Alumni Area
Experiences of Alumnis
eniGMATic
by Anna Goljanska
by Anna Goljanska
Given the abundance of material on how to master GMAT techniques and the test taking strategy, etc etc., the present article is intended rather as a non-structured compilation of "soft" observations and personal experiences of those of us who have had the pleasure of sitting this test. Hopefully, these will stand in good stead for those of readers who are contemplating taking GMAT.
GMAT Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) structure
1. Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA)
- 2 essays: Analysis of and Issue and Analysis of an Argument, ½ hour each
- Exhaustive list of possible topics for both essays (some 120 entries) is available on http://www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT/Tools/AWATopics2001.htm2.
2. Quantitative section
- Data Sufficiency
- Problem Solving
- 75 minutes, 37 multiple-choice questions
3. Verbal section
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Reasoning
- Sentence Correction
- 75 minutes, 41 multiple-choice questions
Optional 5 minute breaks in between the sections. Test duration - 3 ½ hours plus breaks
Registration info
* Fill in International Test Scheduling Form in GMAT Bulletin available from education centres and downloadable online
* Pay up (USD 200)
* Mail the form and cheque Allow up to 1 ½ months between registering and sitting the test (for Vilnius sitting)
Time/ timing
* GMAT sessions.
In Riga - 2 times a year (paper-based). In Vilnius - several times a week (CAT)
* Test result validity.
Most universities consider test results valid for 5 years with some b-schools requesting scores at most as fresh as 2 years old. In any case, GMAT retains scores on record for 20 years and reports at request the scores for tests taken during the last 5 years, but I bet you will be preoccupied with things other than GMAT in some 10 years from now. Official test scores are mailed to you and your designated schools in ~2 weeks after the test
Monetary investment
Registration: USD 200 with additional score reports costing USD 20 each.
Test results
* Result format.
Separate scores are reported for Verbal & Quantitative sections (0-60). AWA result is reported on a 0-6 scale. Total score range 200-800
* Test result cancellation.
After completing the CAT test and before the report of results on screen you are given the option to cancel your scores (i.e. they will not be sent to your selected schools). My personal reminiscence is that of the deceptive feeling of self-under-estimation, as the score on screen actually exceeded my rather poor expectations after having survived a number of frustrations in the past 3 ½ hours. The temptation to cancel your scores may be misleading, that is. Unless you really trust your intuition.
* Results.
The results you get on screen after completing the test, although presented as "preliminary unofficial results" are unlikely to differ considerably/ whatsoever from the official final score that will be mailed to you, unless your essay deviates substantially from the expected average.
* Business schools.
B-schools use GMAT scores to rank the applying students; top b-schools look for a 700+ range but make do also with lower scores provided the applying person is a well-rounded personality and compensates the score on other fronts.
[b]Test tips[b/]
The monetary investment indicated above is a bare minimum that you would have to count with. For your hard-earned $200 you would enjoy the following:
* This wonderful opportunity to sit the test,
* Dispatch of up to 5 score reports to the schools of your selection,
* Sample test CD, which actually proves to be quite useful, and should not be unduly left to the last day as the last resort of preparation.
On top of that, one has to take into account such outlays as the additional score reports ($20 per school), study books should you choose to buy your own, rather than utilising the resources at SSE Riga library, education centres or elsewhere, travel expenses if applicable. Besides, the non-monetary investment in the form of time for preparation may be considerable given your packed life style - for that matter, as far as conditions allow, consider the time of the year when you plan to take the test, would you prefer killing long depressive winter evenings or spoil your summer vacation in a joyful GMAT preparation.
Re: investment - some b-schools (most notably London Business School MSc Finance programme) generously spare you the application fee, acknowledging the investment you make in taking all those tests.
.. it is better not to make a long break in preparation, but rather make sure that most intensive preparation actually takes place in the immediate run-up to the test
* My personal anecdote is that my registration confirmation slip read the date of the test as 02/12/01, which, being European, I interpreted as 2 Dec 2001 and virtually two days before the "test date" realised that it was actually 12 January 2002. (GMAT-related"strain" was probably already playing jokes on me). It unexpectedly granted me 1 more month of "preparation". Anyways, at least it wasn't vice versa.
One of the personal observations of one of our course mates was that it is better not to make a long break in preparation, but rather make sure that most intensive preparation actually takes place in the immediate run-up to the test (except for the relaxing evening on the eve of the test day).
This brings us to next point. Study, study and study would surely be a silver-bullet advice. It is highly individual how much time you would like/are able to allocate for test preparation in order to feel comfortable (which is largely what the whole test is all about, given that there is no specific NEW stuff tested there). One thing has been almost unanimously agreed upon - better not to bother with the GMAT studies on the eve of the test - there is no way you will be able to master the test in one day, whereas it is bound to add to your stress.
As to the technicalities of the test, suffices to make a couple of points. Verbal section is notorious with all the non-native-English-speakers. In fact, even the native speakers swallow this section not without a choke or two. This is due to an extensive vocabulary that is put to test. You may however want to have a look at the verbal sections of GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) to see that GMAT verbal is in fact not the worst of evils. And then again - maybe one doesn't really need to KNOW the meaning word to get away with the question?
The other specific thing to heed are the Data Sufficiency problems of the Quantitative section. These 13-14 questions test your ability to reason logically about quantitative problems using arithmetic, algebra and geometric concepts.
Re: test taking tactics - practicing enables one to recognize certain patterns in test to the extent that one may be even able to get an idea of how the answer should be looking like before actually finishing reading the question. However, this tactic should better not be abused if you have sufficient time for reading the entire question and all suggested answers, as God knows what kind of tricks they may be stuffing the questions with.
Last, but not least. Actually, the following are some personal experiences that may make it or break it.
* First of all, for most of us taking GMAT CAT is associated with the trip (to Vilnius, for instance). This arguably contributes to the general anxiety. Such plain vanilla stuff as arriving in advance (not overnight), securing comfortable accommodation and having a good night sleep will truly ease your test sitting experience.
* It might be a good idea even for indigenous area residents to check the exact location of the test centre well in advance (that place in Vilnius is awfully confusing) and arriving at the centre costly on time.
.. practicing enables one to recognize certain patterns in test to the extent that one may be even able to get an idea of how the answer should be looking like before actually finishing reading the question.
Finally, they say that there is no much use (except for personal clean conscience) in retaking the test, as the chances of improving your score are slim. Well, it may actually have the grain of truth. While one can certainly challenge this statement for as many times as fits, the arguably optimal solution would be to make all your stakes on "the one and the only" test sitting and give it your best try. See how far such now-or-never attitude can take you.
* My thanks to Armine and certain other nice people for their valuable input.
** Certain resources on GMAT:
http://www.gmac.com/gmac/thegmat/
http://www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/gmat/
*** Disclaimer. These insights are intended as guidance only and by no means guarantee the Harvard-level performance at the test. Good luck!
GMAT Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) structure
1. Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA)
- 2 essays: Analysis of and Issue and Analysis of an Argument, ½ hour each
- Exhaustive list of possible topics for both essays (some 120 entries) is available on http://www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT/Tools/AWATopics2001.htm2.
2. Quantitative section
- Data Sufficiency
- Problem Solving
- 75 minutes, 37 multiple-choice questions
3. Verbal section
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Reasoning
- Sentence Correction
- 75 minutes, 41 multiple-choice questions
Optional 5 minute breaks in between the sections. Test duration - 3 ½ hours plus breaks
Registration info
* Fill in International Test Scheduling Form in GMAT Bulletin available from education centres and downloadable online
* Pay up (USD 200)
* Mail the form and cheque Allow up to 1 ½ months between registering and sitting the test (for Vilnius sitting)
Time/ timing
* GMAT sessions.
In Riga - 2 times a year (paper-based). In Vilnius - several times a week (CAT)
* Test result validity.
Most universities consider test results valid for 5 years with some b-schools requesting scores at most as fresh as 2 years old. In any case, GMAT retains scores on record for 20 years and reports at request the scores for tests taken during the last 5 years, but I bet you will be preoccupied with things other than GMAT in some 10 years from now. Official test scores are mailed to you and your designated schools in ~2 weeks after the test
Monetary investment
Registration: USD 200 with additional score reports costing USD 20 each.
Test results
* Result format.
Separate scores are reported for Verbal & Quantitative sections (0-60). AWA result is reported on a 0-6 scale. Total score range 200-800
* Test result cancellation.
After completing the CAT test and before the report of results on screen you are given the option to cancel your scores (i.e. they will not be sent to your selected schools). My personal reminiscence is that of the deceptive feeling of self-under-estimation, as the score on screen actually exceeded my rather poor expectations after having survived a number of frustrations in the past 3 ½ hours. The temptation to cancel your scores may be misleading, that is. Unless you really trust your intuition.
* Results.
The results you get on screen after completing the test, although presented as "preliminary unofficial results" are unlikely to differ considerably/ whatsoever from the official final score that will be mailed to you, unless your essay deviates substantially from the expected average.
* Business schools.
B-schools use GMAT scores to rank the applying students; top b-schools look for a 700+ range but make do also with lower scores provided the applying person is a well-rounded personality and compensates the score on other fronts.
[b]Test tips[b/]
The monetary investment indicated above is a bare minimum that you would have to count with. For your hard-earned $200 you would enjoy the following:
* This wonderful opportunity to sit the test,
* Dispatch of up to 5 score reports to the schools of your selection,
* Sample test CD, which actually proves to be quite useful, and should not be unduly left to the last day as the last resort of preparation.
On top of that, one has to take into account such outlays as the additional score reports ($20 per school), study books should you choose to buy your own, rather than utilising the resources at SSE Riga library, education centres or elsewhere, travel expenses if applicable. Besides, the non-monetary investment in the form of time for preparation may be considerable given your packed life style - for that matter, as far as conditions allow, consider the time of the year when you plan to take the test, would you prefer killing long depressive winter evenings or spoil your summer vacation in a joyful GMAT preparation.
Re: investment - some b-schools (most notably London Business School MSc Finance programme) generously spare you the application fee, acknowledging the investment you make in taking all those tests.
.. it is better not to make a long break in preparation, but rather make sure that most intensive preparation actually takes place in the immediate run-up to the test
* My personal anecdote is that my registration confirmation slip read the date of the test as 02/12/01, which, being European, I interpreted as 2 Dec 2001 and virtually two days before the "test date" realised that it was actually 12 January 2002. (GMAT-related"strain" was probably already playing jokes on me). It unexpectedly granted me 1 more month of "preparation". Anyways, at least it wasn't vice versa.
One of the personal observations of one of our course mates was that it is better not to make a long break in preparation, but rather make sure that most intensive preparation actually takes place in the immediate run-up to the test (except for the relaxing evening on the eve of the test day).
This brings us to next point. Study, study and study would surely be a silver-bullet advice. It is highly individual how much time you would like/are able to allocate for test preparation in order to feel comfortable (which is largely what the whole test is all about, given that there is no specific NEW stuff tested there). One thing has been almost unanimously agreed upon - better not to bother with the GMAT studies on the eve of the test - there is no way you will be able to master the test in one day, whereas it is bound to add to your stress.
As to the technicalities of the test, suffices to make a couple of points. Verbal section is notorious with all the non-native-English-speakers. In fact, even the native speakers swallow this section not without a choke or two. This is due to an extensive vocabulary that is put to test. You may however want to have a look at the verbal sections of GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) to see that GMAT verbal is in fact not the worst of evils. And then again - maybe one doesn't really need to KNOW the meaning word to get away with the question?
The other specific thing to heed are the Data Sufficiency problems of the Quantitative section. These 13-14 questions test your ability to reason logically about quantitative problems using arithmetic, algebra and geometric concepts.
Re: test taking tactics - practicing enables one to recognize certain patterns in test to the extent that one may be even able to get an idea of how the answer should be looking like before actually finishing reading the question. However, this tactic should better not be abused if you have sufficient time for reading the entire question and all suggested answers, as God knows what kind of tricks they may be stuffing the questions with.
Last, but not least. Actually, the following are some personal experiences that may make it or break it.
* First of all, for most of us taking GMAT CAT is associated with the trip (to Vilnius, for instance). This arguably contributes to the general anxiety. Such plain vanilla stuff as arriving in advance (not overnight), securing comfortable accommodation and having a good night sleep will truly ease your test sitting experience.
* It might be a good idea even for indigenous area residents to check the exact location of the test centre well in advance (that place in Vilnius is awfully confusing) and arriving at the centre costly on time.
.. practicing enables one to recognize certain patterns in test to the extent that one may be even able to get an idea of how the answer should be looking like before actually finishing reading the question.
Finally, they say that there is no much use (except for personal clean conscience) in retaking the test, as the chances of improving your score are slim. Well, it may actually have the grain of truth. While one can certainly challenge this statement for as many times as fits, the arguably optimal solution would be to make all your stakes on "the one and the only" test sitting and give it your best try. See how far such now-or-never attitude can take you.
* My thanks to Armine and certain other nice people for their valuable input.
** Certain resources on GMAT:
http://www.gmac.com/gmac/thegmat/
http://www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/gmat/
*** Disclaimer. These insights are intended as guidance only and by no means guarantee the Harvard-level performance at the test. Good luck!
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