GMAT Overview

Graduate Management Admissions Test

M1
EDHEC
ANNE SCOLAIRE / ACADEMIC YEAR 2013-2014

Why, Where, When, How much?

Why? GMAT required for MSc in English What score? 550-650/800 Where? Paris, Brussels, Aix en Provence When? Six weeks before application deadline How much? $250 + $49 VAT = 210 How long? Four hours Validity? Five years

Seven GMAT sections

12 Integrated Reasoning Questions
New section since 2012. Four question types:

30 mins
Mark/8

graphics interpretation, two-part analysis, table analysis, multi-source reasoning 1 AWA (Analytical Writing Assessment)
Argument analysis
Five-minute break

30 mins 75 mins

Mark/6

Quantitative Section
Problem solving Data sufficiency
Five-minute break

Mark/ 800

Verbal section
Reading comprehension Sentence correction Critical reasoning

75 mins

Integrated Reasoning (IR)

This section tests future business school students ability to analyse, assimilate and interpret data. Business schools can assess if a candidate will function well in the classroom and as a future manager. A separate mark out of 8 is given for twelve questions in this section.

IR
Four question types graphics interpretation, two-part analysis, table analysis, multi-source reasoning Go to mba.com and veritasprep.com for sample questions

Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA)

Argument Analysis 30 minutes
350 words on average 5-6 paragraphs (intro, body, body, body, conc) No humour, sarcasm, colloquialisms etc.

Corrected by human and E-rater

Mark out of 6: separate from final GMAT grade

AWA - Argument analysis

Your opinion is not important How is the argument flawed?

Clearly state why argument fails in introduction

Develop three or four strong arguments - go for breadth not depth Conclude

Example argument essay

"Most companies would agree that as the risk of physical injury occurring on the job increases, the wages paid to employees should also increase. Hence it makes financial sense for employers to make the workplace safer: they could thus reduce their payroll expenses and save money. Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

Quantitative section
37 quantitative questions 75 minutes

On average:
22 Problem Solving questions 15 Data Sufficiency questions

Quantitative section Problem Solving

Example question:
What is 45 per cent of 7 twelfths of 240?

A) 63 B) 90 C) 108 D) 140 E) 311

key
The correct answer for the Problem Solving question on the previous slide is: A)
Explanation 240/12=20 20*7=140 140/2=70 One twelfth of 240 is 20, so 7 twelfths is 140. Half of 140 is 70 so 45% must be just under, 63 is the only possible answer. You are not asked to work out the exact answer on your rough paper just find the correct option among the choices ABCDE.

Quantitative section Data Sufficiency

Choices for Data Sufficiency questions These choices never change so you should learn them A) Statement 1 alone is sufficient to answer the question B) Statement 2 alone is sufficient to answer the question C) Statements 1 and 2 taken together are sufficient to answer the question D) Either statement alone is sufficient to answer the question E) Statements 1 and 2 together are insufficient to answer the question

Quantitative section Data Sufficiency

Example question Which copy machine, X or Y , makes copies at the faster rate? 1) Machine X makes 90 copies per minute. 2) In three minutes, X makes 1.5 more copies than Y.

key
The correct answer for the Data Sufficiency question on the previous slide is: B)
Explanation Be careful, the question is which machine is faster, not how many copies can be made. Statement 1 does not help us establish which machine is faster but statement 2 does. Statement 2 alone is sufficient to answer the question.

Verbal section
41 verbal questions 75 minutes on average:
Four Reading Comprehension sets (3-4 questions per passage)
15 Sentence Correction questions 12 Critical Reasoning questions

Verbal section Reading Comprehension

Subject matter: natural sciences, social sciences Passages vary from 150 to 325 words Scan and skim the passages 2-3 minutes reading; 1 minute per question

Verbal section Sentence Correction

Example question: The possibility of massive earthquakes are regarded by most area residents with a mixture of skepticism and caution. A) are regarded by most area residents with B) is regarded by most area residents with C) is regarded by most area residents as D) is mostly regarded by area residents with E) by most area residents is regarded with

key
The correct answer for the Sentence Correction question on the previous slide is: B)
Explanation The subject of the sentence is The possibility , singular noun needs singular verb is, this eliminates answer choice A. You regard something with a mixture of skepticism and caution not as (which would have to be followed by an adjective) so answer C is out. Answer E is very clumsy word order and answer D changes the meaning of the sentence: mostly regarded by residents is different from regarded by most residents, you cannot change the original meaning. Therefore B is the only possible answer.

Verbal section Critical Reasoning

Example question: A drug which is highly effective in treating many types of infection can, at present, be obtained only from the bark of the ibora, a tree that is quite rare in the wild. It takes the bark of 5,000 trees to make one kilogram of the drug. It follows, therefore, that continued production of the drug must inevitably lead to the iboras extinction.

Verbal section Critical Reasoning

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above:
A) The drug is dispensed to doctors from a central authority. B) The drug is expensive to produce. C) The leaves of the ibora are used in a number of medical products. D) The ibora can be propogated from cuttings and grown under cultivation. E) The ibora generally grows in inaccessible places.

key
The correct answer for the Critical Reasoning question on the previous slide is: D)
Explanation If the plant can be propogated and grown under cultivation then the tree can never become extinct. The difficulty in this question is the vocabulary. Ignore the fact that youve never heard of an Ibora tree (which seems to be made up for the test) or the bark (what is on the outside of the trunk) just focus on the logic. If you know the word propogate you should have no difficulty.

GMAT Time Management is Key

Double penalty for unanswered questions at end (more heavily penalised than wrong answers) No skipping a question is allowed No double checking possible

Pacing is all important not too fast, not too slow!

Try to average 2 minutes per question Remember, tame that cat!

How to prepare for the GMAT

Free online tests Blackboard GMAT course
www.netedhec.com

GMATPrep software when you register online Material available at the LRC

How to register

www.mba.com
go to Schedule an Appointment