GMAT Question

I have to take the GMAT and I think it's going to be a crappy experience.... 4 hours in front of a PC, dry marker and scratch paper, and I suck at aptitude tests (not really a test of knowledge), and I have to pay $250 USD to boot.

Basically I was wondering how hard is it to get a score of 500. i.e what would I need to score on all the testing portions..

As I pointed out above, I really suck at aptitude tests, but decided to try and read/study some of the books.. (I can't sit down and study that crap). If I get lower than 400, I can't go to the worst school I applied to, but if I get 500+, then I can go to the school I applied to. I guess if I screw up on the test, it's 250 down the drain, and I will have to waste like $1500 on a prep course and test.

I was looking online, and are there any GMAT test centers in Niagara or Hamilton?
I was going to book an appointment online, but I want to go to the closest test center. I really don't want to drive 2 hours to some ghetto commercial complex north of T.O.

This is what their website showed as the closest:
Pearson Professional Centers-Williamsville (Buff) Test Center Information 42.7km Williamsville, NY, United States (this one is about right 63km, but in the USA).

Durham Business & Computer College Test Center Information 61.2km Pickering, ON, Canada (wrong distance.. more like 150km)

Pearson Professional Centres-Toronto, Canada Test Center Information 63.4km Toronto, ON, Canada (actually like 115km)

Hello,

Im going to give you some very sincere advice, and i hope you follow it. It's not BS or BUZZ talk. Im being real.

First, you areally have to change your attitude of fear towards the GMAT. I know exactly what you're talking about, and believe me, it's not going to help.

What i found about the GMAT is that it is something that needs to be learned on a long term basis. It's not something that you can cram for. It is a bunch of skills that need to be developed. Think of it as a relationship problem with a spouse/bf/gf. If you have problems between yourselves, and you wish to fix it, it's not something that you can read a book, and become perfect the next week. It's something that takes months to develop.

Why do i say that? Well, no matter how many questions you do, that will not help you actually on the GMAT. I know it sounds stupid, but that's not the way to prepare the best actually. The best way to prepare is to actually do GMAT CAT tests, timed tests that also measure your gmat score. Im not talking about practice tests on pencil and paper. Im talking about CAT GMAT tests. Everyone of the test prep companies out there (kaplan, oxford, princeton) which sells books, only has about 5 or 10 of these tests. Get them, do them.

500 is way too low. It is actually very low. You dont want to aim that much. Getting a 600 is very doable if you do about 15 GMAT practice tests.

You mentioned something at the beginning which is very important, and further highlights why doing more and more practice questions (instead of practice GMAT CAT tests) won't help you much. The real GMAT test is very stressfull and long, time management skills are really tested. That's the hardest thing about it in my opinion. So what do you need to do to counter act? Well, do the [ractice tests which simulates what the real test will be like.

Please not: GMAT CAT practice tests. NOT just practice tests. Kaplan has a book that comes with a CD and they tell you there are so many practice tests on it. Well, those are not GMAT tests, but only seperate tests covering each section. Kaplan also has the practice GMAT CAT tests which you need to get, which is what you need.

Hmm, I have the kaplan test, maybe I'll do the tests. As you suggest.

Originally Posted by lazarus

Hmm, I have the kaplan test, maybe I'll do the tests. As you suggest.

The real gmat cat kaplan tests are not the ones on the cd. They are online.

man, this will be hard.. how do they expect you to do math questions w/out a calculator..

Everyone is strong at one of the areas and weak in the other.

Either you are good at the Reading stuff, or that math stuff.

You really dont need a calculator for the math section.

Originally Posted by lazarus

man, this will be hard.. how do they expect you to do math questions w/out a calculator..

It's simple math questions.. grade 12 at best. You can do everything on a piece of paper.

Seriously, like George said, if you have this attitude going in then it's not worth doing because going through the MBA will be at least 10x as tough.

yeah, I know. I'm just pissed at how much I forgot..

I forget how to do long division, factoring, exponent laws, and can't remember half the formulas for basic crap.

Guess I'll have to pull out my old math books are look over the review portions. Like George said, it's going to take me more than a week to review this stuff.

Originally Posted by lazarus

yeah, I know. I'm just pissed at how much I forgot..

I forget how to do long division, factoring, exponent laws, and can't remember half the formulas for basic crap.

Guess I'll have to pull out my old math books are look over the review portions. Like George said, it's going to take me more than a week to review this stuff.

I know how you feel... I studied for the GMAT for 4 months because of that very reason -- haven't done grade 12 math in a LONG time.. That said, don't pull out any old math books.. Go get yourself a decent GMAT study guide. Yes, it'll cost you another $100 or so but it's better to spend the extra money to get an acceptable grade than to waste $250. In the grand scheme of things (cost of MBA), $100 is peanuts.

Did you guys take GMAT prep courses or just study on your own?

How does the analytical writing work? I got a 5.5 does that add to my overall score?

nm, I guess it adds absolutely nothing.

Originally Posted by lazarus

How does the analytical writing work? I got a 5.5 does that add to my overall score?

nm, I guess it adds absolutely nothing.

Hello,

Your analytical writing is not calculated in your GMAT score. Its not very important.

You already did the GMAT?

Originally Posted by george benjamin

Hello,

Your analytical writing is not calculated in your GMAT score. Its not very important.

You already did the GMAT?

Yes, and I flopped it.. Obviously. I guess now I am going to try and find an accredited MBA programme where a GMAT score isn't required, or take a year off and maybe take a GMAT course next summer so that I am guaranteed to get 600+. Money well wasted I suppose.

Originally Posted by lazarus

Yes, and I flopped it.. Obviously. I guess now I am going to try and find an accredited MBA programme where a GMAT score isn't required, or take a year off and maybe take a GMAT course next summer so that I am guaranteed to get 600+. Money well wasted I suppose.

But you just started studying a couple of weeks ago or something.

GMAT is not something you can cram for. Also, you still have tonnes of times left before deadlines for MBA applications.

Originally Posted by george benjamin

But you just started studying a couple of weeks ago or something.

GMAT is not something you can cram for. Also, you still have tonnes of times left before deadlines for MBA applications.

Yep, I know. I already had a GMAT test date and decided to go cause the money was non refundable. I suppose I basically knew I was going to get ass ****ed after what people told me here..

I guess I just had to wallow in my self pity for a little.