Indian School of Business, or ISB, is one of the top business schools in India that has many applicants who apply for its MBA courses each year. Although ISB has a comprehensive process that includes academic scores, experience, essays, leadership qualities, and interviews, achieving a high GMAT score for ISB admissions can definitely boost your application. Getting a good score on the GMAT is not just a matter of hard work, but also planning and preparation.
Here are 7 effective GMAT preparation strategies for ISB aspirants.
1. Understand the GMAT Focus Edition Before You Begin
Before preparing a study plan, get acquainted with the GMAT Focus Edition. This will ensure that you can prepare adequately for the test without any surprises coming up during the test date.
The GMAT Focus Edition tests the analytical skills of the candidate in terms of the thinking and problem-solving abilities required in the corporate world. This test will assess your analytical skills, critical reasoning ability, quantitative problem-solving ability, and information interpretation skills.
Before beginning your preparations, it is important to get to know:
- The exam sections and question types.
- The GMAT scoring pattern.
- Time allowed per section.
- The adaptive nature of the GMAT.
- GMAT syllabus.
With these basics in mind, you can create a study plan for the GMAT that targets your weaknesses and builds on your strengths.
2. Set a Realistic GMAT Score Target for ISB
Probably the biggest mistake applicants make is preparing without having a definite score in mind. Rather than targeting some random number, take into account your academic record, work experience, and career ambitions. ISB has no official GMAT cut-off and considers applications in a holistic manner.
The first thing to do to have a realistic goal is the following:
- Look at the class profiles from previous years.
- Take an official GMAT exam to assess current performance.
- See where your current level stands.
- Calculate how much you need to improve.
- Plan the course of preparation.
With the goal defined, you can keep up your motivation and measure your progress.
3. Create a Structured GMAT Study Plan
An effective study schedule is one of the best GMAT preparation methods for ISB hopefuls. Irregular studies give rise to poor scores and improper preparation. Prepare yourself for the exam by segmenting your studies. Ensure that you get time to work on building up concepts, practicing, revising, and analyzing GMAT mocks.
There are many ISB admission consultants who recommend following a structured study plan to improve both your GMAT performance and overall application.
An ideal GMAT study schedule per week must have all of the following:
- Concept building
- Practice questions daily
- Revision per section
- GMAT mock tests
- Practice Reading Comprehension
- Practice Data Insights
- Time management
Even if you are a working professional, 2 to 3 hours of proper study on weekdays, along with some longer weekend study schedules, can yield brilliant results if pursued systematically.
It is important that you stick to a study routine of a few hours every day rather than study intensively only once or twice a week.
4. Focus on Accuracy Before Speed
Most GMAT test takers assume that fast-solving skills are critical for high GMAT scores. However, accuracy is more valuable than speed at the first stage of preparation.
Take the time to know why the right answer was chosen or why it was wrong. That will help you gain a better understanding of the concept, and you won’t make the same mistake again.
If you want to increase your accuracy level, follow these:
- Read the question carefully.
- Don’t assume anything.
- Get familiar with concepts rather than trying to use a shortcut.
- Go over every wrong answer.
- Keep track of all your mistakes in an error log.
As your conceptual knowledge develops, the speed of solving questions will improve naturally.
5. Learn from Experts and Stay Accountable
Although self-study suits most students, having professional guidance will increase your efficiency and help you focus on particular aspects of your preparation. There is one major advantage of studying with experts, as they would be able to explain difficult concepts, identify your weak areas, and offer you correct approaches to passing the exam.
It is necessary to take into account the fact that it is important to become responsible for your learning, no matter whether you prefer self-study or expert advice.
6. Take Full-Length GMAT Mock Tests Regularly
After building up the concept well, you can assess your preparedness with the actual GMAT examination. Mock GMAT tests are one of the best ways of evaluating yourself and improving your test-taking approach.
Mock tests help you:
- Manage time better
- Gain exam stamina
- Assess strengths and weaknesses
- Get acquainted with the adaptive nature of the GMAT
- Evaluate your progress in your score
Start practicing the mock tests once you have finished with all the basics of each section. To start with, 1 mock test per week will do. As the test day approaches, you should do 2 to 3 practice tests a week.
Once you have finished doing a practice test, examine yourself by asking questions such as:
- What section did you take the longest time on?
- What concepts require revision?
- Did you make errors because of weak concepts or poor time management?
- Which questions should be practiced further?
Remember that analyzing your errors is as essential as writing the test itself.
7. Choose High-Quality GMAT Study Resources
One of the mistakes that aspirants usually commit is that of having too many books and too many websites. Going from one book to another and from one website to another only leads to confusion.
What you should ideally do is opt for a couple of good sources that have all the details pertaining to the updated GMAT Focus Edition syllabus.
The best kind of study material has the following features:
- Updated GMAT Focus Edition syllabus
- Topic-wise question practice
- Section-wise and full mock test papers
- Performance analysis
- Detailed explanation for each answer
Using quality study resources helps you build concepts systematically and ensures your preparation remains focused and efficient.
Conclusion
An effective ISB application calls for much more than a good GMAT score. You will have to ensure that you prepare yourself well, follow a proper study schedule, take practice tests, and have an impressive profile in all other aspects, including work experience, leadership abilities, essays, and interviews, whether you are applying to the flagship programme or exploring an ISB online MBA course.
In order to increase your likelihood of getting admission to ISB, professional assistance from experts can make a huge difference for you. The GMAT prep offered by Jamboree India includes all-around assistance that you may need via classroom sessions as well as live online coaching, study material, mock test preparation, and MBA admission guidance
Reference: https://www.jamboreeindia.com/know-how/acing-the-gmat-for-isb-gmat-preparation-strategies-that-work
