{"id":12237,"date":"2016-11-03T22:28:18","date_gmt":"2016-11-03T22:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/?p=12237"},"modified":"2019-09-05T15:54:55","modified_gmt":"2019-09-05T15:54:55","slug":"breaking-the-700-barrier-part-1-the-gmat-mindset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/blog\/breaking-the-700-barrier-part-1-the-gmat-mindset\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking the 700 Barrier: The GMAT Mindset"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ManhattanDid you know that you can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person GMAT courses absolutely free? We\u2019re not kidding! Check out our upcoming courses here<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The top 10 US b-schools now have average GMAT scores in the 700 to 730 range. That\u2019s 90th<\/sup> percentile or higher\u2014in other words, really high scores!<\/p>\n

So, if you want a 700-level score, what does it take to get yourself into that range?<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll talk about what you need to do, but we\u2019re also going to talk about what you need to NOT do. A lot of people harm their own chances (unknowingly!) by following paths that have very little chance of raising them to the 700 level.<\/p>\n

And one caveat: I can\u2019t guarantee that, if you follow what I say, you\u2019ll get yourself into the 700+ range. By definition, only 10% of all GMAT test takers score in that range. What I can guarantee\u00a0is that you\u2019ll maximize your chances.\u00a0\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

What is the GMAT really about?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The GMAT is ultimately a test of your business mindset<\/strong>. Yes, you have to know math formulas and grammar rules and other things\u2014but these are just the surface level of the test. The makers of the GMAT (aka\u00a0GMAC) are most interested in how you think<\/em>.<\/p>\n

What does that mean? Read this<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Seriously, go read it right now, then come back here. I\u2019ll wait.<\/p>\n

What did you learn? How does that change your understanding of what you need to do in order to do well on this test?<\/p>\n

In short, the GMAT is a test of how flexibly you think and how well you make various decisions\u2014including the decision not<\/em> to work on a particular problem at all. If you\u2019re going to hit a 700+ level on this test, you\u2019ll need to employ a business mindset, both while you\u2019re taking the test and while you\u2019re studying.<\/p>\n

Myths of the GMAT & The GMAT Mindset<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Myth #1: I need to get a high percentage of the questions on the test correct in order to get a high score.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk a little about what you\u2019re not trying to do. First, it is not<\/em> the case that your goal is to get all or most of the questions right. You\u2019re going to answer approximately 60% of the questions correctly\u2014whether you end up at a 500 or 600 or 700 level.<\/p>\n

Think about how weird that is: the test is not<\/em> scored based on percentage or number correct! It is not the case that a higher score means you got more right than the person sitting next to you.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s just bizarre! How can you get a better score if you got about the same number right?<\/p>\n

In school, everyone took the same test, so the only way to differentiate was by the number each person answered correctly. But on the GMAT, everyone takes a different test. The GMAT is a computer adaptive test: it actually changes based on how you\u2019re doing. It adapts to you while you\u2019re taking it!<\/p>\n

Think of it this way: if I\u2019m trying to figure out at what level you\u2019re capable of scoring, and I have a bunch of questions at different difficulty levels, one way to accomplish my goal is the following:<\/p>\n