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GMAT - The first step into the world of MBA
GMAT, which stands for Graduate Management Admission Test,
is a standardized assessment that should aim to help Business Schools assess
the qualifications of their applicants for an MBA degree or other business and
management degrees. Although some schools may not require GMAT, usually substituting
their own test or asking for the GMAT only for foreign students, this most feared
and hated part of the business school admission process is something that most
applicants will have to go through. The GMAT measures language, quantitative
and writing skills and is designed to help predict a student’s potential
academic performance in the first year of graduate management school. More than
1,000 business schools around the world require GMAT scores from each applicant.
MBA programmes are generally heavy on mathematics and statistics (not to mention
such subjects as accounting). Anyone with limited mathematical skills may well
struggle. The test aims to measure understanding and reasoning ability, both
verbal and quantitative, and most schools find that it is a good predictor of
likely success on an MBA programme, particularly the quantitative aspects. Low
scorers in this area may have trouble with subjects such as statistics, accounting
and finance. But even though it is extremely important, the GMAT is not the
be-all and end-all. As the GMAC itself cautions, the GMAT is only one indicator,
and an imperfect one at that. Academic records, references, interviews and all
the other paraphernalia of the business school admissions process are equally
as important.
The GMAT assesses skills that have been developed over a long period of time,
rather than specific knowledge in business or other areas. The GMAT has three
sections: Analytical Writing, Quantitative, and Verbal. The candidate may opt
to take a ten-minute break in between sections. In the Analytical Writing Assessment,
the candidate will complete two 30-minute essays-- an analysis of an issue and
an analysis of an argument. The Quantitative section consists of 37 multiple-choice
questions which must be completed in 75 minutes. These questions are either
problem-solving or data sufficiency questions. The verbal section consists of
41 multiple-choice which must be completed in 75 minutes. These questions will
either be reading comprehension, critical reasoning, or sentence correction
questions. The test-taker will receive an unofficial score report immediately
after finishing the exam. Later, an official copy of the scores will be sent
to the test-taker and to the relevant institutions.
The GMAT score report will contain four scores: verbal, quantitative, total,
and analytical writing assessment. The verbal and quantitative scores will range
from 0 to 60, and the total score will range from 200 to 800. The analytical
writing assessment score will be an average of the scores assigned to the analyses
of issue and argument; each short essay will be scored by two judges on a scale
of 1 to 6, and these scores will be averaged. The GMAT is administered by the
Graduate Management Admission Council at locations around the country; to register,
visit the GMAC website, www.mba.com.
Here are the sections on the GMAT:
| SECTION |
Total amount
of time allotted |
Number of
questions |
Time to answer
each question |
Analytical Writing I
Issue Analysis |
30 min |
1 Topic |
30 min |
Analytical Writing II
Argument Analysis |
30 min |
1 Topic |
30 min |
| Rest Break (optional) |
5 min |
N/A |
N/A |
| Quantitative |
75 min |
37 |
2.03 min |
| Rest Break (optional) |
5 min |
N/A |
N/A |
| Verbal |
75 min |
41 |
1.83 min |
Improve your score
Undoubtedly, average GMAT scores at leading schools have been rising in recent
years. But business schools rarely specify a minimum GMAT score at a very high
level. They regard GMAT results as only one of a number of factors to consider
in the admissions process (the others are things like grades obtained at university,
work experience, interview and so on).
Even so, it is obviously sensible to attempt to gain the highest GMAT score
you can manage. This, of course, is the approach most prospective MBA students
take and the strategy is pretty well established. It is, in a word, practice.
The GMAT is an unusual type of test – a computer based multiple-choice
dissection of quantitative and verbal skills and a handful of essay questions.
This type of test is very common in the US but not outside, which is why you
may well need to practice taking it. The more you practice the higher your score
will be. Many believe that taking the test a second or even a third time will
inevitably increase your score, though there seems no statistical evidence for
this.
In any case, given that it costs $250 just to take the GMAT, you need to do
your practising before you enter the test centre.
There are independent GMAT training and preparation centres in most countries.
Many students believe this type of training is useful and some say it is essential,
given the peculiarity of the test and particularly if you have a problem with
maths.
However, these can be expensive and a better route might be via the Graduate
Management Admission Council (GMAC), which is responsible for the GMAT.
GMAC’s website(www.mba.com) has masses of useful information and tips
on the GMAT. Using it you can take a mock test using GMATPrep software, which
can be downloaded free from the website. It contains two timed computer-adaptive
tests that simulate the actual exam, hundreds of practice questions, answers
and explanations, as well as a maths review, real-time scoring, online help
and computer-based testing tutorials.
For more practice questions you can buy The Official Guide for GMAT Review,
11th Edition from website. The Guide contains more than 800 GMAT questions.
For more from the Verbal and Quantitative Sections, GMAC also has The Official
Guide for GMAT Verbal Review and The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review.
Each has around 300 questions. There are also sets of three “retired”
(ie real) paper tests.
Finally, one strategy that is often recommended by students is to make sure
you take the GMAT as early as you can after leaving college or university (or
even while still there). The thinking goes that being in academic setting hones
your mind to test-taking, something that often dulls in the workplace. And since
GMAT scores are regarded as valid for five years after taking the test, it might
be a very wise move.
Self-Assessment Modules
(Click on the titles for detailed information)
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