The same people who make the SAT also make the GMAT. Many of the GMAT questions are actually from the same question bank as the SAT. The only math you need to know for the test is arithmetic, algebra and geometry. Honestly, anyone who did a liberal arts education should have at least passed algebra and geometry. In high school.
Well I’m a living, breathing example of someone who did well in Algebra and Geometry classes 8 years ago and can’t crack the math on the gmat. I didn’t do too well on the SAT math either (630M, 690V). Think what you want, but the math section on the GMAT is very tough for those of us without a mathematical predisposition. I’m sure you think that this makes me stupid. The joke is on you.
Whoa, your freaking out for no reason. I’m giving the guy encouragement. Hey you might not find those questions easy, but with practice, I’m sure they’d become a trivailtiy. Cause honestly, I can only think of two things that may hinder anyone from getting perfect on a exam of that level 1. Time 2. Nervousness. The material is very very simple, and in fact, doing well on that ; IMHO, does not make any strong implications that one is strong in mathematics… it just indicates that you don’t freak otu on time-standardized tests… And I’m not from a “liberal arts” background and I scored in the 97 percentile for the verbal (which is much easier to do then the quant; since even a perfect in quant only usually gets you in the top 92 percentile -in the GRE). It’s just a simple test… I don’t believe doing well in it indicates anything of merit. The test would have to be muc much much harder to actually guage anythin… and even then, I’d be suspicious. I think standardized exams probably don’t indicate much.
Honestly dude, no one is judging you by your tests cores… and I really don’t think those scores matter. Actually, I don’t really think GPA matters that much; what matters is what you output… and if output fine things, then that’s all that matters, everything else is a signalling mechanism at best. But we’re just trying to give the guy some encouragment. And honestly, if the GMAT, is anything like the GRE, a little work will make a huge difference in scores.
Likewise, I don’t see what the big deal is. If your math skills aren’t good, you owe it to yourself to study harder and do better. I think that is pretty prudent advice.
Yeah. Take a chill pill, and then go stuff your head back into a couple of Geometry and Algebra books. While you may have lost some of the cursory use of the principles of each, having previously mastered them in high school should give you an edge when re-learning the concepts. Really, I believe you could bone up your skills over a couple of long weekends of studying.
Not every person with an engineering degree can’t write. And not everyone with an english degree can’t do math. But, if you look at the masses of engineers applying to b-schools, most of them can’t communicate very well. Unfortunately for me and my kind (and unfairly imo) adcoms give the math section more weight in the admission decision.
numi Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Likewise, I don’t see what the big deal is. If > your math skills aren’t good, you owe it to > yourself to study harder and do better. I think > that is pretty prudent advice. Did that. It didn’t help.
mcthorp Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Yeah. Take a chill pill, and then go stuff your > head back into a couple of Geometry and Algebra > books. While you may have lost some of the cursory > use of the principles of each, having previously > mastered them in high school should give you an > edge when re-learning the concepts. Really, I > believe you could bone up your skills over a > couple of long weekends of studying. I studied these concepts all last summer after finishing the CFA L1. To no avail. I raise my % from 45 to 48… and verbal stayed at 97. The third time I took the exam (after more studying) my score dropped 50 points.
Were you to score poorly on the Verbal section, you would study harder to improve your weaknesses, just as you should study more to improve your Quantitative score. Honestly, if it were me, I would view the low Quant. score as a positive, since re-learning the math necessary for the exam really shouldn’t be too time-intensive as it is just Geometry and Algebra. Be happy that your Verbal section is in good hands: were it the other way around, I would find it much more difficult to improve my vocabulary/reading comprehension/etc. than to re-learn a few basic math concepts. I’m not trying to be a prick (sometimes it comes naturally), but I think you are in a good position for really improving your GMAT score.
Sorry, I missed your response above. Maybe you should enroll in a community college course for Geometry and/or Algebra and force yourself to really get the principals down. For $500 bucks you can probably take both classes, and then drastically improve your Quant. score. $500 bucks and a few extra hours a week of study are a drop in the bucket compared to the benefits that come from a top tier graduate education.
I’ll consider that if LBS dings me. I find out in 10 days. Interview was last week. I’m pretty busy with Rugby and CFA. Not sure I have time.
How did you go about reviewing?
I used Manhattan GMAT and OG
Good luck with LBS. Is this for an MBA or a MiF?
That’s your problem, prep books are all rubish in my opinion. The fact that you did horribly in spite of your efforts shows somethign is wrong with your fundamental grasp / approach to the material. You need to go back and get a real “algebra” or “geometry” books from HS or perhaps books geared at adults for review of such topics. Honestly, even if you had no intuitive or “natural” grasp of quant, much of it in this level, is in essence, algorithmic/rote. It is possible to drill alot if you have a huge math anxiety (which many people do). Further, you do know that the first 5 - 10 problems in any of the “adaptive” exams have the most weight on them right? The program looks at your performance on the first several to calibrate how many “point-heavy” (read: more difficult) problems it’s going to throw at you. If you actually re-learn the material, not just prep, and you learn it very very well… you should be able to do most of the quant without the pencil touching a bit of scrap paper (or maybe one page at most). Trust me, I’ve tutored my friends and one dude was a going for communications, not the most math-heavy subject … I tutored him all last semester before he graduated… he took it the following fall and he got a 720/800. I don’t know where this falls in percentile, but it’s decent enough for whatever he needed it for.
Note: In Mathematics at any level, be it the school level or college level… “Review” always means Do Lots and Lots of problems and excercieses. One can’t merely read Mathematics… “reading” it probably amoutns to less then 10% of learning in any sort of math. And it only decreases the higher the level you go. So you should do lots and lots of problems.
mcthorp Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Good luck with LBS. Is this for an MBA or a MiF? Thanks. MBA. I’m fine with not going to school though. If I don’t get into LBS and get the job with the endowment I posted about earlier I’ll probably give up my MBA dreams. There are things going on in my life that may influence me sufficiently to stay put (new girl, rugby…) even if it means staying in my current position. I’m also applying to the Lauder duel degree program at Wharton in R2 (for russian), but I may not submit if I accept another job. Like my current job, the endowment is within walking distance of my apartment… It’s too risky to stay in my job hoping to get to Wharton if I get dinged by LBS. Especially so with my weak stats.
Check out testmagic.com…it’s in INVALUABLE resource for gmat prep. There are tons of gmat-wizards there to answer just about any GMAT-related question you have. I’ve been a member of that site for 2 years now 
audit_to_CFA Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > hi…i am actually wondering if anyone knows > where to take a sample GMAT test for free or just > do a sample which can guage what your current > score would be? > any help, much appreciated Try this: http://www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT/ToolsToHelpYouPrepare/GMATPrepProducts/FreeGMATPrepTestPreparationSoftware.htm The software is published by the writers of the exam. It is highly predictive of your actual score.