Sunday, December 07, 2008

Top Tips for GMAT Essays

Here are some QuickTips that apply to both Analytical Writing sections.

1. Be sure to include brief introductory and concluding paragraphs, which are consistent with each other and with the paragraphs in the body of your essay.

2. Your essay must at least appear to be well organized. Use transition words and phrases to help the reader follow the flow of your discussion.

3. Compose your introductory paragraph last—after you've completed the rest of your essay. Why? Because you essay might evolve somewhat from your initial plan; if you've composed your introduction first, you might need to rewrite it.

4. For every point you make in a GMAT essay, always provide a reason and/or an example to support that point!

5. Pay close attention to writing mechanics—grammar, sentence construction, word usage and diction (whether you've used the right word for the right job). It doesn't matter if your essay contains brilliant ideas if you can't express them. In short: It's form over substance!!

6. It's okay to refer to yourself in your essays—at your option. Just don't overdo it. Phrases such as "I think," "it is my opinion that" and "in my view" are superfluous and a waste of your typing time.

7. Don't try to impress the reader with your vocabulary. There's nothing wrong with demonstrating a strong vocabulary. Just don't overdo it; otherwise the readers will suspect that you're using big words as a smokescreen for poor content.

The GMAT CAT's Computer-Adaptive Feature—and How to Use It to Your Best Advantage

This Q&A answers frequently asked questions about the computerized GMAT testing system (how it adapts to your ability level and how the scoring process accounts for this feature), and what this system suggests in terms of test-taking and test-prep strategies.

Q: The GMAT is a "computer-adaptive test" (CAT), meaning that it adapts to each individual test-taker. But how does it do that?

A: During each of the two multiple-choice sections (Quantitative and Verbal), each question the CAT presents to you depends on your responses to earlier questions of the same type—for example, Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, or Problem Solving. For each question type, the first question posed will be average in difficulty level. If you respond correctly to the question, the next question of that type will be more difficult; conversely, if you respond incorrectly, then the next question of that type will be easier. So as you proceed, you’ll encounter fewer and fewer questions that are either "gimmees" or, at the other extreme, far too difficult for you. Thus the CAT can "zero in" on your ability level with fewer questions than a non-adaptive test can. The end result is that the particular GMAT you take will be custom-built for you; no other test-taker will encounter the same combination of questions.

Q: Given this adaptive feature, your score must be based on more than just the number of correct responses, right? Otherwise, to maximize your score wouldn’t you want to intentionally respond incorrectly to difficult questions, to keep the overall difficulty level of your test down to a level that you can handle comfortably?

A: That’s right. And that’s why the CAT scoring system determines your GMAT Quantitative and Verbal scores by accounting for not only the number of questions you answer correctly but also the difficulty level of the questions you answered correctly. Your reward—in terms of points—for responding correctly to a difficult question is greater than for an easier question. Of course, the scoring system for a non-adaptive test can also account for difficulty level—simply by assigning greater weight to more difficult questions. But the adaptive feature creates a certain dynamic—a self-adjustment mechanism—that continually homes in on your level of ability in each test area.

Q: Does the scoring system take into account any other factors as well?

A: Yes. The scoring system accounts for a third factor as well: the range of cognitive abilities tested by the questions you answered correctly—within each of the two multiple-choice sections. The Quantitative section, for example, embraces a variety of substantive areas: number theory, arithmetical operations, algebra, geometry, statistical reasoning, interpretation of graphical data, and so forth. Also, the Quantitative section employs two distinct question formats: Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency. Problem Solving questions gauge your ability to work to a numerical solution, whereas Data Sufficiency questions stress your ability to reason quantitatively. Proving to the CAT that you can handle a variety of substantive areas in both question formats will boost your GMAT score.

As for how the CAT quantifies this third factor, the calculation involves the statistical concept of standard deviation. The greater the deviation among your areas of ability, the lower your score. In other words, the GMAT rewards generalists—test takers who demonstrate a broad range of competencies—while punishing less versatile test-takers who are not as well-rounded in terms of their skill sets. I don’t want to overstate the significance of this third factor, though. The other two—number of correct responses and difficulty level—are the primary determinants of your score.

Why is the scoring system designed to account for this third factor? Because the GMAC (Graduate Management Admissions Council) recognizes that crack mathematicians or grammarians don’t necessarily make good business managers. It’s people who can put it all together—people with an overall package of quantitative, verbal, and analytical skills—who are most likely to succeed in B-school and beyond.

Q: Given how the adaptive test moves you up and down the difficulty ladder, with point rewards dependant on difficulty level, it would seem that random guessing can do more damage than good to your score, since the odds of guessing correctly are stacked against you? Is this correct?

A: The conventional advice that you should avoid random guessing is generally good advice. The Quantitative and Verbal sections provide only 37 and 41 opportunities, respectively, for you to prove yourself to the CAT. Actually, the number is even lower, since about 10 questions in each section are pretest, or unscored, questions. A random guess will save you a bit of time, of course. But the risks far outweigh the time reward. Your chances of guessing correctly are only one in five. Moreover, incorrect responses move you down the difficulty ladder, which exerts downward momentum on your score. In the meantime, you’re wasting precious questions.

But I should refine this piece of advice somewhat. When it comes to resorting to guesswork, you should also consider how far along you are in the exam section. An unlucky guess early in a section is far more damaging to your score than later in the section. Why? Toward the beginning of a section, the computer-adaptive algorithm moves you up and down the ladder of difficulty rather dramatically and quickly. In as few as four questions you can move up to the highest possible level—by responding correctly to all four questions—or down to the lowest possible level—by responding incorrectly to all of them.

Once the test establishes what it thinks is the appropriate difficulty level for you, the algorithm places a heavy burden on you to prove the system wrong—that your first few incorrect—or correct—responses were flukes and you’re actually quite a bit brighter—or dimmer—than the CAT believes. If you’ve established a low ability level, and only have a few questions remaining in the section, the CAT algorithm is not going to let you take a stab at a few very difficult questions so late in the game to let you pile up some last minute points.

Think of a GMAT score like your college GPA. Low grades during your freshman year will establish a very low GPA, and you’ll be swimming upstream the next three years to redeem yourself. But low grades during the final semester of your senior year will have almost no impact on your 4-year GPA. The analogy isn’t perfect, but it’s useful nonetheless in helping you appreciate that guesswork can do far more damage to your score early in a test section.

Q: You mentioned pretest, or unscored, questions. Why does the testing service include them on the exam, and what do they mean for the test-taker?

A: The testing service is continually replacing questions in its data base with new ones, if for no other reason to prevent test-prep companies from hiring sharp test-takers with keen memories to take the GMAT again—in order to replicate the official test bank. Before a new question is added to the bank of scored questions, it is included in the bank of unscored questions, so that the testing service can determine its difficulty level and its integrity (both as determined by test-takers’ responses to the question).

Pretest questions will look just like scored questions, and you won’t be able to distinguish one type from the other. So there’s no sense in trying to guess which ones are unscored, and make a quick random guess on them to afford you more time on the scored questions.

Q: Does the computer-adaptive algorithm and scoring system you’ve described suggest any specific test-taking strategies?

A: Yes. Exercise special care in responding to the initial questions during each of the two multiple-choice sections. Read very carefully, double-check calculations, and so forth. I should augment this advice when it comes to the Verbal section. During this section, take particular care with the first few questions of each type—Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction. Typically, you won’t encounter at least one question of all three types until you’re at least ten questions into the Verbal section. So whenever you see that first question of each type, slow down and take your time with it.

However, I’d caution against taking the foregoing advice to the extreme—for two reasons. First, if you spend too much time on a few questions, you might not have adequate time for reasoned responses to all of the questions in the section. So it’s a balancing act in terms of proper pacing. Secondly, intuition plays a role in multiple-choice testing, and second-guessing yourself can be counterproductive, because changing your initial response to a question more often than not results in an incorrect response.

Q: The testing service claims that the CAT’s adaptive feature enables a more accurate measurement of your cognitive abilities relative to other test-takers than the old paper-based test, even with fewer questions. How is this possible?

A: The primary advantage—in terms of fairness—of adaptive testing over non-adaptive testing, whether computer-based or paper-based, has to do with distribution of scores. Assume two GMAT test-takers X and Y. Suppose that X has great difficulty with every question type at even low difficulty levels, while Y can handle any question type at even the highest difficulty level. Because the GMAT CAT adapts to individual ability, and rewards fewer points for correct responses to easy questions than difficult ones, the difference between GMAT scores for X and Y might be far greater than if they had taken the same bank of questions. In other words, a non-adaptive test does not allow for as wide a distribution of scores.

To the extent that the CAT creates a broader distribution of scores, it is a better means of comparing the cognitive abilities of test-takers. This is a statistics concept that’s really pretty easy to understand on a non-technical level. Scores for multiple test-takers that all cluster closely together are less reliable for the purpose of comparing ability levels than more widely distributed scores are.

Q: Okay, I understand that the adaptive feature leads to a wider score distribution, and in turn to more reliable performance comparisons. Nevertheless, with only 27 scored Quantitative questions and 31 scored Verbal questions, not to mention the wide variety of question types within each section, how can the CAT possibly make a fair assessment of your abilities?

A: You’ve hit on the most common complaint about the GMAT. But this drawback is not unique to the GMAT; you can say the same about almost any standardized exam. The greater the number of questions, the more accurate the assessment—all else being equal. But all else is not necessarily equal. During a longer test endurance becomes a factor—a factor that can undermine the purpose of the test to begin with. Also, with the inception of the CAT test-takers can take the GMAT far more often than they could under the old paper-based testing system; the more often a test-taker takes the GMAT, the more reliable the measurement.

In an ideal world, perhaps a more extensive battery of tests spread over several weeks—or even months—and that includes an oral component as well would be fairer. But it comes down to a tradeoff between fairness and administrative efficiency. The testing service couldn’t provide such a test on an affordable basis, especially considering that more the a quarter-million GMAT tests are administered every year!

Q: Given the adaptive nature of the GMAT CAT and the resulting scoring system, is the best way to prepare for the GMAT to use software that simulates the computerized GMAT—rather than GMAT-prep books?

A: My advice is to take a balanced GMAT-prep approach. Use books to brush up on your math skills, to review rules of grammar, to identify your weak areas, and for exercises and drills that help strengthen those weak areas. Use software to determine your optimal pace, to acclimate yourself to the computer interface, and to measure your performance—so that when you take the actual test you’ll have a good idea whether you should cancel your scores and/or retake the exam.

I don’t mean to suggest here that taking paper-based practice tests is not worthwhile. As long as they accurately reflect the style and difficulty level of the actual GMAT, they’re quite useful for additional practice. By the same token, you shouldn’t assume that any GMAT software product will be a reliable predictor of your performance on the actual GMAT. I’m not at liberty to make any specific product recommendations here, but keep in mind that some GMAT software products are better than others—both in terms of replicating the style and difficulty level of actual GMAT questions and in terms of forecasting your scores on the actual GMAT. So choose your test-prep software carefully.

Graduate Management Admission Test GMAT

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standardized test for applicants who are planning to do an MBA or a PhD in Business Management or a Masters program in Finance, Human Resources etc. from a business school in US, Europe or Canada. Many universities in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore also ask for GMAT scores. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) under the sponsorship of Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) publishes GMAT. In India Prometric administers the test.

GMAT Eligibility

The US Universities require 16years education for admission to graduate studies. However if you have more than 3 years of work experience some universities may waive the 16th year requirement. For students with work experience between 0-2 years, the academic record plays a very important role. It ultimately shows how well you managed your time, resources and money as a student.


GMAT Exam Structure

GMAT Exam consists of following three main parts

1. Analytical Writing Assessment
2. Quantitative section and
3. Verbal section

Analytical Writing Assessment: The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section of the test consists of two essays. In the first, the student must analyze an argument and in the second the student must analyze an issue. Each essay must be written within 30 minutes and is scored on a scale of 0-6.

Quantitative Section: The quantitative section consists of 37 multiple choice questions, which must be answered within 75 minutes. There are two types of questions: problem solving and data sufficiency. The quantitative section is scored from 0 to 60 points. This sections consists of

* Problem Solving
* Data Sufficiency

Verbal Section: The verbal section consists of 41 multiple choice questions, which must be answered within 75 minutes. There are three types of questions: sentence correction, critical reasoning and reading comprehension. The verbal section is scored from 0 to 60 points. This section consists of

* Sentence Correction
* Critical Reasoning
* Reading Comprehension

GMAT Registration
You can register in four ways - (i) Online Registration (ii) Registering by Phone (iii) Registering by Fax (iv) Registering by Mail/Courier. You can take GMAT any day, throughout the year, (except on holidays and weekends - Saturdays and Sundays). In India, you can register by telephone or fax or mail at Prometric Testing (P) Ltd., Senior Plaza 160-A, Gautam Nagar, Yusuf Sarai, Behind Indian Oil Building, New Delhi 110 049, TEL : 011- 26512114/26531442, Fax: 265229741, Or online on http://www.mba.com/

GMAT Exam Cost
US$ 250* (Includes fee for reporting scores to 5 universities). Additional Score Report: US$ 28* per university. You will incur taxes when you schedule an exam in certain countries. Preferred Forms of Payment By credit card (Visa®, MasterCard®, American Express®, or JCB®); Debit card (Visa® or MasterCard® only); By cashier’s check (mailed forms only); By money order (mailed forms only); Personal check (mailed forms only); Payments by check must be payable in U.S. dollars and drawn on banks located in the United States.
*subject to change