2. Why do business schools use the GMAT?
3. How long should I study for the GMAT?
4. Which GMAT test-prep methods should I use?
5. When does it make sense to retake the GMAT?
6. How can I improve my GMAT score?
7. How does the computer-adaptive format of the GMAT work?
8. What skills are tested on the integrated reasoning section of the GMAT?
9. Why are the average GMAT scores of admitted students at top MBA programs increasing?
10. How is the GMAT different from the GRE?
1. What is the GMAT?
The GMAT is a business school entrance exam that includes an analytical writing assessment, an integrated reasoning section, quantitative section and verbal section. Test-takers have the freedom to choose how they start the exam, beginning with either the quantitative, verbal or writing section.
2. Why do business schools use the GMAT?
Experts say business schools use GMAT scores to gauge whether prospective MBA students have the skills necessary to excel in rigorous courses.
“They want to prove ahead of time that a candidate will actually get through their entire program, and so the GMAT helps them make that decision with some level of confidence,” says Camille Coppock, marketing director for the Americas region at the Graduate Management Admission Council, the nonprofit organization that administers and designs the GMAT.
Kelly Wilson, executive director of masters admissions at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, says the GMAT score is just one among many important components in an MBA application.
“While the GMAT is important, it is a single component of the larger application and is not the be all and end all,” she said via email. “The GMAT score and prior academic coursework often work hand-in-hand to provide insight into the candidate’s potential for academic success.”
[Fit the GMAT into an overarching MBA application strategy.]
3. How long should I study for the GMAT?
Experts say that, in general, an MBA applicant’s performance on the GMAT is correlated with the number of hours he or she spent preparing for the exam, but there is no hard-and-fast rule about how much prep time is necessary since that will vary by student.
Recent GMAC research showed that GMAT test-takers with scores between 600 and 690 spent a median total of 80 hours, while those with scores above 700 used a median total of 90 hours.
Coppock says the amount of time to spend on test prep depends on an applicant’s comfort level with logic exams and how ambitious the target score is.
She adds that MBA applicants often find the GMAT more challenging than previous standardized tests they have taken due to the emphasis on reasoning skills rather than knowledge of a specific academic subject.
4. Which GMAT test-prep methods should I use?
Experts warn that preparing for the GMAT on one’s own requires an abundance of personal discipline.
“Some applicants can manage with self study but we find that a class, or even better, a private tutor, helps to keep students on track and reinforce the study schedule,” Stacy Blackman, president of her namesake MBA admissions consulting firm and the author of the U.S. News Strictly Business blog, said via email.
Coppock says one way to find a test-prep support group is to sign up for a GMAT-focused Meetup. She also says MBA applicants who are trying to decide on a test-prep method should think about what worked best for them during college.
5. When does it make sense to retake the GMAT?
Experts say b-school applicants who are unsatisfied with their current GMAT score and convinced they can do better can often benefit from a retake.
Nervousness or inadequate test preparation could explain why the score is not as high as expected, experts suggest.
[Learn more about retaking the GMAT.]
“Sometimes just having sat through the exam once, learned the procedure and how it feels, will be enough to help a second time,” Alexander Lowry, a professor of finance at Gordon College and executive director of the school’s Master of Science in Financial Analysis program, said via email.
6. How can I improve my GMAT score?
Business school hopefuls who want to raise their GMAT scores should first reflect on whether they are setting realistic expectations and if achieving their target score is actually required for admission to their first-choice MBA program, Coppock from GMAC says.
She adds that applicants should be honest with themselves about whether they put a significant amount of effort into test prep — if not, then studying harder could lead to a higher score. However, she says, applicants who did put in maximum effort and still came up short might be using a test-prep method that doesn’t match their learning style.
[Understand how business schools evaluate GMAT and GRE test scores.]
7. How does the computer-adaptive format of the GMAT work?
The quantitative and verbal sections of the GMAT each begin with a question of average difficulty. Then the questions continuously vary in difficulty depending on a test-taker’s accuracy, experts say. So, if the test-taker gets a question right, a harder question usually appears next.
But if a question is answered incorrectly, the next one is typically an easier question. By the end of the test, the computer calculates a score based on whether the test-taker was able to accurately respond to tough questions.
8. What skills are tested on the integrated reasoning section of the GMAT?
The integrated reasoning section is designed to assess an applicant’s data analysis and problem-solving skills: two skill sets that are important to many employers of MBA graduates.
“The IR section — developed with input from business schools and corporate recruiters — specifically measures real-world skills relevant in today’s job market, including synthesizing data from multiple sources, organizing data to see relationships, and making judgements based on the same,” Vineet Chhabra, GMAC’s senior director of product management, said via email.
9. Why are the average GMAT scores of admitted students at top MBA programs increasing ?
GMAC officials says that the primary explanation behind the rising average GMAT scores at top business schools is the introduction of the score preview feature, which allows test-takers to see their score before electing whether to send their report to schools.
“Irrespective of program type, candidates typically cancel lower scores and keep higher ones so lower test scores become invisible to admissions while higher scores continue to be reported (and hence are visible and used during admission),” Rebecca Loades, GMAC’s master’s program director, said via email. “The result is that average GMAT scores appear to be rising.”
10. How is the GMAT different from the GRE?
Experts say one important distinction between the GMAT and GRE is that the former was specifically created with business schools in mind, whereas the latter was designed for use by multiple types of graduate schools.
MBA admissions consultants say the GRE’s verbal section is generally tougher than the one on the GMAT, while the quantitative section on the GMAT is usually harder than the one on the GRE.
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The GMAT: 10 Frequently Asked Questions originally appeared on usnews.com
