearly none of them will improve 2
SDs or more, except for very low scorers.

Second, a key principle: it’s much easier to improve low scores than it is to improve high
scores. Why? It’s a question of competition. A 500 on the GMAT is 31% and a 600 is
61%. A big jump, yes, but possible with 100 hours or more of prep, because you’re
leapfrogging a relatively weaker portion of GMAT test-takers. I've seen plenty of
students go from 500 to 650-plus for this reason.

However, a 600 on the GMAT is a 61%, and a 700 is 89%. It’s a smaller difference in
percentiles, which might lead some to conclude that it’s an easier improvement to make,
but I would disagree--in reality, it's a tougher task than is 500 to 600. The same goes for
700 to 800…it’s only a 10% differential, but you have to compete with the top 10% of
GMAT test-takers, a highly competitive and intelligent bunch, which is what makes it so
much harder to do.

That being said, below is my list of realistic GMAT score improvements if you are willing
to put in at least 100 hours of prep, based upon your starting score.

Please keep in mind that of course some students will improve more, or less, than the
improvements listed. Hence the term “realistic,” which could also be construed as
“average” (for dedicated students).

200 to 450 (+250 pts) = 0% to 20% (+20)

300 to 500 (+200 pts) = 3% to 31% (+28)

400 to 550 (+150 pts) = 12% to 45% (+33)

500 to 600 (+100 pts) = 31% to 61% (+30)

600 to 700 (+100 pts) = 61% to 89% (+28)

700 to 750 (+50 pts) = 89% to 98% (+9)

750 to 780 (+30 pts) = 98% to 99% (+1)

Note: it’s super-hard to get an 800. If you can score a 750, then you can score an
800…but it will take a lot of persistence and a little bit of luck. Only about .01% of GMAT
test-takers earn an 800, which is 1 out of every 10,000.

Personally, I’ve scored in the 700s all 5 times I've taken the GMAT, but I'm still trying for
a GMAT perfect score of my own. As I’ve always said, perfection is attainable, but not
maintainable!
 I Have Heard that the GMAT is an “Adaptive” Test. What Does this
Mean? How Does the GMAT Algorithm Work?

That’s correct. The GMAT is what’s known as a “question-level adaptive test,” meaning
that your response to each question determines the difficulty of the next question you
are served. A secret computer algorithm decides what questions you are served. If you
get hard questions right, for example, then you score more points than if you get easy
questions right. (This is not true for the Integrated Reasoning section--those questions
are set in advance.) Because of this fact, questions at the beginning of each section
have a stronger impact on your final score than do questions toward the end of each
section, particularly on Quant.

Leveraging the GMAT Algorithm to your Advantage

1) Questions in the first 1/3 of the test are worth the most by far, especially on Quant, so
don't rush at the beginning. Take your time at first, and slowly speed up as you go.
Check out this page for more info:
http://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-prep-software-analysis-and-what-if-scenarios-146146.h
tml

2) 15.2% of the questions on your GMAT are experimental, so don't let any one
question drag you down--there is a 1 in 6 chance that the question you are trying will
not count toward your score! But try not to get too many questions wrong in a row--the
GMAT hates that. If you have to take a couple of guesses in a row, then make sure to
hunker down on the next question to try to minimize the damage.

3) Don't forget to save enough time to finish the test, even if they are just wild
guesses...there is a SIGNIFICANT score penalty for not finishing.

First of all, this chapter owes a great deal to the detailed GMATPrep research done by
the great Bunuel. If you haven't read this post by him, then do so immediately.

Ah, the mysterious GMAT scoring algorithm. None of us can pin it down precisely,
because the GMATPrep tests are not quite the same as the actual thing. But we can
certainly try, and the GMATPrep software (along with our anecdotal experiences of
taking the test) is nevertheless the best evidence we have to judge the algorithm of the
actual GMAT.
To start, it is important to know that while all of the questions on the GMATPrep tests do
count toward your score, 15.2% of the questions on the real GMAT are
experimental--you won't know which ones they are, and they don't count toward your
score. So keep in mind that on the real GMAT, there is a roughly 1 in 6 chance that the
question you are looking at doesn't count.

There are two main principles at play in the GMAT algorithm:

1) Earlier questions count much more than later questions.

2) The GMAT gives you a severe penalty for getting multiple questions wrong in a row,
and for not finishing.

One of the main conclusions of Bunuel's analysis above, for example, was that the best
way to maximize your GMAT score with the fewest number of questions correct was to
get "two right, one wrong" for the duration of the test. Think of it as "two steps forward,
one step back." The reason why this works so well it because it maximizes your
damage control by never getting more than one question wrong in a row.

AT ALL COSTS, TRY TO AVOID GETTING 3 QUESTIONS WRONG IN A ROW

(especially in the first 2/3 of the test)! THIS IS SURE TO SABOTAGE YOUR GMAT
SCORE.

A couple pieces of advice as it pertains to Quant:

1) Take an average of 2.5 minutes per question for the first 1/3 of questions (1-12), 2
minutes per question for the second 1/3 of questions (13-24), and 1.5 minutes per
question for the final 1/3 of questions (25-37)
2) If you had to guess on your previous question, or you didn't trust your answer, then
try extra hard on the next question. This is especially true if you had to guess on the last
two questions!
3) Always leave yourself enough time to finish, even if it means blindly guessing.

Are you having trouble finishing on time?

1) If you are going for a 700, consider turning the GMAT quant into a 30-question test.
That way you get a full 2.5 minutes per question. Simply guess on the last 7.
2) If you are going for a 650, consider turning the GMAT quant into a 25-question test.
That way you get a full 3 minutes per question. Simply guess on the last 12.

3) If you are going for a 550, consider turning the GMAT quant into a 20-question test.
That way you get a full 3.75 minutes per question. Simply guess on the last 17.

Yes, these are extreme measures, and they are not guaranteed to work (you need to
get most of the questions right that you do answer). But it is meant to show you how
"front-loaded" the points on the GMAT are.

If you have more time than expected, then I would suggest that you try every other /
every 3rd question in the part that you had planned to guess your way through. This will
help you avoid getting too many questions wrong in a row, which, as I have repeatedly
emphasized, is key to maximizing your GMAT score.

How Many Questions Can I Get Wrong and Still Get the Score I
Desire?

Unfortunately, there is not a direct correlation between the number of questions you
answer correctly and your composite score, because the GMAT also takes into account
the difficulty level of each question you answer wrong. To earn high difficulty questions
you must perform well at the beginning of the test (and consistently well thereafter),
especially on the Quant section.

That being said, here is a rough estimate of questions wrong vs. section subscore for
each multiple-choice section of the GMAT:

Verbal

0 wrong: 50 or 51 (99%)
1 wrong: 48 (99%)
2 wrong: 47 (99%)
3 wrong: 45-46 (99%)
4 wrong: 43-44 (96-98%)
5 wrong: 49-43 (91-96%)
6 wrong: 38-42 (85-94%)
7 wrong: 36-42 (81-91%)
etc.
 Note: I have seen instances of V41 and V40 with as many as 10 wrong.

Quant

0-2 wrong: 51 (96%)

1-6 wrong: 50 (86%)
4-8 wrong: 49 (75%)
5-9 wrong: 48 (69%)
6-11 wrong: 47 (63%)
7-10 wrong: 46 (60%)
8-11 wrong: 45 (57%)
Etc.

Please note: These are just rough estimates. I have seen scores as low as Q40 with
as few as 9 questions wrong. Before I earned a Q50 with 6 questions wrong, for
example, no one had ever done so with more than 4 questions wrong. It’s all about
leveraging the GMAT algorithm.

Another way to look at it: your GMAT reflection is less a reflection of how many total
questions you get wrong, and more a reflection of how many hard GMAT questions you
get right.

What’s the deal with the Experimental Questions on the GMAT? How
many are Experimental?

Yes, it is true that there are experimental (“pretest”) questions on the GMAT. In fact, a
full 15.2% of the questions on the test are unscored. In the past, GMAC has been
vague about the number of experimental questions (they normally said “between 10 and
25 percent), but we now know the true number to be 15.2%, or 12 experimental
questions total out of the 79 questions.

Although GMAC tells us that experimental questions are “unscored,” results from recent
GMATs have suggested otherwise. Thus, the experimental questions, though
technically unscored, might still affect your score in some minor way, such as
determining the difficulty level of the following question, depending on your response.
IR has 9 questions that count, and 3 experimental. We can tell that the IR section has
exactly 9 non-experimental questions because the "percent correct" always aligns with
a denominator of 9.

Quant has 28 questions that count, and 3 experimental. We can tell that the Quant
quarters are split into 7 non-experimental questions each because the "percent correct"
from the ESRs always aligns with a denominator of 7.

Verbal has 30 questions that count, and 6 experimental. We can tell that the Verbal
quarters are split into either 7 counted questions (middle two sections) or 8 counted
questions (first and last sections), each because the "percent correct" from the ESRs
always aligns with a denominator of 7 (2nd and 3rd quarters) or 8 (1st and 4th quarters).

How long should I spend preparing for the GMAT?

For most students, somewhere between 15 and 25 weeks (about 3-4 months) is the
optimum preparation time--if you have significant time each day to devote to the GMAT.
This allows you enough time to fully prepare without having too much extra time, which
can lead to procrastination. However, those who need extra time to prepare, for work or
personal reasons, may need up to 6-12 months, depending on the situation.

The Importance of Using Official GMAT Materials Cannot be

Overstated.

When preparing for the GMAT, one must remember to use official materials (materials
written by GMAC, the maker of the GMAT) whenever possible. Third-party strategy and
learning guides certainly have a place in the GMAT prep process, but far too many
students waste their GMAT preparation time by using non-official test questions from
companies such as Kaplan, which are often far different than the real thing--particularly
on the GMAT Verbal section, where it is difficult, if not impossible, for 3rd-party
questions to fully replicate the wording, tendencies, and “feel” of official GMAC
questions.

What are the differences between section scores in Quant and Verbal,
and the 200-800 composite score? How is it that the same two
section scores can result in different composite scores?
1) Each numerical section score actually represents a possible range of more precise
subscores, in particular on the Quant section (0-51 scores in DS and PS are roughly
averaged), but also on the Verbal section, where you are given scores of 0-51 in Critical
Reasoning, Sentence Correction and Reading Comprehension. Those scores are
roughly averaged to create your sub-section score, which is rounded to the nearest
integer. I say "roughly averaged" because it is not a perfect 50/50 ratio or 33/33/33 split,
and of course each individual question's difficulty level--along with the average difficulty
level of questions you answered correctly--is also a factor.

In other words, there is such a thing as a "high" Q50 and a "low" Q50, for example. This
explains why the exact same combination of subscores can result in different composite
scores (and why GMAT score estimation charts can only provide estimates...there is
often a margin of error of 10 to 20 points). A "high" Q50 such as yours will result in a
higher composite score than will a "low" Q50 like the other test that you mentioned,
even when combined with a lower Verbal score, in part because the GMAT composite
scoring system rewards you disproportionately for earning particularly high scores in
either or both sections.

2) Although the Quant and Verbal subscore conversions are consistent over time
("absolute scoring"), the composite score conversions / section score percentiles do
fluctuate somewhat from year to year ("relative scoring"), especially over long periods of
time. For example, the Q47, V48, 770 composite that I scored in 2012 would probably
be closer to a 760 or even 750 composite today. Quant percentiles have been taking a
nosedive over the last 10 years, for example.

Why is this the case? The pool of GMAT test-takers has been getting more competitive
over time.

You could also say that the GMAT has become harder over the last 10 years, but there
isn't much objective evidence to support that. It has become RELATIVELY harder (more
formidable competition means it's tougher to earn a high percentile score), but not
OBJECTIVELY harder. Section scores--and even composite scores, to a lesser
degree--are relatively consistent from year to year: it's the section percentiles that are
constantly shifting. What we can say for sure it that it's tougher to earn a high percentile
score than ever before, because of the tough competition and continued
internationalization of the GMAT, particularly on the Quant section.

Has Anyone Ever Scored a Perfect 800 on the GMAT?

Yes. Exactly 1 person in the last 10 years out of the 200,000+ GMAT test-takers each
year has proven a perfect 800 score on GMAT Club. We know this because a verified
score feature has been available since 2017, covering official GMAT scores all the way
back to late 2012.

Overall, however, there is a huge difference between the number of people who have
CLAIMED that they scored a perfect 800 on the GMAT (many), and the number of
people who can actually PROVE they scored an 800 on the GMAT (one). And no, a
sketchy PDF of an old score report or test-day printout that could have easily been
manipulated with computer editing software doesn't count—I'm talking about a link to an
official, recent, downloadable score report from the Pearson Vue website: the exact
same secure method that GMAT Club uses to verify user scores. That being said, the
statistics tell us that every year, there are a few select test-takers who achieve this rare
feat...most of whom I'm sure never get around to posting on GMAT Club, never mind
actually verifying their scores (verified GMAT scores are indicated though the green
checkmarks next to one's scores).

Go ahead and take a look at recently published admission stats for HBS, Wharton , and
Stanford, and you will see that none of their incoming students scored higher than
a 790 on the GMAT. Keep in mind that these are the very best B-schools in the
country, the "cream of the crop." If these elite-level students aren't scoring 800s, then
very few people are: most likely fewer than 5 in the entire world, and maybe as low as
zero each year—even if we include GMAT tutors. In fact, none of Stanford's last 4
incoming classes had GMAT scores higher than 790. It is of course true that 800
scorers could be getting rejected at all of these schools, but this is unlikely.
The evidence is somewhat contradictory when it comes to perfect 800 GMAT scores.
One one hand, only one of GMAT Club's nearly 700,000 members has yet posted a
verified 800 score—a veteran GMAT tutor who took the exam in 2015, for the
second time, when he was 50 years old—despite GMAT scores all the way back to
2012 being verifiable, which suggests that these scores may be nearly unobtainable.
That being said, GMAC's statistics also suggest that nearly every year, there might be a
few select test-takers who achieve this rare feat. It is certainly possible that many of the
ones who do are professional GMAT tutors who never end up applying to B-school (it’s
hard to believe that they wouldn’t publicize this, however), and/or other test takers who
never end up posting a GMAT Club Debrief or confirming their scores. There is also the
matter of GMAT scores from over 5 years ago, which are now expired and thus cannot
be verified.

To score an 800 on the GMAT, it appears from my ESR research that at a minimum, you
need to answer all 58 counted questions correctly—and the experimental questions
appear to matter as well, despite what GMAC claims. Even just one wrong answer on
Verbal, for example, can drop your score from a perfect V51 to a V49 or V48.

Going 58 for 58 on an adaptive test such as the GMAT is an incredibly difficult task,
because the questions get tougher the better you perform. Eventually, nearly all of us
are bound to run up against a nearly incomprehensible question, and are going to have
to take a guess or two—yes, even smart-aleck GMAT tutors—and of course careless
mistakes/fatigue also play a role, as they do for all test-takers. The fact that you can't
skip questions and return later (like you can on the GRE) certainly doesn't help, either.

For those GMAT tutors out there who claim 700-plus or perfect 800 scores that are
more than 5 years old: I would suggest that you retake the GMAT and verify your scores
on a more recent exam to prove your abilities, as I have done 5 times now.

Scoring an 800 on the GMAT requires determination, persistence, skill, talent, and a
healthy dose of luck. I've taken the GMAT 6 times total now, and have scored in the
700s every time, with a high of 770. I think that's an accomplishment in itself, but I
would be lying if I said that I weren't still trying for the elusive perfect 800. And if I do
score an 800 (fingers crossed!), then I'll make sure to prove it!

According to GMAC, about .02% of GMAT test-takers will achieve a perfect

800,approximately 30 students out of 200,000, but I believe the real number to be far
smaller.
 Why is there only 1 verified perfect 800 GMAT scorer in the world, and why is that …

My Top Recommendations for GMAT Practice, Learning and Strategy

Materials (other than this free e-book, of course!):

Official Practice (only GMAC sources):

1) The free GMATPrep Software (contains Exams 1 and 2 and approximately 1,500
real questions)
2) The GMAT Official Guide (OG), Verbal Guide and Quantitative Guide (or just buy
all 3 with the GMAT OG Bundle) Make sure to use this very helpful google
document to organize your studies in the 2018 Official Guide by topic! (It can
also be used as an error log and a source of question explanations.)
3) GMATPrep Exam Packs 1 and 2 (contains official Exams 3-6), Question Pack 1
from GMAC and Question Pack 2 from GMAC
4) Official GMAT Advanced Practice Questions
5) The Official Guide for GMAT® Review 2016 Mobile App -$5 for the first 50
questions and a $30 upgrade for an additional 800 questions
6) GMAT Focus Quizzes
7) GMAT Paper Tests
8) IR Prep Tool

Strategy and Third-Party Practice:

1) "Ace the GMAT" by Brandon Royal

2) Target Test Prep (TTP)
3) Manhattan GMAT Library
4) Manhattan GMAT CATs (Quant Only)
5) GMAT Quantum Free Math Videos
6) Khan Academy Free Math Videos
7) The Complete GMAT Sentence Correction Guide by Erica Melzer
8) The GMAT Critical Reasoning Bible by Powerscore
9) The GMAT Reading Comprehension Bible by Powerscore
10) Real LSAT Preptests for additional Critical Reasoning practice
11) GMAT Club CATs (Quant Only)*
12) Veritas CATs (Quant only)
 13) GMATPrepNow Free Videos
14) Math Revolution (Quant only)
15) The Economist GMAT
16) Magoosh

Several of the online self-paced preparation programs mentioned above (Target Test
Prep, GMATPrepNow, Math Revolution, The Economist, Magoosh) offer free trials, as
well as score improvement guarantees. I suggest that you take full advantage of these
free trials (but make sure to read the fine print on the score guarantees, which can
require you to watch hundreds of hours of videos, and/or complete hundreds of their
own third-party GMAT practice questions, for example, in order to qualify).

*GMAT Club is a free, online GMAT community with over 500,000 members. It includes
thousands of real and imitation GMAT questions, along with forum-style question
explanations (I suggest that you follow the user named “Bunuel” for amazing Quant
explanations). The site also offers business school information, test-day “debriefs” and
a great way to access lists of real and synthetic GMAT practice questions in a
convenient online format. One warning, however--most of the GMAT questions on
this site are not real GMAT questions! For the purposes of realism, make sure to
filter your search to include only real GMAT questions from the GMAT Prep Software,
Question Pack 1, or the Official Guides, whenever possible. Also, the site can be a bit
buggy, and there is a ton of marketing on the website, but that’s to be expected on a
free forum that funds itself through advertising and affiliates. If you filter through the
shady sales pitches, suspicious reviews, unverified GMAT score claims and redundant
postings, though, you’ll find some valuable information there, including Business School
rankings and admissions information. In fact, I’m an avid GMAT Club user, with over
900 posts and 1,700 “kudos.”
Online/In-Person Classes & Videos vs. Self-Study vs. Private Tutoring

In my highly biased opinion, GMAT private tutoring is the very best way to learn. Why?
Because it is a truly interactive form of learning. There is something about the art of
conversation that forces one to understand something better, simply by verbalizing it. In
other words, by having to explain your difficulties with the GMAT to your tutor, you will
also be improving your understanding of the GMAT. This is also the tutor’s job, of
course! A private tutor also helps keep the student motivated and accountable by
giving specific assignments, practice exams and homework along the way.

In addition, private tutoring is customized perfectly to fit your schedule, as well as your
specific strengths and weaknesses.
The only downside? The cost. Sometimes private tutoring can be out of the reach of
many. But if you’re willing to search around (see next chapter), you might be able to
find someone more affordably than you think.

Let’s quickly run down the list of tutoring options, and the pros/cons of each:

1) Private Tutoring (online or in-person) with someone like me: again this is the
ideal option. See the next chapter for hints on finding a great private GMAT tutor.
2) In-person classes: these are generally overpriced and geared toward the
average GMAT student, but can also be helpful for many--particularly for those
who thrive in a group setting.
3) Online self-paced classes and study: convenient and cheap, but are often too
passive for the student to truly excel.

Would you like to work with a GMAT private tutor like me, but you can’t afford my
rates? I’ve got you covered. Read below.

7 Important Questions to ask your Prospective GMAT Tutor

1) How many years and hours of experience do you have? Are you part-time or
full-time?

Notice that I said years and hours. I’ve always thought that having “x years of
experience” at anything is a very misleading statistic. If I practice piano 1 hour per year
for 20 years, then that means that I technically have 20 years of piano-playing
experience…but I still won't be very good at piano, of course. That's why total hours of
experience matter far more than total years of experience--and it is generally accepted
that one needs at least 10,000 hours of practice to become a master at anything. Who
wants to trust their scores to a "hobbyist" GMAT tutor?

2) How many students have you tutored? What types of scores/improvements

have they achieved?

There is nothing wrong with a tutor who teaches other subjects such as the GRE, LSAT,
SAT or ACT--these tests all have similarities, and having additional teaching experience
is always a good thing--but you also want to find someone who has significant
experience with the GMAT exam specifically--one who has worked with a wide variety of
students at all score ranges.
An average GMAT score improvement is somewhere between 50-200 points,
depending on the starting score. Beware tutors who make outrageous promises of
massive score improvements--improvements of 250 points or more are possible, but
extremely unrealistic. Remember the adage: if it seems too good to be true, then it
probably is.

3) Do you have telephone references?

This is a good question to ask immediately after your tutor starts boasting of his/her
students' average score improvements. Don’t take the tutor’s word for it—insist on
finding personal references who can back up the tutor’s claims. Most skilled GMAT
tutors will have former satisfied clients who are willing to divulge their identities for the
purpose of serving as a reference. Just make sure that you’re not contacting the tutor’s
brother, mother, best friend, roommate, etc. Also, don't settle for an email--insist on a
phone call, since a phone reference is easier to verify.

4) How many times have you taken the GMAT? When was the last time you took
the test?

This is an important one. Would you believe that many GMAT instructors for the top
companies have never even taken the test themselves? Having a great (700+) GMAT
score is not a guarantee of a great tutor, but great GMAT tutors should be able to score
at least 700 consistently…and prove it. Recent scores are important, too. If the last
time the tutor took the test was over 5 years ago, for example, then those scores can't
necessarily be trusted—the GMAT has evolved a great deal since then, and it has
become much more difficult, especially on Verbal. You want a tutor who is fully
up-to-date with all the exam changes.

5) What were your own scores on the GMAT?

A skilled GMAT Verbal tutor should be able to score at least 40/51. A skilled Quant tutor
should be able to score at least 45/51. Perhaps more importantly, however, your GMAT
tutor must have met or exceeded the scores that you are trying to achieve.

6) May I please see a copy of your personal score report?

There are plenty of tutors out there who claim perfect 800 scores, for example…but very
few of them are actually willing to verify their scores and/or share their score reports
with you. Why is that? Well, why do you think? I suggest that you either utilize the
“verified GMAT score” feature on GMAT Club, if your tutor has a GMAT Club profile, or
ask the tutor to provide you with the link to his/her personal score report, which you can
access with the tutor’s date of birth. This score report will show all tests taken (and
cancelled scores) within the last 5 years.

By the way, I wouldn't trust a picture of the tutor's GMAT score, or a PDF, or any sort of
digital document that is provided by the tutor. In the computer age, photos and PDFs
can easily be doctored. Don't settle for anything less than the tutor's official student
score report! The tutor should be able to provide you with a unique URL that directs
you to the Pearson Vue website, where you can securely download a PDF file of your
tutor's student score report. If your tutor is telling the truth about his/her scores, then
he/she should have nothing to hide.

7) Do I have to pay for multiple hours up-front? Are you open to negotiation on
your rates?
Beware the GMAT tutor who requires you to commit to a big package of hours up-front.
Skilled, experienced GMAT tutors will be willing to earn your trust by allowing you to
"pay as you go."

As far as negotiating a lower price, it doesn't hurt to ask. Most of the best GMAT tutors
are self-employed, so if it's a slow time of year for tutoring, then your GMAT tutor might
be willing to cut you a deal. The worst the tutor can say is no, so it's certainly worth a
shot. Many tutors would be willing to negotiate a lower rate in exchange for up-front
payment, for example...but make sure to meet with your tutor for a trial lesson before
you commit to a pre-paid package of hours.

GMAT Study Plan

There is no one “right way” to study for the GMAT. Some students prefer to jump in
head-first and take a diagnostic practice test right away. Others are much more
cautious, wanting to learn the topics well before taking an exam under test-day
conditions.

In general, I would make a few suggestions:

1) Start slowly, and don’t worry about your timing right away. If you’re a bit
intimidated by the computer test, then use a book instead.
2) Study frequently and for short durations. I suggest studying 3 times a day for 50
minutes each, or 2 times a day for 65 minutes each. Spend most of your time
trying practice problems (active), not just reading or watching videos (passive). If
possible, then check the correct answer / answer explanation to each question
right away (a.k.a. “study mode”) for optimum learning--learning is best done
when your thoughts are still fresh.
3) When you get something wrong, it’s a precious opportunity to improve. Don’t rush
it! Avoid the temptation to just check the correct answer, and move on. Instead,
force yourself to evaluate all the answer choices, and to try the questions again
from scratch, as many times as needed, until you’ve mastered them. Check the
correct answer only after you’ve tried the question again. Repeat this process as
many times as possible until you’ve mastered the material.
4) Don’t take too many full practice tests in the early stages of preparation, and
don’t always practice with time pressure--you need to learn how to crawl before
you can learn how to walk.
 5) Try to use real GMAT questions whenever possible, but be willing to use
3rd-party materials if you need extra practice in a specific area.
6) On Quant, be willing to go back to the basics if necessary, by drilling certain math
concepts over and over until you are more confident. The Cliff’s Notes Math
Review for Standardized Tests book is helpful in this regard. Many math
questions on the GMAT quant section can be solved easily through a strong
grasp of math theory and number properties.
7) Don’t give up. Most people have to take the GMAT several times before they
reach their desired score, and the GMAC score report policy allows test-takers to
hide any GMAT scores that they don’t want their potential grad programs to see,
by cancelling the score within 72 hours of the test.
8) If you’re taking periodic full GMAT practice tests as part of your practice
regimen, then good job! But don’t bother trying to review your results
afterward. Instead, wait until the next day, when your mind is fresher, to review
your results. Remember, it’s the careful, deliberate and untimed review of each
question you got wrong that leads to actual improvement, not just the act of
taking the practice test itself. Force yourself to retry each question, even if the
correct answer “already makes sense”...especially on Quant. For Verbal, focus
on writing down why all the wrong answers are wrong, not just why the right
answer is right.

If you need more structure to your studies, then below is a generic 1-month GMAT study
plan that can be modified for longer durations of preparation time.

My Recommended GMAT Study Plan:

"Section" = a timed, scored section from the GMATPrep Software (Exams 1 through 6). Helps you
practice test-taking techniques, and leveraging the GMAT algorithm.
"Practice" = unscored (no composite score, only correct/incorrect) and the time limit is less strict. Take as
long as you need for understanding. Check the answer after every question (“study mode”).

Remember that you don’t necessarily need to pay for Exam Packs 1 and 2, because
there are approximately 1,500 potential questions in (free) Exams 1 and 2, so you can
just keep resetting the tests and using them again. The IR sections will be exactly the
same (not adaptive!), but the quant and verbal sections will be different every time.

Another option is to install the GMAT Prep software on 2 different computers. 2 different
computers = 2 different versions of the test = nearly twice as many questions to
practice.
Here is a sample weekly schedule that I would recommend IF YOU ARE TRYING TO
PREPARE IN ONLY ONE MONTH (see modifications for 2-6 month study plans below).

To organize your studies by topic, rather than just working through the books from front
to back, I strongly recommend that you check out this GMAT Club Spreadsheet that I
edited,, which organizes every question in the 2017 Official Guide by topic and difficulty.
and serves as a built-in error log.

p.s. Just because I write “65 minute Verbal section” doesn’t necessarily mean that you
have to complete the entire section in one shot. In fact, I would argue that it’s actually
better to stop and check your answer after each question, for maximum learning. If
you’re taking a GMATPrep exam, then the only way to check your answer would be to
google the first few words of the question and check the answer on GMAT Club. If
you’re using the OG, then just check your answer in the back of the book, and see if the
book explanation helps (even though the book explanation is usually not the best
explanation). If you’re using Question Pack 1, then just set it to “Study Mode,” which
means that you will see the answer to your question immediately after confirming your
answer.

The good news is that this will allow you to slow down, and to stop staring at the
stopwatch so much (timing yourself excessively can be a bad strategy as it makes the
entire process of studying too stressful). The bad news is that this means that a
65-minute section might take much longer than 65 minutes to complete.

Day 1: COMPUTER DAY

1) 62 minute Quant Section - GMATPrep

2) 65 minute Verbal Section - GMATPrep
3) Review Incorrectly Answered Quant Questions + Math Concepts and Strategies
4) Review Incorrectly Answered Verbal Questions + Verbal Concepts and Strategies
5) 30 minute IR Section or Practice - GMAT Prep / IR tool from Wiley
6) 30 minutes Essay Practice

Day 2: BOOK (OG) / WILEY DAY

1) 37 Quant Questions in OG / Wiley

2) 41 Verbal Questions in OG / Wiley
3) Review Incorrectly Answered Quants
4) Review Incorrectly Answered Verbals
5) 12 IR Questions - Any Source

Day 3: COMPUTER DAY

1) 37 Quant Questions in GMATPrep (Question Packs)

2) 41 Verbal Questions in GMATPrep (Question Packs)
3) Review Incorrectly Answered Quants + Math Concepts and Strategies
4) Review Incorrectly Answered Verbals + Verbal Concepts and Strategies

Day 4: BOOK (OG) / WILEY DAY

1) 37 Quant Questions in OG / Wiley

2) 41 Verbal Questions in OG / Wiley
3) Review Incorrectly Answered Quants + Math Concepts and Strategies
4) Review Incorrectly Answered Verbals + Verbal Concepts and Strategies
5) 12 IR Questions - Any Source

Day 5: COMPUTER DAY

1) 62 minute Quant Section - GMATPrep

2) 65 minute Verbal Section - GMATPrep
3) Review Incorrectly Answered Quants + Math Concepts and Strategies
4) Review Incorrectly Answered Verbals + Verbal Concepts and Strategies
5) 30 minute IR Section or Practice - GMAT Prep / IR tool from Wiley
6) 30 minutes Essay Practice

Day 6: BOOK (OG) / WILEY DAY

1) 37 Quant Questions in OG / Wiley

2) 41 Verbal Questions in OG / Wiley
3) Review Incorrectly Answered Quants + Math Concepts and Strategies
4) Review Incorrectly Answered Verbals + Verbal Concepts and Strategies
5) 12 IR Questions - Any Source

Day 7: Take a rest! You’re only human.

Repeat for three more weeks, and you’ve completed approximately 2,160 real GMAT
questions out of the approximately 4,000 official GMAT questions available.
Here are my modifications for 2-6 month study plans:

2-month study plan: complete 3 assignments (numbered above) per day.

3-month study plan: complete 2 assignments per day.
4-month study plan: complete 1-2 assignments per day.
6-month study plan: complete 1 assignment per day.

The founder of the GMAT Club forum has also written an excellent GMAT Study Plan on
GMAT club.
——

A QUICK AND IMPORTANT NOTE ON HOW TO REVIEW INCORRECTLY

ANSWERED GMAT QUESTIONS:

Yes, the correct answers (along with mildly helpful explanations) are all right there in the
books. But at all costs, don’t check the correct answer right away, because in many
ways it ruins the utility of that question.

When it comes time to re-try the questions that you answered incorrectly, I recommend
that you either buy a 2nd copy of the books to keep blank, or that you simply re-try the
questions on your computer screen…BEFORE checking the answer. It's what I call a
"blind review": going over all the questions you got wrong without first checking the
correct answer/explanation, or seeing any of your previous work.

Yes, I know…when you get something wrong that you thought you got right, your first
instinct is to immediately check the correct answer choice. However, try your best to
avoid this temptation.

In my opinion, blind review is one of the key facets of effective test prep. Thus, when
using the physical book, you should only mark your answers in the book as correct or
incorrect (this is easier when working with a partner). Most importantly, don't write down
or look at the correct answers before you get a chance to review / re-try them at least
once.

Obviously, this type of study is much easier with a partner. If you’re working by yourself
out of the physical books or the Kindle editions, then there is no way to check your
answers without actually looking at the correct letter answers. So, if you’re studying
solo, then I recommend that you write your answers—only your answers, not your
work— on a separate sheet of paper. Do at least 40 questions at a time, to get a feel for
what a GMAT Quant or Verbal section feels like. When you correct them, don’t indicate
the correct answers in the book yet—simply mark incorrect answers as incorrect. And
try to correct your questions all at once instead of one at a time, so that when you
review the actual question afterward, you are less likely to remember the correct
answer.

In contrast, if you go over questions by checking the correct answers right away, then
you can create false confidence by fooling yourself into thinking that you understand the
questions fully, when in fact you are still prone to those types of mistakes. The best way
to know for sure is to try the questions again, from scratch, *without* the aid of the
answer key, your previous answer, or the answer explanations. Only then should you
confirm the correct answer and read the explanation provided.
--

Good luck on your GMAT and beyond! The GMAT is a challenging, world-class test of
Math, English, and reasoning skills, but it can be mastered with dedication and
perseverance. I hope that you found this doc helpful.

This is a free, publicly accessible Google Document that I will continue to update over
time, so please check in frequently for new information.

Questions, comments, suggestions, exhortations? Contact me at the email address

below.

For more GMAT info:

GMAT Action Plan - McElroy Tutoring

My GMAT AMA on Reddit
My Review of The GMAT Official Guide (OG) 2018 on Amazon
Check Me Out on GMAT Club
GMAT Test-Day Tips

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE, APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2020: THE GMAT HAS GONE ONLINE

DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC! THE “INTERIM” ONLINE TEST DOES NOT
HAVE AN AMA SECTION, AND WILL BE IN THE FIXED ORDER Q/V/IR.
 PHYSICAL WHITEBOARDS ARE NOT ALLOWED, AND SCORES WILL TAKE 7
BUSINESS DAYS OR MORE TO RECEIVE. THE GMAT ONLINE WILL NOT COUNT
TOWARD YOUR LIFETIME OR YEARLY LIMIT, AND YOU CANNOT ORDER AN ESR
(ENHANCED SCORE REPORT), NOR CAN YOU CANCEL YOUR SCORE. REST
ASSURED THAT BUSINESS SCHOOLS WILL NOT SEE YOUR GMAT ONLINE
SCORES UNLESS YOU CHOOSE TO SEND THEM.

Check out the GMAC website and GMAT Club’s dedicated GMAT Online thread for
real-time updates and changes.

I took the online GMAT twice myself--it was quite the experience and my 2
attempts involved a ton of technical snafus, but thankfully I was able to manage a
730 (96%) score even without the physical whiteboard. (My physical whiteboard
retake was apparently the same score or lower.) Not my best score, but I’ll take it,
especially given the many delays, technological hurdles and distractions of
taking the exam at home at 10 pm, with 3 kids and 2 dogs who were all stuck at
home in the middle of a pandemic. : )

I suspect that at some point in the future, the GMAT online will in fact become a
permanent solution, and that physical test centers will become a thing of the
past.

EDIT, 5/27/21: For now at least, the test-center GMAT is still here to stay, and is
the better test version to take, especially because of the (rumored, but I agree)
easier Quant section and the many reported lag issues on the GMAT online. Also,
the COVID vaccine is here, and life as we know it is (thankfully) returning to
normal.
Above is an example of what the GMAT Online test taker score report looks like. Although GMAT
Online scores cannot be cancelled, they are NOT included on your regular Test-Taker Score
Report, so b-schools should only be able to see your GMAT Online scores if you want them to,
making the online texam truly “risk free”—other than the $250 test fee, the (negligible) effect on
your yearly (5) and lifetime (8) GMAT limits, and the many technological and psychological
hurdles that test-takers have faced so far, including proctors that don’t show up, software that
doesn’t work, seconds or even minutes-long lags (buttons don’t work right away) while the clock
is ticking, and in some cases, hours-long delays to the start of the exam, followed by weeks-long
exchanges with GMAC and Examity customer service.

Make sure never to look away from your screen, or move your face off camera for even a moment,
as that is grounds for ending the test. The proctors are rather strict! Take it from me: I had my
first attempt at the GMAT online terminated for “looking off screen” before the exam had even
begun.

Sincerely,
Brian R. McElroy
Contact: mcelroy@post.harvard.edu

Last updated 10/18/21

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR G-DAY!