Taking Your First GMAT Mock Test: Setting a Baseline in Week One 

As you embark on your GMAT preparation journey, one of the most crucial steps in your first week is taking an initial mock test. While it might feel daunting to jump into a full-length test so early on, this experience is invaluable for establishing a baseline and guiding your future study sessions. In this article, we’ll explore why taking a mock test in your first week is essential, how to approach it, and how to interpret the results. 

Why You Should Take a Mock Test in the First Week 

After just one week of studying, you may have started to get a feel for GMAT questions—what types you’re good at and which areas might need more attention. However, it’s challenging to get a reliable sense of your overall strengths and weaknesses without a concrete baseline. That’s where the initial mock test comes in. 

Establish a Baseline:  
Taking a mock test early on helps you identify your starting point. It’s hard to know what to focus on without a clear understanding of where you currently stand. 

Experience the Test Format:  
The GMAT is a computer-adaptive test (CAT), meaning the difficulty of questions adjusts based on your performance. Taking a mock test gives you firsthand experience of this adaptive nature, as well as working under time pressure and understanding the range of question types you’ll encounter. 

No Need to Feel Ready:  
The goal of this first mock test isn’t to achieve a high score. Instead, it’s about experiencing the test conditions and understanding what you’re dealing with. You’ll have plenty of time to improve in the weeks to come. 

How to Approach Your First Mock Test 

Since the objective of your first mock test is to gather data rather than excel, it’s important to approach it with the right mindset and strategy. 

Preparation:  
You don’t need to feel fully prepared for every subsection, but make sure you’ve familiarized yourself with the overarching question types, such as Data Sufficiency and Critical Reasoning. Use your first week to get acquainted with these formats before taking the mock. 

Timing Strategy:  
To ensure you get a score that’s useful for analysis, it’s crucial to manage your time effectively. Aim for an average of 2 minutes per question. At regular intervals (every 4 to 6 questions), check whether you’re on track. Don’t spend more than 3 minutes on any one question—if you do, make an educated guess and move on. 

Don’t Overthink It:  
Remember, this is your first mock test. It’s normal to run out of time or find the questions more challenging than those you’ve practiced. The CAT nature of the GMAT means that as you get questions right, the difficulty increases. Just focus on completing the test rather than achieving a perfect score. The last thing you want to do is stress out, either during or after the mock test, so take it easy. 

How to Interpret the Outcome 

After completing your first mock test, it’s natural to feel disappointed by the results. However, this is entirely normal and expected at this stage. 

Expect a Low Score:  
Your score is likely to be lower than you hoped, but that’s okay. You’re still in the early stages of your preparation, and there’s a lot you can improve on—timing, familiarity with question types, and specific strategies. 

Interpreting Percentiles:  
If you can’t resist checking your percentile scores, remember that they’re just a starting point. 

• Verbal: Your verbal score may give you some insight into your current abilities since verbal reasoning can be more intuitive. However, timing is crucial—running out of time will significantly impact your score. 

• Quant and Data Insights: Expect lower scores here, as these sections rely heavily on specific tricks and strategies that you haven’t yet mastered. Don’t be discouraged; this is exactly what you’ll work on improving in the coming weeks. 

So how to go about it 

To set a reliable baseline, it’s essential to use a high-quality mock test with good analytics features. We strongly recommend using one of the two free MBA.com mock tests. 

Features:  
These mock tests provide detailed analytics, including time spent per question, specific subsections, and percentile scores for different areas. This data is crucial for identifying your weakest areas and planning your study sessions. 

Use the Data:  
The primary value of your baseline mock test isn’t the score itself but the insights it provides. Analyze the results to determine your weakest areas and use this information to guide your study focus moving forward. 

Conclusion 

Taking a baseline mock test in your first week is incredibly valuable—not for the score itself, but for the insights it provides into your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t be discouraged by a low initial score; instead, use the data to pinpoint areas for improvement and set a solid foundation for the rest of your GMAT preparation. Your first mock test is an opportunity to learn, so approach it with the right mindset and make the most of the experience.