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What Is The GMAT Error Log And Why Should I Use It?

In our many years of GMAT prep at Prep Zone Academy™, we have seen many candidates struggle to cross the 700 barrier because of a single but crucial mistake:

They are unable to diagnose their weaknesses.

Whether it is carelessness on Subject-Verb Agreement questions or conceptual errors on Combinatorics questions, if you want to cross the 700 barrier, you need to know exactly what’s holding you back.

The GMAT Error Log is an excel sheet that tracks your performance on every single question you attempt.

If you faithfully track your practice questions and log them down into this template, the log will give you a comprehensive analysis of your strengths and weaknesses, as well as recommendations on what to focus on next.

Here’s how you can use the GMAT error log to improve your GMAT performance:

How Do I Use The GMAT Error Log?

First, we recommend that you have already done a GMAT diagnostic test. Our GMAT report would provide you with the list of your weak question types, and would be a good starting point for your GMAT Error Log.

Second, download the excel template for the GMAT error log below and save it somewhere safe.

Click Here To Download GMAT Error Log

Once you open it up, it should look something like this:

GMAT Error Log Template

It is recommended that you open the log as you practice for the GMAT.

To get started, key in the Questions you completed from the GMAT diagnostic test into the excel. For Prep Zone Academy’s students, make sure you select the right source by checking the test number on the platform.

For each cell, key in “1” for the accurate choice. Specifically fill in the below details:

  1. Was your response correct? (Yes or No)
  2. If it was correct, did you solve it or Guess it?
  3. If it was wrong, was it a careless mistake or conceptual mistake?
  4. What was the Question type?
  5. What was the main topic?
  6. What was the secondary topic (if any)?
  7. Where is the Question from?

Once you are done, your GMAT error log might look something like this:

GMAT error log - filled content

Data under the Analytics columns will fill in on their own.

GMAT error log analytics

Once you are done, switch to the Dashboard to see your performance diagnosis:

GMAT error log dashboard

You should key in ALL questions you try – Practice Tests, Practice book (eg GMAT Official Guide), Online Practice Questions (eg GMATClub).

The more questions you key in, the more accurate your analysis will be.

Practice Routine

Once your dashboard has enough data, focus on the 3 weakest topics identified.

For each of these topic, attempt 15 to 20 questions (easy & medium) per topic, starting with the ones that you are Conceptually weak in.

As you answer the questions, fill in the error log after each topic.

Once your score improves for the Conceptually weak topics, move onto the topics that you made Careless mistakes in and repeat the process.

Rinse and repeat

When you feel that you have had sufficient practice, do a mix bag of 50 questions (Practice Test or Official Guide), and note them in the Error Log. Repeat this process until you see a significant score improvement.

Want To Score In The 99th Percentile For The GMAT? We Can Help!

With a team of veteran GMAT trainers whose scores are in the 99th percentile (750 and above), Prep Zone Academy is proud to be the #1 GMAT training team in Singapore. Our GMAT course syllabus is designed from the ground up to help busy candidates identify their weaknesses and achieve their desired results in any available time frame. We have helped many working professionals to score 750 only after 2-3 weeks of dedicated lessons.

Chat with us today and find out how we can help you achieve your dream score! We can help you to:

  • Devise a dedicated, personal plan to achieve your target GMAT score.
  • Identify your weaknesses and create a workflow for you to break score ceilings.
  • Plan your MBA admissions route and assist with your MBA application.
  • And much more!

To schedule for a chat with our trainers, you can use the on-page contact form, or fill in the following consultation form. We will get back to you as soon as we are available.

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Jonathan Deforge

Author Jonathan Deforge

Jonathan has 8 years of work experience in Education Management. Since 2013, Jonathan has helped applicants get into top 15 MBA programs and has an immaculate track record with INSEAD (both full-time MBA and EMBA programs). His applicants received offers from the Magnificent 7 (HBS, Stanford, MIT, Kellogg, Booth, Columbia, Wharton) and from other leading business schools such as INSEAD, LBS, NYU Stern, Yale, Tepper or UCLA.

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