When the pursuit of higher education takes you abroad, you need to prepare well, especially when it’s about GRE and GMAT preparation. If you are chasing your higher education dreams abroad and in business studies, then cracking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) becomes a mandatory criterion. So, if you have similar aspirations, then you must keep reading this piece.
A properly planned timeline and aligned schedule can help you to prepare better for your targeted admission session. If you are seeking admission in fall 2026, then you must begin soon.
Understanding GRE and GMAT: An Overview
The Graduate Record Examination, or commonly referred to as the GRE, is the standard entrance examination for graduate programs in business schools worldwide. The GRE outcome is used to assess the academic readiness of a student for graduate-level study. You would cover verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing as a part of your preparation for the GRE exam, where verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning are scored on a scale of 130 to 170 each, and analytical writing is scored on a scale of 0 to 6.
The Graduate Management Admission Test, which is commonly referred to as GMAT, is the common standard examination that candidates need to crack for admission in any graduate business programs, like the Master of Business Administration (MBA), in any institution across the world. The GMAT score obtained by candidates indicates their readiness to go through the testing management programs. The potential candidates are thus evaluated through analytical writing assessment, data insights (it has replaced integrated reasoning), quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning, where students are expected to score in a range from 60 to 90 points in quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning, and data insights, each.
Before you begin your GMAT or GRE preparation, you must first decide which one you want to prepare for. For this, you may check the program requirements, and then, depending on your personal strength and style, you can choose between the GRE and GMAT.
What Would Be an Ideal Preparation Timeline for Fall 2026 Applicants?
There are a few things that are “ideal,” like your GRE and GMAT preparation timeline. You certainly need to have one to prepare well and in a systematic manner.
12 to 15 months before the application (September to December 2024)
There are a thousand ideas and ways to prepare, especially when you start your preparation or even before actually starting it. That’s exactly when you need to pause, scan everything well, and make a few crucial decisions. Study the programs that you have shortlisted and understand their requirements thoroughly. If you want, and for better understanding, you may also take a test to understand the baseline score. Fix a target score according to the requirements of the program and choose between the GRE and GMAT.
9 to 12 months before the application (January to April 2025)
In the second phase of your GMAT or GRE preparation plan, you need a solid study outline. Ideally, it would be best to divide your study plan into weekly and further into a regular schedule. A regular schedule helps you to be consistent with your studies with a lesser study load. You can begin with the tough part – Quantitative and Verbal sections (if you find anything else to be tough, then you may begin with that). Zero down on the foundational skills such as mathematics concepts, vocabulary, and grammar.
6 to 9 months before the application (May to August 2025)
As you keep learning and practising skills, make it a point to test your knowledge and speed of answering with timed practice tests. This will help you build your endurance and also expose the areas where you need to focus. Based on the test outcomes, start working on the areas that need improvement and take the test again to evaluate your progress. Along with this, you must also start writing essays as a part of your preparation for the Analytical Writing section. Don’t miss that.
3 to 6 months before the application (September to December 2025)
Once you step into this phase of your GMAT or GRE preparation, we assume you have covered a good part of the process. Now, you are supposed to have studied decently and can take tests on the full syllabus. Considering you have followed the standard preparation schedule, you must start taking full-length practice tests just like you would face in actual GMAT or GRE exams. Be honest while checking and mark yourself honestly for proper evaluation. Zoom in on your mistakes and note them well, analyse your mistakes without brooding over them. Based on the outcome of the tests, you may consider refining your preparation strategy. If you think you need to enrol in any preparation course or opt for GRE or GMAT coaching, do not hesitate. A little help may do the needed help.
1 to 3 months before the application (January to March 2026)
These are the last three months when you ‘prepare’ – your final phase to complete anything you have missed, work on the sections where you scored less, or your weak areas. During these last three months, you must prepare for the final examination, keeping in mind all your past test reviews. Simultaneously, you must also take practice tests just like how you will be taking your final exams. You take tests in a full formal test format, access, review, identify your mistakes, learn from them, and repeat till your flaws are minimized. Analyze your performance to determine if your strategy is effective. Rework on your strategy (if needed); it could be time management while answering questions, revising your chapters, and the like.
Test month (March to May 2026)
Register for the GRE/GMAT examination before the due date and take the exam with complete confidence. This is the day you have been preparing for. Keep yourself calm and do not discuss with your mates. This will only disturb your balance and calm. They may even create unnecessary doubts when you are supposed to be strongly confident. Give your best shot, but be open to unwanted scenarios like taking the test again. Things may go wrong unexpectedly. That’s why be prepared for taking a re-test without being pessimistic about your test outcome.
What’s More?
Considering the importance of GRE/GMAT, we have elaborated the preparation stages and processes. Ideally, this should be enough to crack your GRE/GMAT exam. However, if you still feel something has been missed, we want to suggest a few more tips for taking your GRE/GMAT exam for the best results. Save this for later:
· Start your preparations early. Like “early bird catches the worm,” you can also avoid the unwanted exam stress by starting your preparations from an early stage. Said this, however. Doesn’t mean that ones who could not start early face fewer chances. It’s just that they may not be that confident and calm before the exam like those who have started their preparations early.
· Along with preparing for your exam, ensure to arrange other components of your application procedure as well, such as, letter of recommendation, essays, and other things.
· Refer to authentic and quality materials like verified online resources, official guides, and similar ones.
· Take tests and assess your progress. This is mandatory, however repeated and monotonous it sounds. You must not take it lightly.
Good preparation can put almost all uncertainties to rest. So make sure you are preparing well, and we hope this piece guides you well in your preparation. Save it for later or share it with your close friends who you want to join you abroad.