I Took the GMAT With No Preparation. Here's What Happened

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The GMAT isn’t supposed to be easy. The Graduate Management Admission Council, which administers the exam for business-school applicants, has spent six decades tweaking things, striking questions deemed too simple, and ensuring that the result is equally tough on U.S. test-takers and international entrants. Last year more than half of test-takers spent at least 51 hours studying for the exam. What if they didn’t?

I decided to find out. Earlier this month, I registered for the exam to see what the yearly crop of 250,000 would-be MBA students put themselves through. Unlike most of them, I didn’t peruse online tips or take the two free practice tests provided for the $250 admission fee. I didn’t study at all.