Manhattan Review Blog

Monthly Archives: October 2009

The new competitor for the TOEFL exam was a topic of conversation at the recent GMAC Summit in London on September 17th.  What are some aspects of the new Pearson Test of English (PTE) that separate it from the TOEFL?

• automated speech and writing scoring provide consistent and accurate grading
• score reports offer more for students and universities by offering recorded speech samples to admissions offices at universities worldwide
• results will be available online in just five days
• the fee will range from $150-$220, depending on each country
• more than 770 universities have expressed interest in accepting the exam

Similar to the TOEFL test, the Pearson Test of English (PTE) will test in all four sections: reading, writing, listening and speaking.  While not available until October 2009, the test has been given to nearly 10,000 students with very positive results.  Pearson hopes to set a new standard of English learning with a combination of technology that allows for a fair measurement of skills.

According to the recent GMAC London Summit on September 17th, students who study for the GMAT well in advance do better on the test than those who don’t.

Dr. Lawrence Rudner presented an enlightening seminar on the GMAT, presenting research that shows an interesting statistic: the older you are, the worse you perform on the exam.  The “peak” of a GMAT test-taker appears to be at the age of 27 or 28, and older people tend not to take as much test prep and score, on average, 30 points lower.

What are some other interesting facts according to the GMAC seminar in London?

•    the GMAT is testing math skills at a 10th grade level
•    geographic trends are the reason for declining percentiles with a large increase in the average quantitative score but not much change in the verbal
•    there are more than 50% non-U.S. GMAT test takers
•    students receive a fixed number of data sufficiency, reading comprehension, critical reasoning, problem solving and sentence correction questions

Want a piece of important advice from the test owner of the GMAT?  It’s better to guess than omit questions, as there is a severe penalty for not completing the test.

Recently, our CEO Tracy Yun had an interview with Clear Admit. Ms. Yun is a graduate of Columbia Business School with over 10 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions, and is the only female CEO of a major GMAT test prep company. Here’s what she had to say about why Manhattan Review is a great way to prepare for business school:

• It employs teachers that are better rounded than those at other prep courses. That is, a high GMAT score doesn’t cut it when we hire. Experience, maturity and enthusiasm distinguish Manhattan Review instructors.
• It is meant for people with very little time on their hands, which encompasses most of the population. Fast problem-solving approaches are taught, and the courses are suited to people of all skill levels, whether you’re a math whiz or a math diz.
• We have been selected by prominent institutions such as top business schools and non-profit organizations to pre-MBA training in subjects such as corporate finance and communications skills. Also, because the GMAT is not the only element of the MBA admissions process, we also offer GRE and TOEFL preparation.
• The class sizes are small, fostering a personal learning environment.
• Powerpoint presentations are a thumbs-down here. We believe that it is more dynamic and effective to have a verbal, non-scripted analysis of GMAT problems.
• We host an annual business school event – the MBA Gate, which has been well attended since its launch in 2000. There’s nothing better than offering potential MBA students face-to-face interaction with recruiters and admissions officials.

While she respects her competitors, she believes that Manhattan Review courses offer many things that larger test prep companies do not. With a passion for education and business, coupled with a 99th score on the GMAT and a Columbia MBA degree, Ms. Yun clearly knows what she’s talking about when it comes to GMAT, MBA admissions, and has the creativity to come up with unique strategies. To read more, visit Clear Admit.