How Long Should You Study For The GMAT? - Business Because
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TL;DR
- Two to three months of focused prep for the GMAT exam is usually ideal; overly long timelines risk burnout and diminishing returns
- Top scorers typically study 90+ hours, building skills through consistent practice rather than cramming knowledge
- Effective prep follows three stages: learning concepts, practicing under time pressure, then undertaking full mocks to build stamina
How much time should you allow to prepare for the GMAT?
Few people take the GMAT exam under ideal circumstances. Most test-takers are juggling work demands and other responsibilities, and the time it takes to study for the GMAT will be different depending on your circumstances.
It will also depend on your starting point, and whether you have a solid foundation in English and math.
Think of the GMAT in terms of your best score—the maximum score that you can achieve. The concept of your best score may make more sense than a target score (often set arbitrarily).
Getting your best score on the GMAT takes time. There are people who take the test in a rush and do well—although they may not necessarily be achieving their best score. There are also those who lose momentum over an overly long period of time.
How long should you prep for the GMAT?
As a rule of thumb, two to three months is plenty of time to keep up the intensity it takes to prepare for the GMAT. Dragging out your preparation won’t necessarily improve your score. There are often diminishing returns after a certain point in the process.
Unlike other tests, the GMAT tests your abilities rather than your knowledge. You can think of preparing for the GMAT like training for a marathon. You are building up your ability over time to do your best on the day. A large part of the GMAT skillset is gained through practice. Lots and lots of practice.
Our research shows that top scorers report studying over 90 hours for the test. These top scorers are test-takers who score in at least the 89th percentile. That equates to a score of around 645 and above under the new GMAT scoring system. To find out more about the comparison between pre-2024 scores and the current GMAT scoring system, consult our concordance table.
However, there is no cause-and-effect process at work. Spending more hours studying does not guarantee a high score, but it is helpful to keep over a hundred hours of preparation as a ballpark figure for your practice.
Your natural abilities (which we are not always good at accessing accurately) may play some role in your score. Regardless of your natural abilities, however, you will not achieve your best score without proper preparation.
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