You may be surprised to hear that cultivating sheer determination to find correct answers no matter what can add 5 or more points to your GMAT Verbal score. So, I cannot overstate the importance of learning to sit with your discomfort when answering Verbal practice questions, pushing through that discomfort, and not letting it get the best of you. Persevering through discomfort is how you strengthen your GMAT Verbal muscles to the point where you can handle whatever heavy lifting comes your way on test day.

There is a significant amount of scientific research showing the role of mindset in test prep. If we never learn to deal with the discomfort we feel when something doesn’t come easily to us, chances are we’ll never advance to the point where that thing does come easily.

If you quit the moment things get tough, if you tell yourself, “I’m too confused to figure this out,” you’ll remain in that state of confusion. So, if you want to improve in GMAT Verbal, expect to feel uncomfortable sometimes when you answer questions. Welcome that feeling! It means you’re learning and growing and doing what you need to do to increase your Verbal score.

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep