The GMAT and rest of MBA Admissions Requirements
Never in the history of MBA admissions requirements has there been more graduate schools applicants and undergraduates enrolled for the GMAT.
Nowadays it is more important than ever to prepare the MBA pre-requisites well and to be well prepared for the GMAT specially. Competition is on and is harder that it ever was.
The average time spent preparing (well) for the GMAT hovers around 100 hours or more. Also, most graduate schools applicants are full time workers, so 100 hours of study actually translates into 3 months or more of hard work and pressure.
Experts agree that no one really is a “natural test taker”. Taking a test (specially the GMAT) is categorised as a kind of “unnatural acts”, therefore preparation is of an essence.
But, really, how tough is the GMAT? It might seem as if the GMAT is testing you on things such as trigonometry, subject-verb agreement, vocabulary, or general universal culture. Nonetheless, the GMAT is that and much more. The GMAT is, in essence, a test of endurance, speed, and accuracy. Responding quickly is just as important as nailing the questions accurately. These are the things that will determine your level of success at a top graduate school and at work, as a top manager, later on, and so they are the things you will really be tested on.
TIPS ON TAKING THE GMAT
Fisrt suggestion, take it before you actually need it! This means that if you are thinking of going to business schools 2 or 3 years down the line, do not wait to take he GMAT a couple of months before deadline. Take a few months now to study and prepare thoroughly and study in blocks. Then take the test without the pressure of “having to score high”.
The best way to improve your scores and your test taking abilities is to schedule short, less loaded study sesions over a long period before taking the test. A minimum of three months and as much as six preparing is recommendable.
So that brings us to our second tip: The sooner you start on the whole GMAT process, the better. Basically, try your best to get the GMAT out of the way. Scores are good for five years, so once you have managed to get the scores you need, you have enough time to relax and prepare for the bulk of the admissions process and rest of requirements. This takes off the pressure and the stress.
Says Jon with PowerScore “The best place to start always is to take a practice test……. you can actually go to the GMAT website and download two copies …. online….. just like the actual GMAT (omission)….. I would suggest taking one and just looking at the score, taking it under those timed conditions and trying as much as possible to replicate what the actual test would be like. That will give you a starting point, a baseline so to speak.”
Anxiety feeds on the fear of the unknown. Knowing before hand what you are getting into releases the feelings of anxiety and helps you to be more efficient when it matters: on test day.
