Posts tagged take gmat
Get the GMAT Out of the Way
Nov 24th
The GMAT is offered on what dates?
Unlike the SAT, there is no specific date for registering for the GMAT. You can schedule a date and time for your test with your closest test center at your convenience. Almost any weekday will be possible. Of course, you need to register in advance.
Sounds good. Since I can choose when to take the exam, when is the best time to do so?
Your test taking skills are likely at their peak during school or shortly afterwards–so I would recommend you take the exam during this time. The more years out of college you are, the less familiarity you probably will have with taking timed tests. There are a lot of intricacies to test taking that you have in college but that probably disappear once you get into the working world and no longer take tests on a regular basis. Since the GMAT exam is valid for 5 years, there is almost no harm in taking the exam early in your career, especially if business school is one of your career goals.
I’m several years out of college. Is it too late to take the GMAT?
Don’t worry. You didn’t miss the boat! Thousands of people are in your shoes. You might not be used to the pressures of test taking so will need to pay extra attention to doing several practice exams mimicking exam-like conditions.
Mimicking exam-like conditions?
I mean rather than just going through questions on a practice exam bit by bit, you should schedule an entire morning or afternoon to take the exam with a timer. Especially with the Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) format of the exam, you should take these practice exams AS IF it were the real thing, at least several days before your real exam and preferably earlier.
What else should I take into account?
If you are thinking about the GMAT, chances are you have a busy life. When applying to business school, you will need to dedicate time not only to your job, but also any extracurricular activities or initiatives you are pursuing. Part of an organization that holds ambitious yearly events? Put some time and effort and participate on the board in a leadership position. Itching for a promotion at your job so you can mention it in your Bschool application? You’ll need to put in the time and effort. You’ll also need to budget time for researching/visiting schools and writing those dreaded essays. And of course, you want a social life and time with your family. The GMAT is the LAST thing you want to worry about when juggling all these things. That’s why it is best to get it out of the way.
Which one should I do first? Study for the exam? Or schedule for the exam?
This is a personal preference. I would recommend you to schedule the exam a few months in advance when you intend to take it. Pay the $250 (yes, not cheap) it costs to take the exam so that you are invested into the exam-forcing you to study. Otherwise, if you casually study for the exam, you may never progress anywhere.
This article was authored by GMAT teacher and expert, Zeke Lee. Zeke is the creator of The GMAT Pill Study Method and has helped numerous students ace the GMAT exam in as little time as possible. Although his secret techniques were limited to wealthy students who could afford $200/hour a few years ago, Zeke has now opened the door to his unique strategies to the general public. Best Online GMAT Preparation
What does the GMAT / MBA have to do with a Career in Management Consulting / Investment Banking?
Nov 11th
Those looking to graduate with an MBA must first take the GMAT exam.
You can take your career many places, but today we will take a look at the two most popular industries: investment banking & management consulting. Assuming you are currently in another industry and want to break into these industries, read on.
There are basically two ideal times to get into these industries-it’s just the way the system works. Obviously there are exceptions, but the most of business professionals break into these industries via school recruiting at: 1) target undergrad programs 2) target Bschool programs. Let’s take a look at these two options
Option #1: Break in through your undergrad’s recruiting system.
This is how I entered the management consulting industry with Booz & Company. Most top consulting firms with an “up-or-out” policy will want consultants from undergrad to commit 2 or 3 years and then make a career decision: either you go get an MBA and come back as an Associate or you find something else to do. Sure I know of a few situations where you skip the MBA with a strong enough performance and special training sessions, but this is not typical. So even if you are in the management consulting industry or are on track to getting into the field from undergrad, you will eventually find yourself at a fork road deciding to MBA or not to MBA.
Discuss with your firm to ascertain whether an MBA is required for upward mobility. Most management consulting and investment banking firms require it, although a few do not.
Pursuing an MBA is a serious decision that requires a lot of self-preparation and self-reflection that extends beyond the scope of this article. But if it is even remotely within your potential career plan within the next 5 years, it might be a good idea to get your GMAT exam out of the way as the exam score is valid for up to 5 years.
Up to 5 years.
That’s a lot of time. Say you just graduated and are starting your first job.
If you take your GMAT now, then by the end of your 2 or 3 years at your current job, you will have already completed the first major step in the MBA application process.
Trust me, the GMAT is the last thing you want to think about at the end of your 3 years as you contemplate on an MBA and have all kinds of extracurricular, social, work, and life issues to deal with.
Things To Do for Option #1: Get in via top undergraduate school recruiting. Obtain some relevant internship experience and develop a good story showing your interest in management consulting or investment banking. Get your offer and start learning as much as you can. Inquire about your firm’s policy on promotions. Some firms require the MBA to move up, others do not. If your firm requires MBA for promotion, then take your GMAT now to get it out of the way, and then apply to MBA sometime in the next 5 years, depending on your career status. Option #2: Business School Recruiting
A few pros with this option include joining the management consulting firm at a higher salary and generally more responsibility. If you come from another background (IT, engineering, retail, etc), then you’ll need to do the MBA route in order to have access to these recruiting channels.
Is it possible to get in directly to management consulting or investment banking without doing the MBA route? Sure. But it’s definitely not as common unless you have some special connections.
With business school, not only do you have access to consulting/banking recruiting programs, but you’ll also have access to a variety of other career channels including marketing, corporate business development, etc.
But be careful! Do NOT assume that getting a top MBA automatically = automatic entrance into a top investment bank or management consulting firm. Whatever your career goals are, you should definitely do your research on them NOW. Even if you decided to do the MBA, don’t just sit there and wait for the offers to come to you.
If you want to get into real estate, then call up your school’s alumni contacts and tell them you are about to attend ABC business school and want some career advice. Set up an informational interview/phone call to get their perspective.
Remember, the MBA is a great platform to be on-it increases your personal branding and opens the doors for networking. However, you still need to JUMP off the platform and end up where you want to be! Do NOT assume the MBA is a magic bullet like most people assume.
Action Items for Option #2: Business School Recruiting Study your industry NOW-google it, reach out toyour network. Take your GMAT Now (Or when you are relatively less busy). Sometime in the next 5 years, get into a good MBA program that attracts the recruiters you want. Now, depending on your career situation, you may be in option #1 or option #2.
So what do options #1 and #2 have in common? Both options involve taking the GMAT exam at some point!
With business school, the GMAT is mandatory at most top schools. And even if you get into the industry through your undergrad, you still might find yourself taking the GMAT.
Bottom line: Whether you are currently in management consulting or investment banking, you MIGHT find yourself in a situation where you’ll need an MBA to get to where you want to be. If this is the case, then I recommend you get the GMAT out of the way now so you can focus on the other aspects of your career going forward.
Again, make sure you do not let the GMAT or MBA get in the way of your target career. Learn as much about your target industry as you can and use the MBA to help position (not guarantee) yourself for opportunities.
Zeke Lee is the designer of the GMAT Pill Study Method, a unique GMAT Prep study method that has assisted many MBA applicants do well on the GMAT in as little time as possible. Learn the strategies he used to score in the 98th percentile of the test in just 2 weeks of intense studying with GMAT Questions.
