Expert Advice

Dealing with the Stress of the GMAT®

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT®) is used by business school admissions officers to measure academic ability. Data has proven that GMAT® scores are consistently good-although not perfect— predictors of academic success in the first year of business school. GMAT® scores are also used by admissions committees as a useful guide in comparing the credentials of candidates from varying backgrounds. The exam measures general verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills; however, it does not weigh business competence or specific subject knowledge.

Taking a crucial test such as the GMAT® will never be stress-free, but it can be less nerve-racking. Chris Snyder, business programs manager for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, compiled these useful tips to help students prepare for the exam.

Why Your GMAT® Score Is Really Important
Business school is highly competitive, especially the top programs, and a high score is essential. Also, a GMAT® score can—in some circumstances—help a student obtain corporate employer sponsorship of business school.

What the GMAT® Tests

• Knowledge of specific content areas (such as grammar and basic math).
• Problem solving and application of skills to specific question types.
• Ability to manage the test and handle stress.

Preparation
"The GMAT® is more than just content, which tends to be the first thing people think of when preparing for a test," Snyder says. "Students also need to make sure they work to master the problem solving and test management elements of the GMAT®."

The GMAT® is a computer adaptive test; therefore, the test adjusts to the skill level of the test taker. For students, this means they need realistic practice to become familiar with the format and build stamina.

The computer adaptive test (CAT) is more than just a computerized version of a paper and pencil test. In this format, the computer actually adapts to each student's performance as they are taking the test. Understanding how the CAT works and knowing the test-taking strategies appropriate to this particular format can have a direct, positive impact on the overall score.

When a student begins a section on the CAT, the computer assumes they have an average score and gives a question of medium difficulty. Because the order of difficulty will not be predictable, students should not assume that they will start with the easy questions first.

Because each right or wrong answer directly affects the next question the test gives, the CAT does not allow for students to go back to questions already answered and double-check work. The CAT shows only one question at a time and does not allow students to see the next question until responses have been made to the question at hand.

If a student is given a question they cannot answer, they should guess. Guess intelligently and strategically—eliminate any wrong answer choices that they can spot and guess among those remaining. There is a penalty for every question that is not answered. If a student only has a minute or two left with several questions remaining, they should guess at random rather than leave them unanswered.

"Most students are not used to the computer adaptive test format so they need to have the realistic practice under their belt before test day," Snyder says.

Sections of the GMAT®

Critical Reasoning
Critical reasoning tests analytical skills. Students will be presented with a short argument and a question relating to it and will be expected to find the answer choice that strengthens or weakens the argument. Students may also be asked to find an assumption the argument makes or make an inference themselves. To do well on these questions, students need to understand the structure of each argument—identify what the writer's conclusion is, what evidence he or she presents to support it, and what assumptions are made to jump from evidence to conclusion. Students must think about this for each question before they look at the answer choices. Otherwise, the intentionally tricky wording of the answers may confuse them.

Sentence Correction
Sentence correction tests the knowledge of standard written English. Students will be shown a sentence, often very long and convoluted. A part or the entire sentence is underlined, and students will be asked to find the best version of the underlined section out of the original version or one of four alternatives.

Reading Comprehension
When reading a passage, students must remember that they are not trying to memorize all the information in it. Instead, they must read through it quickly, trying to gain an idea of the general topic, the author's purpose, his or her "voice," and the scope of the passage—how broadly or narrowly the writer treats the subject.

Problem Solving
Problem solving is the classic standardized test question type. Students will be presented with a question and five possible answer choices. Some diagrams will be drawn to scale, which means students can "eyeball" to estimate measurements and size relationships-others won't. Regardless, all the questions will indicate which is the case.

Data Sufficiency
Each data sufficiency question consists of a question and two statements of data. Test takers must determine whether the statements provide sufficient data to answer the question. A student's success on data sufficiency will require a clear understanding of the directions and how to eliminate answers efficiently, which will come with strategic, guided practice.

Analysis of an Argument
The analysis of an argument question presents a brief argument similar to a statement a student would find in a critical reasoning question. The writer makes an assertion or states a point of view and then tries to support it. The student's task is to write an essay that critiques the structure of the argument and explains how persuasive or unpersuasive they find it. The test taker is not supposed to present a point of view on what the topic says and argue it in this essay—doing so will cost the student points.

Analysis of an Issue
The analysis of an issue question presents a broad general issue with several facets; sometimes two points of view will be asserted and other times the test takers will see only one explicitly stated. Students explore the issue's complexities, formulate an opinion, and express themselves clearly, convincingly, and correctly. They must develop an opinion and express themselves in grammatically correct English and provide concrete examples to support their ideas and make them clear to the reader. Test takers find this to be the easier of the two essays.

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