Information About Cheat Sheets for GMAT

All about GMAT Cheat Sheets

A cheat sheet can become very useful in the preparation of GMAT. Contrary to what the name suggests, a cheat sheet is not used for cheating during the examinations. It is basically a list of relevant information such as formulas or rules that a candidate needs to remember. As there is no fixed syllabus, this list can help to retain the important information or content concisely to be used for the preparation. With all the important information in one place, a cheat sheet helps in revising quickly without missing any of the concepts. Ideally, a cheat sheet should contain the most important information such as formulas and rules that you need to remember. A cheat sheet is never finished as you will be adding and deleting content to it for the entire duration of your preparation.

    • How to use a Cheat Sheet:A cheat Sheet is most effective when it is prepared by you. It is meant to help you remember what you might forget. Only you can decide what is to be put on it. It is advisable to carry the cheat sheet with you wherever you go so that you can read it even when travelling. Since it is short and concise it takes a small amount of time to peruse through it. This sheet should be read regularly and especially on the days you are unable to devote time for GMAT preparation.

  • How to make it:As mentioned before, the cheat sheet has to be made by you. Some candidates make more than one cheat sheet dedicating one for the quantitative section and another for the verbal section. Yet others find it effective to make cheat sheets for each of the topics such as sentence correction in verbal section or data sufficiency in the quantitative section. You can make one on paper or save it as a file in the personal computer.

    When starting to make the cheat sheet, it is best to start with several sheets of paper, one for each of the following:

    – Problem solving
    – Data sufficiency
    – Basic mathematics
    – Sentence correction
    – Reading comprehension
    – Critical reasoning

    Start filling it at the end of every lesson with things that are important and need to be memorized. It should be short and simple. It is best to avoid writing what you do not understand on the cheat sheet as it defeats the purpose of it. Thus, the cheat sheet should contain what you understand and you need to keep in mind. It is a good idea to get ideas from other test takers or instructors or discussion forums if you are unsure about the importance of a certain formula or rule you may come across during the course of study. Once finished with the lesson or a book, you should review the cheat sheet and consolidate it. Compare all the sheets and check for duplicity or related information that can be removed. If you think you already know and would remember an entry, remove that as well. The idea of the cheat sheet is to get everything on it inside your head. One way to do that is to write a short explanation for every entry stating why it is important and should be remembered.

    A cheat sheet can best help you if you have made it yourself and if you review and follow it on a regular basis.