When prepping for the GMAT, you must be sure to not only prepare for the content that is on the GMAT, but also for the format of the GMAT. While most students realize the importance of the former, the latter must also be considered when creating a study plan.

The GMAT, unlike most tests you have probably taken, is a computer adaptive test. This means that if you answer a question correctly the next question will be a little harder, and if you answer a question incorrectly the next question will be a little easier. This continues throughout the exam, so the score you receive is not based solely on the number of questions you answered correctly, but rather is based on an algorithm calculation taking into account the difficulty of the questions you answer.

Since this method of scoring is new to most test takers, practicing with computer adaptive tests — we give you nine when you take our Kaplan course — is essential to being prepared on test day.

Additionally, computer based practice is essential simply to get used to the test layout. For example, most students are used to reading the reading comprehension passages on paper, where they can easily mark them up. However, you must get used to the split screen format used on the GMAT, as well as reading the passages off a computer screen, which can be surprisingly different from reading on a sheet of paper.

For both of these reasons, if you restrict your study to paper based materials, you will not be fully prepared when you sit down to take your actual test. The only way to get this preparation, and the higher score that goes along with it, is to make sure you do plenty of computer based practice.

Try your hand at this data sufficiency question focusing on Standard Deviation. Standard deviation is a rare topic on test day, but it can be challenging for many test takers.

Data Sufficiency Question:

For a certain exam, was the standard deviation of the scores for students U, V, W, X, Y and Z less than the standard deviation of the scores for students A, B and C?

(1) The standard deviation of the scores of students U, V, and W was less than the standard deviation of the scores of students A, B and C on the exam.

(2) The standard deviation of the scores of students X, Y and Z was less than the standard deviation of the scores of students A, B and C on the exam.

Solution:

Remember that standard deviation is a measurement of how spread-out a set of numbers are around the mean. As is usually the case on the GMAT, this problem does not require us to calculate standard deviation. Rather, we just need to understand the CONCEPT of standard deviation.

Statement 1 tells us that U, V and W have a lower standard deviation that A, B and C. However, this tells us nothing about X, Y and Z. Without knowing all of the numbers in the set, you are unable to calculate standard deviation. Statement 1 is, therefore, insufficient.

Statement 2 tells us that X, Y and Z is smaller than the standard deviation of A, B and C. Now, we do not know anything about U, V and W. For the same reasons as in statement 1, statement 2 is not sufficient.

When the statements are considered together, we know that the sets U, V and W and X, Y and Z both have a standard deviation that is less than the set of A, B and C. However, we do not know the relationship between the two former sets. It is possible that U, V, W, X, Y and Z are all closer together than A, B and C are, but it is also possible that the sets U, V and W and X, Y and Z are so far apart from each other that the overall set ends up having a larger standard deviation than the set A, B and C. Therefore, together the statements are still insufficient; answer choice (E) or (5)—not enough information here to answer the question.

Even though this appears to be a challenging problem on first glance, including data sufficiency and standard deviation, we did not have to use our scratch paper necessarily or compute any actual mathematical calculations….sometimes questions on test day will be more focused on your conceptual understanding, and instead of becoming overwhelmed when you see words like “standard deviation”, you should stay calm, read carefully, and remind yourself of the concepts you do know as you analyze the question.

While most test-takers know what to expect on the GMAT exam itself, many arrive on test day not knowing what to expect from the actual test center. If you can do a dry run, such as Kaplan’s Official Test Day Experience (offered to students taking our courses), that’s certainly going to help tremendously with your comfort level on what to expect fortest day. However, everyone should know what will happen at the Pearson Center before and after their exam. So let’s run through some of the logistics for the big day.

First, make sure to arrive at the test center early. If you show up late, you may not be allowed to take your test. Additionally, if you arrive early you will often be allowed to start your test upon arrival. Therefore, it is recommended that you arrive thirty minutes before your scheduled start time. Be sure that you bring required identification, as detailed on GMAC’s MBA.com website.

Once in the center, you will not be allowed to bring any of your person belongings into the test room. This includes your watch (in most cases), scratch paper, food, and water. However, you will be given a locker in which you can place your belongings. You will be able to go into this locker during your break, in case you have a snack in it, but do not plan to do so if you have any study materials with you. If you place those materials in your locker, you will not be allowed to access it until your test is over. Plus, you should be very careful with going into your locker much during the break just from a timing perspective—your breaks are ONLY 10 minutes, and the computer/time will start without you when that 10 minutes is up.

Lastly, remember that people will be taking tests other than the GMAT and tests will be starting continuously. This means that people will be moving around the room while you are taking your test, so do not expect total silence while taking the GMAT. You will be offered earplugs when you arrive, so keep the above in mind when deciding whether you are going to accept them.

As long as you know what to expect, the test center should not provide any surprises and your GMAT should run smoothly. Good luck to you on Test Day.