GMAT Question

papapar · February 6, 2010

I took a practice GMAT, I was trying to estimate what my score may have been. I know the real deal is computer adaptive and what not but I was just looking for a ballpark...There are two sections with 37 and 41 questions but somehow they scale each section out of 60...I've googled a bunch of different stuff but nothing I could find was very helpful, any help would be great! Thanks in advance guys!

markheardjr · February 8, 2010

They have a new system now where the next question depends on how you answered the previous. They show a tree like path to a certain score. Like taking a family tree and turing it counter-clockwise 90°. You start at 1 point, then you have correct/incorrect, now you are at 2 potential places, then from there you have correct/incorrect, so on and so forth. The questions are supposed to get harder as you answer correctly too.

Try this and look at the percentiles, might give you an idea of where you are...

[url="http://www.testmasters.net/gmat/Information/scale.aspx"]http://www.testmasters.net/gmat/Information/scale.aspx[/url]

OpusX20 · February 8, 2010

I took the GMAT for entry into b-school back in 1999. They had just started this new computer-adaptive model that markheardjr mentioned. Basically, if you get a question wrong, your next question is a bit easier and more difficult if you got it right. Because of this complexity, it makes getting an accurate read on your practice tests more difficult. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as saying you got 90% of the questions right and that is a 700 (or whatever).

I always thought the Barron's study guide and software had the most realistic and accurate tests (including scoring). But, that was a while ago. I would head over to the forums at Princeton Review. That community probably has more up to date info on where to get the best/accurate practice tests. Good luck.

papapar · February 8, 2010

Thanks for the help guys! much appreciated!

profsmitty · February 13, 2010

FWIW - remember the GMAT is an important part of the admissions process but not the only factor. Increasingly, B-schools are interested in the whole "you" package. I'm not sure where you are in you life but remember, there are a fairly large people with great GMATs trying to get into the same 50 MBA programs. What have you done to distinguish yourself? What have you done to give your admission's package "stickiness"?

Rather than obsessing over a point or two on your GMAT, go out and do something special.

1. Volunteer for a NFP. Better yet, start a project to make the community better.

2. Become a better writer. There is nothing that will turn off an admissions committee more quickly than a personal statement that reads like a 6th grade book report.

3. Read something. One of my favorite questions to applicants is "what is the last non-business related book you have read". Blow their minds. Don't fake it. Read it. You might even enjoy it. Remember, if you don't like reading, you might not really be a candidate for an advanced degree. That's what these programs are all about.

4. Pick the right school. Why did you pick the schools you picked to apply to? Is it a good fit? Your feet know when the new shoes are too small. The shoes know it, too.

5. Depending on your situation, have you considered applying to a masters program in a business discipline and not an MBA program? For example, if you are interested in a finance career, consider applying to a Master of Science in Finance program. Sometimes, MBA programs are crammed with applicants while these programs, taught by the same faculties and covering subjects you are really interested in, go begging. This is where knowing exactly why you are applying to graduate school becomes critical. Think about it.

Their are a thousand more things I could add. But, thankfully, I will leave that to the fifty books on the subject that you can find on Amazon. Good luck. Let me know how things come out.

OpusX20 · February 13, 2010

[quote name='smith5606' date='13 February 2010 - 06:37 AM' timestamp='1266064668' post='2248423']
FWIW - remember the GMAT is an important part of the admissions process but not the only factor. Increasingly, B-schools are interested in the whole "you" package. I'm not sure where you are in you life but remember, there are a fairly large people with great GMATs trying to get into the same 50 MBA programs. What have you done to distinguish yourself? What have you done to give your admission's package "stickiness"?

Rather than obsessing over a point or two on your GMAT, go out and do something special.

1. Volunteer for a NFP. Better yet, start a project to make the community better.

2. Become a better writer. There is nothing that will turn off an admissions committee more quickly than a personal statement that reads like a 6th grade book report.

3. Read something. One of my favorite questions to applicants is "what is the last non-business related book you have read". Blow their minds. Don't fake it. Read it. You might even enjoy it. Remember, if you don't like reading, you might not really be a candidate for an advanced degree. That's what these programs are all about.

4. Pick the right school. Why did you pick the schools you picked to apply to? Is it a good fit? Your feet know when the new shoes are too small. The shoes know it, too.

5. Depending on your situation, have you considered applying to a masters program in a business discipline and not an MBA program? For example, if you are interested in a finance career, consider applying to a Master of Science in Finance program. Sometimes, MBA programs are crammed with applicants while these programs, taught by the same faculties and covering subjects you are really interested in, go begging. This is where knowing exactly why you are applying to graduate school becomes critical. Think about it.

Their are a thousand more things I could add. But, thankfully, I will leave that to the fifty books on the subject that you can find on Amazon. Good luck. Let me know how things come out.
[/quote]

This is really great advice. It really has a lot to do with differentiating yourself from the other applicants. That is very tough to do with the GMAT. Use the essays and where possible an in person interview as a way of standing out from the crowd. I'm not suggesting doing crazy stuff (like writing your essay in crayon, which I heard someone did), but just making sure you're not another mba "sheep". For me, I used my work experience as a golf professional as my differentiation. I was the only former golf pro in my MBA class.