How to Switch from the GRE to the GMAT
Lately, weve been talking about how to decide which test to take, as well as what to do if you decide to stick with the GMAT. What if you decide to switch from the GRE to the GMAT? Thats what well tackle today! (We have also talked about what to do if you want to switch from the GMAT to the GRE.)
How do I study?
The overall way that you want to study doesnt actually change that much; rather, youll just need to change what you are studying, as discussed later in this article.
First, youll need to determine whether the way that youve already been studying is actually the optimal way. If not, then youll need to make some changes, regardless of whether you stick with the GRE or switch to the GMAT.
The GRE and the GMAT are both executive reasoning tests; that is, the test makers want to know how you think and make decisions. You of course need to know content (certain facts, rules, formulas) in order to do well on either test, but that level of study is not enough; you also need to lift yourself to a second level of understanding that allows you to think your way through these sometimes bizarrely-worded problems as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Follow the two links I put in the last paragraph. Take some time to just think about the concepts presented there. Has this been your approach to studying so far? If so, great. Keep thinking and working in that way.
If not, however, recognize that youre going to need to start studying with this new mindset, regardless of whether you take the GRE or the GMAT.
What are my strengths and weaknesses?
Any time youre developing or revising a study plan, youll want to put together a solid analysis of your strengths and weaknesses.
If you have been studying for the GRE for a while, then you should have some practice CAT data. (If not, or if it has been more than 6 weeks since you last took a CAT, then youll need to take one to get the data. Make sure to take the test under official conditions, including the essays, length of breaks, and so on.)
Analyze your most recent two CATs (this link tells you how to analyze Manhattan Prep CATs). If you havent taken MPrep CATs, you can still read through that link to get an idea of how you want to analyze your data from another test. Your goal is to split all question types and content into one of three buckets:
Bucket 1: Strengths. Ill still study and practice these but not as heavily as other areas.
Bucket 2: Low-hanging Fruit: These are my easiest opportunities for improvement. Careless mistakes. Things that I get wrong fast. Things that I get right but just a little too slowly.
Bucket 3: Weaknesses. These are areas that Ill ignore until Ive worked out my Bucket 2 issues. Things that Im likely to get wrong even if I give myself unlimited time. Things that I get right but way too slowly. Things that use up way too much mental energy, even if I get them right.
Your primary focus until your next practice test will be working a lot to improve Bucket 2, while maintaining Bucket 1 skills and getting Bucket 3 questions wrong fast (yes, seriously!).
[Aside: there are certain things that will stay in Bucket 3 forever. Im terrible at combinatorics and Im pretty bad at 3D geometry. Thats been true since my very first practice GRE, more than 10 years ago! When I see these, Ill give it a look in case the problem is very similar to one that I do remember how to do, but otherwise, I pick my favorite letter and move on.]
Okay, now that you know what your strengths and weaknesses are, you need to familiarize yourself with the differences between the GRE and the GMAT.
What new things do I have to learn?
The Essays and Integrated Reasoning
You wont care as much about one difference, so lets get it out of the way. At the beginning of the GRE, you write two essays. The GMAT also asks you to write an essay but in place of the second essay youll have to do the Integrated Reasoning section, a multiple-choice section that mixes quant and verbal skills.
This section is different enough from the others that you will have to study how to answer these questions and how to manage your time during the section. At the time of this publication (in March 2015), schools arent using IR scores much, so this section is less important, though this could change in the future.
Quant
Next, for the quant section of the test, youre going to need to learn about one different question type contained on the GMAT: Data Sufficiency (DS).
The GMAT dives more deeply into number properties, story problems, and some algebra concepts, so you may need to get GMAT books for these topics versus continuing to use your GRE books.
The timing on the two tests is also quite different, so youll have to learn how to handle 37 questions in 75 minutes on the GMAT, or about 2 minutes per question on average.
Verbal
Most of your new efforts on verbal will be geared towards the grammar question type, Sentence Correction (SC). Youll definitely need to get some materials that teach you the grammar and meaning issues that are tested on SC.
Again, if you are already using Manhattan Prep materials, you can use what you already have for Reading Comprehension (RC), but you will need to get new materials for Critical Reasoning (CR). The CR question types on the GRE are also tested on the GMAT, but the GMAT contains additional CR question types that dont appear on the GRE.
Again, the timing will be different on the GMAT. Youll need to answer 41 verbal questions in 75 minutes, spending about 1 minute 20 seconds on SC, 2 minutes on CR, and about 6 to 8 minutes total for RC passages and questions.
How do I make a study plan?
Weve already talked about part of the process (analyzing your strengths and weaknesses). You may decide to take a class or work with a tutor, in which case your teacher will give you specific assignments . If not, youll need to develop your own study plan.
Takeaways for switching from GRE to GMAT
(1) Make sure that youre going into your studies with the right overall mindset (executive reasoning!) and that you know how to lift yourself to the second level of study.
(2) Begin your studies by concentrating on the aspects that are new to you: the different question types and topics that are tested on the GMAT. Once you build those skills up to a competent level, youll review all aspects and question types.