When Should You Start Preparing for MBA Entrance Exams? Ideal Timeline
You planned to go for a management program but don’t know what is the ideal time for you to start your prep? Wait, that’s the most common doubt for all aspirants who plan for the same. Don’t worry you are not alone. Literally, everyone has gone through the same. Let’s dive into it and help you clear your doubts.
Timing, as most people already know is important for almost everything in the world and same is the case for Entrance exam preparation for an MBA. If you start too late, then you are buried under a mountain of syllabus and pressure with no time for mocks and devising a strategy for the exam. If you start too early, without a strategy, you risk burnout before the exam even begins.
The Golden Rule: The 8–10 Month Window:
From various surveys that we conducted, we have come to an understanding that most of the candidates who are successful in their B-school entrance exams, aren’t those who spent most time studying, but those who gave themselves enough buffer time which for a majority of them lasts between 8 to 10 months.
This duration is further split into multiple phases: Foundation -> Application -> Strategy.
The Month-by-Month Roadmap:
Phase 1: Foundation & Concept Building (Months 1–4):
During this phase your goal should be to understand the ‘why’ behind the logic. Revisit NCERT-level mathematics. Don’t look for shortcuts just yet, understand the process.
For VARC, develop a regular reading habit and make sure to read a variety of content be it something that interests you or something completely out of your preferred genres.
For DILR, try to start building mental stamina by solving various puzzles, like Sudoku, or if you like, basic level LR sets.
This is important because there is no set level for the exam. Being well versed with the basics will help you in cases when a totally unpredictable paper appears in front of you. The one who remains unshaken in front of that adversity will be the one who will take the lead in the race.
Phase 2: Intensive Practice & Sectional Testing (Months 5–7)
During this phase, focus on speed and accuracy. Start solving topic wise assignments and sectional mocks. Sit for 40 to 60 minutes and focus on one particular subject without any distraction. In many B-school exams one has to face a single section for a given set of time.
Start your prep to face that during this phase. Find the smart approaches and time saving methods, that suit you. Internet is flooded with n number of strategies to attempt an exam but in the end the one that suits you is something only you can know. Practice various strategies and find the one that is tailor made for you.
Phase 3: The Mock Season & Strategy Refinement (Months 8–10)
This is the final phase, first of all pat yourselves on your back for the dedication you all showed. You already are cut above the majority of the competition. Done. Good. Now back to drill. In this phase, the most important thing starts, the Full-length-mocks.
Make sure to choose one that is based on actual PYQs and developed by a team of experts who have been in this industry for sometime and know how these exams work.
Take your mocks seriously and make sure to not be shaken by the scores. You need to follow a simple 2:1 rule. For every two hours spent on taking a mock, you need to spend 4 hours analyzing it.
Identify the questions that you skipped which were actually easy or the questions where you got stuck, just because of your stubbornness to do that question. Remember, all questions in most of these exams carry the same marks, be it an easy one or difficult one. You need to optimize your approach accordingly.
In short, Do mocks -> Analyze -> Improve -> Repeat.
This is the basic plan that anyone could apply for their preparation. Sure, there might be many who might not need this much time or many who might need a more intensive preparation. If you fall in that category, then you can smoothen this plan so that it suits you more. Afterall, an ideal plan in my definition is one you actually stick to. Just keep in mind, don’t wait. Put your thoughts into action and be truthful to your efforts and you will surely succeed.
