If you are getting ready to take the GMAT, first of all, “Congrats!” It’s already a pretty big achievement to be at a place in your educational journey where you are getting ready for such a major examination. Of course, what you probably already know is that it’s not the easiest test in the world and so there are a lot of things that you will need to do to prepare for it.

This particular article is focused on providing you with the tips and tools that you will need in order to do well on the essay section of the GMAT. If you apply these, while the exam may not exactly be “a piece of cake”, it definitely will not be as hard as you may think.

Get Some Practice In

One of the smartest ways to prepare for the GMAT is by taking a few practice exams. There are websites that you can go to that provide some practice tests free of charge (like 4Tests.com and 800Score.com). However, there are a couple of things that you should keep in mind while you’re doing your “test runs”. Sometimes, when people are using practice tests, because it’s not the real thing, they take their time in taking them. But remember, when you do take your GMAT, you will be under a time constraint. So, it’s a good idea to time yourself during the practice test, to write your essays in a word processor and also to evaluate your results following. After all, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to keep “practicing” if you’re always making the same mistakes. Reviewing your tests will hopefully prevent this from occurring.

Take Lots of Notes

When it comes to the GMAT prep, another thing to keep in mind is that it’s vital to take lots of notes on the potential essay topics that will be listed on the test. You can download AWA essay topics directly from the official GMAT website (MBA.org). To locate them, simply click on the GMAT Test Structure and Overview link and then click on the Analytical Writing Assessment option. After you do, a PDF document will download a list of topics. (Do keep in mind that it doesn’t reflect all of the subjects that may be presented on the official test, but it is pretty extensive and reliable.)

Polish Up on Your Analytical Writing Skills

Something else that some people tend to overlook while preparing for the essay portion of the GMAT is that while they may know the material well, that doesn’t mean they are skilled in how to properly convey the information in an essay format. In order to pass this portion of the test, that is crucial. There are books that are available that assist people on how to brush up on their essay writing skills. Another good idea is to hire a tutor who is an English major or better yet someone who previously took (and passed) the GMAT so that they can show you where your strengths as a writer are as they help you to tweak some things that can ultimately help you to improve your score.

About the author: Linda S. Davis works as an English teacher at a local college. Besides, she is a highly experienced editor at 500WordEssay.org. By the way, she is a great speaker and communicator.