Can anyone tell me which are the good B-schools for HR/PMIR in USA or Asia (except India). In India I know XLRI and TISS are quite good but I want to know schools outside India which we can apply through GMAT and which are good in HR/PMIR courses.

hello....I am new to the GMAT stuff....I wanted to know what are the best B schools for freshers or 2 yrs work ex is a must....I have jus finished my Engg.....

hi,
I have heard that ISB considers your application only if you have 2 years of experience. I will have 2 years of experience in june,2011.But,when i will apply to ISB this year my experience at that point of time will be one and a half year .So,is there any way to specify that i will have 2 years of experience when the course will start so that they consider my application.

I would suggest you wait for another year, before applying to ISB. One more year of good work-ex at this stage would make your application much stronger. It is not just about fulfilling the minimum eligibility criteria (2 years). There is obviously a reason why B-schools the world over prefer a good amount of work-ex.

hi,
I have heard that ISB considers your application only if you have 2 years of experience. I will have 2 years of experience in june,2011.But,when i will apply to ISB this year my experience at that point of time will be one and a half year .So,is there any way to specify that i will have 2 years of experience when the course will start so that they consider my application.

Dude - o - Dude!

You are just in the first year of your bachelors! Forget about GMAT and concentrate on your studies/enjoy the college life.

Most B schools accepting GMAT need 2 yrs work-exp in your resume. So you better plan to get that.
PS: There are some exceptions but you need to be brilliantly brilliant to get into a top B school with no work-ex.

btw, Keep reading the ET/BW etc .. and read books on Management but do all this only if you like .. Not for GMAT.
Keep the fire burning ....

Cheers!

I do read management books. I just finished reading My years with General Motors.

Hi,


I am half way OG, have touched almost all sections except AWA till now.
I just gave my frst test in gmac software, got 550 :(
got 16 wrong in quant and 18 wrong in verbal..
I aim a score above 700, and plan to take gmat somewhere around sep end or oct starting.
I just wanted an advice on this, whether this much time is enough to improve and get on to a score of 700+ ??
Also, I want to apply to ISB R2, nov 30th deadline, if i take gmat in oct startin or till mid, will i get enough time to apply to ISB, writing essays and SOP(if any) takes a lot of time i have heard..??
And any one is free to gv my suggestions to improve my score,sectional in verbal especially?
I am in a hrry to take the date, pls reply asap freinds..

Thanks,
neha

hi Neha,

You need to analyse the test throughly and find out where you went wrong. Try to find a pattern of mistakes.
Was it majorly SC, RC, CR or a combination - try to find did you go wrong in the reasoning, spotting a very obvious SC error or understanding an RC paragraph.

Practice more and analyse even more. Even if you get an answer correct, try to analyse why are the other choices wrong.

Try to get the basics right - Try going through Manhattan SC (pdf are available on the internet) for SC.

For maths :
Revise the maths basics, start with OG.

I think you've ample time to prepare for GMAT but you need to progress in the right direction with the correct approach.

Essays are not a one day job. You need to think and write. EOD if you are able to convince the adcom by writing an essay in 2 hrs, it doesn't matter. But generally people need sometime.
Do some research, try to get things right and revert to us in case of any query.

PS: Don't be in a any hurry; you'll be harming no-one but yourself.

Cheers!

Hi Guys,

Can anyone tell me how many wrongs can be afforded in GMAT verbal and quant sections for a section score of around 48? I ask this because for equal no of questions wrong, I see a drastic difference in scores of tests from different courses.

Thanks in advance

rish90

Even for same number of wrongs, if possible to have a difference in scores. It depends where you make the mistake.
eg. If you answer the first question wrong, it'll have more impact than getting the 10th question wrong.

Also, if you commit mistakes in a series, the penalty is more.

There is no set formula since GMAT is an adaptive test. But in general, I think for 48 - approx 14-16 wrong.

PS: Someone please correct if I'm wrong.

Cheers!

Hi!

I am AK from Punjab. I am in the first year of a five year bachelors course. I plan to take the GMAT and get into a good B school like Stanford GSB or UCLA Berkley. My grade 10 marks in math were close to the passing marks. I had no math in grade 12, and got a pretty decent percentage.

I am really interested in business and management. I read every issue of the Economist, Bloomberg Business Week and Fast Company from cover to cover, and I am an avid reader of the Economic Times too.

I plan to take GMAT after an year of solid preparation, and my target score is 780.

Your suggestion will be invaluable.

Regards.

Dude - o - Dude!

You are just in the first year of your bachelors! Forget about GMAT and concentrate on your studies/enjoy the college life.

Most B schools accepting GMAT need 2 yrs work-exp in your resume. So you better plan to get that.
PS: There are some exceptions but you need to be brilliantly brilliant to get into a top B school with no work-ex.

btw, Keep reading the ET/BW etc .. and read books on Management but do all this only if you like .. Not for GMAT.
Keep the fire burning ....

Cheers!

Hi Guys,

Can anyone tell me how many wrongs can be afforded in GMAT verbal and quant sections for a section score of around 48? I ask this because for equal no of questions wrong, I see a drastic difference in scores of tests from different courses.

Thanks in advance

rish90

Hi,


I am half way OG, have touched almost all sections except AWA till now.
I just gave my frst test in gmac software, got 550 :(
got 16 wrong in quant and 18 wrong in verbal..
I aim a score above 700, and plan to take gmat somewhere around sep end or oct starting.
I just wanted an advice on this, whether this much time is enough to improve and get on to a score of 700+ ??
Also, I want to apply to ISB R2, nov 30th deadline, if i take gmat in oct startin or till mid, will i get enough time to apply to ISB, writing essays and SOP(if any) takes a lot of time i have heard..??
And any one is free to gv my suggestions to improve my score,sectional in verbal especially?
I am in a hrry to take the date, pls reply asap freinds..

Thanks,
neha

Hi!

I am AK from Punjab. I am in the first year of a five year bachelors course. I plan to take the GMAT and get into a good B school like Stanford GSB or UCLA Berkley. My grade 10 marks in math were close to the passing marks. I had no math in grade 12, and got a pretty decent percentage.

I am really interested in business and management. I read every issue of the Economist, Bloomberg Business Week and Fast Company from cover to cover, and I am an avid reader of the Economic Times too.

I plan to take GMAT after an year of solid preparation, and my target score is 780.

Your suggestion will be invaluable.

Regards.

Hello

You have some of the Asian colleges as an option. Look for colleges in
China and the South-east Asia(Singapore NUS,example).

Within India,IIMS and ISB(Hyd) are a few good options.

All the best.

Regards
Ansuman

Hi All,

I am having 4 years of experience in IT and thinking of giving GMAT by end of 2010 but i am still thinking about which colleges to choose. I have few constraints

1. I dont want to apply to colleges where the fees is around 40-50 Lacs and i spend half of my career re-paying loans.
2. I am more interested in 1 yr mba programs.


Please let me know of any top colleges outside India accepting GMAT but the fees is still bearable (around 20 Lacs). Although everything depends upon how i score in my GMAT but still any information/suggestion is highly appreciated.

Regards
Bharat

Hello

Does anyone have a winning SOP template that could be followed?
I understand SOPs will have to be tailored to an individual's needs but I need one
to understand how really a winning SOP reads from structure and flow.

Do not worry please,I am not in the intention of plagiarising :-).
I will need it to baseline an SOP that I am preparing at the moment.

Thanks..

Regards
Ansuman

Hello,
I want to know about the 4 point scale that universities consider for admissions. I have a CGPA of 7.32/10 ( I have 2 more semesters to go) and using unitary method it comes up to 2.928..is this the way universities calculate the 4 point scale?? I am asking this as i have heard that there are other methods like giving 4 points to any score above 85% and likewise. I have also heard that universities require a minimum of 3 on 4...So please clear the confusion!!

I am taking GMAT on december 18..

Don't try doing this yourself Most schools are surprisingly aware of the grading systems in India so you don't need to worry about converting. As a matter of fact, most schools ask applicants not to change the same.

Arun

@Neo : Thank you..and lol(chacha ji ka gaon coll of engg!!!)..ill definitely work on my essays!!

sriramnitj Says

thank you..I am doing my engineering from NIT Jalandhar. Are NIT students given some credit in the admission process?

IIT >>> NIT > Most Engg Colleges

All colleges like a brand. However, if you write bad essays, somebody from chacha-ji ke gaon ka college who's written outstanding essays will still get an interview call over you.

thank you..I am doing my engineering from NIT Jalandhar. Are NIT students given some credit in the admission process?

Hello,
I want to know about the 4 point scale that universities consider for admissions. .....
I am asking this as i have heard that there are other methods like giving 4 points to any score above 85% and likewise. I have also heard that universities require a minimum of 3 on 4...So please clear the confusion!!

Please do not convert your score. Univs have plenty of experience in the admission process and are well aware of the standards of your particular college or Univ. The data that you fill at the GMAC website is optional and is not shown to the schools you send an application to.

Hi,
Can anyone tell how reliable are the CATs in 'kaplan - higher score for GMAT' CD?

Kaplan used to have a reputation of having a weird scoring algo, thus giving you lower scores than expected. Not sure if it has changed since then.

Hi,

Can anyone tell how reliable are the CATs in 'kaplan - higher score for GMAT' CD?

Hello,
I want to know about the 4 point scale that universities consider for admissions. I have a CGPA of 7.32/10 ( I have 2 more semesters to go) and using unitary method it comes up to 2.928..is this the way universities calculate the 4 point scale?? I am asking this as i have heard that there are other methods like giving 4 points to any score above 85% and likewise. I have also heard that universities require a minimum of 3 on 4...So please clear the confusion!!

I am taking GMAT on december 18..

Hi All,

I have a very basic query. Let's say i have an admit from one of the colleges in R1 but i want to apply for some colleges in R2. Now, as far as i know, one has 15-20 days to submit the fee for the course. So, how would i manage something like this.

I hope i am clear in the way i put my question!!

Regards

You do not need to pay in 15-20days. Which college asks you to do so?

However just to be fair to other applicants, the morally right thing to do is to let the school know about your decision so the seat doesn't go unused.

Arun

Come on dude! Try to find before asking people to find it for ya!

Google and I'm sure you'll be flooded with materials/information. Then come back and ask people which ones do they recommend!

We'll be happy to help ya!

PS: To get you started ...people generally refer OG for Verbal. Bellcurves provides some online content for Quants. .... (btw, I'm assuming you've started googling now by now... :w00t:)

Cheers!

I think I know about Google.

I thought people who posts here regularly are aware of the options,that Google gives for GMAT resources (assuming the search result is similar for all of us).

I just wanted to know what people here think about the "best" among those search results..

Anyways thnx for ur reply ..i got it

fuzzyl0gik Says

Could you please suggest best online resources for GMAT preparation?

Come on dude! Try to find before asking people to find it for ya!

Google and I'm sure you'll be flooded with materials/information. Then come back and ask people which ones do they recommend!

We'll be happy to help ya!

PS: To get you started ...people generally refer OG for Verbal. Bellcurves provides some online content for Quants. .... (btw, I'm assuming you've started googling now by now... :w00t:)

Cheers!

Hi All,

I have a very basic query. Let's say i have an admit from one of the colleges in R1 but i want to apply for some colleges in R2. Now, as far as i know, one has 15-20 days to submit the fee for the course. So, how would i manage something like this.

I hope i am clear in the way i put my question!!

Regards

Dear All,

I have a very basic query. I am facing difficulty while sending my GMAT score to IIMB (EPGP) through GMAC website (send your GMAT scores section).

Sending Your Scores to Schools

I think the code of the program is Q9H-KK-84. But when I am trying to search the school, selecting India, then Karntaka, I can not find India Institute of Management, Bangalore in the list.

Can somebody please help.


Regards,
Joy

Could you please suggest best online resources for GMAT preparation?

No Rishi

GMAT tests are universal in character and intensity,so you need not worry.

All the best.

Regards
Ansuman

Hi,
. My question is that in this case, would a 2 yrs old GMAT score be given equal wieghtage as a fresh GMAT score? Or do the colleges prefer a recent score over a 2 yrs old score?

You'll be fine with a 2yr old score. I've already mentioned this in my 2nd post.

Hi,
I've been studying for GMAT since some time and intend to give the exam this month end. But I've heard that GMAT for Asians is a bit tougher. Is that so? Also,can anyone suggest good material for tests and the sources for the same?
Thanks a ton in advance,
Rish90

I think you read this on the GMATClub forum? Let me assure you this is complete and utter rot. There is no basis or proof for that line of thought. Plus, would you prep differently if the exam is tougher? Then you've already failed before you've begun.
There's a ton of material on the forum. Search and ye will find.

1) In quants, GMAT prep awarded me 51 for 4 incorrect ques, 50 for 7 incorrect ques. How does the scoring method for Knewton works? Do I have to answer all questions correctly to get a 51??

Follow only the GMATPrep scoring as that is the most accurate. As for knowing how the scoring works, you'd have to ask Knewton themselves.

2) Was it because of the 2 wrong answers at the end of quants, that I got 49?? Does finishing a section with a right answer matter so much.

There is a larger negative applied for consecutive wrong answers irrespective of where they appear. Again, you are trying to analyze a scoring algo that pretty much only a handful of people on this planet know. Focus on getting the right answer every single time or making the best possible guess.

3) What is level of difficulty of Knewton's free CAT compared to the actual GMAT. I need this information in order to decide whether to go for the paid course or not. I have taken 6 MGMAT CATs, which I found to be tough compared to GMAT prep.

I've heard that the free CAT is slightly easier compared to the real thing, while MGMAT's is almost on the same level to slightly tougher

Hi!
I took the Knewton Free CAT today
This is how i performed:

Verbal:
37 correct, 5 incorrect. score = 43 (96 percentile)

Quant:
34 correct, 3 incorrect. score = 49 (87 percentile) (I marked wrong answers for ques 9, ques 36 and ques 37)

Overall = 750 (99 percentile)

Please clarify the following:

1) In quants, GMAT prep awarded me 51 for 4 incorrect ques, 50 for 7 incorrect ques. How does the scoring method for Knewton works? Do I have to answer all questions correctly to get a 51??

2) Was it because of the 2 wrong answers at the end of quants, that I got 49?? Does finishing a section with a right answer matter so much.

3) What is level of difficulty of Knewton's free CAT compared to the actual GMAT. I need this information in order to decide whether to go for the paid course or not. I have taken 6 MGMAT CATs, which I found to be tough compared to GMAT prep.

Hi,

I've been studying for GMAT since some time and intend to give the exam this month end. But I've heard that GMAT for Asians is a bit tougher. Is that so? Also,can anyone suggest good material for tests and the sources for the same?

Thanks a ton in advance,
Rish90

Hi,

I am taking GMAT on 2nd august 2010.However,with only 2 years of work ex, I see little chances of getting into a good B school.Also, I want to take a risk by leaving my present job and taking a chance at entrepreneurship by starting a business. I want to give this adventure 1 or 2 years time. If I succeed, nothing better but if suppose the startup does not clicks, I'll go for MBA and apply to B-schools with my 2010 GMAT score that I would take now. With 2 yrs of entrepreneurial work ex added to my 2 yrs of job work ex, chances of acceptance would also improve. My question is that in this case, would a 2 yrs old GMAT score be given equal wieghtage as a fresh GMAT score? Or do the colleges prefer a recent score over a 2 yrs old score?

Hi,

I am Prepaing for the GMAT. Currently I am focusing on the essay part. I am on the AWA part. Can anyone share me the name of the sites so that I can see my scores on the AWA part. I am not ready to pay for it.

If possible then please share me some sites so that I can check my essay online.

Thanks in advance.

Hi I stay in Mumbai moreso in kandivilli area.

Please recoomend me some goood institutes where i can take GMAT test series or get guidance like u get for CAT

my scores so far:

plz see the attached file

In MGMAT # 1, i got 24 correct in verbal and landed up with a score 38
but in MGMAT# 3 i got 25 correct and got just 34 !!!!
can someone please explain this

hello!
I am preparing for GMat. my test is on the 19th of this month. took the MGMAT CAT #3 today. This was the first time when I answered the complete test, AWA included.

Can someone please rate my AWA section. I have no idea how good/bad theye are.

Hi.. thanks a lot for starting this thread.. As mentioned the first step in preparation is to choose the list of schools one will apply to.

My question is how to select b schools? I have jus started thinking seriously about GMAT.How to go about selecting b schools is something I have no idea about...

Also I want to take admission by nxt yr.. If I take GMAT in September will i be eligible for that?

Thanks a lot in advance.. n thanks again for this initiative..

Use Forums

Forums are great place to meet other MBA aspirants, future classmates, possible networks, great friends... Its also a place to seek help when you are stuck somewhere or just a place to chill out.


Review, Identify and Revise

Most people never seem to figure out where their weak areas are and then they wonder why they bombed the GMAT. Do you know your weak areas? SC? CR? RC? Geometry? Everytime you take a mock, there's a wealth of information waiting to be mined. Why did you get a Q wrong? Conceptual error? Careless error? Don't know the formula? Didn't understand the Q? Got the reasoning wrong? Go ahead, figure it out yourself Or ask somebody! There's no harm in seeking help and you are certainly going to need a lot of it once you get down to writing your essays.

FAQS
How much should I study everyday? What if i'm working??
There are thousands of people out there who are working and still get 700+ scores on the GMAT. There's no excuse for you. Most people spend an hour or so everyday and 5-6hours on the weekends. Towards the end, weekends are spent taking tests and analyzing mistakes. The best study plan is for you to figure out. You have to do the work you should know what works for you and what doesn't. Sleep an hour less if you have to. Its only for a year. You also have to write essays and that's going to be a lot of work. You might as well get used to the grind.

Self-Study v/s Coaching Center
Entirely up to you. You know yourself best. Coaching centers will provide a certain level of discipline, an instant set of people to worry about with and somebody to hold your hand and walk you through. Self-study will save you upwards of 17k, make you strongly self-reliant and give a real good feel-good factor at the end of your exam.


When should I take the GMAT?
Take it whenever you are ready. You can take it straight out of college if you like. Yes, the GMAT scores are valid for 5years, but note that colleges dont like for scores to be older than 3yrs at most. They may or may not ask you to re-take. Also note, as mentioned earlier, that colleges require you have to have a GMAT score by the deadline of the round you apply in.

Aim to take the GMAT atleast 6months before you intend to start your application. That way, you have time to re-take if you need to. Also, do not under-estimate essay-writing and recommendation collection. Those are killer processes that can take a very long time.

Things to carry on Test Day
Your passport and another proof of identity (Govt Issued)
Some food if you like.
A jacket or sweater. Some centres run their ACs on full-blast so you might want to be careful.
You WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to carry anything into the testing-room. At some centers, even your watch is placed in the locker allocated to you.

Passport is the only proof of identity that is accepted by the GMAC for Indian test-takers. Please have this ready before you start the process.


What are deadlines??
Most colleges have 3 rounds of admission. In order to process the huge number of applications, colleges have 3dates by which you can submit your application. This is called a "Round". Your application is compared to applicants only within this round, unless you are "Waitlisted"
As an Indian applicant you are advised to finish your application before the end of Round2 (R2). Let's say you have Rs100( number of seats) and you get to walk down a long list of shops(applicants) and buy whatever you want. In the beginning since you have a lot of money you tend to splurge but when you are down to the last 20bucks or so you become more cautious. Its the same way with admissions. In the beginning, they have more seats, lesser number of applicants to compare against and your chances are brighter. In R3, they are looking to round off the class so the competition is really tough.


Do I have to pick the colleges at the time of the exam? Can I pick them later??
Know which colleges you want to go to before taking the GMAT. At the time of the exam, you can pick 5 colleges to send scores to. Any subsequent score request costs $28. Its your decision to experiment with "Safety,Reach and Stretch" list (Safety is where your numbers/profile is above the college's numbers thus ensuring you have a very good chance of getting in, Reach is where your numbers more or less match the college and you would have a good chance of getting in. I suppose you can guess what Stretch is by now. Please note that this only in theory. You never know how you are going to mess up your app and get dinged from a Safety too)


What is the relevance of the AWA scores?
Nothing. Well almost nothing. If you've scored about a 4.0 on the AWA, schools are not going to bother with the AWA. If your essays are bad, then the school will probably take a look at your AWA score and begin to ask questions. For the most part, schools will not worry about your AWA score. Some schools ask for a TOEFL so your low AWA should not bother them. Or you can volunteer to offset the AWA by taking the TOEFL. Just check with the school first though if this is acceptable to them. The TOEFL is cheaper and easier to take, two very compelling reasons for you to seriously consider it.


How do colleges view Multiple GMAT scores?
Most applicants are worried about this. If, for whatever reason, you didnt get the score you wanted the first time, you can always re-take. Its how you re-take that schools are interested in.
-If you take it immediately after the first time, and didnt improve(or did worse), its going to reflect badly.
-If you re-take a third time and still didnt improve or did badly, the college will question your maturity and your ability to analyse yourself
-If you take it immediately after and improved, the college is going to think you had a bad testing day and will not bother anymore.


If you havent improved after your re-take, step away from the GMAT, take some time off to study properly and have a go at it again. This will show that you took the time off to properly identify your weak areas and work at it again. Repeated re-takes and no improvement/marginal improvement will not help you much.
Colleges will only consider your highest score since that is what they will include while calculating the batch average.


If you are IIM, a 720/730 is no reason to re-take unless the college tells you to. The college actually telling you to re-take is very unlikely. If you think you have presented a really strong app, then dont bother at all. Your score is fine.


Also Read - How Many times can I Take the GMAT?
When will I receive my score?
At the end of the exam, you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire that they collect for statistical data. At the end of this, you'll be asked if you want to submit your score or not. Submitting your score sends it to the college and allows you to see. You will also get a print-out of your score(minus the AWA score) at the center. An official score-card will reach your address in 2-3weeks. Schools will receive your score at around the same time.

Cancelling the score does NOT send it to the college neither can you see the score.

Other non-GMAT but related Books
How to get into the Top MBA programs -Richard Montauk.
A highly rated book that is not easily available in India. Try and get your hands on this one. If you start out early enough, this book is a great guide.


Difference in rate of acceptance/rejections during any application deadline round
As mentioned above, get your application in by the end of R2. Try to avoid R3. Acceptance/Rejection rate Numbers are just a useless piece of statistic, that are interesting only when everything is over and done with. Are you really NOT going to apply if there are too many applicants or if the interview rate is low? Then why bother applying in the first place?? Or you'll console yourself with that piece of number? Doesn't work. Trust me.


Is the volume of applications processed for any round same?
Depends on the number of applicants in that round. The college has no cut-off list.

What are these 1000 RC/CR questions I hear about very often? Where can i get hold of one?
The 1000__ series of Qs supposedly came out of a site called Scoretop.com. Once a very popular site, Scoretop got shutdown for copyright infringement. You can read more if you go to scoretop.com
There have been problems with the 1000series in that some of the answers are wrong or not properly explained. Some have also questioned the value of these materials. If you Google around, you are sure to find it, but whether to actually use it is up to you.

Which full-length CATS to practice?
Powerprep (2test-Free)
GMATPrep (2Test-Free)
MGMAT (6Test-Obtained free when you buy any book or buy direct for $30. 1Test free on their site)
PrincetonReview Diagnostic (Free on their site)

The GMAC recently released something called the GMATFocus which is a set of paper-tests. Again up to you if you want to use this material.

There is also a ton of other CATs out there depending on whether you have the moolah to spend
Kaplan (1 Free on their site. Scoring is a little off)
Knewton (1Free on their site. Some have said it is a little too easy, which is surprising considering they claim the same people who created the GMAT are the ones who created Knewton's tests)
800Score.com (Not enough info)
GMATClub.com (Paper-based, 25Q and 6V, Quant is reputed to be tough)

There's also been a couple of new web-based players in the test-prep arena-Grockit.com has a free plan and is interesting.
Magoosh.com also has a free plan though I haven't signed-up/used it yet.

Which schools need TOEFL?/ I got a low AWA but a 700+score. I am retaking!
The TOEFL requirement is unique to each school. Some schools want it some don't. It is up to you to check with the individual school website to see which schools require it and which don't. As mentioned earlier, if you have an AWA of 4, you are fine. If its lower, consider offering to take the TOEFL. It's is more English focused than the GMAT and at $150, cheaper too!

What does my B-School Application Consist of?/What else do i have to submit at the time of sending my score??
Sending your score to the school of your choice is only 1 part of the entire application. Broadly speaking, there are 3parts to your application
1. GMAT (and TOEFL if required)
2. Writing Essays, getting Recommendations and submitting to each school alongwith your GMAT score
3. If called for, Interview and hopefully get admitted.

Understand that submitting your GMAT score is not enough. You still have to send the school an application. Each application consists of the answers to the essays asked by the schools, as well as recommendations from your superiors and an application fee(usually in excess of $150)
You also have to send attested and sealed transcripts so make sure you have enough time to gather all documents. Colleges do not consider an application "complete" until you have submitted all documents. Some colleges will accept scanned copies to make a faster decision but you will still be required to submit original copies.

Score Submission
As discussed above, you need to send your score to the college you are applying to. You can do this either at the time of the exam (5 colleges and the submission is Free) or you can do it by going to the mba.com site, and choosing to send from there. There is a fee associated with this.
If you are a re-applicant, the college usually already has a score. However, it is always best to check with each college on their policies regarding score.
My Profile:
Let me be very clear on this 10th and 12th marks DO NOT MATTER
Do NOT join a social service for the sake of it. Join because you want to make a difference, not because it'll score you brownie points. Anything less than a year-old, more so in the IIM applicant, and it's a dead giveaway that you joined to score points.
Work-ex: Aim to be a little higher than the average of the school you want to go to
Finance: Given the current economic doldrums, do not count on US schools giving you a loan. A lot of schools had their loan-options removed and while the situation is improving, be very careful. This is a 40-50Lakh loan we are talking about, so you might want to think very carefully on this.

From MBA.com
Test Structure and Overview

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standardized assessment-delivered in English-that helps business schools assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced study in business and management. Schools use the test as one predictor of academic performance in an MBA program or in other graduate management programs.
What the GMAT Test Measures

The GMAT exam measures basic verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills that you have developed in your education and work. It does NOT measure:
-your knowledge of business,
-your job skills,
-specific content in your undergraduate or first university course work,
-your abilities in any other specific subject area, or
-subjective qualities-such as motivation, creativity, and interpersonal skills.


Format and Timing
The GMAT exam consists of three main parts, the Analytical Writing Assessment, the Quantitative section, and the Verbal section.

You have three and a half hours in which to take the GMAT exam, but plan for a total time of approximately four hours.

Analytical Writing Assessment

The GMAT exam begins with the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA). The AWA consists of two separate writing tasks-Analysis of an Issue and Analysis of an Argument. You are allowed 30 minutes to complete each one.

Quantitative Section

Following an optional break, you then begin with the Quantitative Section of the GMAT exam. This section contains 37 multiple-choice questions of two question types-Data Sufficiency and Problem Solving. You are allowed a maximum of 75 minutes to complete the entire section.

Verbal Section

After completion of the Quantitative Section (following an optional break), you begin the Verbal Section of the GMAT exam. This section contains 41 multiple choice questions of three question types-Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction. You are allowed a maximum of 75 minutes to complete the entire section.

Computer-Adaptive Format
Each of the first two sections consists of an analytical writing task; the remaining two sections (Quantitative and Verbal) consist of multiple-choice questions delivered in a computer-adaptive format. Questions in these sections are dynamically selected as you take the test; the multiple-choice questions will adjust to your ability level, and your test will be unique.

How does it work?
For each multiple-choice section of the GMAT exam, there is a large pool of potential questions ranging from a low to high level of difficulty. Each section of the test starts with a question of moderate difficulty. If you answer the first question correctly, the computer will usually give you a harder question. If you answer the first question incorrectly, your next question will be easier. This process will continue until you complete the section, at which point the computer will have an accurate assessment of your ability level in that subject area.

In a computer-adaptive test, only one question at a time is presented. Because the computer scores each question before selecting the next one, you may not skip, return to, or change your responses to previous questions.

What If I make a mistake or guess?
If you answer a question incorrectly by mistake or correctly by randomly guessing, your answers to subsequent questions will lead you back to questions that are at the appropriate level of difficulty for you.

Random guessing can significantly lower your scores. So, if you do not know the answer to a question, you should try to eliminate as many answer choices as possible and then select the answer you think is best. For more testing strategies, see Test-Taking Strategies.

What if I do not finish?
Pacing is critical, as there is a severe penalty for not completing. Both the time and number of questions that remain in the section are displayed on the screen during the exam. There are 37 Quantitative questions and 41 Verbal questions. If a question is too time-consuming or if you don't know the answer, make an educated guess by first eliminating the answers you know to be wrong.

How is my score determined?
Your score is determined by:
the number of questions you answer,
whether you answer the questions correctly or incorrectly, and
the level of difficulty and other statistical characteristics of each question.
The questions in an adaptive test are weighted according to their difficulty and other statistical properties, not according to their position in the test.

Are all questions counted?
Every test contains trial multiple-choice questions being pretested for use in a real exam. These questions are not identified and appear in different locations within the test. You should, therefore, do your best on all questions. Answers to trial questions are not counted in the scoring of your test.

Optional Break is now 8 minutes long

Take the following actions-items step-by-step for achieving your GMAT target:

a) Research about B-schools. Try to select B-schools that fit your long-term goals, dont try to select schools based on your background and the possibility of you getting admission, these other criterions can always be looked upon later on and the choice narrowed down. The methodology to select B-schools is to go through web-sites, adcom-blogs, student-blogs. Also check "Hella's list".

b) So you now have a list of B-schools which you are looking at. Get to know more about the b-schools from their student blogs. Find our admission requirements, financial help, faculty strength, industry interface, alumni network, placement records, indian student ratio, class diversity, your own functional specialization strength and many other parameters. Narrow down your list further and focus on 4-5 B-schools. Mail the current/past students of these B-schools and get first-hand info about them. You can even try to visit the adcom people if they have any stall put up in some MBA fair or anywhere else which is accessible to you. PG and TopMBA have a tie-up of sorts, and you'll see a lot of the TopMBA ads about the college fairs. Try to attend these as well as the information sessions that each college holds individually.

c) Once you have all this information, then focus on GMAT. Since you already know the range of accepted GMAT, you can keep a target score a bit higher than the range. For example if some B-school has a average GMAT score of 700, that means a score of 720 would be good for you (above average), so keep the target something like 750. (10-20 points higher). Now go through forum (esp Psychodementia's GMAT efforts) and also other forums like gmatclub, testmagic and start studying. Also register for GMAT and setup the GMAT date. Spending money usually brings some seriousness to the efforts. There is usually no specific period for GMAT, but make sure you dont take GMAT during rush hours (when ISB admissions, R1-R2 happens). The ONLY WAY to compensate for poor acads is excellent GMAT score... nothing else can do that magic ....

d) Once you are done with GMAT, based on your score you can re-try the GMAT or if you got a good score, you can revisit your list of B-schools and add/subtract b-schools based on your score.

e) Once you are done with this 800-pound gorilla, then focus towards improving your other aspects. Focus on essays/recos/extra-curricular and other skills... B-schools usually dont give much weight to activities you did within last 1-2 years.. since it implies that you got involved in those activities just for the sake of b-school admission... Learn from the mistakes of others...thats the mantra for B-school admission."

What does this mean GMAT 720 (Q-50, V-45)? But I saw in GMAT books that there will be approx 37 quant questions and 41 Verbal questions. So I am bit confused.
Quant and Verbal are both scored out of a raw scale which maxes at 51. Which means if you get a 51 on both you end up with an 800 which is the max scaled score.

Anything less than that is going to bring down your raw scores (and consequently your scaled scores).

Here is how the scores rack up:
What Your Percentile Ranking Means

(Thanks to Psychodementia for this)


Where do I begin?
Find and download the PowerPrep software. Download the GMATPrep software from MBA.com
The PowerPrep is the older version of the test. There exist 2 versions of this for 2 reasons
1. Test vendors i.e the people who administer the test changed
2. The Powerprep has older questions.

Remember that PowerPrep and GMATPrep are official releases so their scoring algorithm is THE ONE!! Nobody else out there comes close, least of all Kaplan. Unless you have rock-solid confidence, avoid the Kaplan tests.

Scores on the above 2 softwares are often pretty good indicators of what you will get on D-Day so dont waste these tests. The number of Qs in each software is limited. You can only take 2tests. So, install, take 2 tests, uninstall. Repeat process. However, you will soon find that questions repeat, greatly inflating your score. But that's ok. During the week preceeding your test, take the GMATPrep repeatedly. You should be so comfortable with the process that you can sleep walk your way through the entire process.

Don't try to game the system!! There are lots of people who'll say-Pay more attention to the first 10Qs and you'll have a good score. GMAC denies this. They also have a lot of tricks up their sleeves-the GMAT has "experimental questions" built into it. These Qs do not count towards your final score and can appear anywhere during the exam. GMAC collects the data for these Qs before deciding whether they become part of the exam or not. You have no idea where you are going to get this question so there's no reason for you to try to figure that out. If the Q is taking you longer that 1.5mins or 2mins max, guess and move on. Its ok. Think of the larger picture.

I know of people who spend time trying to game the system by testing the GMATPrep software. Like Google, GMAC continuously tinkers with its algo, so there's no way you can say that the algo in the software is the same algo that works on the test right now. Remember: The Odds are always stacked against you or if you prefer "The House always wins". That doesn't mean you can't win. You can. Just not by gaming the system.

Take one Powerprep test. You'll know where you stand. Start a blog. Blogging is one of the best ways to meet other applicants. Plus it'll help you keep track of your progress. On this brand new blog of yours, as well in a book, note your scores and your weak areas. List your blog in Hella's List and the ClearAdmit blog list.

Then get down to studying.

Some people suggest you should book a date before you start studying. With a deadline you are apt to study harder. Remember that the GMAT costs $250 and re-scheduling costs $50. You cannot re-schedule a week before the exam. You can cancel but then you lose your $250. Depending on your performance, you can either book a date or start studying and beyond a certain comfort level, book a date. Note that colleges want GMAT scores when you apply and consider your application incomplete till you submit. Most recently, some colleges have started insisting you have appeared for the GMAT by the deadline of the round you are applying for. Be careful about this requirement.


Remember that the GMAT is about 4hrs long with two 10minute breaks in between. Get used to sitting for Four hours. Physically fit people manage this better. So now might be a good time to start that early morning jogging you always wanted to do but never got around to doing. Or join that Yoga class.

How much in advance should I book for the GMAT ? I mean, If I book today, can I give the exam next week ? Does the available dates decrease because of increased applications as we approach July/August?
See GMAT test date booking is like booking dates for the US visa. What happens is only when someone ahead of you decides to postpone his dates do you get an empty slot. However the risk here is that you want to know of a date in advance and work towards it. Booking a date just a few days ahead is not for the faint of heart - its good to want/have a clear test date and work TOWARDS it rather than this.

Yes available dates become slightly tight around July-Sep time-frame. However not that you will not get the dates at all.

My strong recommendation is to pick a date in July-Aug timeframe (based on your level of prepardness) AND freeze on it. Rather than worrying about when to take it post-preparation.
(Thanks to Psychodementia for this)

Books you should use.
Princeton Review right after you take your test(read it once and then chuck it)
The Official Guide 12th Edn-This is brand new and only came out this year. You will find comparison between this version and the previous version i.e.11edn if you Google properly. This edn also does not have any supplements.
The Official Guide 11th Edn ( There is also the OG for Quant and OG for Verbal)
The OG 10 is the older version and there are Qs that overlap both edns
ManhattanGMAT Sentence Correction Guide aka The Bible of Sentence Correction Guide
Powerscore guide for CR
Kaplan 800

These are standard books. Beyond this, your CAT material is a good source for practice. There are also other books such as the Kaplan premier program, Kaplan workbook, Barron's, 4GMAT and a host of other things. Choose wisely. No point in boiling the entire ocean to get a pound of salt.