Manhattan Review Blog - Test Prep, Admissions Consulting and Career Training

In face of the increased competition from GRE, administered by the ETS, and the changes in admissions processes preferred by business school worldwide, Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) has decided to add a new section, Integrated Reasoning, to its challenging Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).  This new section of the exam is designed to test advanced reasoning skills and is separately scored from the total 800 score of verbal and quantitative sections. It is to launch in the 10th edition of the GMAT on June 4, 2012, less than two years away from now.

In spring 2010, GMAC piloted the new section with current MBA students and plans to pilot it again with thousands of students this fall.

GMAC states: “The new section will replace one of the two writing sections currently on the exam.  It will be scored separately and have a new audio component for some questions.  The test’s current verbal and math sections will remain unchanged.”  The new changes in the exam are the following:

• Test takers will need to interpret charts, graphs, and spreadsheets, and answer interactive questions that will test their analytical skills.
• Test takers will be asked to analyze information, draw out conclusions and determine relationships between data points.
• Test takers will wear headphones while taking this portion of the test.  The use of headphones is a new feature that will help schools assess students’ auditory learning style.
• Rather than just multiple-choice questions, test takers will drag-and-drop data points, as well, as write mini-essays.

GMAC has released a sample question similar to questions that will appear on the new test. Students are asked to look at a table that sorts like a spreadsheet and detail the number of passengers and airline movements at 21 airports around the world. They are then presented with a list of statements about the information in the table and asked to determine which of the statements are true based on the data in the spreadsheet. Other exercises include using the same table to evaluate the reason for or likelihood of certain outcomes, or to use the table to determine where other airports rank.  Some other possible questions may be to determine a country’s plans for a road.  This would include looking at maps and government data.

Below is a sample question with the data tables and charts test takers will see in the new version of the GMAT. To view the data table and graph click on the link below!

Sample Question Data Table/Graph

1. Of the models with Gasoline Engine Type, the model with the greatest ratio of City MPG to Highway MPG is also the model with the greatest difference between Highway MPG and City MPG.


2. The minimum City MPG for a Toyota make is less than the maximum City MPG for a Volkswagen make.


3. A model chosen at random from those models with a Highway MPG greater than 30 miles per gallon has a 50% chance of being a Toyota.


4. The median carbon footprint for all models is greater than the mode carbon footprint for all models.


5. The standard deviation of the Highway MPG values for all BMW models is lower than the standard deviation of the Highway MPG values for all Toyota models.

Integrated Reasoning Answers: Statements 1 and 4 are FALSE; Statements 2, 3, and 5 are TRUE.

Why the new changes?  These changes are due to the evolving trends seen in business school classrooms.  This is a way to distinguish between those students who will adapt well in the classroom rather than just score a high score on the GMAT, making it easier for business schools to select who to be admitted. This new change is welcomed with great enthusiasm by business schools. GMAC created the section after b-school faculty members expressed a preference for proof that students could read, synthesize and reason well from a set of data within a limited amount of time without relevant in-depth knowledge and any memorization.

The addition of 30-minute Integrated Reasoning in replacement of one of the Analytical Writing Assessment sections is the biggest change to GMAT since it became a computer-adaptive test in the late 1990s. Other recent year changes occurred in 2006 after the switch over of the test administration from the ETS to Pearson. However those changes are more in rules and format, less in content.

Some students may fear that with this new section added to the GMAT, their score may not be as high than with the old exam.  Fear not.  GMAC is planning outreach and educational programs for business school faculty and students.  These programs will include information sessions and details on the new tests.

To get a better sense on the new integrated reasoning section click on the title below:

 Next Generation GMAT Question Demonstration

We at Manhattan Review wholeheartedly support such a constructive change on the GMAT and are prepared to incorporate the teaching of the new section into our curriculum. We strongly feel that without changing the existing verbal and math questions and one of the writing sections, the new Integrated Reasoning section will make the test much improved and effective while minimizing implementation costs. A win-win solution for all parties involved! However, this new section does seem to put more emphasis on extensive data analysis, which might be a challenge for students who are not used to seeing a large amount of data in a spreadsheet format. 

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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.

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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Why is palm vein scanning more desirable than digital fingerprinting?

According to GMAC, palm vein scanning is virtually impossible to forge, extremely accurate, and the digital encryption involved cannot be read by other systems. There is no smudging involved as there is with digital fingerprinting and is more accessible for some individuals with disabilities.

The system is straightforward. Applicants place their hands several inches above the sensor and the sensor then records each applicant’s unique vein pattern.

You will have your palm vein patterns recorded when you arrive at the testing center to enroll for the GMAT exam. Your pattern will be matched when you return to the testing room after a break. A flash video of what occurs upon arrival at a testing center can be found here: http://www.mba.com/mbasite/resources/globalgmat/

No. Check-in time for those taking the test the first time will be shorter than fingerprinting. Return testers should expect only an additional 15-30 seconds for the check-in process.

Yes. The light source is akin to that of the infrared light used in remote controls and applicants never touch the sensor.

Privacy is protected in various ways. Once the scan is complete, it is saved as a digital template. After the exam, an encrypted transmission is sent containing the template to Pearson VUE where it is stored separately from other information about the applicant. The vein scan is disclosed to entities outside Pearson VUE only when required by law to detect fraud or prevent illegal activity. Schools do not receive applicants’ vein scans.

Not if they intend to take the GMAT.

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In an effort to prevent cheating and to maintain test integrity, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) has begun to require that test takers receive a palm vein scan before taking the GMAT at testing centers in the United States and worldwide. The new identification method, initiated in Korean testing centers in July 2008, is scheduled to completely replace the prior method of identification by digital fingerprint during 2009.

The new technology comes in the wake of concerns over so-called “proxy” test taking, a manner of cheating in which testers hire others with a track record of high scores to take the place under a false identity. Because the new scan records applicants’ unique vein patterns beneath the skin rather than patterns on the skin’s surface, false identification is extremely rare: less than 0.00008% of scans administered.

Scanning is performed by Fujitsu’s PalmSecure sensor, which requires an applicant to place his or her palm several inches above the square sensor while the sensor records applicants’ vein patterns, a copy of which is stored as a digital template and sent to the Pearson VUE testing service. While palm vein recognition is a relatively new development in the West, it has a precedent for protecting a variety of vital data in Japan, finding use in ATMs, libraries, and hospitals.

Even so, any new technology invites a host of questions, especially when the technology involves biometrics as a means of identification. Some privacy advocates have argued that the palm-vein scans should be disposed of after a reasonable period of time following testing. Joel Hagberg, a vice president at Fujitsu says students should not worry about their privacy, since “You can’t leave a vein pattern at a crime scene.” At this time the Business Admission Council has stated that it intends to make the scans a part of applicants’ permanent records.

New Testing Center Registration Requirements:

· All applicants require a valid photo ID;

· All applicants must have a photograph of them taken at the testing center;

· All applicants must sign a digital signature pad;

· First-time testers must scan both palms at the testing center;

· Applicants who retake the test and have a fingerprint on file must provide a matching fingerprint and scan both palms at the testing      center.

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Your first year of business school is likely to be a busy one. Adjusting to a new place, meeting new people, learning new things, and opening new doors will make it an exciting, even thrilling experience. Yet, the best way to ensure that you will enjoy your first-year of business school is through preparedness. There are essentially three key ways in which to prepare, and thereby easily clear some of the main hurdles of the first-year.

1: Math Prep

Before you arrive on campus, you should focus on academic preparedness for the Math aspect of business school. If you feel a little weak on your quantitative skills prior to beginning your MBA, you are not alone. Approximately a third of MBA entrants need a full Math review course before they begin classes, and an additional third are weak in some area—whether accounting, statistics or excel spreadsheets—and need to spend some time working on it in the summer prior to beginning school. This does leave an additional third—these engineers, accountants or “traditional” candidates, who have been working in the finance industry prior to starting their study. If you fall into this category, you are unlikely to need much additional quantitative before your first-year classes begin. There are also diagnostic tests you may consider taking if you are uncertain of whether or not you are ready for MBA math.

Review Options

o Many business schools offer a math camp or quantitative review to students prior to entering the fall semester. Check with the school you will be attending to see what summer programs they offer. (It’s also a good networking opportunity.)

o GMAC sells a Quantitative review program called MBA Survival Kit, including 4 CDs covering finance, accounting, math and statistics skills. Each CD may be purchased separately. Available for $60 each or $155 for the complete set.

o MBA Math is an online math review course modeled on the Math Camp at Dartmouth University’s Tuck Business School. It’s available for $99.

Recommendations

o Seek out a program that is approved or recommended by the school you are going to attend. Many schools offer their own Math Camps during the summer.

o If you do fall into a category like “career-changer” (those out of practice in terms of quantitative skills), take a course. Not doing so will leave you in a position of having to catch up with your classmates, many of whom are accustomed to using analytical or quantitative skills daily. Not taking the time to review will make your first-year a much less pleasurable experience—academically, professionally, and socially.

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