In this video, an expert from Manhattan Prep talks about the number of practice tests you should take before the real exam.
Take a GMAT practice test early
Within your first couple of weeks of your GMAT study, take a practice test. You may not feel ready, but take one anyways. Why? There are two reasons. First, you want to get a baseline of your strengths and weaknesses. Second, you need to have your first experience trying to pace the test properly. This is one of the most important and difficult aspects of the exam.
After the first practice test, study for an extended period, at least a month, before you take another practice test.
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The purpose of the practice test is to give you a chance to mess up in a safe environment. Let’s say you run out of time with ten questions to go. It is better for this to happen to you in practice rather than in the real exam. In addition, these tests tell you what strengths you’ve built up and also what weaknesses you need to work on next. From that test, you are going to obtain data that’s going to give you two weeks’ worth of things to do for your coming study plan.
Analyse your test
If you don’t like the way your test went and you are tempted to take a new test the very next day, don’t do it! That’s not going to be a good use of four hours of your time. Rather, go back and examine the data from the last test to figure out something else you can improve on.
One final tip: whenever you take these practice tests, particularly as you get closer to the actual test day, ensure you take them under realistic conditions. The entire experience should be as real as possible. This will boost your chances of doing well in the actual exam.
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