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The real GMAT may feel tougher than practice, but that usually signals you are performing well. Hang in there, trust your prep, focus on one question at a time without overthinking. Gradually, GMAT will start feeling normal – like another mock!
We consistently advise our students to take a high number of GMAT mock tests before their real GMAT; we even offer a set of 15 full-length practice tests. The primary reason behind this practice is to help students develop a good sense of what giving the real GMAT will be like before the exam day. However, sometimes even the most well-prepared candidates arrive at the exam hall to find that the test seems strange and unfamiliar to them. In this short article, we will cover why this happens and how to avoid letting this ruin your performance, should you find yourself in this situation.
If the test seems different to you in some way, you might experience it in a few different ways. You may feel as if the concepts that you have read in your GMAT prep course are not applying; the difficulty level might seem higher or lower, or the questions may just “feel” different. Do not worry; this is not unusual. Due to the GMAT’s “No Repeat” policy, it is possible that you did multiple versions of the official guide, or you may have repeated some other material. The repetition of questions might have made the tests seem easier to you; it is a very common phenomenon. However, on the real GMAT, questions do not repeat, meaning the test will feel a lot more uncomfortable.
If your test seems difficult, it is not necessarily a bad thing. In all likelihood, if you are getting more difficult questions, it means that you are doing well. Just hang in there and keep performing, and you will soon find that nothing is as alien as it seems and all that you have learned will come into use. Do not give up; just take the questions one at a time. Relatedly, you must ensure that you answer each question and not leave a single one blank. Make sure to attempt every question, even if you have to guess blindly in the last few seconds. Remember, on the GMAT, the penalty for leaving a section incomplete is higher than that for getting a question incorrect; thus, it makes more sense to attempt every question, even if you are not entirely sure of the answer, than to skip any questions.
When the real GMAT feels unfamiliar, it is easy to doubt everything you have done. In that moment, remind yourself that this experience is practice for much more than a test. The same thing will happen in your MBA applications and in the MBA admissions consulting process that supports them. You will meet questions that do not look like the ones you rehearsed, interview conversations that feel different from your notes, and classroom discussions that move in unexpected directions. Each time, the skill you need is the same. Trust the preparation, stay with the problem in front of you, and keep moving without panic. A good MBA is built on this habit of showing up calmly when the script changes. Life will keep offering new versions of the “real exam.” If you can hold your nerve here, you are already learning how to handle those larger exams with clarity and grace.
