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The Official GMAT Blog

• Study Smart for Your Best GMAT® Score

  How can you best prepare for the GMAT® exam? The answer to that is as simple and straightforward as it is unique to you. There are no magic formulas, tricks, or “one size fits all” answers—just planning, preparation, and devoting... Posted Apr 19 2012, 09:38 AM with no comments

• GMAT® Study Products Update

  I’m scheduled to take the Next Generation GMAT exam in June 2012, how do I prepare for this exam? Test takers often wonder how best to prepare for the GMAT exam. This is especially true with the launch with the Next Generation GMAT exam on June... Posted Apr 13 2012, 04:12 PM with no comments Prepare for GMAT, Study

• Do I really need to worry about the new IR section?

  Starting June 5, the GMAT exam will include a new section — Integrated Reasoning. This 12 question, 30-minute section introduces new item formats requiring you to effectively use multiple sources of information and complementary skills to solve... Posted Apr 09 2012, 10:08 AM with 1 comment(s) gmat, Integrated Reasoning

• Money Talk: A Family Conversation

  You are not alone in seeking advice from family and friends about your decision to pursue a graduate management education. More than half (61%) of the 16,000+ prospective b-school applicants GMAC researchers surveyed last year ranked family and friends... Posted Mar 27 2012, 12:01 PM with no comments

• Women on the Move Around the World

  If you are a woman interested in management education, you’re in good company: A record-breaking 106,800 women took the GMAT exam in testing year 2011, making it the third year in a row that women broke the 100,000 mark. Today, as we celebrate International... Posted Mar 08 2012, 01:17 PM with no comments gmat, Women

• You’re Going to Need it in School, on the Job, and on the GMAT: Integrated Reasoning

  In my previous blog post , I wrote about how faculty at management programs worldwide identified a set of skills, which we call Integrated Reasoning, that were emerging as skills valuable to success in their programs and their classrooms. The skeptics... Posted Feb 27 2012, 04:01 PM with 1 comment(s) Study, Next Generation, Integrated Reasoning

• The Value of the Global Classroom

  Prospective b-school students who sat for the GMAT exam in testing year 2011 sent a total of 750,399 score reports to management programs in 77 countries. That means there’s a good chance that the classmates who will sit next to you in your graduate... Posted Feb 16 2012, 08:46 AM with no comments b-school applications, admissions

• Make the Most of Your Time: Setting Yourself Apart

  So far, we’ve discussed how you can get a jump on strengthening your academic profile, optimizing your work experience, and building leadership skills in the years before you apply to business school. At this point, you may be wondering: what more... Posted Feb 03 2012, 08:55 AM with no comments b-school applications, applications, admissions

• Make the Most of Your Time: Be(come) a Leader

  Along with the hard facts of a candidate’s academic background and professional history, MBA admissions committees also place a good deal of emphasis on the softer skills people use at work. The business school experience is highly collaborative... Posted Jan 27 2012, 08:06 AM with no comments business school, applications, admissions

• Time to hit the ‘Don’t Panic’ Button

  Tuesday, June 5, 2012, is fast approaching and with it the launch of the Next Generation GMAT with Integrated Reasoning. I can only imagine what test takers are thinking — that it’s probably a little stressful to be contemplating the changes... Posted Jan 24 2012, 10:28 AM with 2 comment(s)

• When Alumni Speak, It Pays to Listen

  Who better to give you the inside track on job hunting and career advancement than b-school alumni? Whether from the class of 2011 or 2001, alumni know: The job search and planning for career advancement begin the moment you first set foot in a classroom... Posted Jan 23 2012, 11:32 AM with no comments

• Make the Most of Your Time: Optimizing Your Experience

  For many MBA programs, work experience is the heart of one’s candidacy. While academic preparation is essential, an applicant’s professional history informs his or her ability to contribute to classroom activities and integrate each course’s... Posted Jan 20 2012, 03:54 PM with no comments

• Make the Most of Your Time: Evaluating Your Academics

  Planning for an MBA often begins early in one’s career. Because business schools typically prefer that Master’s applicants have several years of full-time work experience before they enroll, even those who know after their first undergraduate... Posted Jan 13 2012, 08:00 AM with no comments b-school applications, applications, admissions

• Why Master in Management

  Today’s job seekers know that undergraduate degrees alone are far less likely to land you a top job than they used to without serious employment credentials. Those looking to boost their potential for dream-job occupation need a means both to acquire... Posted Dec 22 2011, 08:39 AM with no comments

• “Official GMAT” Mobile App Lets You Study on the Go

  You can keep up your GMAT preparation whenever you have a little downtime with the “Official GMAT” mobile app for iPhone, iPad, or Android. A mobile version of the best-selling Official Guide to GMAT® Review book series, the app is the... Posted Dec 15 2011, 12:02 PM with no comments Prepare for GMAT, Study

• Beyond the Rankings: Eye on the Prize

  At the end of the day, no matter how friendly the students or stunning the facilities, your decisions about which schools to apply to will most likely be informed by your career goals. You’ve already spoken with colleagues and mentors—and... Posted Dec 02 2011, 03:32 PM with no comments b-school applications, business school, applications, admissions

• Beyond the Rankings: See for Yourself

  You’ve spoken to students and alumni in your network. You’ve scoured each school’s website. You’ve conducted online outreach to learn more about the curriculum and extracurricular opportunities. What next? The next way for you... Posted Nov 25 2011, 07:05 AM with no comments b-school applications, applications, admissions

• Are You a Master of Accounting?

  Master of Accounting is an increasingly popular specialized degree in graduate management education, with more than half of Master of Accounting (MAcc) programs worldwide reporting increased application volumes for the incoming 2011–2012 class.... Posted Nov 23 2011, 10:00 AM with no comments

• Beyond the Rankings: Go to the Source

  In the first entry of our series on ways to go beyond the rankings as you decide which MBA programs to target, we focused largely on sources of information within your own network. For the second installment, we’ll focus on the next steps of the... Posted Nov 18 2011, 09:16 AM with no comments b-school applications, business school, applications, admissions

• Beyond the Rankings: Get the Inside Track

  You’ve decided to get an MBA—but where? For applicants who are just beginning to explore their options, rankings are a natural place to turn. They’re authoritative and, at first glance, look pretty comprehensive. They consider admission... Posted Nov 11 2011, 02:48 PM with no comments MBA, rankings, business school, applications, selection, admissions, masters

• The GMAT and Preventing Cheating

  In response to recent events surrounding alleged cheating in college entrance exams, GMAC has sent a note to its member schools with a review of GMAC policies, procedures, technology investments, and the security measures it applies to uncover and try... Posted Nov 08 2011, 07:46 AM with no comments gmat, Test Security

• Paying For School

  Business school alumni consistently tell us that pursuing a graduate management degree was personally and professionally the right decision—a gateway to their future, worthy of the investment of time and money required to advance their career goals... Posted Oct 31 2011, 10:14 AM with no comments

• Idioms, Sentence Correction, and the GMAT Exam

  Recently there has been some discussion and questioning about the role and place of idioms and sentence correction as they apply to the skills tested in the GMAT exam. Much of what has been written has been well reasoned but some of what has been written... Posted Sep 29 2011, 12:12 PM with no comments

• Job Search 101

  Job prospects for b-school grads are much improved this year, but the challenges of job hunting in a recovering economy can still be daunting. This year’s grads and employers gave us some insight on the most effective strategies for landing a great... Posted Sep 12 2011, 08:44 PM with no comments

• Opportunity Is Knocking and More Women Are Answering the Door

  Women are increasingly choosing graduate management education as their preferred pathway to success. How do we know this? The numbers tell all. More women than ever took the GMAT exam for graduate b-school in Testing Year 2010—a total of 105,900... Posted Aug 18 2011, 02:03 PM with no comments

• Have Skills, Will Travel: MBAs’ Skill Portfolio Translates Worldwide

  We’ve got good news from Class of 2011 for incoming students. These recent grads said that the skills they developed the most were core business knowledge, ability to manage strategy and innovation, and ability to manage the decision-making process... Posted Aug 02 2011, 12:54 PM with no comments

• New York Times Education Life Section Features Next Gen GMAT Pop Quiz

  The New York Times’ Education Life section, which hit newsstands on Sunday, July 24, and is available online, featured in its Pop Quiz a preview of the Integrated Reasoning section that will be part of the GMAT exam beginning in June 2012. Created... Posted Jul 25 2011, 12:09 PM with no comments

• Internships: Not just for undergrads

  The internship: The exchange of skills and work for experience using those skills and access to potential mentors…and potential new opportunities. Internships are critical for skill development and career enhancement in real-world settings, whether... Posted Jul 19 2011, 10:31 AM with no comments

• Ask The Expert: What do you want to know about b-school admissions?

  Have you been reading our Ask The Expert blog? That’s where admissions professionals—the people reading your application package—answer some of the common questions they hear from prospective b-school students. Check out some of the... Posted Jul 06 2011, 02:57 PM with no comments

• On The MBA Show: How to Beat the New GMAT*

  Last summer, we gave you a peek at a new section we’re working on for the GMAT exam. In June 2012, the GMAT will measure something it’s never measured before: Integrated Reasoning , the ability to manipulate and interpret data from different... Posted Jun 30 2011, 01:49 PM with no comments

• B-School Can Uncover Your “Inner Entrepreneur”

  Entrepreneurs are a special sort. It takes vision, determination, drive, and courage to start a successful new venture. In the class of 2011, only 5% of grads told us they intend to set out on that path. Most of these students—tomorrow’s entrepreneurs—credit... Posted Jun 22 2011, 11:39 AM with no comments

• Growing Your Career: A Give-and-Take with Your Employer

  Many elements contribute to long-term career success—talent, abilities, accumulated life experience, the development of knowledge and skills through education and training, and opportunities to apply these elements in the right environment. Of all... Posted Jun 01 2011, 03:05 PM with 1 comment(s)

• Should you stay or should you go?

  While we’re celebrating the improved job market for class of 2011 business school students and fresh jobs for the new MBA degree-holders, let’s not forget the advantages and professional opportunities enjoyed by grads who choose to stay with... Posted May 20 2011, 01:37 PM with 1 comment(s)

• Earning power: What it is and how to boost it

  Simply put, earning power is your potential to get paid for the skills you bring to the workplace. Our research of current b-school grad students, alumni, and recruiters continues to show us that higher education leads to greater marketability, which... Posted Apr 20 2011, 03:45 PM with no comments

• Welcome, Ask The Expert readers!

  Hello and welcome to readers from our other mba.com blog, Ask The Expert ! Since 2009, we've worked with b-school admissions professionals to give Ask The Expert readers a peek into the inner workings of admissions expectations and decisions. (You... Posted Apr 04 2011, 08:00 AM with 2 comment(s)

• International Women’s Day: Women are taking more GMAT exams than ever

  Between July 2009 and June 2010, 105,900 GMAT appointments belonged to women. That’s the second time that number has topped 100,000 in GMAT history. More importantly, that’s 40% of today’s graduate management students and tomorrow’s... Posted Mar 08 2011, 03:16 PM with no comments MBA, b-school applications, Women

• Next Generation GMAT: Integrated Reasoning Question Testing

  This month, from November 19 to 24, about 5,000 GMAT test takers around the world will get a sneak peek at the new Integrated Reasoning section of the GMAT exam that will launch in June 2012. We’re rolling out some potential question types to see... Posted Nov 05 2010, 11:45 AM with 1 comment(s) Integrated Reasoning

• Next Generation GMAT: Take it now or take it later?

  It’s been about a month since we announced the changes coming to the GMAT exam , and we’re hard at work on the new Integrated Reasoning section that will launch in June 2012. Since the announcement, we’ve talked to a number of test takers... Posted Aug 06 2010, 02:43 PM with 2 comment(s) Next Generation

• GMAT Test Accommodations: Myths and Realities

  For some test takers with disabilities, tests administered under standard time conditions may not accurately reflect their abilities. GMAC provides reasonable accommodations to GMAT test takers who have documented disabilities within the meaning of the... Posted Jun 30 2010, 09:48 AM with 2 comment(s) Test Accommodations, disabilities

• GMAT: Next Generation

  If you’ve googled GMAT in the last couple of days, you’ve probably seen our recent press release announcing the Next Generation GMAT, which will launch in June 2012. What’s “Next” about it? We’re adding a section on... Posted Jun 30 2010, 08:30 AM with 3 comment(s) gmat, Next Generation

• How much time should you spend studying for the GMAT exam?

  Sorry, there’s no simple answer to that question. However, we can tell you how much time other people spend in their preparation. Using data collected from nearly 8,000 GMAT test takers, we can see that 44% of the test takers spend at least 51 hours... Posted May 19 2010, 09:49 AM with 1 comment(s) gmat, Study

• Challenging a GMAT Question or Score

  Sometimes, GMAT test takers question their scores or have concerns about the validity of a GMAT question, and we take those questions and concerns seriously. First, please note that rescoring an entire exam is not an option. Rest assured, though—your... Posted Apr 07 2010, 04:24 PM with 2 comment(s) Challenge Scores. Rescoring

• International Women's Day

  Record numbers of women considering b-school International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on 8 March as a day of recognition for the achievements of women across the globe. Coinciding with this event GMAC offers new perspectives on the... Posted Mar 08 2010, 08:51 AM with 3 comment(s) MBA, Prepare for GMAT

• Taking the GMAT: Why do you need to present appropriate identification?

  In today’s world, a lot of organizations require that you present a valid form of identification as a pre-requisite to providing you a service. When you set up a bank account, request a loan, vote, travel, make a return at a store or enter government... Posted Feb 24 2010, 10:29 AM with 1 comment(s) Test Appointment, Identification

• Taking the stress out of the GMAT

  A very happy new year to all of you! As a child growing up in India, I learnt classical piano. My teacher made me take examinations with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music ( www.abrsm.org ) to evaluate how I’d progressed with our... Posted Jan 21 2010, 09:13 AM with 3 comment(s) gmat mobile test center, gmat test center

• The CAT in the GMAT

  If you’re looking for a way to keep your furry friend from clawing up your furniture, I can’t help you—I’m not talking about that kind of CAT. CAT refers to Computerized Adaptive Testing, which is the method used to administer... Posted Jan 13 2010, 02:19 PM with 7 comment(s) Computer Adaptive Testing

• GMAT Score Report Update: Cancelled Scores

  As you probably know, you have the opportunity to cancel your scores at the test center on the day of your test—immediately after you complete the test, but before you can view your scores. However, sometimes GMAC cancels scores on the day of the... Posted Dec 09 2009, 09:33 AM with 1 comment(s) Score Reports

• Applying for an Accommodation while Juggling B-School Admission Deadlines

  Okay. We’ve all been there. Deadlines and due dates are sources of stress for almost everyone and this stress is only made worse when there’s an application deadline in play. You’re busy enough researching schools and studying for the... Posted Nov 11 2009, 04:47 PM with 2 comment(s) Test Accommodations

• Why the GMAT anyway?

  Why do business schools ask you to take a standardized test like the GMAT? In fact, there are many reasons, but only about three of them are profoundly germane to your decision as to which test to take.The first reason is, quite simply, that a standardized... Posted Oct 19 2009, 12:27 PM with 5 comment(s)

• The best way to schedule your GMAT appointment

  We’ve all been there—scouring the internet for the cheapest airline ticket to travel sometime between December 20 and January 5. Whether you’re a university student trying to make it home for winter holidays or the head of household... Posted Oct 14 2009, 02:36 PM with 4 comment(s) GMAT Appointment, Schedule

• Newest Official GMAT Study Guides Released

  I am very excited that we have launched the next of our new, second editions of The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review and The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review. With new questions, updated answer explanations and a new publisher to help... Posted Sep 30 2009, 02:24 PM with 10 comment(s) Quantitative, Verbal, Official Guides

• Tactics and Guessing

  Just Mark “C”? We’ve all been there. Sitting in the test center seemingly paralyzed as we watch the seconds tick away and realize we don’t have enough time to finish the test. Conventional wisdom has always told us to guess. “Mark... Posted Sep 17 2009, 02:11 PM with 8 comment(s) Tactics, Guessing

• The Official GMAT® Blog: A beginning….

  The MBA or any graduate management degree is much sought-after the world over. Corporations and organizations in a variety of industries appreciate and seek out the skills that such a degree affords an individual. Even current graduates , despite a slowdown... Posted Aug 31 2009, 02:55 PM with 32 comment(s)