How to prepare for a Graduate Management Admission Test ( GMAT)

This guide looks at important aspects of a Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and ways to go about preparing for it.

A person wishing to get into a graduate school to do an MBA (Master of Business Administration) or some other masters business programs will need to pass the Graduate Management Admission Test. Most business schools now weigh up a GMAT test score during their admission process.

A GMAT tests a person on certain capabilities that give good indication of whether the person is a good candidate for graduate study.

Registering for GMAT

You can register for the GMAT online on the Graduate Management Admission Council website. You have the option of registering by phone and post as well.

Registration fee

According to the website, the fee for the GMAT is $165 for the year 2006 for a resident of the United States.

GMAT dates

The GMAT test can be taken any month of the year. The test takes place 3 out of 4 weeks every month. The hours are a choice of morning or afternoons. A lot of people do this test on day leave from work.

How many times is it possible to sit the exam?

Most people take the test once. It is better to prepare thoroughly for the exam and pass it well the first time. If you take the test more than once, the business schools that you apply to are, likely to average the score from all the tests rather than take the result of any single one.

Why is GMAT important?

The Graduate Management Admission Test is important because:

• There is a close relationship between the results achieved in GMAT tests and the success rate in the graduate courses that follow it.

• Business schools providing MBA's and other graduate programs that require the GMAT put a strong emphasis on the results of the GMAT. Many business schools will require their students to achieve a certain threshold for them to be considered,

Preparing for the test

Although GMAT is a test for prospective business students, the tests are not actually concerned about testing a person's knowledge of business issues. It is more concerned about teaching three important traits that good business student must posses and demonstrate throughout their graduate studies. These are:

• Analytical skills
• Mathematical ability
• Verbal skills

One should start preparing for the test well in advance because of the

• As part of your preparation for the GMAT you should understand what the GMAT exam will test you and familiarise yourself with the structure of a GMAT test.

• There are study guides available for anyone preparing for the GMAT. These provide a good idea of what you are tested on, how should go about answering the questions.

• You can hold of past test papers that will help you better understand the structure of the GMAT test and the type of questions you can expect.

Courses

You may come across sites offering courses to prepare for the GMAT tests; these are often rather expensive and may not be at all necessary. You will be able to all the tips they are offering from various places without needing to pay.