In TOEFL iBT, the forth section is the Writing section .TOEFL iBT Writing Section measures students abilities to communicate effectively in writing in academic settings. Students must be able to present their ideas clearly and in a well-organized manner. Responses are typed into a computer and automatically sent to the EST’s Online Scoring Network for evaluating and scoring. Total time- 50 minutes.

TOEFL iBT writing section includes two writing tasks:-

Task 1: Integrated writing task : ( 20 minutes)

(Reading/Listening/Writing) In the integrated writing task test takers have 3 minutes to read a short text at about 230-300 words. The text is on an academic topic, when the time finishes the reading text disappears. The reading text is followed by a lecture (listening) on the same topic presented from different perspective. The listening passage has the same length – 230- 300 words. When the listening finishes the reading text appears again with the question that test takers are expected to answer. A writing box on the screen is provided for typing the response. Students write a summary of the important points in the listening and explain how those are related to the reading text. During writing the reading passage is on screen and students can refer to it every time they wish to. The writing response should be between 150 and 225 words in length. There is a word counter that counts the words in the response.

Task 2: Independent writing task : ( 30 minutes)

(Essay)In this task students are asked to write an essay that expresses and supports their opinion on a certain topic. The support should be based on test takers’ own knowledge and experience. This task is the same as the one in the paper-based and the computer-based TOEFL. The length of an effective essay should be minimum 300 words.

Points to be remember:

• Listening during the independent writing task is played only once.
• Effective note taking could help to list important facts from the listening and avoid forgetting them. Download our effective note taking strategies.
• Both tasks are timed independently – 20 minutes for the integrated writing and 30 minutes for the independent writing.
• Allot some time to plan the outline of your essay. Scratch down some notes.
• Do not just list your opinion or choices. Use reasons, examples and details to support your opinion/choice.
• Use linking words to connect ideas and help the reader follow your thoughts.

In TOEFL iBT, the third section is Speaking Section.  It comes right after the 10-minute break. TOEFL iBT Speaking section is intended to measure test takers’ ability to speak about a variety of topics. Each question should be answered as completely as possible within the given time.

The Speaking section consists of six questions divided into two types –

1. Independent speaking tasks (question 1 and 2)

2. Integrated speaking tasks (questions 3, 4, 5 and 6).

Academic Speaking skills

TOEFL iBT Academic Speaking section measures student’s ability to speak effectively under given mentioned criteria i.e. in the classroom and outside the classroom.

In classroom, students must be able to:

• Give adequate responses to questions
• Take part in academic discussions with other students or professors
• Summarize and orally reproduce information read in textbooks or listened to in the classroom

In outside the classroom, students must be able to:

• Participate in everyday conversations
• Express their opinion about discussed subjects

Communicate with university officials in libraries, sport centers, housing office, bookstore and etc

Remember

1.   Note-taking is allowed during all sections in TOEFL iBT. Notes could be very helpful especially for the speaking section. Please, download our note taking strategies.

2.   Speak clearly and coherently. Raters should be able to understand you and follow your thought.

3.   Provide answers that are right to the question. Do not speak about unrelated topics. Try to stick to the main point of the question.

4.   Support your answers with details, reasoning and examples based on your ideas, experience (for the independent tasks) or based on the information given in the passages or conversations/lectures (for the integrated tasks).

TOEFL iBT Speaking Section is approximately 20 minutes long and includes six questions. During all the section, test takers are allowed to take notes on a piece of paper and use their notes when speaking.

For each question students are given short time to prepare and organize their responses. Test takers are required to wear headphones in order to receive instructions, listen to the questions and be isolated from listening to the others’ responses.

Test takers provide responses orally, speaking into a digital microphone. Responses are not kept on the computer, but the records are immediately sent to the ETS’s Online Scoring Network.

Independent speaking tasks

The first two tasks are Independent speaking tasks in which Question 1 and question 2 ask test takers to speak about familiar topics. Students are expected to provide an answer based on their own ideas, opinions and experience. The answers should be clear and coherent. After hearing the questions students are given 15 seconds to prepare their responses and 45 seconds to speak.

Integrated speaking tasks

The remaining four tasks are integrated speaking tasks in which (Read/Listen/Speak) Questions 3 and 4 ask students to read a short passage first, listen to a conversation or part of a lecture related to the passage they have read and speak in response to a question. Information from both reading text and listening should be combined into the response. Test takers have to use reasons and examples to support their answer. For reading the passage, test takers are allotted 45 seconds. They also have 30 seconds to prepare their response to the question and 60 seconds to speak.

In questions 5 and 6 (Listen/Speak) students will first listen to part of a conversation or lecture. Further, they will be given the question and 20 seconds to prepare their response. The speaking time for those questions is set at 60 seconds.

In the TOEFL iBT Listening section four question formats occur:-

1. Multiple-choice format with four question choices provided and only one correct answer.
2. Multiple-choice questions with 2 answers out of 4 possible choices.
3. Questions that ask test takers to order events or steps in a process.
4. Chart questions – require test takers to match objects or text to pre-set categories.

In some questions part of the lecture/conversation is repeated and the question is refers to this particular part of the lecture/conversation.

Strategies for TOEFL iBT Listening Section: Remember-

1. You are allowed to take notes during all parts of the TOEFL iBT. You can use your notes when answering the questions.
2. Test takers are not expected to be familiar with the topics presented in the lectures. Finding the correct answer is not related with previous knowledge about the topics, rather with the information provided during the lecture/conversation.

During the listening the time is stopped. Then the time should not bother you. Time is running only when answering the questions.

Strategies for TOEFL iBT Listening Section: Video Tutiorials

In TOEFL iBT, the second section is the Listening Section. TOEFL iBT Listening section is delivered immediately after the Reading section. This section measures candidate’s abilities to understand spoken English as it is used in colleges and universities or everyday settings. In order to succeed in an academic environment, candidates must be able to listen to lectures and conversation and, most importantly, to understand the information provided orally.

Academic Listening Skills

The TOEFL listening section measures the candidate’s ability to understand spoken English fromNorth America and other English-speaking countries. In academic environments candidate’s need to listen to lectures and conversations.

Academic Listening is typically done for one of the three following purposes:-

1. Listening for basic comprehension.
2. Listening for pragmatic understanding.
3. To connecting and synthesizing information.

1. Listening for basic comprehension- This involves the ability to comprehend the main idea, major points and important details related to the main idea (Note: Comprehension for all details is not necessary).
2.  Listening for pragmatic understanding- This requires the listener to recognize a speaker’s attitude or degree of certainty and recognize a speaker’s function or purpose.
3.  Connecting and synthesizing information-This involves the ability to recognize the information of information presented and  understand the relationships between ideas presented (for example, compare and contrast, cause and effect, or steps in process).Make inferences and draw conclusions based on what is implied in the listening material and make connections among pieces of information in a conversation or lecture. Recognize topic changes, examples, digressions, aside statements, in lectures and conversations; recognize introductions and conclusions in lectures.

TOEFL iBT Listening Section Organization

TOEFL iBT Listening section measures the candidate’s ability to understand conversations and lectures in English. The section is divided into separately timed parts (2 or 3). Each part consists of 1 long conversation and two lectures. The test takers hear each lecture or conversation only once.

Lectures and conversations are 3-5 minutes long. While listening the time is not running. The allotted time of 10 minutes for each section is only for answering the questions.

Academic lectures represent the kind of listening during university classes. Some of the lectures are entirely done by the professor, while in others students are engaged in the discussion by asking or answering questions.

The conversations in TOEFL iBT may occur between students and professor or teaching advisor or between students and university officials.

After each lecture or conversation, candidates have to answer some questions related to the lecture/conversation. The questions typically ask for the main idea, supporting details, and speaker’s purpose or attitude.

Listening Section Format-

• You will have reading speed between 180-250 words per minute.
• You will have practiced extensive reading for 45 minutes a day for several months.
• You will have a working knowledge of about 2,000 college level vocabulary words.
• You will have good test -taking reading strategies.

Strategies for TOEFL iBT Reading Section.

Some basic reading strategies that you should use during your actual TOFEL iBT are as follows-

• Understand the directions.
• Don’t read the directions when they appear. Quickly move on to the passages and questions.
• Don’t fear if you read a passage on unfamiliar topic.You can answer the question using the information in the passage without having any background information on the topic.
• Do not try to understand the every detail of passage, skim the each passage so you can get the main points.
• Identify what type of question you are being asked and than locate where the information is found in passage.
• Avoid spending too much time on any single question.
• Monitor the time carefully on the monitor bar of the computer screen.
• Make sure you answer every question before the time has expired even if you are guessing which can only increase not decrease your score.

TOEFL reading section passage may contain as few as 600 words or as many as 800 words. Mostly all passages focus on the academic topics.

The Reading section measures your ability to understand university-level academic texts and passages.

The questions may ask about vocabulary, pronoun reference, sentence meaning, sentence insertion, stated and unstated details, inferences, rhetorical purpose, and organization.

All passages are classified into three basic categories:-

1.  Exposition- Material that provides an explanation of a topic.

2. Argumentation- Material that presents a point of view about a topic and provides evidence to support it.

3. Historical

Academic Reading Skills-

In evaluation of academic reading skills, the students are expected to read and understand information from textbooks and other academic materials written in English.

The three purposes for academic reading:

1. Reading to find information-   The effectively scanning of   text for key facts and for the important information by the increasing rate of reading fluency.

2. Basic comprehension- Understanding the general topic or main idea, major points, important facts and details, vocabulary in context, and pronoun references1 and making inferences2 about -what is implied in a passage.

3. Reading to learn- The reorganization of the organization and purpose of a passage and understands the relationships between ideas. Organizing information into a category chart or a summary in order to recall major points and important details.

Reading Section Format

“The best way to reverse Aura Cosmetic’s recent decline in profitability is to require each new employee in Aura’s sales division to enroll in the popular SureSale seminar. Last year, the software company TechAide began incorporating SureSale’s week-long seminar into its training program for all new sales employees, and since that time TechAide’s total sales have increased dramatically. Also, according to a recent article in a reputable business magazine, the SureSale sales system has been widely adopted among the nation’s twenty largest companies, and the employee turnover rate at these companies is lower today than five years ago. Therefore, by enrolling Aura sales employees in the SureSale seminar Aura will also retain its highest caliber salespeople.”

Discuss how logically convincing you find this argument. In your discussion, you should analyze the argument’s line of reasoning and use of evidence. It may be appropriate in your critique to call into question certain assumptions underlying the argument and/or to indicate what evidence might weaken or strengthen the argument. It may also be appropriate to discuss how you would alter the argument to make it more convincing and/or discuss what additional evidence, if any, would aid in evaluating the argument.

Analysis of an Argument

General Themes for GMAT Issues-Analysis

Here is an example of Issue prompt that is similar to many of the ones in the official pool. The directive follows the statement:-

“The safety of consumer goods can best be ensured not by way of government regulation but rather through voluntary efforts of the private businesses that produce those goods.”

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the foregoing statement? Use reasons and/or examples from your experience, observation, and/or reading to explain your viewpoint.

General Themes for GMAT Issues-Analysis

Many of the topics are especially from the field of business management and the official pool of more than a hundred Issue statements embrace a broad range of topics that are of general intellectual interest.

These are some topics of the general themes represented among the Official GMAT Issue topics:

• The importance of innovation vs. tradition and convention
• Weighing public interest against self-interest
• The virtues and drawbacks of the profit-maximization motive
• The role of humanities vs. the role of science and technology
• Individual initiative vs. conformity and teamwork
• The qualities of an effective leader
• The comparative value of formal education vs. practical experience
• Personal privacy issues in the new information age
• The merits and drawbacks of corporate accountability
• The social duties of government vs. private enterprise

NOTE - Keep in mind that this is only a partial list, and that several different Issue topics might cover the same general theme, but from different angles.

GMAT AWA has sets two writing tasks in essay section i.e.

1. Analysis of an issue,

2. Analysis of an argument

Which are collectively called as the Analytical Writing Section. Both the tasks are designed to test critical thinking and analytical writing skills of the candidate. The writing task in essay section is of one hour which is further divided into two parts – 30 minutes for the issue and 30 minutes for the argument. You have to show your response in your type and there is no spelling check or grammar check available. Scores range from 0-6.

The detail description of both the analysis is as follows-

The Issue essay section is officially termed as Analysis of an Issue. The first task on the GMAT AWA is the discussion of an issue. The topic is intentionally open to interpretation. It is rather like a debate so that you can put your arguments in support of a position. A good issue-type essay will give highly specific reasons for a point of view, and back up its thesis with suitable examples. Minor errors in spelling punctuation or grammar will not prevent your getting a good mark but poor logical flow and vagueness will.

Format and Directions of Issue Analysis

In GMAT Issue writing task, there is 1 essay question or prompt. Both the first or second timed GMAT section and the Time Limit is 30 minutes.

In Testing format, You will use the built-in word processor to compose an essay response to an Issue statement but the test does not allow you to choose your topic from a list.

In the test, your skills are tested in which first they evaluate your ability to communicate your ideas effectively and in an organized manner through sound reasoning and relevant supporting examples. And second thing is your control of the English language i.e. word choice and usage and the conventions of standard written English i.e. grammar and sentence structure.

Structure of GMAT Issue-Analysis Prompt

A structure of GMAT Issue prompt consists of two main components:

• an issue of general interest
• A directive (instruction) for responding to the Issue statement.

In first part, a quoted statement on an issue of general interest. The quote may be real or fictitious, but in any case the source will NOT be provided.

In second part, a directive or instruction for responding to the Issue statement. The directive may ask how accurate you think the statement is or  the extent two which you agree with the statement, or it may ask In either case your task is essentially the same in position on the issue  than support that position with relevant reasons and/or examples.

Important Directions for the Issue Writing Task

Here are the directions that will appear on your screen when the timed Issue section begins. You’ll dismiss these directions and move ahead to the writing task by clicking on the DISMISS DIRECTIONS button.

Directions: In this section you will need to analyze the issue presented and explain your views on it. There is no “correct” answer. Instead, you should consider various perspectives as you develop your own position on the issue.

Writing Your Response: Take a few minutes to think about the issue and plan a response before you begin writing. Be sure to organize you ideas and develop them fully, but leave time to reread you response and make any revisions that you think are necessary.

Evaluation of Your Response: College and university faculty members from various subject-matter areas, including management education, will evaluate the overall quality of your thinking and writing. They will consider how well you:

• organize, develop, and express your ideas about the issue presented
• provide relevant supporting reasons and examples
• control the elements of standard written English

• No changes in timing of the test ( i.e., 3.5 hrs)
• New Integrated Reasoning section will be of 30  minutes
• No changes in length of Verbal and Quantitative sections
• No Changes to scale. It will be same as now 200 – 800
• Essay on analytical writing assessment dropped
• The test takes will get separate score for essay and score for integrated reasoning section.

New study material for Integrated Reasoning format and sample questions will be available on the GMAC website from April 2012. Students who would be applying for the exam after or in April can check the website for the latest samples.

These four main Integrated Reasoning Section question- type formats are-

• Graphic Interpretation
  • Table Analysis
  • Multiple-source reasoning
  • Two part Analysis

1. Graphic Interpretation includes multiple-choice question based on images, which evaluates the student’s ability to interpret data presented graphically.

2. Table Analysis will be based on the tables which can be sorted in various ways which evaluates the data analysis ability.

 3. Multiple-source reasoning includes the questions from same      data which tests the ability to analyze different types of information

4. Two- part Analysis will be based on a wide range of content and it may be verbal, quantitative, or combination of both. It includes text and solutions that have two components and answers are given in a table format with a column and rows.

For more information -

“For the first time in this examination system, GMAT will provide an ON-SCREEN CALCULATOR for the candidates. But this is only for the fourth format i.e. Two- part Analysis”.

After 17 years, Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) has announced the new format which will debut in June 2012 and they are follows the path of  NEXT GEN GMAT 2012.There overall goals of the changes are to make the test better and measures the different new skills in the candidates.

From the new section of June 2012, GMAT EXAM will introduce a improved and fresh section by which they will evaluate the students capacity and skills. In today’s world, over all environments is based on the information-hungry business. So, all the skills are a prerequisite.

This new pattern of GMAT 2012 has included a new section named Integrated Reasoning Section. The new section will be incorporated by dropping an argument essay writing assessment.

New Exam Pattern of GMAT 2012 -

ETS TOEFL is an exam conducted in almost in all countries where the national language is not English to get into the country where english is the nation language. To get the general idea of the TOEFL exam, you must know that TOEFL Exam is an exam to judge a candidate on the platform of ENGLISH. Almost in all ENGLISH speaking countries, a candidate is judged on how well the candidate knows and understands ENGLISH. People who have given GMAT Exam must have to pass TOEFL Exam to get admission in English driven Countries like USA or UK. Some Countries also have their own English test, so please consult the country catalog and college requirement before applying.

How Colleges and universities Use TOEFL Scores

Thousands of colleges and universities require TOEFL test score. However, no college and university base their admission on only one criteria that’s TOEFL. Schools and university look on other parameter also, such as past educational grades, GPA Score of your college education (Graded between 0-4 ranges) including records from an intensive English program (if you have taken one).

Different school has its own criteria for the TOEFL test score that is acceptable for the admission. No score can be said pass or fail as each college has its own score line up. Everything depends, how important this criteria is for the college and university. Each college has its own criteria for admission. Practically people who have given GMAT or GRE Exam and are opting for MBA or PhD. can very easily crack TOEFL with the blink of an eye. Today TOEFL has become a necessity for the college

TOEFL Internet Base Test (iBT)

TOEFL has been for many years and in this time it has evolved from Paper Base Test (PBT) to Computer Base Test (CBT) and now to Internet Base Test (iBT). What have changed, nothing… Only the technology has changed plus few sections in the exam. Now the iBT exam is looking for people who can speak and write English also (Educated Illiterates). To find those people they have introduced few sections. Let’s give you some idea of the test. The test is primary divided into four major section.

• Reading Comprehension Section
• Listing Section
• Speaking Section
• Writing Section

The TOEFL Exam is around 4 hour of paper and each section is divided into certain response time section. If you look at the test, it is entertaining and you will face some good variety of questions to answer. If you are good in English, it is just a walk in the park but if you have trouble in any of the above section than you are certainly in trouble. Why you are in trouble because TOEFL provide individual score of each section and if you perform badly in any one section than the remarks of that section will come in your way of your admission. Yes, you can still manage to get admission if you were not able to nail the TOEFL test but that’s another issue to debate. “HOW”. Lets now see what new in the TOEFL Test (iBT)

What’s different about the new test?

• In the new TOEFL iBT Speaking section, you will encounter independent and integrated tasks. Structure section of the CBT and PBT are no longer in the test. Grammar is tested on questions and tasks in each section.
• Duration of the Lectures and conversations in the Listening section are longer, but note-taking is allowed. In fact, you can take notes throughout the entire test.
• The speech in the listening material sounds more natural, and one lecture may use a British or Australian accent. Also, there are new questions that measure understanding of a speaker’s attitude, degree of certainty, and purpose.
• The Reading Comprehension section has new verity of questions that ask test takers to categorize information and fill in a chart or complete a summary (tough but contain more makes per questions).
• The Writing section requires typing (as compare with PBT). There is an integrated task in addition to the current independent task, and the scoring guides (rubrics) used for rating are different from the current test. (NEW)

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GMAT is a test that drains out all the energy of the student applying for it. Sometime the student is do involved in the test preparation that they completely or partially ignore how, when and which college or university to apply. In this article you will learn what the Application process timeline is during the course of GMAT preparation.

Applying to GMAT College is not so easy especially for that student that lives out of United States. As you all know GMAT can be given at any time of the year and specific location prescribe by GMAC. But this does not mean that you can also apply to MBA College at any time of the year. In the next Para you will learn how you should go about this problem.

Application Process Timeline

Most Prospective MBAs generally take a year to go through the application process that would include:

• Self Assessment
• Information Gathering
• School Research
• Test Preparation
• Budget and Saving for Fees and Accommodation
• Application submission
• Finally, Enrollment

One Year Out:

During the start of the year, you should start with some of the most essential and basic research that would include:

• Start your self assessment process
• Register for the GMAT Exam and start studying for the same
• Begin gathering all information about colleges and university that you would like to apply.
• Start marking your budget and begin saving for it (if you can)
• Try to live like a student (if you are a working man/women)

Nine Months Out:

If you have analyses during your self assessment that you weak in some subject such as verbal or math

• Register for any supplementary classes that help you regain confidence and expertise in you weak link

Six Months Out:

Generally college starts processing the application 6 to 4 months before the session starts. The best practice would be to apply to that collage first. For this you should know how well your preparation is and what would be your projected score. This can be easily derived, suppose you have given the Kaplan Full Length Test and you scored 660 on an average test, you can be confirmed that you will score little higher in real GMAT test.

• Submit your applications.

Apply Early

In some colleges early applications are give higher weight-age and you will have higher chance of getting your application accepted. Sometime you will be asked for the additional documents via post and applying early would help you gather and send them to college on time. Mostly all application can be filled ONLINE.

Get More Attention:

Applying early will give the application ample time to be considered and will deserve higher importance. Early applying will show your sincerity towards the program you have opted

Attract Financial Aid Opportunity:

Sometime you will need scholarship for you MBA Program and for that applying early will help. Either you application would be accepted Congratulation!! Or your application would be rejected or less aid is given than you can arrange for the budget.

Find Out How Much

You should have proper idea of how much will it cost during the full MBA program and how many colleges you can apply to. Some of the other factors also to be considered also would be:

• Phone calls
• Transcript request fees
• Postage or express delivery services
• Travel expenses for recruiting events, interviews, or campus visits
• Testing fees, test preparation materials, and other miscellaneous costs
• Application fees (ranging from US$40 to US$250)

Develop a Short List

As you know you cannot apply in all the colleges so narrow down the college list to 5 to 7 colleges of your choice. You choice should be based on program philosophy, culture and curricular strength. It would be best if you can have some discussion either with the college dean or the students to know more about the college.

College Worth

You should know whether the college you are opting is worth investing your time and money

High School Mathematics: GMAT demands High School Mathematics. This statement is partially TRUE and require more in-depth analysis of the statement. Let’s analyze it. High School Mathematics is require only to the limit of basic maths Formulas and basic maths syllabus. Real GMAT questions require much more than the High School Mathematics. Basic trick to maths section is to know all the Formula at the tip of the hand. This strategy help in solving the questions quickly and effectively. If you miss Maths formulas List or want to have the latest formula list, you can find Maths Formula HERE

Question Structure: Questions rated between 550 to 650 are formula based and require High School Mathematics. The only difficult is how those questions are asked. Easy questions are generally lengthy in nature or tough in understanding. Years of experience shows that lengthy maths Questions are EASY in nature and short Maths Questions are tough in nature. Mostly students train themselves to learn the structure of questions and save time in understanding what the examiner is trying to ask. Best practice would be to learn as many type of questions but make sure to remain within the framework of the GMAT structure.

Computer – adaptive Test: GMAT exam is not only unique but also adaptive. Every correct question will lead you to the much tougher questions. That is known as GMAT exam adaptability to the students IQ. Tough question may be formula based or logical based. What is required here is the level of stamina to handle difficult questions for longer period of time. Best practice to build Stamina would be to practice GMAT full length Exam simulators as much as you can. If you feel stressed out during the exam, than you should know you need more practice test.

Word problem: Study shows that student who can solve word problem score high in the GMAT exam. This is due to 2 reasons ( 1 ) about one third questions are word Problem ( 2 ) Cracking word problem does not demand vast knowledge of maths. Experts say that transforming maths problem into simple English provides much better results specially if problems are related to arithmetic / algebra. All top selling GMAT books and courses train the students about the word trouble transformation process.

Practice, Practice and Practice: It sounds chicle, but truth remains that unless you practice HARD you wound not be able to score high marks in maths. You can start with weekly small maths section questions and 2 monthly down the line proceed to full length maths Questions. NO course can ensure you high GMAT Score unless you practice Hard. Learn from your past mistakes and remember it during the next exam. Student should invest 80% of his/ her time in analyzing the mistakes done during the practice exam. If you can zero-in the careless mistakes, your score can reach high in no time.

What is the number of integers from 1 to 1000 (inclusive) that are not divisible by 11 nor by 35?

(A) 884
(B) 890
(C) 892
(D) 910
(E) 945

OA and Explanation

For this Question we can calculate like this :

Firstly calculate the number of terms from 1 to 1000 (inclusive) that are divisible by 11 or 35 or both.

1.) Total no. of terms divisible by 11 are 90. We can calculate this by finding the first and last terms, which are 11 & 990 respectively. Then we will find the total no. of terms by using equation

Last Term = a + (n-1)d where a=11, d=11, Last Term=990.

So, n=90

2.) Similarly, total no. of terms divisible by 35 are 28. Find it using the above method.

3.) To find terms divisible by both 11 & 35, find the first term. Since both have no common factors except 1, just multiply 11 & 35 to get the first common term i.e., 385. Next term is 770.

So, in total, there are 2 common terms for 11 & 35.
——————————

Hence, the total no. of terms from 1 to 1000 (inclusive) that are divisible by 11 or 35 or both = 90 + 28 – 2 = 116

So, the correct answer = 1000 – 116 = 884, which will give us the total no. of terms that are divisible neither by 11 nor 35.

So, I’ll go for first option, i.e., 884 so the ans is A

Verbal (SC)

If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe was marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, relax in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof, buff his palm-plank surfboard with carnauba palm wax and watch a palm-fringed sunset.

(A) If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe was marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, relax in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof,
(B) If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe was marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, relaxing in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof,
(C) If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe were marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, relax in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof,
(D) If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe were marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, relaxing in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof,
(E) If a latter-day Robinson Crusoe was marooned on an island with an eclectic mix of palms, he could eat dates and coconut meat, to relax in a palm recliner in his palm-post bungalow under a palm-thatch roof,

OA and Explanation

C it is
If Were CONSTRUCTION
Parallelism

Did you get the same ans ?

If , , , and , what is the value of

(A) 10
(B) 15
(C) 20
(D) 25
(E) 30

OA and Explanation

The hint in the question is R <>Q.

Hence, we need to form an equation where (R-Q) or (Q-R) becomes a factor.

Subtracting equation 3 from 2,
Q^2 – R^2 = PQ – PR
or, (Q+R)(Q-R) = P(Q-R)
and since, Q <>R,
hence, P = Q + R.

Now, equation 1 is still left out, hence, let us use this equation now.
P^2 – QR = 10
or, P^2 – (P-R)R = 10
or, P^2 + R^2 = 10 + PR.
or, P^2 + R^2 = 10 + 10 – Q^2
or, P^2 + Q^2 + R^2 = 20.

Verbal (SC)

According to the National Pasta Association, per-capita consumption of pasta in the United States, which has already been approaching 19 pounds a year, will achieve 30 pounds a year by the twenty-first century.

(A) According to the National Pasta Association, per-capita consumption of pasta in the United States, which has already been approaching 19 pounds a year, will achieve 30 pounds a year by the twenty-first century.
(B) Already approaching 19 pounds a year in the United States, the National Pasta Association predicts that per-capita consumption of pasta will reach 30 pounds a year by the twenty-first century.
(C) The National Pasta association predicts by the twenty-first century that per-capita consumption of pasta in the United States, which is already approaching 19 pounds a year, will reach 30 pounds a year.
(D) By the twenty-first century, the National Pasta Association predicts that per-capita consumption of pasta in the United States, having already approached 19 pounds a year, will reach 30 pounds a year.
(E) According to the National Pasta Association, per-capita consumption of pasta in the United States is already approaching 19 pounds a year and will reach 30 pounds a year by the twenty-first century.

OA and Explanation

(A) According to the National Pasta Association, per-capita consumption of pasta in the United States, which has already been approaching 19 pounds a year, will achieve 30 pounds a year by the twenty-first century.
(B) Already approaching 19 pounds a year in the United States, the National Pasta Association predicts that per-capita consumption of pasta will reach 30 pounds a year by the twenty-first century.
(C) The National Pasta association predicts by the twenty-first century that per-capita consumption of pasta in the United States, which is already approaching 19 pounds a year, will reach 30 pounds a year.
(D) By the twenty-first century, the National Pasta Association predicts that per-capita consumption of pasta in the United States, having already approached 19 pounds a year, will reach 30 pounds a year.
(E) According to the National Pasta Association, per-capita consumption of pasta in the United States is already approaching 19 pounds a year and will reach 30 pounds a year by the twenty-first century. Correct

If , where and are integers and , what is the value of ?

(A) 0
(B) 1
(C) 2
(D) 3
(E) 4

OA and Explanation

2^98=256L + N
2^98=2^8L + N
2^98-2^8L = N
N=2^8(2^90-L)
Taking L=2^90,N=0

Verbal (SC)

Just because King Alfred occupied and fortified London in 886 did not mean that he also won the loyalty of its citizens: the invading Danes were well aware of this weakness and used it to their advantage in 893.

(A) Just because King Alfred occupied and fortified London in 886 did not mean that he
(B) The fact that King Alfred had occupied and fortified London in 886 did not mean that he had
(C) Just because King Alfred occupied and fortified London in 886, it did not mean he
(D) The fact that King Alfred occupied and fortified London in 886, it did not mean that he
(E) Just because King Alfred had occupied and fortified London in 886, it did not mean he

OA and Explanation

answer should be B
3 actions: KA occupying and fortifying….I
KA winning loyality……..II
Danes knowing the above facts………III
III happened after I and II.
I and II happened at same time.
So there is difference in time of occurences of I,II event from III event.
Hence we use past perfect.

4% of population of country L has military experience and supports a war against Country G. If 20% of those who support the war have no military experience what percentage of the country’s population actually supports war against G?

(A) 5%
(B) 7.5%
(C) 10%
(D) 12.5%
(E) 15%

OA and Explanation

Given 4% of total population support war and also has military training.
Let x be the country’s population actually supports war against G
Also,
80% of x = Have military experience
from both
.8x = 4%
x = 5%
hence A.

Verbal (CR)

Commissioner: Budget forecasters project a revenue shortfall of a billion dollars in the coming fiscal year. Since there is no feasible way to increase the available funds, our only choice is to decrease expenditures. The plan before you outlines feasible cuts that would yield savings of a billion dollars over the coming fiscal year. We will be able to solve the problem we face, therefore, only if we adopt this plan.

This reasoning in the commissioner’s argument is flawed because this argument

(A) relies on information that is far from certain
(B) confuses being an adequate solution with being a required solution
(C) inappropriately relies on the opinions of experts
(D) inappropriately employs language that is vague
(E) takes for granted that there is no way to increase available funds

OA and Explanation

The problem or flaw with the argument is that he is saying

We will be able to solve the problem we face, therefore, only if we adopt this plan.

So he is ruling out every other option. Why though? What in the argument states that another plan couldn’t work either? Why is his plan the only one to solve the problem?
What if there were other ways to reduce expenditures in another plan?

Therefore in B, he is confusing what could be an adequate solution to a required solution (ONLY is key here)

There are 6 cards numbered from 1 to 6. They are placed into a box, and then one is drawn and put back and then another card is drawn and put back. What is the probability that one of the cards was 5 if the sum of the two was 8?

(A) 1
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

OA and Explanation

Total ways to get sum 8 =
2,6
6,2
4,4
3,5
5,3

p(favorable) = 2/5 hence D

Verbal (CR)

Smithtown University’s fund-raisers succeeded in getting donations from 80 percent of the potential donors they contacted. This success rate, exceptionally high for university fund-raisers, does not indicate that they were doing a good job. On the contrary, since the people most likely to donate are those who have donated in the past, good fund-raisers constantly try less-likely prospects in an effort to expand the donor base. The high success rate shows insufficient canvassing effort.

Which of the following, if true, provides more support for the argument?

(A) Smithtown University’s fund-raisers were successful in their contacts with potential donors who had never given before about as frequently as were fund-raisers for other universities in their contacts with such people.
(B) This year the average size of the donations to Smithtown University from new donors when the university’s fund-raisers had contacted was larger than the average size of donations from donors who had given to the university before.
(C) This year most of the donations that came to Smithtown University from people who had previously donated to it were made without the university’s fund-raisers having made any contact with the donors.
(D) The majority of the donations that fund-raisers succeeded in getting for Smithtown University this year were from donors who had never given to the university before.
(E) More than half of the money raised by Smithtown University’s fund-raisers came from donors who had never previously donated to the university.

OA and Explanation

Argument: This success rate, exceptionally high for university fund-raisers, does not indicate that they were doing a good job
The context here is like this: fund raisers succeed in 8 out of 10 prospect donors whom they contact (who have never donated before), but the majority of donations, for exp 1000 people, are from those who have donated in the past
So, C states the point

Robert can eat a 20 kg. bag of potatoes in 10 days. He and his wife Jane can eat the same bag in 7 days. How many days does it take Jane to eat a 20 kg. bag of potatoes by herself?

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

(E)

OA and Explanation

Answer (B)

Total potatoes = 20Kg (redundant data)
In 1 day Robert can eat (1/10) of total potatoes (A)
In 1 day Robert + Jane can eat (1/7) of total potatoes (B)

Hence, In 1 day Jane alone can eat (B – A) total potatoes
= (1/7) – (1/10) = 3/70

3/70 of total potato in 1 Day
total potatos in 1/(3/70) days
= 70/3 = 23*(1/3) days

Verbal (CR)

The axis of Earth’s daily rotation is tilted with respect to the plane of its orbit at an angle of roughly 23 degrees. That angle can be kept fairly stable only by the gravitational influence of Earth’s large, nearby Moon. Without such a stable and moderate axis tilt, a planet’s climate is too extreme and unstable to support life. Mars, for example, has only very small moons, tilts at wildly fluctuating angles, and cannot support life.

If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true on the basis of them?

(A) If Mars had a sufficiently large nearby moon, Mars would be able to support life.

(B) If Earth’s Moon were to leave Earth’s orbit, Earth’s climate would be unable to support life.

(C) Any planet with a stable, moderate axis tilt can support life.

(D) Gravitational influences other than moons have little or no effect on the magnitude of the tilt angle of either Earth’s or Mars’s axis.

(E) No planet that has more than one moon can support life.

OA and Explanation

This year, we're bringing all the content you need from mba.com into one place, making it even easier for you to navigate the application process and prepare for b-school. Starting later this month, watch The Official GMAT Blog for these invaluable insights into the way admissions professionals evaluate you…and your competition.

Although most programs look for similar attributes—intelligence, drive, experience—there are slight differences, especially after the basic attributes are displayed. At UT Dallas, for instance, we have the luxury of being a small program and, as such, can spend a great deal of time discussing each applicant. We are primarily trying to determine if the applicant will contribute to the class. Will they speak up? Will they want to participate in social or community service activities? Do they have valuable insight to a specific industry or function? Is this someone we would want on a team? In a program of 60 students, having each and every one of them contribute is essential.

Keep your eyes open and you should be able to figure out what admissions committees are seeking. Do they require an interview? What kinds of questions do they ask? How long do they spend with you? Do they encourage you to come to campus to visit? Do they offer an alum or current student for you to meet or talk to? Do they refer more to the essays about your accomplishments or about your future expectations?

What’s most important is to show your personable side. The truth is most programs can fill their seats easily with individuals that show an academic ability and meet their requirements. We all know, however, that business is all about selling your image. It’s your personality that can win them over.

A few additional things to keep in mind:

1. Do your test scores, GPA, and work experience match or exceed the averages for that school? If so, you have already proven that you have the ability, so focus on something else. If you have done something exciting or different in your life, if you have interests outside of business or if you have a talent, like music or dance, tell us about that.
2. If you are low in any of the basic attributes—test scores, GPA, etc.—focus more on explaining why that should not be a concern. For instance, if your GPA is low but you have extensive work experience, you may want to focus primarily on your professional accomplishments. If your GMAT score is lower than their average, you may want to highlight your academic ability through your undergraduate performance.
3. Make sure your GMAT scores are a high as they can be. It’s not that they are the most important, only that they are the only thing that is most within your control during the application process.
4. Show that you have focus in your career. Even if you don’t know exactly what you want to do, demonstrate that you have done your research and have a general idea, as well as an ability to articulate how your previous experience ties in and how your business degree might fill any gap.
5. Show a willingness to go the extra mile. The drive you display in the admissions process will demonstrate your overall drive. If the situation lends itself, offer to rewrite an essay, retake the GMAT, or make an additional visit to campus. Your additional efforts will reflect well on you.
6. Meet in person when possible. There is no better way to stand out in someone’s mind than a face-to-face encounter.

Starting this month, we’re making it even easier to get all the info you need about the GMAT and business school in one place. Ask The Expert, home to excellent insights and recommendations from admissions professionals, will be a regular feature on The Official GMAT Blog. We hope you’ll join us there to stay up to date on what b-school admissions professionals are expecting from you. Come on over and subscribe today!

Which expression is the greatest?

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

(E)

OA and Explanation

Verbal (CR)

A sudden increase in the production of elephant ivory artifacts on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa occurred in the tenth century. Historians explain this increase as the result of an area opening up as a new source of ivory and argue on this basis that the important medieval trade between North Africa and East Africa began at this period.

Each of following, if true, provides some support for the historians’ account described
above EXCEPT:

(A) In East Africa gold coins from Mediterranean North Africa have been found at a tenth-century site but at no earlier sites.
(B) The many surviving letters of pre-tenth-century North African merchants include no mention of business transactions involving East Africa.
(C) Excavations in East Africa reveal a tenth-century change in architectural style to reflect North African patterns.
(D) Documents from Mediterranean Europe and North Africa that date back earlier than the tenth century show knowledge of East African animals.
(E) East African carvings in a style characteristic of the tenth century depict seagoing vessels very different from those used by local sailors but of a type common in the Mediterranean.

OA and Explanation

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Two trains continuously travel between Washington DC and Baltimore, which is 120 miles away. They start simultaneously, train A at Washington and train B at Baltimore, and run at 30 and 90 mph respectively. The station turnaround times are negligible. What is the distance between the point where the trains meet for the first time and the point where they meet for the second time?

(A) 0
(B) 30 miles
(C) 60 miles
(D) 90 miles
(E) 120 miles

OA and Explanation

Verbal (SC)

Art historians are using a process known as infrared scanning in analyzing the Mona Lisa to determine if it has been altered since completion and if Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, as done by many artists of the time.

(A) if it has been altered since completion and if Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, as done
(B) if it had been altered since completion and if Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, a practice employed
(C) whether it has been altered since completion and whether Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, a practice employed
(D) whether it was altered since completion and whether Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, as was done
(E) whether it had been altered since completion and whether Leonardo da Vinci first sketched the figure in black, a practice done

OA and Explanation

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Foodmart customers regularly buy at least one of the following products: milk, chicken, or apples. 60% of shoppers buy milk, 50% buy chicken, and 35% buy apples. If 10% of the customers buy all 3 products, what percentage of Foodmart customers purchase exactly 2 of the above products?

(A) 5%
(B) 10%
(C) 15%
(D) 25%
(E) 30%

OA and Explanation

Verbal (CR)

A recent report on an environmental improvement program was criticized for focusing solely on pragmatic solutions to the large number of significant problems that plague the program instead of seriously trying to produce a coherent vision for the future of the program. In response the report’s authors granted that the critics had raised a valid point but explained that, to do anything at all, the program needed continued government funding, and that to get such funding the program first needed to regain a reputation for competence.

The basic position taken by the report’s authors on the criticism leveled against the report is that

(A) addressing the critics’ concern now would be premature
(B) the critics’ motives are self-serving
(C) the notion of a coherent vision would be inappropriate to a program of the sort at issue
(D) the authors of the report are more knowledgeable than its critics
(E) giving the report a single focus is less desirable than the critics claim

OA and Explanation

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and are positive integers and . What is the value of ?

1.
2. is a prime number

OA and Explanation

Verbal (CR)

Unlike newspapers in the old days, today’s newspapers and televised news programs are full of stories about murders and assaults in our city. One can only conclude from this change that violent crime is now out of control, and, to be safe from personal attack, one should not leave one’s home except for absolute necessities.

Which one of the following, if true, would cast the most serious doubt on the conclusion?

(A) Newspapers and televised news programs have more comprehensive coverage of violent crime than newspapers did in the old days.
(B) National data show that violent crime is out of control everywhere, not just in the author’s city.
(C) Police records show that people experience more violent crimes in their own neighborhoods than they do outside their neighborhoods.
(D) Murder comprised a larger proportion of violent crimes in the old days than it does today.
(E) News magazines play a more important role today in informing the public about crime than they did in the old days.

OA and Explanation

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When is divided by 5, the remainder is 2. Is divisible by 7?

1. is a prime number
2. is a multiple of 10

OA and Explanation

Verbal (SC)

Although no proof yet exists of electromagnetic fields generated by household appliances posing any health threat, mounting scientific evidence has convinced many experts that there is cause for concern.

(A) of electromagnetic fields generated by household appliances posing any health threat
(B) of electromagnetic fields generated by household appliances that pose any threat to health
(C) that electromagnetic fields generated by household appliances pose any threat to health
(D) that poses any threat to health from electromagnetic fields generated by household appliances
(E) for any health threat posed by electromagnetic fields generated by household appliances

OA and Explanation

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A 4 cm cube is cut into 1 cm cubes. What is the percentage increase in the surface area after such cutting?

(A) 4%
(B) 166%
(C) 266%
(D) 300%
(E) 400%

OA and Explanation

Verbal (SC)

Corporate finance committees do not plan the detailed activities of the various divisions in a large firm, but by their allocation of investment funds they make strategic judgments as to where the firm should expand.

(A) by their allocation of investment funds they make strategic judgments as to where the firm should expand
(B) when they allocate investment funds, they make strategic judgments about where the firm might be expanding
(C) they make strategic judgments on where the firm should expand when they allocate investment funds
(D) by allocating investment funds, they will make strategic judgments about where the firm might be expanding
(E) allocations of investments fund as to where the firm should expand are their exercise in strategic judgment

OA and Explanation

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Which expression has the greatest value?

(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

OA and Explanation

Verbal (SC)

Noting that the Federal Reserve had raised a key short-term interest rate against last month, analysts said that they expected orders for durable goods to decline soon because rising interest rates makes it more expensive to buy them on credit.

(A) rising interest rates makes it more expensive to buy them on credit
(B) rising interest rates make buying on credit more expensive
(C) a rise in interest rates make it more expensive to buy on credit
(D) a rise in interest rates make buying on credit more expensive
(E) a rise in interest rates makes it more expensive for them to be bought on credit

OA and Explanation

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Set consists of a certain number of even integers divisible by 3. Is standard deviation of positive?

1. All elements of set are positive
2. The range of set is 0

OA and Explanation

Verbal (CR)

A study attempting to link fertility with increased sexual availability concluded that women unconsciously dress more attractively during ovulation. The study was conducted using pairs of photographs of 200 women and volunteer viewers who chose the photograph in which they thought the woman appeared more attractive. Researchers found that 67% of the time viewers chose the photo taken when the woman was ovulating.

The methodology of the study above is flawed for which of the following reasons?

(A) The study fails to specify what is meant by the word attractive, leaving it up to the opinion of the individual viewer.
(B) Because all the viewers were male, the results of the study were skewed by individual responses to attractive women.
(C) The study fails to account for the psychological complexity of sexual desire in women
(D) The study assumes that women will dress more attractively when they have greater sexual desire.
(E) Most women do not know when they are ovulating, and so would not dress more attractively on that day.

OA and Explanation

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If sets and are united into a single set, will the mean of this set be smaller than the sum of means of sets and ?

1. and are one-element sets
2. Neither set nor set contains negative numbers

OA and Explanation

Verbal (CR)

The average age of chief executive officers in a large sample of companies is 57.The average age of CEO’s in those same companies 20 years ago was approximately eight years younger. On the basis of those data,it can be concluded that CEO’s in general tend to be older now.

Which of the following casts the most doubt on the conclusion drawn above?

(A) The dates when the CEO’s assumed their current positions have not been specified.
(B) No information is given concerning the avg no of years that CEO’s remain in office.
(C) The information is based only on companies that have been operating for at least 20 years.
(D) Only approximate information is given concerning the avg age of the CEO’s 20 years ago.
(E) Information concerning the exact number of companies in the sample has not been given.

OA and Explanation

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If is a positive integer, is defined as the number of positive integers which are less than and do not have common factor with other than 1. If is prime then

(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E) 2

OA and Explanation

Verbal (CR)

According to psychoanalytic theory, people have unconscious beliefs that are kept from becoming conscious by a psychological mechanism termed “repression.” Researchers investigating the nature of this mechanism observed occasions on which a patient undergoing therapy became aware of and expressed a previously unconscious belief. They found that such occasions were marked by an unusual decrease in the patient’s level of anxiety.

If the information above is true, and if the researchers’ investigation was properly conducted, then which of the following must also be true?

(A) Changes in the patient’s anxiety level during therapy can generally be used as an accurate measure of the extent to which the patient is becoming conscious of previously repressed beliefs.
(B) Even when one of a patient’s unconscious beliefs remains unconscious, researchers are sometimes able to discover this belief.
(C) If psychoanalytic theory is correct, then most conscious beliefs originate as unconscious beliefs.
(D) Researchers were able to distinguish expressed beliefs that had previously been unconscious from those that had long been conscious but that the patient had not previously expressed.
(E) Although the beliefs on which the mechanism of repression works are all unconscious, the operation of the mechanism itself is something of which patients are consciously aware.

OA and Explanation

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There are a lot of great MBA programs in the world, but of course you can attend only one. Most offer similar course work, dedicated faculty with deep research and/or industry backgrounds, a nice campus, and support for your job search. How, then, to choose? As I tell my students when they’re trying to decide between job offers, in the end it comes down to one short, simple word: Fit.

But how does one assess fit?

Perhaps you are looking for a very specialized plan of study, such as an MBA paired with a simultaneous degree in an engineering field. In that case, you’ll want to explore how open programs are to you expanding your studies in that direction and how they work with partner departments on campus to assist students in making it happen. You might even look for established cooperative programs between colleges.

On the other hand, you might be looking for placement into a particular field, in which case you’d clearly want to ask about the recent placements of each MBA program into that industry or career track.

Most of that information, though, can be obtained in advance through discussions with the admissions offices or reviewing websites. When visiting the campus, the key is to investigate the sense of community in the program; you’re about to spend two years on a campus and will probably retain many lifelong friends from your days as an MBA student.

• Ask to talk to current students and explore their experiences in the program.
• Ask about alumni involvement. Do the alumni leave and never look back, or are they engaged in things like mentoring current students or guest lecturing in MBA classes?
• Take a tour of the campus and be observant. Is there a sense of energy and an “esprit de corps” among the student body? Can you see yourself spending almost two years of your life in this environment—and loving it?

The key to being happy with your choice: Know what makes you tick and find a program with matching characteristics. Every campus and every MBA program has its own personality. Finding the one that most closely matches your own is critical to enjoying your years as an MBA student.

More importantly, that’s 40% of today’s graduate management students and tomorrow’s business leaders

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we have to tell you how excited we are to see the steady growth in women taking the GMAT exam and pursuing all kinds of business-related careers. We’re also finding that nearly half the women taking the GMAT (45.5%) are younger than 25, especially outside the United States. Women in Asia, in particular, tend to take the GMAT when they’re younger.

We’re pretty accustomed, here at GMAC, to our research showing that b-school applicants are driven (you have to be—b-school isn’t easy). Our data on women, though, show that they move through the b-school decision process faster than men…by about a year! On average, women take about 3.5 years to move from completing their first degree to submitting their first b-school application; they’re more likely to consider graduate management education while they’re still in an undergrad program, too.

The post-graduation outlook is also pretty promising for today’s female b-schools students. When they graduated, 84% of women in the class of 2010 were employed and 93% of them said they got the type of job they wanted.

We’re excited about this because we believe in the value of graduate management education and creating access to that value is one of our core values, but just about anyone can take the GMAT. It’s really business schools that benefit most from this upswing—more than half of the full-time programs we surveyed last year (54%) said they use special outreach programs to find more female applicants. Most executive and part-time programs were trying to recruit more women, too (45% and 42%, respectively). And because we work so closely with business schools, we’re always glad to know that the people taking the GMAT are the people business schools are seeking.

By the way, we asked women from the classes of 2000 through 2010 whether they would recommend graduate business school to someone else. Nearly all of them (96%) said yes.

So, what are you waiting for? Take the GMAT!

We’ve made a tutorial available online, to demonstrate how to navigate and respond to sample questions. We do hope those participating in this research will give their best—their experience is critical to our evaluation of these preliminary question types.

The Integrated Reasoning questions being researched won’t count toward test takers’ official GMAT scores or be sent to schools. Because it won’t affect scores, we don’t expect test takers who see these questions to study for this section. Test takers who’ll get a glimpse of possible Integrated Reasoning questions will spend an extra 30 minutes at the testing center. For their time, their reasonable effort at completing these sample questions, and their feedback, we’ll refund $25 of their GMAT fee.

Although the question types we’re testing during this five-day period are complete and designed to test Integrated Reasoning, we do want to emphasize that they are all still under consideration. They may be approved, altered, or discarded entirely if our research shows that they are less effective than expected. As always, the primary goal of the GMAT is to measure the skills most likely to predict success in graduate management education—we’ll adjust the question types as needed to meet the needs articulated by the faculty who helped define this section.

We’ve got a lot of work ahead to get this exciting new section ready for GMAT exam—stay tuned!

 — Ashok Sarathy, Vice President, GMAT Program

Since the announcement, we’ve talked to a number of test takers who are trying to decide whether they should take the GMAT now or later. GMAT scores are good for five years, so it’s certainly reasonable to take the test now if you know you want to go to business school within that time. We know, too, that some considering business school are worried that a change to the test means lower scores.

We looked back over the history of GMAT scores to see what previous changes have done to the mean GMAT score. In the graph below, you’ll see that GMAT scores have remained relatively stable over time, even during test changes (marked by the red diamonds). Over the past 20 years, GMAT scores have actually trended slightly upward. Remember, too, that Integrated Reasoning will be scored separately—your Total Score won’t change.

Always remember, too, that your GMAT score is only one piece of your application package. An admissions committee will consider your work history, undergraduate GPA, essays, and interviews to determine whether you’re a good fit for their program. With or without Integrated Reasoning, your GMAT score is only one factor in their decision.

Ultimately, the best time for you to take the GMAT depends on you.

—Ashok Sarathy, Vice President, GMAT Program

Whether to retake the GMAT is a decision many candidates struggle with during the application process. Because the answer to this question is so dependent on the specifics of an applicant’s situation, there’s no single, one-size-fits-all guidance that I can offer. Rather than try to do so, let me offer some general thoughts for you to consider and apply to yourself.

The first thing I would note is that there’s nothing inherently negative about retaking the GMAT. We see many successful candidates who have taken the test more than once. So the mere fact that you have retaken the test is not a negative in and of itself.

Beyond this initial observation, I would add a few points. First, even though retaking the GMAT is not inherently negative, as with other aspects of the admissions process this conclusion is context-dependent. If you retake the test once or twice, that’s generally fine. But once you get beyond that, you begin to reach the point of diminishing returns. The candidate who retakes the test five or six times may be regarded differently from one who has taken it twice or three times. Most times, you’ll either be confirming the trend or tilting at windmills. So be mindful not just of whether to retake the test, but of how many times you retake it.

Another important consideration is what you hope to accomplish by retaking the test. Candidates obviously consider retaking it because they are not pleased with their existing score. But as you consider whether to take the test again, you need to think about why you are displeased with your score and what score you think you can achieve. If you see specific areas of improvement and feel as though you can materially increase your score, then it may well make sense to try to do so. The term “material” is a squishy one, but to put some greater definition on it, GMAC advises that GMAT scores within 40 points of each other are functionally equivalent. So to really make a difference in your score, as a general matter you need to feel as though you can improve it by 40 points or more. If you’re looking to improve by 10 or 20 points, that’s really not a meaningful change in your profile.

I hope these insights have been helpful to those of you who are considering retaking the GMAT. Good luck!

Written by Marisa Cox, Director, MBA Admissions, Eller College of Management,

In most cases, yes. Here are three positive things you can accomplish through a campus visit: 

1. Demonstrate real interest. Admissions staff love to host applicants and prospective students on their campuses. It gives them an opportunity to showcase their facilities and the quality of their faculty, while also allowing the prospect or applicant to engage directly with current students and in some cases local alumni. By taking the time and investing the resources in flying or driving out for a visit, you are demonstrating a heightened level of interest in the program.
2. “Personalize” your application. If you visit either before you apply or during the admissions process, the admissions staff will likely recognize your name when they receive your application and will be able to put a face to the name they see on the file. 
   This is particularly true if you apply to a smaller program with a smaller volume of applicants.
3. Help determine fit. In addition to evaluating your application based on standard criteria, MBA admissions staff are also looking to assess fit. The feedback they receive during or after your visit will help them evaluate your interpersonal skills and how well you would engage and interact with your fellow students.

I started off by stating that a visit can help your candidacy in most cases. Here are three things you can do during a campus visit to hurt your candidacy:

1. Show up late. Being late or showing disregard for the itinerary that a school may have set for you shows a lack of courtesy and professionalism.
2. Dress inappropriately. Unless instructed otherwise, business casual dress is typically appropriate for a campus visit. Shorts, jeans, flip flops, miniskirts, and other attire that you would wear to your friend’s party are not appropriate. As I indicated before, you are putting a face to your application. Make sure it is a clean, alert, professional one.
3. Act discourteously. When you visit a campus remember that you are making an impression on everyone you meet. Being rude to the receptionist, a student worker, or anyone else in the MBA office will reflect poorly on your judgment and professionalism.

Although there is always the risk of making a bad impression, in most cases your visit will reflect positively on your candidacy. More importantly, a visit will help you determine whether the school is a good fit for you.

Written by Derrick Bolton, MBA Admissions Office, Stanford Graduate School of Business

There are two processes happening as schools admit an MBA class. One is evaluation, and the other is selection. The difference is more than semantics.

Evaluation

Evaluation is relatively simple to convey. As admissions offices around the world evaluate the applicant pool, we review each application and assess candidates in many areas. We look for the most promising students in terms of intellectual distinction and professional merit. We base this judgment on the totality of information available. No single factor—whether your college performance, essay, test score, interview, letter of reference, or work experience—is dispositive.

Although every school has distinct admission criteria, some key themes emerge in evaluation. Virtually every MBA program looks for students who exhibit—

• Intellect. We look for people who recognize that “school” is the key word in business school. An MBA program is foremost an academic experience; the professional and social benefits are a lagniappe. As such, we need students who are curious, with a desire to learn and experience new things. You shape your classmates’ experiences through your willingness to share your knowledge and experiences. Test scores and transcripts lay the foundation, but your approach toward your education is as important as your ability.
• Leadership. We look for people who have demonstrated the ability to make a difference. We assess your impact on the people and organizations around you, and the impact of those experiences on you. Your underlying motivation for your achievements is as important as the achievements themselves. Your leadership potential emerges through aspects including but not limited to athletics, community service, extracurricular activities, internships, research projects, and part-time and full-time employment.

Selection

Selection is much more difficult to convey. Having evaluated each application, admissions offices then are faced with the difficult decisions of crafting a class: determining which candidates to admit among those evaluated as highly qualified. The reality of selective admission is that there are many more qualified and deserving candidates than places available in an MBA program.

The selection process is not one in which we merely separate out those candidates with weaknesses and admit all the rest. Were we to do that, we would have a class several times its intended size. Having carefully evaluated each individual file, we then review it in the context of the entire applicant pool. In an effort to create an engaging student community, we select those applicants who, collectively, represent a breadth of background, talent, and experience. The reasons some applicants stand out more than others are not easily categorized, since excellence itself does not come in uniform dimensions. As such, there is necessarily a subjective element to the selection process. The final results merely reflect our best efforts.

Overall Advice

We urge you to complete your application authentically. Too many applicants assume that admissions offices have narrow views of "acceptable" candidates, and they shape their applications accordingly. If you fall victim to this fallacy, you do yourself a disservice—not only will you miss the opportunity to learn about yourself through the application, but also you make your application look less like you and more like everyone else. Have confidence in what you have achieved. Be faithful to your passions. Trust in what you aspire to accomplish. Approach the application process as a chance for structured reflection—a rare opportunity to explore your values, spark your enthusiasm, and envision your potential. If you do so, you will have the foundation for a strong application.

The path to an MBA degree is often different from what you first expect. There are so many opportunities in the MBA arena that an admissions denial will often cause applicants to expand their search and to find a better fit.

If you are denied admission to your first choice school but truly believe that school is the best choice for your career, ask for feedback from that school. Find out about the percentage of applicants who reapply and get accepted for a different term. Is that percentage acceptable to you, or do you want to move forward and find a different program now?

The feedback will also help you evaluate whether any change in your application would lead to a different outcome. While you cannot go back in time to change your GPA, you can take post-graduate courses and/or retake the GMAT to demonstrate academic potential. You can also continue to work to enhance your resume, or take on a special project to showcase your leadership skills.

If you do not get direct feedback from the school, you can still compare your qualifications against the class profile. If your academic scores and work experience are better than average, then evaluate your essays and interview. Did you genuinely describe your achievements and goals? Schools want to learn about you and to evaluate whether their MBA program will help you succeed. They are not looking for generic answers that come from an MBA viewbook.

If you decide to reapply for the next year, follow the school’s reapplication policy.

If you cannot change the reason for your denial, you may want to expand your search and think differently. There is more than one MBA program that meets an applicant’s needs. Your second- or third-choice school may offer similar characteristics that are important to you and is very willing to accept you into its program.

Explore new possibilities. Do you need to be in a specific geographic location? Is there another concentration to consider? Are you competitive for financial awards? Would you learn better in a more cooperative culture? How involved do you want to be in student activities? Do you want to compete in MBA case competitions? How important is ranking? Are graduates getting jobs? Are they the kind of jobs you want?

By thinking differently, you may find that a different program is a better option for you.

What percent of the MIS students enrolled at Wisconsin University are female?

1. 5% of female students at Wisconsin University are studying MIS.
2. 12% of male students at Wisconsin University are studying MIS.

OA and Explanation

Verbal (SC)

Under the 1986 tax law, interest payments on a refinanced home loan are deductible only if the amount of the loan does not exceed the purchase price of the home, the cost of improvements, and any additional amount borrowed against the home to pay for medical or educational expenses.

(A) any additional amount borrowed against the home to pay for medical or educational expenses
(B) borrowing any additional amount against the home for payment of medical or educational expenses
(C) also borrowing any additional amount against the home to pay for medical or educational expenses
(D) any additional payment of medical or educational expenses that were borrowed against the home
(E) any additional payment borrowed against the home for medical or educational expenses

OA and Explanation

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Function is defined as follows:
if is positive or 0 then ;
if is negative then .

Which of the following is true about ?

I.

II.

III.

(A) I only
(B) II only
(C) III only
(D) I and III only
(E) not I, II, or III

OA and Explanation

Verbal (CR)

While Governor Verdant has been in office, the state’s budget has increased by an average of 6 percent each year. While the previous governor was in office, the state’s budget increased by an average of 11.5 percent each year. Obviously, the austere budgets during Governor Verdant’s term have caused the slowdown in the growth in state spending.

Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the conclusion drawn above?

(A) The rate of inflation in the state averaged 10 percent each year during the previous governor’s term in office and 3 percent each year during Verdant’s term.
(B) Both federal and state income tax rates have been lowered considerably during Verdant’s term in office.
(C) In each year of Verdant’s term in office, the state’s budget has shown some increase in spending over the previous year.
(D) During Verdant’s term in office, the state has either discontinued or begun to charge private citizens for numerous services that the state offered free to citizens during the previous governor’s term.
(E) During the previous governor’s term in office, the state introduced several so-called “austerity” budgets intended to reduce the growth in state spending.

OA and Explanation

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How many odd three-digit integers greater than 800 are there such that all their digits are different?

(A) 40
(B) 56
(C) 72
(D) 81
(E) 104

OA and Explanation

Verbal (SC)

A new test for AIDS has proved helpful in eliminating blood, contaminated with the virus, from the nation’s blood supply.

(A) in eliminating blood, contaminated with the virus, from the nation’s blood supply
(B) in eliminating blood from the nation’s blood supply that is contaminated with the virus
(C) in eliminating from the nation’s blood supply blood that is contaminated with the virus
(D) to eliminate blood that is contaminated with the virus from the nation’s blood supply
(E) to eliminate blood from the nation’s blood supply that is contaminated with the virus

OA and Explanation

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On the picture above, is the area of the triangle greater than 1?

1.
2. Perimeter of the triangle is greater than

OA and Explanation

Verbal (SC)

Not one of the potential investors is expected to make an offer to buy First Interstate Bank until a merger agreement is signed that includes a provision for penalties if the deal were not to be concluded.

(A) is expected to make an offer to buy First Interstate Bank until a merger agreement is signed that includes a provision for penalties if the deal were
(B) is expected to make an offer for buying First Interstate Bank until they sign a merger agreement including a provision for penalties if the deal was
(C) is expected to make an offer to buy First Interstate Bank until a merger agreement be signed by them with a provision for penalties if the deal were
(D) are expected to make an offer for buying First Interstate Bank until it signs a merger agreement with a provision for penalties included if the deal was
(E) are expected to be making an offer to buy First Interstate Bank until they sign a merger agreement including a provision for penalties if the deal were

OA and Explanation

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