Writing the GMAT

The GMAT is an important part of the application process to Dalhousie’s CRMBA program. Here are some key pieces of advice if you are looking to take the GMAT soon.

Know the Test

The GMAT is a way for business schools to standardize a portion of the applications they receive and is meant to approximate a student’s ability to reason verbally and quantitatively. These are key skills for MBA students. However, being clever is not enough – you also have to understand the test and how it works. There are many resources in the real world and online to help you do this, and reading as much as possible is highly recommended for any aspiring test-taker.

At its core, the GMAT is a computer adaptive test, meaning that the questions you see on test day are different from the questions being answered by the people around you and the difficulty of the questions you receive depends on your performance throughout the test. There is also a logic to the length and structure of the test, so timing, quick decision making and an understanding of risk is key to good performance.

Practice Regularly and Focus on Weak Points

Once you understand how the test works, you must practice as much as possible. People often see 100-point or more jumps in mock test scores after a few weeks of practice. These people do not suddenly become much smarter, they just took the time to understand the test. Also, realize that the test is divided into two major sections (Verbal and Quantitative) and you are likely naturally much better at one than the other. Focus your attention on the weaker of the two; drastically increasing a bad skill is better than marginally increasing a good one.

Aim High

550 is the minimum acceptable GMAT score at Dalhousie but there are real incentives to scoring much higher than that if you can. A 550 meets the requirements and makes your application valid but you want to be competitive. Higher scores could result in early acceptance and make it less likely that the school must make a hard choice between you and someone else with a mid-500s score. Higher scores also make entrance scholarships more likely to be awarded if combined with a high GPA, strong personal statement and a good interview.