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GMAT - the process - up to and through the exam.Nov 07 '01 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line If you know the "gotchas" to look out for, you can do well in this test! I took the GMAT in September 2001 and scored over 600. I purchased no extra study programs. I'll let you know my take on the exam, and my suggestions on how to maximize your score - with zero extra expense other than the GMAT application fee. To sign up for the exam, I went to www.gmac.org (couldn't get beyond thinking it was for automotive financing though ;^). The test cost $200, but aside from the cost the sign-up process was very easy and efficient. After signing up for the exam, you have the option of downloading a GMAT prep program. GET THIS PROGRAM whether you download it or order the CD. The GMAT prep program that www.gmac.org supplies contains actual tests from prior years. The prep program presents the questions exactly as you would see if you were taking the exam. Furthermore, there are plenty of hints, tips, and review topics included. Again let me repeat - get the GMAT prep! I'll let you read some of the other reviews on epinions.com to see the sub-categories of questions asked. There are three major categories within the test: 1. writing (two essays); 2. mathematic multiple choice (m/c); 3. verbal m/c. Below are a few overriding concepts that I concluded with the GMAT: OVERVIEW: The test adapts to your skill and remaining time. If you take too long on a question or get a question wrong, the test will adapt to a couple of easier questions to keep you on track both in time and in number of questions answered (these questions will yield lower points though). Most people recommend getting the first 5 questions of mathematic m/c and verbal m/c correct in order to get to the high-scoring questions. Be careful though, as this will lead (in the mathematics section for example) to permutations & combinatorics which many people find very difficult. If you are not comfortable with this sort of question, be at-ease with getting the first 4 of 5 questions right. WRITING SECTION: I glossed through these two essays. Some universities will accept your "unofficial" scores which are given to you immediately after you complete the exam (see MATH and VERBAL below). These unofficial scores do not include these two writing sections. YOUR UNIVERSITY POLICY MAY VARY. I aimed for getting an "average" score on these two essays. The GMAT instructions recommend that you plan out your response and draft it on the provided scratch paper, etc. If you are like me and have been typing emails for decades and write reviews such as this one on a whim's notice, don't bother wasting your time with creating a draft... The writing section carries a separate score and is not included in your cumulative GMAT score. MATHEMATIC SECTION: 1. Review mathematic concepts via the GMAT prep review. Go through the samples and review topics that the prep provides. There are no other topics that you need to be aware of! For example, I did not see any evidence of calculus during the review nor the test. If you are like me and haven't taken trig in over 13 years, you'll find the math overview very helpful as refresher. 2. Be careful of random simple questions later on that require an "extra step" before you answer the question. For a simple example, if you are asked to find the length (L) of a rectangle where W=x; L=4x, make sure that you complete your work by multiplying x by 4 after you find the value of x. This may seem like a no-brainer but after a long time of answering more complex math questions you may hurry through such a simple type of problem. 3. Don't be afraid to tabularize your work instead of working through things long-hand. For example, if a question asks for the minimum value of a "complex" quadratic formula (ex. involves the sqrt of a non-square number), it may be quicker to just plug in the multiple choice answers into the formula to find the answer instead of figuring it out via the quadratic formula or factoring. Remember - the GMAT not only measures your cumulative abilities to comprehend problems the old fashioned way (long-hand), it also measures your abilities to think efficiently and quickly to arrive at the correct answers. VERBAL SECTION: 1. Reading comprehension: whatever happened to "clear & concise" sentences that we'd been scolded to write through our educational years? The reading comprehension examples oftentimes contain sentences that, although proper, run-on forever. If any of us had ever written some of these reading comprehension examples as term papers we would have had our papers completely marked up with red ink. Yet, we are expected to read through them and answer questions to get into the MBA programs. If someone were to write some of these passages in business and hand them to me, I would either have my admin summarize them for me, or they would find their way to my recycle basket. Go figure? I'm sorry - you've got no other choice but to read through them and comprehend them before answering the questions. 2. Read the comprehension questions carefully. The answers to the questions are usually right in the passages - either explicitly or implicitly stated. Don't be afraid to re-read the passages! 3. For those questions that involve correction of grammar, you will usually see a sentence with a sub-sentence (for example, an appositive) within commas. Take out the appositive and correct the main sentence via process of elimination. Then, select the remaining option with the proper grammar for the appositive. A (twisted, but typical) example: Fred and Barney, both best friends living in Bedrock since being teenagers at Bedrock High School, are throwing a party for the grand opening of Bedrock DinoRibs Bowling Alley. In this case you should first take out the "both best friends..." part and correct the main sentence ("Fred and Barney are throwing..."). From there, choose the m/c selection that contains: a. the correct main sentence grammar b. the proper grammar for the "both best friends..." part 3. Be sure that you know subtle differences such as "bring" versus "take" and the like. 4. Usually if there are 5 multiple choice questions and three of them look like each other and the two others look like each other, the answer will be one of the three. Good luck! -Garry  |
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