In the business world, timing may not be everything, but it matters. After all, no matter how good a report is, it still must also be on time. This is a lesson that can also be applied when one is making moves towards getting their MBA.
One area where timing is almost as important as what you know is with the GMAT. Anyone who does well on this evaluation exam will have their pick of top flight business schools and programs at their beck and call. If they don’t do well, they might not gain access to any post-grad schools at all. If you need more information about online classes, look on the internet.
Most MBA candidates prepare for the GMAT through online classes. This is a good way to do it as the exam itself is automated, and can give the student a more real time experience. One can schedule their classes around their work schedule and never miss a day until it’s time to take the exam. There are still dozens of these online courses, and picking the right one should be considered carefully.
Yet there’s another lesser known aspect of the test that usually goes unmentioned, but is another strong reason to consider prepping online. Each portion of the GMAT has a time limit. All three segments of the exam must be completed within them. If not, the unanswered questions are counted against one’s total score.
The math in this situation is pretty clear cut. The cold equations are for each question left unanswered, one’s score is reduced by 3%. Leave as few as five questions blank, and one is already working from a 15% deficit. In other words, the best one can hope to get is in the top 85%…and that is only if one answers all the other problems correctly. Top flight post-grad programs prefer their applicants in the 90% bracket or better.
As such, when looking for a prep program, it would be a solid idea that the drills and simulations include a stop watch or other kind of timing app. The idea is to develop a way of timing one’s self so one can get to the last question with time to spare. It will also drill you so you learn to have plenty of such things as scratch paper, pens and other things allowed and not dwell to long on one question. There is an abundance of information about business degree program on the web.
True, this could lead to one particularly glaring criticism of the GMAT, i.e., it’s better to put an answer down-even a wrong one-than no answer at all. At the same time, the best way to answer a real mind bending question is to eliminate the obviously wrong ones and then take an “educated guess” at what remains. It may not give the right answer, but it increases the odds of hitting it.
One could also argue that this is the way things actually work in the business world, that it’s really making the most intelligent guess. by preparing with online school for an educated guess given any circumstance. Thus maybe the GMAT tests for one’sonline degree in busness.
June 27, 2010 by Michelle Conner