A 9 min read

Sankha scored a GMAT Focus Edition 715 with just 30 days of preparation. While Dhananjay, who worked 60+ hours a week full-time, needed 18 months to prepare and score the same.

Thus, the answer to the question of how long it takes to prepare for the GMAT – it depends on you! There are a lot of factors to consider and evaluate in answering this question. If you are in the starting stages of your GMAT preparation journey, this article will cover all the factors you should consider in estimating your GMAT preparation time and much more.

Before we move forward, take a look at this video:

Take this quiz to find out GMAT Preparation Time

GMAT Preparation Time Calculation – How much time is required to prepare for GMAT?

The GMAT preparation duration depends on several critical factors: your target GMAT score, your current ability, GMAT prep resources, and your work schedule.

Most dedicated students using a data-driven online course need about 7 hours of study for every 10-point improvement (on a scale of 805) on their GMAT score. Using books, this increases to 12 hours per 10-point improvement.

Use this formula to calculate your preparation time:

Time required for GMAT Preparation (in hours) = [Target GMAT Score – Current estimated GMAT score] X [7/10] X [1 + CBT]

Where:

1. Target GMAT Score = Final score that you are aiming for
2. Current Estimated GMAT score = Starting score from GMAT Mock Test
3. 7/10 = 7 hours of effort for every 10-point score improvement
4. CBT = Confidence Building Time factor; its value can be 0.0 or 0.25

The CBT or Confidence Building Time Factor can be thought of like the additional time required to build up the foundational conceptual knowledge tested in the GMAT. The GMAT is a test of Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning. Thus, if you are extremely weak in either (determined based on your mock test score) the value of CBT would be 0.25.

However, if you are scoring 645 or above in your mock test attempt, you need to analyze your sectional and subsectional abilities to determine the CBT.

While the above formula requires manual inputs, we have created an interactive Personalized Study Planner tool to help you create your own GMAT Study Plan. Click here to access the GMAT Personalized Study Planner tool and create your own study plan in less than 5 minutes

Now we will consider a couple of scenarios to understand the application of the above formula to calculate your GMAT preparation time.

Example Scenarios

1) Working Professional (devoting 16 hours per week for GMAT preparation)

A working professional has found the answers to the questions that determine his preparation period. His required target score is 705, he gave a GMAT Prep mock test after some basic concept review and scored 555. Thus, to reach his target score, he requires a 150-point improvement.

The time required for GMAT preparation according to the formula above would be 150 X 0.7 X [1 + 0.25] = 131.25

It would require ~130 hours of quality study time using online video-based resources to reach the target score of 705.

Now if you were to use books as your choice of preparation resources, the study time required would be ~ 225 hours.

Taking this a step further, since a working professional would not be able to allocate more than 2 hours of time on weekdays and around 3 hours of time on weekends, his preparation period will be spread throughout 8 – 10 weeks.

Thus, even though the preparation time required is around 130 hours, due to scheduling constraints, the time required to reach the GMAT score would be 2 – 2.5 months.

See how Sankha scored a GMAT Focus Edition (GFE) 715 with a full-time job.

2) Student (devoting 28 hours per week for GMAT preparation):

Similarly, if you are a student and thinking of giving the GMAT, then based on the time you can dedicate to GMAT preparation, it may take 4 – 6 weeks for your GMAT preparation for a 150-point improvement.

The above estimate assumes that you will be putting in 4 hours of study time towards GMAT preparation daily for 7 days a week.

Now that you know the time required to achieve your target score, it’s crucial to understand the factors affecting your preparation time. By grasping these factors, you can better structure and plan your studies, ensuring you’re on track to hit your target score on test day. In the next section, we will discuss these factors in detail.

Factors that determine GMAT Preparation Time

Now that you know the formula to calculate GMAT preparation time, you should know the factors that affect GMAT preparation time and have quantifiable answers to the following questions

1. What is your current level of preparation?
2. What is your target GMAT score?
3. Which resources you are going to use for your preparation?

1) Your current level of GMAT Preparation

As with any journey, the amount of time you take to reach your destination/target score depends on where you currently stand. Here are some methods to gauge your readiness:

For First-Time Test Takers:

1. GMAT Official guide Diagnostic Quiz
2. GMAT Prep mock tests
3. SIGma-X Mock ( fully adaptive and mirror the actual exam’s structure)

Methods Overview

GMAT Official guide Diagnostic Quiz:

• Includes 150+ questions for Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights.
• Not adaptive and does not provide a raw GMAT score.
• Offers insights into strengths and weaknesses to prioritize your study plan.

The Diagnostic Test provides guidance for GMAT preparation, but a strong score on it doesn’t guarantee similar performance on the actual exam. The test’s statistical reliability ranges from 0.75 to 0.89, with subscale classification accuracy between 85% and 90%. This means it’s a good, but not perfect, predictor of your real GMAT score.

GMAT Prep Mock Tests:

GMAC also provides an official starter kit along with 2 practice exams. 

• GMAT Classic Edition Official Starter Kit + Practice Exams 1 & 2 – This kit contains 90 questions along with two practice exams.
• GMAT Focus Edition Official Starter Kit + Practice Exams 1 & 2 – This kit contains 70 questions along with two practice exams.

There are a few reasons why you should not use them for estimating your current level of preparation:

• Contains questions from past GMAT tests and uses the same scoring algorithm.
• Requires familiarity with all sections and good time management skills, which may affect your score if you’re just starting.

Thus, to estimate your current test score, the Official GMAT mock tests would be overkill and inefficient use of both your time and the official mock tests.

How to best use mocks to get an accurate baseline score?

For best results, use the following process to estimate your current GMAT scores:

1. Attempt OG Diagnostic test
2. Review attempt to determine weak areas
3. Review concepts related to weak areas
4. Attempt the GMAT Prep mock test or the SIGma-X mock.

This way you would get the most accurate assessment of your current level of GMAT preparation.

For Retakers :

Use your GMAT Official Score Report or Enhanced Score Report to estimate your current preparation level.

If you have already taken the GMAT (previous Edition), your previous GMAT score would serve as a good estimate of your current level of GMAT preparation. You can order and access your GMAT Enhanced Score Report till 5 years from your test date. For the GMAT Focus Edition, you get the Official Score Report which would include new and improved detailed performance insights at no additional cost.

However, there are a few things you need to be aware of while analyzing your GMAT ESR. Read this article on ESR analysis to learn more.

Accurate estimation of your current level is crucial for planning your preparation timeline. Choose the most efficient method based on available resources.

2) Your target GMAT score

A good target GMAT score helps you stand out from the candidate pool. In our article on What is a good GMAT score? We show a 5-step process to help you determine the same.

Generally, you should aim for 20 points greater than the school’s/program’s average that you will be applying to. However, if you belong to an overrepresented demographic pool, you should aim for 30+ points more than the median score of your target school/program.

To learn more about what GMAT score will give you an edge over other applicants during admissions and scholarships considerations, read our other article.

3) Which resources you are going to use in your GMAT preparation?

Depending on whether you are using books, video lessons, or instructor-led classroom coaching, the GMAT preparation time may be different.

90% of students who approach their GMAT preparation with dedication, are consistent, use a data-driven online course, and need approximately 7 hours of study for every 10-point Improvement (on a scale of 805) in their total GMAT score.

However, if you are using books for GMAT preparation, you would require approximately 12 hours per 10-point improvement (on a scale of 805).

The above figures are calculated, assuming the following about your preparation:

1. You study consistently without taking long breaks between your preparation i.e., give up preparation for more than a week due to other commitments
2. You study using one resource.
3. You don’t change your study plan frequently; i.e., you don’t follow a strategy to study Sentence Correction for 3 days, and then switch to studying Critical Reasoning or Quant without completing Sentence Correction.

Read this article to find out Best GMAT prep books/resources.

Besides the time required for learning the concepts tested in the GMAT, you also must account for the time required for taking mock tests for conditioning and fine-tuning preparation strategy.

Thus, choosing the right resources for GMAT preparation would reduce the amount of time it takes to prepare for the GMAT.

How to create a study plan for GMAT preparation and measure progress?

A personalized GMAT study plan will help you reduce your GMAT preparation time by up to 40+ hours if you are short on time and application deadlines are close by.

Otherwise, if you have ample time for GMAT preparation, a study plan can help you score 50 points more than what you could score, in case if you study without a study plan. It will also improve your chances of admission to top colleges and help you in getting scholarships and fellowships for your MBA.

To know more about how to create a study plan and decide your GMAT strategy, read our article on how to create a personalized GMAT study plan.

A personalized study plan makes it 2X more likely to hit your target GMAT score. Use the Personalized Study Planner tool to create your own GMAT study plan in less than 5 minutes.

We have already created the following study plans for your reference:

• GMAT Focus Study Plan
• 1-Month Study Plan
• Personalized Study Plan Using PSP

How to measure your progress while following the study plan?

Now that you have created your study plan, it is important to check your progress towards your target GMAT score. This ensures that the score that flashes on your screen when you finish your actual GMAT is one you are pleased with.

There are 2 ways to measure and keep track of your progress:

• Cementing Quizzes
• Mock Tests

Cementing Quizzes : Cementing quizzes are designed to make sure that students practice in the right way after completing a certain course. These are designed to test both the knowledge and application of concepts across a spectrum of medium and hard questions across any subsection. Cementing quizzes act as mini mocks that evaluate you in one subsection, say CR, RC, Algebra, etc.

Thus, to get a quick and accurate estimate of your progress, you should use cementing quizzes to reduce the time required for preparation. Learn more about how to use cementing quizzes to measure your progress.

• Anyone who gets a constant 70%+ in Medium Cementing quizzes (2 consecutive 70%+ scores) has a proven ability of 55^th percentile in that subsection.
• Anyone who gets a constant 55%+ in Hard Cementing quizzes (2 consecutive 55%+ scores) has a proven ability of 70^th percentile in that subsection.

Mock tests: The GMAC offers 2 free mock tests, and another 4 are available for $107.99. However, we recommend using these mock tests towards the final phase of your preparation journey.

We at e-GMAT are immensely proud to announce a groundbreaking advancement in GMAT preparation with the launch of our GMAT Focus Edition mocks, while you also access the current edition mock for free. The best way to understand the GMAT exam format is by trying the test out for yourself. Try Free GFE Mock now.

In either case, it is important that you extract the maximum information and data from your quiz or mock test attempt. Our article on how to review mock tests shows you the correct way to review mock tests for maximum score improvement.

Takeaways:

Thus, the GMAT preparation time depends on:

• Your current GMAT score
• Your target GMAT score
• The resources you use
• And lastly, your schedule and pace of learning

The more definite answers you have to the above variables, the more accurately you’ll be able to predict the GMAT preparation time.

You can write to us at acethegmat@e-gmat.com for any further questions. We look forward to hearing from you.

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