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GMAT - Test for MBA Admission
The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is a 3-1/2 hour standardized exam designed to predict how test-takers will perform academically in MBA (Masters in Business Administration) programs. GMAT scores are used by graduate business schools to make admission decisions.
You might also see the GMAT referred to as the " GMAT CAT "; the acronym CAT stands for "Computer Adaptive Test." The GMAT is administered only by computer now, except in certain locations outside North America, where the test is referred to as the "paper-based" GMAT. According to GMAT Survey Sixty-six percent of the test-takers had U.S. addresses at the time of registration in year 2000, which increased to 68% of test takers in year 2004. The next largest concentrations in both testing years came from Asia and Western Europe, with approximately 12% and 7% of the test-taker population, respectively.
Who administers GMAT?
The GMAT is the brainchild of the GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council), which determines what kinds of skills the GMAT should measure — and how it should measure them.
About GMAC
The Graduate Management Admission Council (R) GMAC, based in McLean, Va., is a non-profit education organization of leading graduate business schools worldwide, dedicated to creating access to and disseminating information about graduate management education. The GMAT exam was created in 1954 and remains the first and only standardized test specifically designed for graduate business and management programs.
Pearson VUE, the company now administering the GMAT through its global network of test centers, is providing an increased level of service to test takers and schools. People receive their official scores faster through Pearson VUE's online score-reporting system. This system also allows admissions offices to more efficiently obtain scores for their applicants and gain a deeper understanding of how they stack up with their competition.
ACT now manages the development of the GMAT. ACT is responsible for the development of GMAT questions, construction of item pools, implementation of test specifications, scoring of the Analytical Writing Assessment essays, and working with GMAC to strengthen the exam's capacity to remain in step with the evolving needs of business schools.
When is the GMAT Test held?
All-round-the-year. Unlike other exams, you can choose your own date and time for taking the GMAT! The test is administered five-days-a-week (Monday through Friday), twice-a-day. September to December is the high season for GMAT, so in case you intend to take the test during this period, you need to register very early (say 90 days in advance) to get a date of your choice. Otherwise, registering at least 15 days in advance is mandatory. The test lasts roughly four hours, and most centres offer two slots : 9 A.M. and 2 P.M.
What is the Scoring pattern in GMAT?
The GMAT results comprise four different scores : a total score (which is the combined verbal and quantitative scores), a separate Verbal score, a separate Quantitative score, and an Analytical Writing score. The total score is reported on a scale from 200 to 800.
The Verbal and Quantitative Scores are reported on a scale of 0 to 60. For the AWA score, the scale is from 0 to 6. Note that your AWA performance is not reflected in your total GMAT score (on 800). You get to know your total, verbal, and quantitative score immediately after taking the test. Official GMAT score reports, which include the AWA scores, are mailed approximately two weeks after you take the test and take another ten days or so to reach your address.
How does AWA evaluated?
The essays are scored in a range from 0 to 6. The ratings of the essay will be 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.5, 4.0, 3.5, 3.0,2.5, 2.0, 1.5 and 1.0. The desired level is 5 and above.
The schools requiring AWA score usually want a minimum of 4.0. Your 3.5 is low that and BUT you may try to cover that up by writing a strong SOP, laying down your case like your higher AWA score, higher latest GMAT score and the "English" you use in your SOP... But as I said it would be taking a risky application.
GRE - Graduate Record Examination
The GRE (Graduate Record Exam) is required for admission to U.S. and Canadian graduate schools. Most students attend graduate school for a master or doctoral degree. The GRE exam does not test any specific knowledge in certain subject. Rather, it tests the "mental intelligence" as well as the ability to make decision under time pressure.
What is the different sections of test?
GRE General test checks the fundamental skills-Reasoning and Comprehension included-and does not require any subject-specific theoretical study. The test has three distinct sections : Quantitative Section, Verbal Section and Analytical Writing Assessment Section.
Quantitative Section: This section contains 28 questions on Mathematics that are to be completed in 45 minutes. This difficulty level of questions is comparable to Class X. Major topics include Number Systems, Percentages, Fractions & Decimals, Algebra (including Quadratic Equations), Geometry (including Basic Coordinate Geometry), Ratio & Proportion, Area & Volume of 2-D and 3-D figures, and Probability.
Verbal Section: This section contains 30 questions to be attempted in 30 minutes. The verbal section requires a good vocabulary level, and basic skills of grammatically correct English coupled with reasoning and analysis. The questions consist of four types : Antonyms, Analogies, Sentence Completion, and Reading Comprehension. The four types are intermingled, with no fixed number for each type.
Analytical Writing Assessment: The writing assessment section requires you to write two short essays. The first is the Issue task, in which you need to analyze the issue presented and explain your views on it. For the Issue task, you will be able to choose 1 of 2 essay topics selected by the computer from the pool of topics. The time allotted is 45 minutes.
The second essay is Analysis of an Argument, in which a given argument has to be critically analyzed and evaluated. The Argument task does not offer a choice of topics; the computer will present you with a single topic selected from the topic pool. The time allotted is 30 minutes.
Who administers the GRE test?
The GRE Test is developed and administered by the US-based "Educational Testing Service" (ETS) under the direction of the Graduate Record Examination Board , a non-profit organization of graduate business schools worldwide. The ETS produces the test, conducts it and provide the score.
What is the Scoring pattern in GRE?
The GRE results comprise four different scores : a total score, and separate scores for Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical sections. The total score is reported out of 2400 and the sectional scores are out of 800.
In addition to these scores, the score report also contains percents (%) below. These "% below" indicate the percentage of examinees who scored below you based on the scores of the entire GRE testing population for the most recent three-year period. These percentages are important in considering how an applicant for admission to a particular management school compares with everyone in the specified period, with all other applicants to the same school, and with students already enrolled at the school.
When the GRE test held?
GRE test is conducted in two categories - General GRE test and Subject GRE test. General GRE test is conducted all-round-the-year. Unlike other exams, you can choose your own date and time for taking the GRE Test. The test is administered in the five-days-a-week (Monday through Friday), twice-a-day. September to December is the high season for GRE Test, so in case you intend to take the test during this period, you need to register very early (say 2-3 months in advance) to get a date of your choice.
Anyone is eligible to appear in GRE General test. There are no restrictions based on age or qualifications. The test scores are valid for five years, i.e., most universities accept scores up to five years old.
IELTS - International English Language Testing system
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) tests the complete range of English language skills, which students will commonly encounter when studying or training in English.
Many professional organizations including the New Zealand Immigration Service, the Australian Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, the Australian Medical Council, the UK General Medical Council and the UK Ministry of Defense accept IELTS as also most Australian, British, Canadian and New Zealand academic institutions. American academic institutions are increasingly accepting IELTS for admissions purposes.
What is the different sections of test?
IELTS test questions and tasks have been designed to reflect the general interests of people from an educated background. The test comprises of four band modules namely Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. All candidates are supposed to take the Listening and Speaking modules. There is a choice for Reading and Writing modules, where a candidate can either opt for Academic or General Training Module, determined by the purpose of taking IELTS.
Academic reading and writing module is suitable for candidates seeking admission for higher education. The general training reading and writing module is suitable for those who are planning to undertake work experience or non- academic training programmes or for immigration purposes.
Test duration of IELTS is 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Listening section comprise 30 minutes
Academic reading/general training reading section comprise 60 minutes
Academic writing/general training writing section comprise 60 minutes
Duration of speaking section is 13 to 15 minutes
There are four sections in the Listening test in order of increasing difficulty. The first two sections are on topics of general interest. Section one will be in the form of a dialogue and section two will be a monologue. Sections three and four will have an education or training focus. There will be a lecture and a discussion between two and four people.
In the listening section, the listening material which is recorded on a cassette tape will be played, only once. As the candidates listen to this, they should write the answers on the question booklet. At the end of the recorded material, the candidates will be given 10 minutes to copy their answers onto the answer sheet.
In the Reading test, the candidates are required to read three texts of between 500 and 900 words each. There will be around 40 questions to answer and record on the answer sheet within the 60 minutes. The texts and questions increase in difficulty.
There are two tasks in the Writing test. Task one which should be completed in 20 minutes, is a report based on some graphic information and the candidates are required to describe it in a minimum of 150 words. Task two, that carries more weight in the final band score, is an essay based topic which should be written in at least 250 words in 40 minutes.
The Speaking test is in the form of an oral interview between the candidate and an examiner. During the interview you will need to answer questions asked by the interviewer, speak at length on a topic selected by the interviewer and give and justify your opinions on a range of issues related to that topic. Candidates who are not able to participate fully in the conversation may not achieve their potential band score, as they may not be able to demonstrate the level of language skill they are capable of.
It is important that the candidates must practice for each tests regularly to develop their skills of recording, speed of speech, skimming, scanning and other timesaving strategies. The first three Modules- Listening, Reading and Writing- must be completed in one day. The Speaking Module may be taken, at the discretion of the test centre, either seven days before or after the other three modules.
What is the Scoring pattern in IELTS?
IELTS scores are usually indicated by the band scale. The assessment of the candidates will be reported according to a scale from bands one to nine. Those with almost no knowledge of English is indicated with band one and band nine denotes that the English proficiency of the candidate is as good as that of a native English speaker.
For each section of IELTS test, the candidate will receive a separate band score. The four band scores, one for each section are added together and averaged for an Overall Band Score. Each Band has a statement giving a summary of the English at that level. Overall IELTS band scores and Listening and Reading IELTS band scores are reported in half bands. Writing and Speaking band scores are reported in whole bands. This feature helps the Universities in following their guidelines at the time of admission. The most common requirement is a band score of between 6 and 7. A good IELTS score (band score of 6.0 and more) along with a good GPA (Grade Point Average) is required for many colleges and universities.
The Test Report Form (TRF) will be released on the 13th day of taking the IELTS test. TRF contains candidates band score of each module and overall band score; whether they have completed the Academic or General training test; candidate's photo; details of his/her nationality; first language and date of birth.
IELTS test reports have a validity of two years. The candidate can retake the test if they do not achieve the desired score but not before three months from the first test date.
Who conducts the IELTS test?
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) superseded the English Language Testing System (ELTS) in 1990. IELTS is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL), British Council and IDP Education Australia: IELTS Australia. The IELTS test is conducted by the following educational bodies in partnership:
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University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL) is an internationally recognised body in the provision of academic and vocational examinations. In the field of English language alone, Cambridge ESOL examines more than one million candidates each year.
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British Council has wide experience and knowledge of test administration. With a network of examinations offices in over 100 countries, British Council administers over 500,000 examinations overseas on behalf of British examining boards.
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IDP Educational Body, Australia (it's subsidiary is IELTS Australia Pvt. Ltd.). IDP Education Australia is Australia's international education organisation. It undertakes a broad range of activities from student advisory services and educational publications to project consultancy and English language teaching and testing.
TOEFL----Test of English as a Forein Language
The TOEFL® Internet-based test emphasizes integrated skills and measures all four language skills, including speaking. Each of the four language skills reported on a scale of 0 to 30. There will also be a total score. The content on the test is authentic, and the language is consistent with that used in everyday, real academic settings. The Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL® test) evaluates the proficiency and general understanding of the English Language for people whose first language is not English.
The TOEFL® test (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is designed to measure the English-language ability of people who do not speak English as their first language and who plan to study at colleges and universities in Canada and the USA. Language specialists prepare the material for the TOEFL® test. The TOEFL® test Committee of Examiners establishes overall guidelines for the test content and specifications. All the content, questions, specifications, and final test forms are reviewed for cultural and racial bias and content appropriateness, according to established Educational Testing Service (ETS®) procedures.
Who administers the TOEFL test?
The Test Of English as a Foreign Language (or TOEFL , pronounced "toe-full") evaluates the potential success of an individual to use and understand standard American English at a college level. It is required for non-native applicants at many US and other English-speaking colleges and universities. The TOEFL is the product of the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which is contracted by the private, non-profit firm, the College Board to administer the test in institutions in the US; they also produce the SAT.
What is the Scoring pattern in GRE?
TThe score you receive on the TOEFL exam is not the percentage of correct answers. Your score is converted to take into account the fact that some tests are more difficult than others. The converted scores correct these differences. Therefore, the converted score is a more accurate reflection of your ability than the correct answer score is.
In TOEFL we do not get immediate results/score we get a range like 203 to 260.Generally you get a range of about 50 to 60 points. If that is the case and if your essay is fair (of the type(4/6) then you would score about 44 points out of about 57.if your range is 57.Don't calculate your writing score as 4/6*57.In fact you get more than that.
TOEFL also has both section scores( 2 - 30 ) and cumulative scores ( 40 - 300 ). Most students score between 120 and 240. Even though the TOEFL score plays vital role. Getting a good score in TOEFL will always help international students in receiving Financial Aid, or Assistantships. Most U.S, U K and Australian universities require a minimum score of 213. Some universities may accept a lower TOEFL score with the condition that the student takes English courses before they start working on their actual degree.
Following is a list that shows the range of scores that a student can receive:
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300 : Outstanding
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290-299 : Excellent
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290-270 : Very Good
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270-250 : Good
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250-230 : Mediocre
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Below 220 : Consider retaking
SAT Test Prep for Undergraduate Admission: What is SAT ?
The SAT is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) in the United States and is developed, published, and scored by the College Board.
In the early 1990s, the SAT consisted of six sections: Two math sections (scored together on a 200-800 scale), two verbal sections (scored together on a 200-800 scale), the Test of Standard Written English (scored on a 20-60+ scale), and an equating section. In 1994, the exam was modified, removing antonym questions, and adding math questions that were not multiple choice. The average score on the 1994 modification of the SAT I was usually around 1000 (500 on the verbal, 500 on the math). The most selective schools in the United States (for example, those in the Ivy League) typically had SAT averages exceeding 1400 on the old test.
Beginning with the March 12, 2005 administration of the exam, the SAT Reasoning Test was modified and lengthened. Changes included the removal of analogy questions from the Critical Reading (formerly Verbal) section and quantitative comparisons from the Math section, and the inclusion of a writing section (with an essay) based on the former SAT II Writing Subject Test. The Mathematics section was expanded to cover three years of high school mathematics.
Getting start to prepare for the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) can be intimidating. Our goal is to make the first step as easy for you as possible. To perform well on the SAT, you need to draw on a set of skills. The SAT is an important test. It's different from the tests that you're used to taking. On explicitly stated purpose of the SAT is to predict how students will perform academically as college freshmen. But the more practical purpose of the SAT is to help college admissions officers make acceptance decisions, because it provides a single, standardized means of comparison. The SAT is a predictable test and can be well prepared through practice.
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