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Making the decision to apply to graduate school is one of the most important choices you can make in life. A master’s or doctoral degree can open the door to many opportunities for you and help you secure a more fulfilling and better paying career.

 

However, depending on which program you want to apply for, you’ll need to take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). The GMAT is a standardized test that challenges you in 4 different areas: analytical writing, integrated reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning.

 

The purpose of this exam is to see if you have the critical thinking skills and baseline knowledge to make it through a graduate program. Even so, it takes a lot of practice and studying to do well on this three and a half hour assessment. That being said, is it even possible to do well then if you have a full-time job?

 

It’s hard enough as it is to take care of home or family responsibilities after a long day of work. Can there be enough room for one more thing in your hectic schedule? Although sometimes it seems like you can barely find a spare moment for yourself, there are many ways to squeeze in some study time and ace your GMAT, no matter how busy life can get.

How to Study Like a Boss

Before worrying about when you’ll study, figure out what you’ll need to study and the best way to do it first. After all, there’s no point in making the time to study if you don’t utilize it effectively. It’s also helpful to see if the graduate program you want to apply for actually requires you to take the GMAT.

 

Since different degrees can be offered for the same emphasis, such as an MS or an MA in psychology and an LLM or an MT in taxation, what you really want to focus your studies on may not need the results of a GMAT to apply.

 

Although it’s a good idea to do so anyways, it can take some pressure off of you knowing your admission isn’t riding on your results. To help you prepare, here are some tips to get you started:

 

• Don’t Skimp on Communication Skills: Although the GMAT is taken on a computer for the most part, your communication skills will still be put to the test. People want to see how clearly and effectively you can convey an idea, a highly valued ability most schools look for in potential students.

 

To keep your communication skills sharp, practice by writing essays on a variety of topics. See how well you’re able to explain things by having other people read what you wrote and tell you what they think the meaning is.

 

• Practice, Practice, Practice: One thing that makes GMATs different from other tests you’ve taken is that the questions get progressively harder based on how you answer. Wouldn’t it be nice to know how difficult the questions can get before taking it?

 

Well, actually, you can. There are a variety of websites that offer practice tests of the GMAT. By participating in these practice exams on a regular basis, you’ll be more than prepared when you take the real test.

 

• Study Online: Why not visit the official GMAT website and study the resources they provide? It’s almost like getting the answers from a teacher before the day of a big test. However, this exam isn’t like others where you’re expected to memorize and regurgitate facts.

 

You’re expected to know the concepts behind the questions and will be tested in multiple ways to determine how well you comprehend the information. So look through the study guides and sample questions the GMAT website provides and make sure you have a firm grasp on the subjects you encounter.

How Much Studying Do You Actually Need?

Another question to consider is how long you actually need to study in order to attain the results you want on the GMAT. It really depends on a multitude of factors. First things first, you need to have a goal in mind on the kind of GMAT score you want.

 

By looking at the average GMAT scores for the graduate schools you want to attend, you’ll have a better idea of the kind of results you’ll want to achieve. When you have a number in mind, take a GMAT practice test. What did you get? Was it close to your goal?

 

How close in proximity your practice test score is to the average score accepted at your schools of choice will determine how long you’ll need to actually study. Although some people learn faster or slower than others, here are some average times to study for based on how many points you want to improve by:

 

• 50 hours total: 0 to 50 points
• 100 hours total: 51 to 100 points
• 150 hours total: 101 to 150 points

 

These outcomes aren’t definite, but they’re a good place to start. You can lengthen or shorten the amount of time based on your own learning and study habits that have proven successful for you in the past.

 

From there, you can figure out how many hours to study a week until the day of the GMAT — so triple check the application deadlines of the graduate programs you’re interested in.

 

Make sure you have enough time to take the test and have the results ready before you need to apply anywhere. Stick to the study times, styles, and schedules that work for you and reap the benefits come test day.

How to Fit It All In

However, if you think the amount of hours you need to study before the GMAT is still too much for your schedule to handle, there are still tips and tricks that can help even the busiest person sneak some studying in. Here are a few ways to help you study even with a full time job:

 

• Take Advantage of Your Commute: If you carpool or take public transportation to work, don’t see it as commuting time, but as studying time. With an average commute of over 20 minutes for most people, that’s time that can be spent reviewing GMAT materials instead of looking at social media or catching up on the latest novel.

 

• Always Be Prepared: If anything, our lives are full of moments where we just wait. Waiting for appointments, waiting in line, waiting for sports practice or music lessons to be over. Instead of heading straight to your phone, head straight to some study notecards. By carrying study materials everywhere you go, you’ll always be prepared to do some review when life makes you wait again.

 

• Make Some Sacrifices: This is the part that people least like to do. No one wants to give up something they enjoy doing in order to cram some studying in. However, if graduate school is a must for you, then sacrifices will have to be a must as well.

 

You won’t believe how much time you can find if you skip watching TV or browsing the internet after work. Just remember that it will only be for a period of time and you’ll be able to return to those activities after acing your GMAT.

 

Although life is busy enough without having to study for a GMAT, it’s completely doable and the benefits will be well worth it. Once you know what to study and for how long, it’ll be that much easier determining how to make it work with your schedule. Graduate school is an amazing opportunity that shouldn’t be missed. Let your