Data Sufficiency

Are You Lazy Enough to Succeed on the GMAT?

Make no bones about it: laziness is a virtue in your GMAT preparation.

How is that possible?

Of course you need to work hard, and of course you need to learn and practice as much as possible during your study time.

That is, nothing beats solid, dedicated hours put into GMAT study.

But what I’m talking about is a mindset.

The greatest of business leaders understand this: they rise to the top because they are simply too lazy to do grunt work.

These people are not Lazy and Stupid.

These great minds, from Richard Branson to Howard Hughes, learned to work smarter rather than work harder.

These leaders delegate, outsource, and develop new systems to do the unpleasant work as efficiently as possible.

“Clever and Lazy” vs. “Stupid and Diligent.”

Even better, there are always people willing to help out—in fact, 99% of the workforce is simply paid to do what their bosses other people don’t want to do!

Can you think like a business leader? Here is how to work smarter?

Remember that GMAT questions are always designed with a Guiding Principle in mind.

That is, there is a simple way to solve them if you know WHAT the question is testing.

Furthermore, there are things that the test doesn’t expect you to do.

For example:

–GMAT Math: Unnecessary arithmetic? Forget anything even as complicated as multiplying two-digit numbers against each other. There will be a better way.

–Reading Comprehension: Reading all the details? The more you pay attention to structure and the less you pay attention to details, the simpler you will find the reading section.

–Data Sufficiency: Testing the Middle? Figure out the extremes and test those. You’re expected to go for the middle, so don’t do it.

–Sentence Correction: Reading each sentence individually? Look for objective syntax errors and eliminate 2-3 answers immediately.

Focus on what the testwriter is asking. Think about a clever, intuitive, or non-straightforward way to do the problem.

Many exist, few find them. Go forth.

Want to Work Smarter? Talk to a GMAT Coach today.

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P.S. Don’t look at the Official Guide’s explanations for how to Work Smarter. That defeats the purpose!

 

Rowan Hand

Head Coach Rowan Hand has been a GMAT tutor, writer, and editor of GMAT materials since 2005. Rowan has coached hundreds of clients in private and group classes and is the author of three #1 Amazon bestsellers in the GMAT category. Former clients have gone on to INSEAD, LBS, Columbia, Harvard, Wharton, Kellogg, and other excellent business schools.

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