GMAT Cafe

The number of GMAT registrations was around 3 million in 2008 alone. Last year, almost all universities saw record number of applications. The applicant volume is so high that there are hundreds of applicants per seat.You have to compete with so many people for that one seat of yours.

Although, GMAT is not the only criterion for your selection, it is definitely among the most important. So, how to prepare for this test in a way that chances of scoring high and thus chances of securing a seat are multiplied ?

Decide your target score: First, you need to have a target score. If you have a few schools in mind, check out what is their minimum GMAT score requirement (if any). This will give you an idea of how much you should score to comfortably clear the requirement of the minimum score.

Book a test date: Next, you have to decide and book the test date. The number of test-takers is increasing and you may not get your desired test date if you delay booking the date. Booking well in advance will also help you stay focused.

Take a diagnostic test: Before you start your GMAT preparation, it helps to know where you stand. You can download the GMATPrep software from mba.com and install it on your PC. Take the full test. Once you complete, you will be given a score. If you are way off the target score, you know what you have to do; Work Hard !

Commit yourself: You can join one of the many commercial GMAT prep companies. You can, as many many others, study for GMAT on your own. What ever method of study you choose, you have to commit some time everyday for GMAT. This is very very important if you plan to score high.

Start with the basics: The best thing you can do is grab a high school text book and go through the concepts. Once you have got a fair idea of the basics, you can start practicing problems from the text book itself. You should feel confident with the problems.

Proceed to next step only if you are sure you have covered the concepts ( of both quants and verbal).

Get the official Guides : Buy the GMAT official guides(OG). These are the only books that contain real GMAT questions (though they are retired). This is the best GMAT investment one can make. Start working on this book only if you have reviewed the basics. Work out every problem in the OG.

Start taking practice tests: Make it a point to take at least one practice test every weekend. Of course, the more, the better. After you finish taking a test, review each and every question (even the ones you got right). You have to analyze your test and understand where you are making most number of mistakes, where you are slowest etc. Analysis of the test is extremely important.

Following are things to be done simultaneously with the above,

Maintain an error log: Maintain a log of mistakes you make. You have to maintain the list of questions you got wrong and the nature of the mistake. Over time, you will have a database of your mistakes and probably you will notice a pattern in your mistakes. Maybe you make a lot of careless errors. So you can start working on making your calculations more careful. This is a very effective method. Check my detailed post on GMAT error logs.

Make flash cards : Note down important formulas/rules into a separate notebook. Keep reviewing this notebook whenever you have the time. This will help you commit important stuff to your memory.

Participate in forums: There are a few great discussion forums on the net. You can find a short list of them on the best GMAT resources page. There are a lot of people who can help you understand tricky concepts and teach you things you never knew. Participate on these forums actively. Join the discussions, put across your point of view, ask questions etc. This is one of the best ways to learn.

Read online magazines and editorials : GMAT is a computer based test. You will have to do a lot of reading from the computer screen. So, it is a good idea to get used to reading from the computer screen. I have suggested few online resources in the post on the GMAT verbal section. Read and understand stuff which you generally find boring, this will help you in your Reading Comprehension.

And above all, stay tuned to gmatcafe.com

The Quantitative section of the test measures mathematical skills and understanding of elementary concepts, and the ability to reason quantitatively, solve quantitative problems, and interpret graphic data. - The GMAT Information Bulletin 2008

The section following the optional break after the AWA Section is the quantitative section. This is the first multiple-choice section you would face on the GMAT. This section has questions formulated from elementary mathematics concepts. One thing to remember is that the GMAT quantitative section is a test of quantitative reasoning rather than your regular math test. One does not need to be a math major to score high on this test. Just knowledge of basic concepts and a lot of common sense is required.

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 and the questions are mostly from Algebra, Geometry and Arithmetic. The quantitative section is scored from 0 to 60 points.

Problem Solving (PS):

Problem Solving questions are designed to test mathematical skills, understanding of elementary mathematical concepts, and the ability to reason quantitatively and solve quantitative problems. The task is to solve the problems and choose the correct answer from among five answer choices. Some problems will be plain mathematical calculations; the rest will be presented as real life word problems that will require mathematical solutions.

The GMAT Problem Solving questions are formulated in such a way that there is almost always no need of lengthy computation. If you find yourself into a lengthy computation, you have most likely made a mistake.

Data Sufficiency (DS):

This question format was created especially for GMAT. More than quantitative capability, this question type tests the test-takers on abstract logical thinking. Data Sufficiency questions are designed to measure your ability to analyze a quantitative problem, to recognize which information is relevant, and to determine at what point there is sufficient information to solve the problem. Each Data Sufficiency question consists of a question and two statements, labeled (1) and (2), which contain additional information. You must decide whether the data given in the statements are sufficient for answering the question.

As with the Problem Solving questions, the Data Sufficiency questions do not require lengthy computation. Sometimes, one does not need to do even a single step of mathematical computation to solve Data Sufficiency questions.

Each data sufficiency question has the same given choices. So memorizing them will save some time on your exam. The answer choices are as follows.

• A. Statement 1 alone is sufficient but statement 2 alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked.
• B. Statement 2 alone is sufficient but statement 1 alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked.
• C. Both statements 1 and 2 together are sufficient to answer the question but neither statement is sufficient alone.
• D. Each statement alone is sufficient to answer the question.
• E. Statements 1 and 2 are not sufficient to answer the question asked and additional data is needed to answer the question.

Things to remember before you face the GMAT quantitative section :

1. Read the questions carefully. Missing one word (or mis-interpreting one word) in the question can prove to be dangerous.
2. You should NOT take more than 2 minutes per question on an average. If you find yourself taking more than 3 minutes for a question, make an educated guess and move on. This is extremely important.
3. You are not allowed to carry a calculator or any such device into the exam center. So practice your math !
4. Use the scratch paper provided. Try not to calculate mentally. This helps avoid careless mistakes that can creep into your calculations.
5. All numbers used in the GMAT quantitative section are real numbers.
6. The diagrams and figures that accompany the questions are for the purpose of providing useful information in answering the questions. Unless it is stated that a specific figure is not drawn to scale, the diagrams and figures are drawn as accurately as possible.
7. All figures are in a plane unless otherwise indicated.

Remember : Don’t under-estimate the GMAT. Practice your math.

Now that we know what is GMAT exam. We will go forward with the format of the exam.

There are 3 parts of the GMAT exam.

• Analytical Writing Assessment (60 minutes, 2 essays)
• Quantitative Ability ( 75 minutes, 37 questions )
• Verbal Ability (75 minutes, 41 questions)

Analytical Writing Assessment: The GMAT begins with Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA). The test-taker is required to write 2 short essays. The GMAT provides a simple word-processing program for this purpose. Each essay has to be completed in exactly 30 minutes.

The first is the Analysis of an Issue, in which you need to analyze the issue presented and explain your views on it. The second essay is Analysis of an Argument, in which a given argument has to be critically analyzed and evaluated. For both the essays, the emphasis is on the “Analytical” part, and not on the “Writing” part.

Quantitative Section: As the name suggests, this section contains questions on mathematics. This section begins after an optional (in my opinion,recommended) 10-minute break.  The 37 questions in this section comprise two kinds of questions : Problem Solving (PS) and Data Sufficiency (DS). These two types are intermingled, with no fixed number for each type.

Verbal Section: After another optional (again, recommended) 10-minute break, the verbal section begins. The verbal section in GMAT tests basic English skills coupled with reasoning and analysis. The 41 questions consist of three types : Sentence Correction (SC), Critical Reasoning (CR), and Reading Comprehension (RC). The three types are intermingled, with no fixed number for each type.

Computer-Adaptive format

The GMAT is a Computer Adaptive Test (CAT). The essays are not adaptive. The quantitative and verbal sections, however, are adaptive. By adaptive it means the difficulty level of every question (barring a few experimental questions) apart from the first question depends on whether you got the previous question right or wrong. In other words, if you answer a question right, the next question presented will be of higher difficulty and if you get a question wrong, the next question will be from easier levels.

Few points to remember (in no particular order):

• Reading from a book and paper is different from reading from a computer screen. Get used to reading questions from a computer screen.
• Pacing is extrememly important. There is heavy penalty for questions left unanswered.
• Due to the adaptive format of GMAT, your score will reduce drastically if you have a string of wrong answers.
• Practice at least one full length test from the two free GMATPrep tests provided by www.mba.com. Of course, the more you practice, the more equipped you are to sit through the four hour grueling session.
• Time is the most expensive resource even on GMAT. If I say every second counts, I am not exaggerating.

Related Resources:

• Official writeup on the Test Structure and Overview.
• Free GMATPrep Software