Do you want to learn what the GMAT is really testing? If you want to gain a new perspective on the exam and understand why preparing for the GMAT will help you think better, this webinar recording is just for you.
Delivering a fresh and highly interesting perspective on the GMAT, Anish Merchant, co-founder and CEO of Merchant GMAT & Admissions, delivers some proper framing of the exam.
What is the GMAT really testing?
You have probably asked yourself, well, why are the authors of the exam making me go over things like basic math problems and sentence correction? I want to go business school, after all, not grammar school.
The thing is, the GMAT is not a math test or an IQ test. It is actually designed to measure certain skills that will help you in the world of business. What the GMAT is really testing is problem solving, strategy, organization, dedication, creativity, flexibility, and visualization, Anish says. Once you understand this, it will change the way you approach preparation.
So let’s talk about some of the areas where you will be tested and how the skills you will need for the exam translate into the real world of business.
Quant
Data sufficiency
Data sufficiency questions are questions you have to answer based on two pieces of information. So why is the GMAT posing this type of problem?
Well, as a business leader, your job will be to first understand the problem. You need to find that root issue to be fixed. So data sufficiency questions are designed to test your ability to find what the problem really is about and what information you need to solve it.
Problem solving
This may look like a typical word problem you may have encountered in high school and college. However, the goal of this part of the exam is to test your ability to find a solution to a complex problem quickly. It’s all about the methods you need to apply in order to solve the problem.
Verbal
Sentence Correction
Communication is crucial in today’s business environment. Communicating with your clients, with your boss, the people who work for you. You need to be clear and concise. Another thing you are supposed to master in Sentence Correction is error spotting, also an important quality in business.
Critical Reasoning
“Critical reasoning is my favorite part of Verbal,” Anish says. It helps us see how people lead us to assumptions. Our job is to be critical and say, “Wait, what about that?” In business, it’s vital to be able to ask the right questions.
Reading comprehension
Reading? What’s that about, right? In, fact, reading with understanding is an important part of a business leader’s skillset. Have you ever had to read contracts? Not so much fun. The ability to capture the essence of what the author wants to say and then put it in simple understandable words is, again, extremely important.
The GMAT made me a better entrepreneur, Anish says. He started the company eight years ago, applying the GMAT teaching principles described above. If you want to learn more about the various ways the GMAT preparation grooms you to be a leader, watch the recording. Hopefully, you will also get motivated to study for the exam.
