GMAT Prep, Step by Step (in 10 languages)

The psychometricians who write the GMAT know where you live.

As if data sufficiency, subjunctive mood and combinatorics weren’t sufficient challenges, the test makers make sport with your information processing habits. They understand how you interpret (and misinterpret) language. They know where you are likely to jump in response to certain words or phrases. They have data highlighting the assumptions you are likely to make and how a certain turn of phrase can induce you to pick a wrong answer.

So how do you counter this onslaught of insight? Be analytical. Think critically before you act. Proceed step-by-step.

Step-by-step? Like so many GMAT strategies, it sounds almost self evident – but in reality, most students don't get it initially, so I’ve learned how to reinforce the message in 9 other languages. Here are the phrases with specific steps you can take to boost your score.

Paso a paso (Spanish) - Locate the question within the test. Quant or verbal? Data sufficiency or problem solving? What’s the relevant content?

Schritt fur Schritt (German) - Paraphrase the question. Restate it in your own words to make sure you understand it precisely.

Ipbu ipbu (Mandarin) - Know the goal. Jot down the terms in which the answer should be expressed.

L’at l’at (Hebrew) - Look for patterns. Save time by recognizing opportunities for backdoor strategies, common error patterns, question types and trap answers.

Adim adim (Turkish) – Always engage the testmaker. Ask yourself: “Why did she use this word or express this phrase exactly so?” “ What is the purpose of this keyword?”

Pas a pas (French) – Learn process approaches for each question type and use them diligently. Jumping to an answer is like leaping into a pond without knowing how deep it is – a very bad idea.

Hepba hepba (Arabic) – Use tools such as charts, number lines, timelines or simple pictures to visually unpack the information in the question stem.

Shag za shagum (Russian) Be aware of your pace and know when it’s time to guess strategically so you don’t run out of time on the final few questions.

Vima pros vima or simply vima-vima (Greek) - Plan your test preparation, focusing on the topics/question types that will yield the greatest point benefit. Then nothing on the test will be Greek to you.

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