What Is It?Did you really think that life would be easy once
you got a killer score in the SAT? Too bad! If you want to get into the business school of your choice, the Graduate Management Aptitude Test is something you'll have to go through. The GMAT is an aptitude test (yeah,
yeah, just like the SAT). Somewhat similar to the SAT, the GMAT tests a student's skills in math, English, and logic to determine his or her aptitude for business school.
The question is: how well does the
GMAT measure aptitude for business school? The GMAT's ability to predict performance in school is just as poor as the SAT's. This is to be expected since the tests are designed by the same company (ETS) and the problems
are quite similar.
What Does It Test?
Don't worry; the test won't ask you questions on accounting, management, or about running a business! It's a test of aptitude
for B-school and not of business know-how. Just like the SAT, the creators of the GMAT insist that the test is meant to evaluate skills and abilities which have been developed over a long period of time. The GMAT does not test specific knowledge obtained in college course work, and neither does it seek to measure achievements in any specific areas of study.
The math and English sections of the test are very similar to the SAT, even though the format of some questions is different. The logical section of the GMAT includes two types of questions that the SAT
does not: Arguments and Data Sufficiency. Many students find these question difficult since the pattern and format are something which they have never encountered in school. However, these questions are not inherently
hard, and with sufficient preparation and practice you can raise your performance on these questions significantly.
What Is the Format of the Test?
The GMAT is a three-and-one-half hour computer adaptive test
(CAT),
which means that you will give the test on a computer. No more lead pencils and filling in small circles... yippee! There are four sections in the test.
The writing sections always begin the test. You will type your essay on the computer, using a very basic word processor.
Each question must be answered before you can go to the next question. Unlike the paper-based SAT, the computer will not allow you to return to a question once you go to the next one.
About one quarter of the questions are experimental, and are not graded. The experimental questions can be standard math, data sufficiency, reading comprehension, arguments, or sentence correction. The purpose of
this experimental section is to gauge how students perform on different types of questions so that the difficulty level for future tests can be kept consistent. Even though you won't know which questions are
experimental, the experimental section is generally more confusing and difficult than the rest of the test.
This brings up an ethical issue: How many students have run into experimental questions early in the test and have been confused and discouraged by them? Crestfallen by having done poorly on a few experimental
questions, they lose confidence and perform below their ability on the other parts of the test. Whether or not this section should be there is a separate debate. All you
have to keep in mind is that you should never allow a few difficult questions in a test to discourage you or affect performance on the rest of the test... it might just be the experimental section!
The CAT and the Paper-Based Test
The computerized GMAT uses the same type of questions as did the Paper & Pencil Test. The only thing that
has changed is the medium, that is, the way the questions are presented. There are advantages and disadvantages to the CAT. Probably the biggest advantages are that you can take the CAT just about any time
and you can take it in a small room with just a few other people -- instead of in a large auditorium with hundreds of other stressed people. One the other hand, you cannot return to previous questions, it is easier
to misread a computer screen than it is to misread printed material, and it can be distracting looking back and
forth from the computer screen to your scratch paper. But isn't it just great not to be worried about a circle not being filled properly since you were in a hurry?!
Registering for the GMAT
The GMAT is now available year-round at test centers around the world. Consider the admissions deadlines of the schools to which you're applying, then call early to increase your chances of getting your preferred test
date at the center most convenient to you. The registration fee for the GMAT is $190 worldwide. The best way to register and make an appointment for the test is by using a phone and credit card. Remember,
weekends book quickly!
