Ways To Spend A Saturday

I wrote the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) today as part of getting ready to do an MBA. The GMAT is basically a standardized test, similar to the GRE used to qualify students for graduate school in the US. The content of the test:

• 2 essays questions (1 hour)
• 37 multiple choice questions on mathematics (75 minutes)
• 41 multiple choice questions on grammar and reading comprehension (75 minutes)

Overall, everything went well and I received my unofficial score after the test: 720. The test is scored out of 800, but on the normal distribution curve, that score placed me in the 97th percentile.

For anyone looking to take the GMAT, I’d offer the following pieces of advice:

• Know the material: The topics tested by the GMAT aren’t especially difficult. Anyone who’s completed high school mathematics and English has the knowledge required to complete the test. The key to being able to write the test is practicing the types of questions you’ll see on the test.
• Know the format: the GMAT is not a traditional test. The test is administered by computer, and the computer adjusts the difficulty of the questions you receive to match your ability. Succeeding is as much a question of knowing what tricks and traps the test employs as it is a question of whether or not you know the material.

To prepare for the GMAT, I would strongly recommend trying the sample questions and tests available from the Graduate Management Admission Council, the body responsible for establishing the GMAT. The GMAC provides a downloadable version of the GMAT computer program, complete with two tests, allowing you to practice using the actual software you’ll be using during the actual GMAT.

Another resource I used to prepare was The GMAT For Dummies. The book provides comprehensive review of the math and grammer you’ll need to ace the test, as well as numerous examples, sample questions, and even two full length paper tests.With the book, and as little as an hour a week over the course of two months, you should be able to ace the GMAT easily. Good luck!