Test Day

Well, I actually took the GMAT last week... I SURVIVED!

The GMAT was everything that I expected it to be. Some people laugh when I tel them that, but it's the truth. I studied the form of the GMAT for weeks before taking the test. I knew exactly what my computer screen would look like throughout the exam and I knew what it would be like to sit in a cubicle by myself on the computer from practicing the exam at the library. The questions were as hard as I expected but I felt confident throughout the entire exam.

Now for the unexpected. I decided to take the GMAT at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. I looked at locations close to Bloomsburg University but I didn't feel like having a long drive by myself, sitting for over three hours to take then driving myself back. IUP was the closet location to my actual house so my dad drove me. :) It was nice relaxing in the car with my dad on the way to the exam.

When I arrived at Pratt Hall to take my exam I found the room in the basement. It was a strange basement and I thought I was in the wrong place to be honest. Obviously most people must think they're in the wrong place because the student who was working the test center told me I was in the right place before I could even ask.

The room I walked into was an extremely small room with only one worker. I handed him my driver license and while he checked me in I was given a sheet with all of the rules that I had to read. Next, I had to put all of my personal belongings in a locker at lock it with a provide lock. I was made to leave my vest, scarf and watch in the locker as well as my purse. The only items I was allowed to take into the actual computer room were tissues that they provided, my driver license that had to stay on my desk face up during the exam as well as provided scratch paper. The next step of signing in was to sign my name into the computer and then put each hand on a vein reader twice to get a reading. Finally, I was checked in and ready to go. I now understand why it's important to show up 30 minutes before your test starts.

After a quick scan of my right hand the student worker unlocked the computer room with his key and then walked me into my cubicle and signed me into the computer system. I was told if I needed to take my sweater off to raise my hand and the worker would come and get it, I wasn't allowed to set it on my chair. It was a little intimidating to sit in a cubicle by myself knowing there was camera directly above me watching my every move. I took a deep breathe and began the exam. My rushing thoughts instantly became calm. I knew what to expect and before I knew it, it was time for my first 8 minute break. I took some sips of my water and talked to the worker for a few minutes to relax before returning to the exam.

Next was the first 75 minute session. After I finished, I had the option for a second 8 minute break but I decided to skip the break to keep going. By this point I was getting antsy and wanted to keep going. Of course 20 minutes into this section I felt the urge, but had to keep going since I skipped the break. Even if you don't feel the need to use the restroom, go anyway! Better safe than sorry. After what seemed like forever I finally finished the final section. What a relief! I then went through a five minute section where I confirmed all of personal information and gave some demographics. I then had two minutes to decided if I wanted my exam scored or not. I had no reason to cancel the exam so I had it scored. I was provided with my tentative score and then left the computer room. The analytical writing isn't included in the score. It takes about 20 days to get a final score.

Every since I finished my exam I've had a huge relief. I'm still planning to take the GMAT again, but at least I know have a score and I know that I can conquer the test. Grad school, here I come!

Format of the GMAT

The GMAT is composed of four sections: two 30 minute sections and two 75 minute sections.

• 30 Minutes: Analytical Writing Assessment
• 30 Minutes: Integrated Reasoning
• 75 Minutes: Quantitative
• 75 Minutes: Verbal 

The 30 minute writing assessment kicks off the exam. If you're taking the exam in the morning because if you aren't wide awake then this section will be extra tough. The essay is scored on a 0-6 point scale in half-point increments. Three main tips for scoring high on this section are write as many words as possible, use structure words to give the message the appearance of depth, and if possible, refer to a well-known work of literature or nonfiction. 

Personally, I find the integrated reasoning section the hardest section of the exam despite there being only 12 questions. The questions usually have several tabs of information that need to be analyzed. Most of the questions will be multi-part questions where both questions must be answered correctly to receive credit. Questions are usually graph interpretations, two-part analysis or multi-source reasoning questions. 

37 questions compose the quantitative section of the GMAT. The three basic subjects of these questions consist of arithmetic, basic algebra, and basic geometry. Questions will either be asked in a problem solving or data sufficiency form. 

Finally, the GMAT concludes with the verbal section. For me, the hardest part of this section was that I was getting antsy and tired of sitting. Not to mention that after staring at a computer screen for eyes my eyes were beginning to hurt. Verbal questions deal with sentence correction, reading comprehension, or critical reasoning. It's important to keep your calm and take your time in this section. Read carefully. It's easy to get a question wrong simply because you read the responses too fast or that  you were in a hurry to finish the exam. These questions can be tricky because even though an answer may sound incorrect to a normal person it could be correct. It's important to understand GMAT English before taking the exam. 

Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. It's important to know what yours are and to use it to your advantage by spending more time practicing your weakness and less time on your strengths. I spent most of my time studying basic math skills to crack the quantitative section. After taking the exam for the first time I wish I had spent a little more time on some of the other sections. There will always be another opportunity to take the test again. You live and you learn. Take your time, do your best. 

Tutorials

This video is called "GMAT tips and tricks for a 760+ score." I found this video with a simple YouTube search. There are so many online tutorials to help study for the GMAT! For me personally, I used the the Princeton Review website for tutorials if I needed help with certain question types. I used Princeton Review because I paid to have access to the online tutorials with the book I purchases to study with. The Kahn Academy online is a great place to find tutorials to help freshen up with simple math skills such as how to solve square root problems.

Buying my Study Guide

As soon I as decided to take the GMAT and start my journey to business school, I knew that it would be necessary to buy a book to study with. After a few weeks of procrastination I made a trip to Barnes & Noble to buy a book. I decided not to just find a study guide online and buy the cheapest one, so that I could actually look at the books and see what book would be most beneficial to me. 

Once I walked into Barnes & Noble and found the shelf of study aides I was instantly overwhelmed. There was the “Official Guide to GMAT Review 2015” which was written by the makers of the GMAT exam. This made me hesitant to buy the exam because you can’t be sure that you’re learning all of the tips and tricks to help you out smart the test.  I contemplated it though because the makers of the test did write the book so they do know exactly what is on the exam. Decisions, decisions.

The next book I picked up was “Cracking the GMAT premium edition 2015” this book was created by the Princeton Review. After flipping through the pages, I instantly knew this was the right book for me. It went through explaining the entire test and even explained exactly what my computer screen will look like during the exam. As a person who has high anxiety, knowing what to expect was a huge benefit to me. This book also included tips and tricks for knowing how to go through the process of elimination. It helped you know what answers not to pick because the test is designed so that you if you pick the answer that looks right, you’re wrong. The final item that made me ultimately decide to buy the book was the six practice tests that came along with it. The practice exams are online and when you open it, it looks exactly the same as the computer screen will look on test day. There are also a ton of tutorial videos and online help available on the Princeton Review’s website. 

What is the GMAT and why I'm taking it

GMAT stands for Graduate Management Admission Test.  The GMAT is the test of choice for most business schools. Some schools will take other test scores such as the GRE or the LSAT, but taking the GMAT is the a person's best bet because every business school will accept their GMAT score.

According the MBA.com, the official website of the GMAT,

"Quality graduate business programs rely on the GMAT to make admissions decisions, so if you’re serious about business school, then the GMAT is your best first step." 

Here's a little background info on how I determined that it was necessary for me to take the GMAT. I spent the summer before my senior year of college as the Marketing and Public Relations intern at  Penn Highlands Clearfield, a hospital in my hometown. As a mass communication student, I didn't have much experience in the realm of marketing. After attending several marketing meetings that included people from the several branches of Penn Highlands, I realized that I enjoyed the marketing part of my internship as much as I loved the PR aspect.

The more time I spent at my internship, the more I knew that I wanted to be able to do PR and marketing throughout my career. That was when I decided that my best option was to attend graduate school after I graduate from Bloomsburg in May 2016. Pursuing an MBA is something that I've became passionate about because I want to continue learning and gaining experiences before I enter the job world.