Congratulations on your outstanding achievement in finishing your undergraduate program. Completing college is not easy and takes a lot of effort and work. Between the fall of 2009 to 2019, the number of undergraduate enrollments in postsecondary institutions decreased by 5 percent, from 17.5 million to 16.6 million students. Of that number, only an average of 62 percent will be able to finish their bachelor's degree in six years.
If you look at the total population, the percentage is even lower. In 2019, only around 22.5 percent of people ages 25 and older finished four years of college. Now that you are done with your bachelor's degree, you might feel ready to face the challenges of the corporate world.
But are you really ready? With the competitive workplace, you might need more tools and skills for your career to move forward. Enrolling in graduate business school would give you a competitive edge. However, applying for graduate school can be overwhelming. So make sure you're as prepared as possible.
The first step in your graduate school preparation is taking the GMAT, which is recognized globally as an indicator of your readiness to take a graduate business school. The GMAT measures relevant skills such as critical thinking and reasoning skills needed by the world's top graduate business school. The GMAT exam is the most common test for MBA admission and is taken by at least 200,000 graduate school candidates each year. With over 7,000 MBA and master's programs using the GMAT exam to screen their prospective graduate school students, it's imperative to prepare thoroughly for the exam.
Understand The Sections
Total, Verbal, and Quantitative Scores
Analytical Writing Assessment Scores
Integrated Reasoning Scores
Take your time
The GMAT is a 3.5-hour business school entrance exam that has three sections:
● Analytical writing assessment– Measures your ability to analyze and critique an argument. It also measures your ability to communicate ideas and think critically through an essay in English. Topics will include business and other subjects that can help assess critical thinking and communication skills.
● Quantitative and verbal reasoning– Quantitative reasoning measures your mathematical reasoning, skills in problem-solving, and interpreting graphical data. It will involve an understanding of common concepts of geometry, arithmetic, and elementary algebra.
Meanwhile, verbal reasoning measures your reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and editing abilities. It also involves evaluating arguments and correcting materials to express ideas effectively.
● Integrated reasoning– Measures how good students are at analyzing and interpreting data displayed in different formats. It involves synthesizing information from graphics, numbers, text, table analysis, and evaluating information from multiple sources.
Total GMAT scores can range from 200-800. The average score between January 2015 to December 2017 was about 521.27 out of a total score of 800. Verbal and Quantitative sections are scored interactively and adaptively.
The number of questions answered, how correct they are, and even the question difficulty determine your score. These two sections have scores anywhere from 0-60 after being tabulated. However, scores below 6 and above 51 are rare in verbal and quantitative reasoning.
The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) involves the analysis of one argumentative essay. Scores are from 0-6 in intervals of 0.5. Machine algorithms and professional essay raters are used in scoring the essay. You can request a rescore if you feel it was inaccurate. The score can be adjusted pending the review of another human rater for a fee of $45, but any requests for rescoring should be made within six months of the date of the test.
Integrated Reasoning (IR) is rated on a scale of 1-8 within single-digit intervals. You are allowed to use an online calculator with basic functions to answer the questions. However, each question requires multiple responses and parts completed. So you have to answer all responses correctly because you do not receive partial credit if you leave sections blank.
Get Prepared for GMAT
You have to do your best to get the best score on GMAT and show you have what it takes to enter business school. Now that you know the scoring methodology, you need preparation to get your target score required to get into business school. It would be best to select suitable materials and a clear study plan. Then, shift into high gear and find resources such as a GMAT prep courseto help you fine-tune your test-taking.The GMAT exam is a crucial step for business school candidates. Around 62 percent of GMAT test takers complete four or more weeks of preparation before their exam. The more time you put into studying, the greater chance you will do better in the exam.
