Regardless of what books, software, or other GMAT-prep resources you’re using, certain time-tested strategies for GMAT prep never go out of style. To attain your optimal GMAT score, and to maximize your chances of getting into your first-choice B-school, heed the following points of sage advice.

1. Don’t Neglect Your Weaknesses
   
   In gearing up for theGMAT, many test-takers make the mistake of focusing on their strengths while neglecting their weaknesses. They tell themselves: “I can’t handle this tough stuff right now; so I’ll either face it later or skip it altogether and hope to make some lucky guesses on the exam.”
   
   But, you can’t hide any of your individual GMAT scores from B-school admissions officers. So, don’t spin your GMAT-prep wheels by spending more time than you need on any one area of the GMAT, or by rehashing what you already know. Devote more time to improving on your weaknesses than basking in your strengths.
   
   
2. Don’t Neglect the Two GMAT Essay Sections
   
   GMAT “prep neglect” is especially commonplace when it comes to the two GMAT essay sections—a bit ironic, considering that it’s impossible to guess, or “fake,” your way through an essay. What’s more, the B-schools are focusing more and more on the GMAT essays to help them make tough decisions among applicants—many of whom appear equally qualified otherwise. So, your AWA score might very well make the difference between acceptance and rejection, especially for a B-school where you’re a borderline candidate.
   
   
3. Practice under Exam Conditions
   
   When it comes to GMAT prep, there’s simply no substitute for “putting yourself to the test” by taking practice questions under simulated testing conditions. Here are some suggestions:
   
   
   • Adhere to the time limits that each exam section imposes.
   
   
   
   • If possible, use a word processor for composing your practice essays; use only the features available on the CAT word processor.
   
   
   
   • If possible, take at least one computer-based practice test.
   
   
   
   • Also, do not underestimate the role that endurance plays on the GMAT. Half the battle is just making it through the half-day ordeal with your wits intact. Condition yourself by taking at least one fulllength practice test straight through, with only a few short breaks.
   
   
4. Take the Real GMAT Once—Just for Practice
   
   If you have time and can afford it, you should register for and take the real GMAT once as a dress rehearsal—just to get comfortable with the testing environment. You’ll rid yourself of a lot of anxiety and nervousness and, if you’re like most test-takers, you’ll be far more relaxed and focused the second time around. In fact, ETS statistics show that among repeaters, more than 90% improve their score the second time around. Those are great odds!
   
   
5. Keep Practice Scores in Perspective
   
   If you’re like most GMAT test-takers, you’ve set your sights on two or three particular colleges or universities as your top choices, and you have a good idea what GMAT scores you’ll need for getting into those schools. So perhaps you’ve set a goal for your GMAT scores. That’s understandable. But don’t psyche yourself out by obsessing over your practice-test scores. Gloating over high scores can lead to complacency and overconfidence, while brooding over low scores can result in discouragement and self-doubt. Either way, you’re sabotaging yourself. The bottom line: Try to concern yourself not with test scores themselves but rather with what you can constructively do between now and exam day to improve these scores.
   
   
6. Maintain the Right “GMATitude”
   
   It’s important to maintain a positive attitude about the GMAT. But, it’s also important to keep your self-confidence from swelling to the point of complacency and overconfidence. Think you can just “wing it” on the GMAT and still crush the competition? Think again. Even if you were a curve-raiser in college, there are thousands of others like you who are taking the GMAT very seriously and who would be more than happy to bump you down the GMAT-scoring curve. Enough said?
   
   
7. Be Realistic in Your Expectations
   
   You’d love perfect GMAT scores, wouldn’t you? And in theory, your capable of attaining them. But in reality, you probably won’t score as highly as you’d like to. Accept your limitations. With regular study and practice, you’ll perform as well as you can reasonably expect to perform. Also be realistic about the benefits you expect from this or any other GMAT preparation book. There’s only so much that you can do in a few weeks—or even several months—to boost your GMAT score.
   
   
8. Take Steps to Minimize GMAT Anxiety
   
   Test anxiety, whether before or during a test, can only hinder your performance. Although it’s a good idea to try to keep a lid on it, don’t expect to eliminate it entirely. If you’re starting to feel the heat, try the following anxiety-busting techniques:
   
   
   • Practice testing under exam conditions is the best method of reducing test anxiety. As you become more comfortable in a simulated testing environment, your nerves will begin to settle down, and the real test will seem more like “just another day at the office.”
     
     
   • Join (or form) a GMAT study group. Openly discuss your insecurities about the GMAT, and you’ll notice that they begin to dissipate.
   
   
   
   • Before taking practice tests, try simple relaxation techniques such as stretching, quieting your thoughts, deep breathing, or whatever else works for you. Some people find a quick burst of vigorous exercise to be highly effective.
     
     
   • You’ll be anxious about the GMAT only if you’re actually thinking about it. So during the weeks that you’re gearing up for the test, keep yourself preoccupied with your everyday activities. Try not to discuss the GMAT with others except during planned study sessions or classes.
   
   
9. Know When You’ve Peaked
   
   Preparing for the GMAT is a bit like training for an athletic event. You need to familiarize yourself with the event, learn to be comfortable with it, and build up your skill and endurance. At some point—hopefully around exam day—your motivation, interest, and performance will peak. Sure, it takes some time and effort to get comfortable with the exam, to correct poor test-taking habits, to bone up on whatever math and grammar you might have forgotten, to develop an instinct for recognizing wrong-answer choices, and to find your optimal pace. But there’s a point beyond which additional study and practice confer little or no additional benefit. Don’t drag out the process by starting several months in advance or by postponing the GMAT to give yourself more time than you really need for preparation.
   
   
10. Take the GMAT Early to Allow Yourself the Option of Retaking It
    
    Most graduate business schools admit new students for the fall term only. Although application deadlines vary widely among schools, if you take the GMAT no later than the November prior to matriculation, you’ll meet almost any application deadline. Ideally, you should take the GMAT early enough so that you can take the exam a second time if necessary and still meet application deadlines. In any event, schedule the GMAT so that you’re sure you will have adequate time to prepare beforehand.
    
    

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