How to Avoid GMAT Negative Marking on Your Paper

Negative marking is one of the things I most dreaded as an entering freshman in a graduate school of business. I knew that going into graduate school I would need at least a decent score on my GMAT examination to enter the school of my choice. But when I tried to get into a top tier program, the first thing they told me was that they couldn’t guarantee a good score, and so they would not accept my application if I didn’t have a satisfactory GMAT score. I found that hard to believe, since I had done many GMAT preparation and study guides in the past with much success. Then I watched my oldest brother take his GMAT test online, and I instantly knew I was on the right track.

As I prepared for the GMAT, I spent a lot of time researching what type of questions I should prepare myself for. The real trick is to pay attention to the types of questions you aren’t going to see on the test. For example, there are going to be plenty of essay questions on the exam paper, but you won’t be asked to write a long essay about each topic. So try to find a way to get your hands on these types of questions. For example, there are going to be plenty of questions about databases and business concepts, so I would consider reading up on these topics.

The biggest tip I could give to anyone thinking of taking their GMAT test online is to just relax. As tempting as it might be to do as much as possible before your test, it really isn’t worth the extra time spent on that. And the best part is, you can do this all from the comfort of your home.

So, let’s assume you’ve done your preparations, and you’ve made sure you’re fully prepared to pass the exam. Now what? Well, that’s an important question, and the best way to answer it is to think about what areas you’re going to spend the most time working on. This will give you a better idea of how much time to allocate to studying. If you’re spending the majority of your time working on one section, then you know you have lots of time left.

Next, you should really try to get organized. Once you’ve gotten set up, review the key areas you worked on the night before the test. Start by writing down the answers to the main problem. Write them in the order of easiest to solve, or master. Don’t worry if the answer is simple. If the answer is difficult, you’ll learn from your mistakes.

It’s also important to make sure you’re not trying to memorize everything you read. Don’t focus on one or two areas of the test. Spend your time on the major topics, and try to find the easiest problems to tackle. Then, tackle them one at a time. If you’re solving an issue, but can’t figure out how to solve it, then write that down, as well. You’ll be surprised at just how much time you spend on these types of problems.

Finally, try to get some sleep before the night before the exam. The last thing you need is to be so focused on every little thing that you fail to rest. A good night’s sleep is imperative for your mental state before the exam. If you can’t sleep, don’t worry; you’ll be back to your normal sleeping cycle before the test.

So, now you know how to avoid GMAT negative marking. There are plenty more tips and tricks out there. But this is a great start. Spend the time to really understand the concepts and information that will be presented on the test day. That will allow you to become a passable test taker.