Advice for the GMAT exam

[DragonChi]

I'm currently studying for the GMAT and using the Original Guide from 2018. I've heard that an older book isn't all that different. Should I be using other resources as well?

Has anyone here taken the GMAT? Which resources did you use? What score did you aim for?

[bcrdukes]

I'll take a stab at this.

1. As a general rule of thumb, always study using the latest guide. The subtle differences can make or break your GMAT exam and results. I believe the 2020 version has more questions than the 2018 and 2019 version, so proceed at your own risk, and with extreme caution when using the 2018 version. My personal advice is to stop using the 2018 version.

2. There are online tutorials / guides you can utilize, and also in-person and online/virtual courses / prep classes to take (in-person is kind of hard now given COVID-19.) I used Manhattan, while others used Kaplan. There are a lot of others out there. Find one that appeals to you, and suits your schedule.

A forewarning, however. You MUST dedicate your time and efforts into the courses/material, or you will likely fail the GMAT going in to it. To elaborate on that, spend the time to talk to your friends, your family, your employer, and colleagues to let them know that you are doing this, and that they recognize this is something you are aiming for, and ensure that they support you in this. I knew a few people who kind of half-assed their dedication to the programs and failed multiple times to the point where they weren't allowed to re-take the GMAT anymore. Don't let yourself be one of these people.

Are you aiming to take the GMAT towards an MBA? I assume yes. I ask because there are some people who write the GMAT...for the sake of writing it to stroke their ego or something (I don't know but I've encountered a few people who took this path.) You will encounter a few people on the fringe who will write the GMAT for the sake of writing it but with no plans immediately to apply to a school (they could be coasting through life or their careers - we will never know.)

3. The highest possible score one can achieve on a GMAT is 800, so you want to score the highest score possible, so look at it from that perspective instead of asking what score to aim for. In all fairness, your question is valid because certain schools will have a minimum GMAT score criteria i.e. UBC vs. Harvard.)

Having said that, the score isn't the end-all-be-all of the GMAT and your entry admission to the school(s) of your choice. No university in their right mind will publish their entry level requirements for the GMAT score; Maybe a fake university, or a money grabbing university like in India, and there are a lot over there. [Edit] I should add that it helps to network and talk to graduates of an MBA program based on the school of your choice to get a better idea of the process and overall experience. Someone who earned their MBA from Ryerson vs. someone who earned their MBA from Kellogg will have a vastly different experience from the program, and application process.

In addition to the GMAT score, schools will assess and factor in other things like your resume, prior experience, social work, extra-curricular activities, and what your plans and goals are after achieving your MBA (having a solid foundation in being employable helps!) Schools will want to make sure their graduates are advertising and marketing assets to ensure a new round of students in the years to come.

Finally, depending on your academic and professional background, some areas in the GMAT may be easier for you than compared to others. Say for example, someone with a background in political sciences or law may find certain areas of the GMAT fundamentally easier to breeze through, compared to let's say someone who has an arts degree in basket weaving (I'm making up an extreme example for the sake of argument.)

Hope this helps.

[DragonChi]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

I'll take a stab at this.

1. As a general rule of thumb, always study using the latest guide. The subtle differences can make or break your GMAT exam and results. I believe the 2020 version has more questions than the 2018 and 2019 version, so proceed at your own risk, and with extreme caution when using the 2018 version. My personal advice is to stop using the 2018 version.

I will get a 2020 version ASAP.

2. There are online tutorials / guides you can utilize, and also in-person and online/virtual courses / prep classes to take (in-person is kind of hard now given COVID-19.) I used Manhattan, while others used Kaplan. There are a lot of others out there. Find one that appeals to you, and suits your schedule.

I was planning on Manhattan as well, after going through the Original Guide.

A forewarning, however. You MUST dedicate your time and efforts into the courses/material, or you will likely fail the GMAT going in to it. To elaborate on that, spend the time to talk to your friends, your family, your employer, and colleagues to let them know that you are doing this, and that they recognize this is something you are aiming for, and ensure that they support you in this. I knew a few people who kind of half-assed their dedication to the programs and failed multiple times to the point where they weren't allowed to re-take the GMAT anymore. Don't let yourself be one of these people.

My friends know about it, employer/collegues knows about it, family knows about it. On the GMAC website you can take the exam once a month, and you get a total of 8 lifetime tries.

Are you aiming to take the GMAT towards an MBA? I assume yes. I ask because there are some people who write the GMAT...for the sake of writing it to stroke their ego or something (I don't know but I've encountered a few people who took this path.) You will encounter a few people on the fringe who will write the GMAT for the sake of writing it but with no plans immediately to apply to a school (they could be coasting through life or their careers - we will never know.)

Going to be applying for an MBA program after GMAT, yes. I have a few schools in mind. UBC/SFU if my employer pays, Ivey or a University of California school if I can get a 700

3. The highest possible score one can achieve on a GMAT is 800, so you want to score the highest score possible, so look at it from that perspective instead of asking what score to aim for. In all fairness, your question is valid because certain schools will have a minimum GMAT score criteria i.e. UBC vs. Harvard.)

On the UBC MBA site, they say 500 for the minimum, 650 to be competitive.

Having said that, the score isn't the end-all-be-all of the GMAT and your entry admission to the school(s) of your choice. No university in their right mind will publish their entry level requirements for the GMAT score; Maybe a fake university, or a money grabbing university like in India, and there are a lot over there. [Edit] I should add that it helps to network and talk to graduates of an MBA program based on the school of your choice to get a better idea of the process and overall experience. Someone who earned their MBA from Ryerson vs. someone who earned their MBA from Kellogg will have a vastly different experience from the program, and application process.

I know a couple UBC MBAs. One I spoke to extensively, he was quite generous with his time. And recommended me to speak with the program advisor at UBC. As well as referred a few of his collegues. Any leads on how to get in touch with some US MBA graduates?

In addition to the GMAT score, schools will assess and factor in other things like your resume, prior experience, social work, extra-curricular activities, and what your plans and goals are after achieving your MBA (having a solid foundation in being employable helps!) Schools will want to make sure their graduates are advertising and marketing assets to ensure a new round of students in the years to come.

Finally, depending on your academic and professional background, some areas in the GMAT may be easier for you than compared to others. Say for example, someone with a background in political sciences or law may find certain areas of the GMAT fundamentally easier to breeze through, compared to let's say someone who has an arts degree in basket weaving (I'm making up an extreme example for the sake of argument.)

I can see how a lawyer or political sciences have an edge on the Verbal/Reading side of the exam. I have a background in Engineering, and the Quant side is kicking my ass. Though, I started to study a couple weeks ago.

Hope this helps.

It definitely helps! I appreciate you putting in the time and effort to write a thorough response!

[bcrdukes]

1. To be honest, I did Manhattan only because other people who were applying and writing the GMAT were like-minded and aimed at applying to the same school, so Manhattan was the easy choice.

2. The people I encountered who were no longer able to write the GMAT because to your point, they've maximized the 8 lifetime attempts. I don't know their personal situation or circumstances which lead to this disaster, but it happens. On a personal note, my cousin is on her 4th attempt, but I know she's just half-assing it, and not taking it seriously. I've gone as far as to persuade her NOT to pursue it anymore to save her the time, money, and disappointment.

3. Use the published score as a baseline, not as the minimum passing score. One year, it could be 710, another could be 650 (lol) and then later 740 for all we know. [Edit]I want to emphasize the importance of the supplementary criteria as stepping stool to help elevate your application in addition to your GMAT score. [Edit]The key here is to think big picture, and to be careful in the school you choose; This decision can change your life and future dramatically.

4. Your best bet is to speak to the university's program adviser of your school of choice. Also, LinkedIn is a good way to network with people, and also check out the university's program page as it may feature alumni who share their stories. I ended up connecting with one of the alumni at my employer who was a UofT graduate, and she was really helpful in kick starting my MBA journey, and from start to finish.

If you want to take it a step further, particularly in connecting with and learning more about programs in the US, take the opportunity and spend a week or two to meet with people to really connect with them in person, and learn from them. It's hard now given COVID-19, but maybe even a virtual meet over Skype/Google/Zoom etc. will help. Hand-written "Thank You" notes/cards go a long way. [Edit] - Depending on the school you choose to apply to, it may require someone to vet you to ensure you are of good character and a worthy candidate for consideration, and of benefit to the school. Networking is a very important factor throughout the GMAT and application process. If you haven't started this now, I suggest you begin networking ASAP no matter what your timelines are.

Happy to answer any questions. If anything is personal, feel free to PM me directly.

[Nlkko]

I did Manhattan Prep the first time. It is the gold standard. It is really pricy but is really great if you want a decent score without putting in too much work because class is facetime with the teacher. I scored 650. You need to self-study which could be difficult since there's no structure besides doing the homework.

Economist GMAT is what I used the second time. 720. I find it way more comprehensive, teach you a lot of neat tricks. I put in a lot more work and just follow the web app. The app is great, it gives you instant feedback and focus on your weak points.

https://learn.gmat.economist.com/

[DragonChi]

After hearing from you guys, it sounds like I could save time by doing Manhattan as a first step. If I need a higher score, try another prep service (Economist gmat prep).

I don't mind self studying, I've been doing it for most of my post secondary. This covid thing actually helps, since it's easy to do dark, disconnect from social media and distractions.

Did you guys go straight to Manhattan without working through the original guide? I was going through the original guide because the gmatclub forums suggested that method. More importantly, I value your experiences more, since you've taken the exams. So your suggestions carry more weight.

[bcrdukes]

I did some preliminary self-study using the guide, but I hate studying so I jumped into Manhattan right away. I had to put in a LOT of time and effort and came out expecting the worse, coming out with a score of 710. I didn't bother trying again because for me, it was tough, and I was on somewhat of a time line. Having said that, nothing will be ever harder than BCIT haha.

I've heard great reviews of the Economist route, but as mentioned in my post above, Manhattan kind of fell into my lap given my circumstances.

[Nlkko]

OG guide was way too intimidating for me. It's an 2 inch+ thick book with text everywhere. I would not start with the OG guide. You can use it for practice after understanding the structure of the exam.

Mastering the GMAT is not about solving math and verbal questions (math type people like me who like to solve problems methodically finds it very infuriating, because you run out of time easily doing so). It is about mastering the basic structure of the exam (type of questions: data sufficiency, etc.) and the underlying skills they are trying to test you (making rationalized decision with limited time). Most guide will teach you the basics of these two. To master it and get a high score (high 600 to 700+), you will have to practice over and over again.

I suggests trying out multiple prep tools before committing. Everyone's learning style is different. Most will let you trial for a few days or sessions.

[DragonChi]

LOL, Spent two full days, over the long holiday getting shat on doing the diagnostic test over the long weekend. It was fun, but it took a lot of comprehension to understand what the question was even asking.

I've gone though some tutorials on youtube, the next level seems to be using other dimensions to answer the questions. Approximations, looking at the answers, eliminating wrong answers. I find that a big part of the learning will be soley identifying types of questions and what they typically ask for.

I'm the same though, I really enjoyed doing the word problems. Just not used to the quick effective method of answering them. The hard reasoning/calculating way is a lot more fun. Like mini puzzles.

[DragonChi]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

I did some preliminary self-study using the guide, but I hate studying so I jumped into Manhattan right away. I had to put in a LOT of time and effort and came out expecting the worse, coming out with a score of 710. I didn't bother trying again because for me, it was tough, and I was on somewhat of a time line. Having said that, nothing will be ever harder than BCIT haha.

I've heard great reviews of the Economist route, but as mentioned in my post above, Manhattan kind of fell into my lap given my circumstances.

In my experience tertierary schools are way harder than university. I've been to kwantlen and douglas, met some people from BCIT in university, and they all agree that it's harder than university.

I find the quality and support in regards to teachers and TAs, much better in university. For the most part the faculty at Kwantlen and Douglas didn't give any fs. The workload is higher in non-university as well.

[bcrdukes]

It will take a number of attempts to understand the format of the GMAT, and the questions they are asking, and what they are asking for.

Essentially, what it is trying to do is to break your existing habits of logic, reasoning, and personal behaviours that we have grown accustomed to in order to be quick, out-of-the-box thinkers, all while being on point, and correct (lol) or rather, being confident on our answers. If anything, what you'll experience throughout the GMAT is perhaps even an elevated self of confidence in tackling problems, and you will definitely experience this throughout your MBA program. This might sound like a joke, but lady leading my Manhattan program said at the beginning of the first session that she's going to turn us into MacGyvers. She was right.

People are wired differently in many ways, so this is where I found going through Manhattan helped a lot in providing the guidance I needed to get a better grasp at the problems, to provide the coaching/feedback required to attack questions or problems I struggled with.