I took the GMAT today (well, last Wednesday, I wrote this in two parts) for the first time in a few years to see what those pranksters over at the Graduate Management Admissions Council have been up to. While I’m sure they are having a blast controlling the professional futures of hundreds of thousands each year, all in all, it’s still the same ol’ GMAT. I did not see any new topics or content areas which would be cause for concern. But I did notice a few interesting trends which are worth mentioning.
As you read this, note that the questions I saw trended towards the harder side. I aim to take the GMAT again in a few months with a focus on seeing a different set of problems. But for now, please do not rely on my thoughts below as a singular point of reference, as GMAT questions can vary substantially.
Quantitative
I was surprised by how many straight arithmetic & algebra problems I saw. Multiplying fractions by percentages (sometimes with a variable, sometimes without) linear equations, exponents, etc. I did not chart the test, but I would guess that I saw 8-10 arithmetic/algebra problems. I saw a fair amount of word problems, on both data sufficiency and problem solving, though rate problems were limited (if there was one at all).
Geometry was also noticeably absent. I had one coordinate plane problem, and one rectangle/angles problem. No triangles, and no circles. Geometry was a big deal in the early 2000s, but it really has not been heavily tested in 5-6 years (or at least not in my experience).
I only saw one permutation problem (which I’m pretty sure I missed), and did not see any probability questions. This is a departure from the hardest questions I have seen in years past, where permutations and probabilities were regulars.
I also saw an exponents-digits problem (meaning X^Y has a finite number of units digits options in the product) for the second time in as many exams. And I think my last one was in 2007. So I’ll continue to teach that trick.
Qualitative
For the most part the verbal section was predictable and consistent. I had four reading comp passages, each with 3-4 questions, and roughly an equal number of sentence correction and reading comp questions.
The only unusual part about the reading comprehension section was that I saw three natural sciences topics, and one art & lit passage. No business or social science fun. Traditionally I see one of each kind, but this time that was not the case. And the natural sciences ones were nasty (but that might be more of an indictment on my unfamiliarity with the subject matter).
The arguments (critical reasoning) all followed the most traditional argument types – strengthening, weakening, assumption, inference, and I remember one boldface question. Nothing more, and definitely nothing out of the ordinary. I would not skip the other questions types during your studying, but this re-affirms that the assumption based tree (str/wkn/assumption) are likely still the crux of critical reasoning.
Sentence correction seemed to be more short sentences with only a portion underlined as opposed to long sentences with the whole thing underline, but again, I wouldn’t make much of that due to small sample size.
Conclusion
The GMAT today was as close to the one I first took 10 years ago as it could be without regurgitating questions. The tried and true study methodologies – flash cards, the GMAT Official Guide, practice exams (I recommend Manhattan GMAT) and reviewing the ones you get wrong, are still the best way to go.
I do plan to tweak my math lesson plans moving forward to focus even more on arithmetic and algebra. I think that multiplication tables and absolute mastery of basic math operations are more important that ever. I will scale back a little on geometry and keep the other focus areas the same. On the verbal side, I do not plan to change a thing. Beyond assigning hundreds of practice problems, focusing on understanding why the GMAT answer is the right answer, as opposed to wedging in your own explanation, will still be my strategy moving forward.
Your thoughts are appreciated.
