{"id":34836,"date":"2016-10-26T02:41:27","date_gmt":"2016-10-26T09:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=34836"},"modified":"2023-10-11T07:49:47","modified_gmt":"2023-10-11T14:49:47","slug":"5-gmat-myths-busted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/5-gmat-myths-busted\/","title":{"rendered":"5 GMAT Myths Busted"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Register<\/a><\/p>\n

Think you know the GMAT? There are a lot of misconceptions about this exam. Before you begin your GMAT prep, be aware of the five most common GMAT myths.<\/p>\n

Myth # 1: The GMAT is just like the GRE, but with more business content.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many GMAT misconceptions stem from confusion between the GMAT and GRE. Often, B-school hopefuls make the mistake of assuming the GMAT is a business-oriented clone of the GRE. Sure, there are some obvious parallels<\/a> between these two tests: both have a Verbal Section, as well as a Quant Section, and an AWA Essay Section. Beyond that though, there are some very significant differences between these two exams. The GMAT has an extra section called Integrated Reasoning<\/a>, and the GMAT\u2019s AWA section has a single Analyze an Argument Task, while the GRE has both Argument and Issue Essays.<\/p>\n

There are also some subtle but important differences between GMAT\/GRE Quant and GMAT\/GRE Verbal. Confusion about these two sections are a source of two additional myths. We\u2019ll get to those next.<\/p>\n

Myth # 2: GMAT Math and GRE Math are more or less the same.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a mistake to think of the math on the GRE and the GMAT as equivalent. Most obviously, the GMAT\u2019s Integrated Reasoning (IR) tests math skills in a way that isn\u2019t at all GRE-like. IR involves reading highly-technical business reports and doing advanced math. Moreover, the math in both GMAT IR and GMAT Quant<\/a> is harder than GRE math, on average. And to make GMAT Math even more challenging, you can only use a calculator on Integrated Reasoning\u2014not on the actual Quant section. (In contrast, Calculator use is permitted in GRE Quant.)<\/p>\n

Myth #3: GMAT English is easier than GRE English.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Without a doubt, GMAT Verbal<\/a> is structurally different than GRE Verbal. But it\u2019s hard to say which Verbal section is truly easier, because the two exams\u2019 Verbal sections focus on different skills. GMAT Verbal is much more grammar-oriented than GRE Verbal, and focuses less on vocabulary skills.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also wrong to assume that GMAT AWA<\/a> is easier just because it only has one essay task. Although the GMAT has just one task, if you are weak in argument analysis, then getting a good score on GMAT AWA will be harder than scoring well on GRE AWA-- you\u2019ll have to put all your effort into a task you\u2019re not strong in. In addition, GMAT essay prompts are much more business and math oriented than GRE ones. If you\u2019re not comfortable dealing with numbers or juggling specialized business lingo as you write, there\u2019s another reason you may find GMAT AWA more difficult than its GRE counterpart.<\/p>\n

Myth # 4: You only need to submit your highest GMAT score to schools.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most standardized tests issue a separate score report every time you take an exam. GMAT score reports, on the other hand, are more like an academic transcript. Your GMAT score report won\u2019t just show your most recent score-- it\u2019ll also show the scores for any additional times you\u2019ve taken the GMAT in the last 5 years.<\/p>\n

This may or may not be a problem. Some schools only consider the highest score on your GMAT \u201ctranscript.\u201d But other schools look at all recent GMAT scores. If you\u2019re worried that a record of a disappointing GMAT score could hurt your chances of admission, ask your target school about their policy on past scores (or their policy on disappointing retake scores).<\/p>\n

Myth # 5: You Need Lots of Expensive Books to Pass the GMAT.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Because GMAT test-takers have a strong interest in business, they often approach their GMAT prep with an \u201cinvestment mindset\u201d; purchasing an array of GMAT prep books. In reality, you should apply a much more basic business principle when gathering your GMAT study resources: the principle of thrift.<\/p>\n

Rather than investing money into your studies, invest time. Organize your study regimen by following a pre-outlined GMAT schedule<\/a>; peruse the endless amount of study guides out there, then whittle down your selection to the ones you know you\u2019ll use; dedicate an hour every few days to studying. If you\u2019re organized and approach GMAT prep with a clear head, you\u2019ll find the process much more enjoyable.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Visit<\/a>David is a test prep expert at Magoosh<\/a>. He has a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He has been teaching K-12, University, and adult education classes since 2007 and has worked with students from every continent.<\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Related Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Should You Retake The GMAT? [Short Video]<\/a>
\n\u2022\u00a0How to Study Like the Highest-Scoring GMAT Test Takers<\/a>
\n\u2022\u00a0GMAT & MBA Admissions: True or False?<\/a><\/p>\n

This article<\/a> originally appeared on\u00a0<\/em>blog.accepted.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Applying to a top b-school? The talented folks at Accepted have helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to their dream programs. Whether you are figuring out where apply, writing your application essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away.<\/p>\n

Contact us, and get matched up with the consultant who will help\u00a0you\u00a0<\/em>get accepted<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Think you know the GMAT? There are a lot of misconceptions about this exam. Before you begin your GMAT prep, be aware of the five most common GMAT myths. Myth…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[1894,583],"class_list":["post-34836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gmat","tag-gmat","tag-gmat-advice","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34836"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34836\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59251,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34836\/revisions\/59251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}