Gmat?

Hi there
Am thinking of applying to do an MBA in the States but need to do the GMATs first.. Just wondering if anyone here has done them? Are they very hard?? Thanks!

Hi,

I did the GMAT last year.

There are 3 sections:
- numerical
- verbal
- essay

Depends where your strengths lie, as to whether you will find it hard.
In general I would say no, its not.

The scoring is in percentiles - i.e. you are measured against all the other people who sit the GMAT. People from all over the world sit it (in English), so if you are a native english speaker, you have an enormous advantage.
Non-native english speakers would have to learn about the subjunctive, and split infinitives etc, but we just know what 'sounds' right.

Most people find the maths section the toughest, but that was my favourite (since I've a degree in maths).

I found the essay part to be the toughest, but in the end got my highest score in that area (since I had focused my study in that area).


To get a good score (over 600), do practise tests. Kaplan have books and CDs which are in the exact format of the GMAT, so on the day, you will be used to how the screen looks etc. You can get them on Amazon.

You can also sit it as many times as you want and take your highest score.
For Smurfit MBA I think you need over 500 - but that really wouldnt be hard to get.

Good luck with it.
Ragazza

Thanks for that Ragazza-- really good info. Numerics would def. not be my strong point so would have to work on that.. The essay topic- can you write on anything? Can you remember how long it has to be? Also do u happen to know what the marks are out of? I found a website which lists the average GMAT number of each student taken in... ]Thanks!
kerbs

Hi,

The max mark is 800, but it is not a linear scale, so its much harder to go from 780 to 800 than from 480 to 500 for example.
The essay max mark is 6.

For the numerics - I would definitely recommend one of the Kaplan books. They have loads of little tips and tricks - like how to recognise if a number of divisible by 4 or 7 or 9 etc.

The essay has to be short - just a couple of hundred words. You cannot choose the topic - instead they give you a couple of options I think. It doesnt really have to be an essay - instead it is just to show that you have a logical flow of words and thought process, and that you can consider both sides of an argument.
So its REALLY important to put in linking words like "Furthermore", "In addition" etc. A computer marks your essay as well as a human, and the computer is kust loooking for these linking words.

Other tips:
- in all the tests, the first 10 questions carry more weight. So spend proportionally more time on these and ensure you get them right.
- Answer every question - even if at the end you have no time and are guessing. You are docked marks if you dont answer every question.

If you do the study books, you learn loads of tips like this, which really help to improve your score.

I have some study tips, I'll try to dig them out and post them..

Ragazza.

Hi,

more tips.

For your essay, the computerised marker is called the E-Rater.
It looks for the following :

1. Writing that is grammatical, concise, direct and persuasive displays " superior control of language".
2. Think logically and express yourself clearly.
3. Use good grammar and correct diction (word choice).
4. Use good syntax - vary sentence length, and structure (some with clauses), ensure ideas are clear.
5. Keep things simple - sentence structure, organisation etc.
6. Ensure everything you say is relevant to the topic

E-rater is programmed to recognise:
- the syntactical and grammatical variety that marks high-scoring essays,
- the structural words that are found in well-organised essays

Keywords:
1. Argument essays should contain contrast words such as: However, On the other hand
2. The best essays tend to contain:
- keywords that indicate sequential arrangements or parallelisms, such as not only, but also, furthermore, first, since for example
- keywords that signal Emphasis, Conclusion, Illustration, and Evidence

Syntactical Variety:
Use good synonyms for the phrases in your essay topic.
e.g.
Responsibility : obligation, duty, accountability
Business Leader : entrepreneur, chief executive



An outstanding essay shows:
- Insightfully presents and convincingly supports an opinion on the issue or a critique of the argu.
- Ideas are very clear, well organised & logically connected
- Shows superior control of language, grammar, stylistic variety, and accepted conventions.

Cheers,
Ragazza

hey thanks for all that ragazza -
can't believe a computer rates your essay though? Think that seems bizarre?? You have given me loads of info so at this stage think it is just a question of getting those kaplan books and knuckling down to a bit of study.. Thanks again
kerbs