Month: June 2010

Much like the various National and International standardized tests, Test Preparation techniques and tools have also evolved over time. Many contemporary competitive exams have proved to the aspirants that test taking strategies of past are no longer relevant to the tests of today. Take, for instance, the case of CAT. Until 2006-07, CAT was a paper based exam which was thought to be created to challenge one’s speed and accuracy in solving complex and calculation focused problems. However, post 2006, the speed building strategies became obsolete and the need for logical problem solving methods became indispensible. Then came 2009 and we saw CAT in a brand new Hi-Tech Avatar pressing the need for the test prep organizations to innovate and change with the rapidly changing times. Similarly, examinations like GRE, GMAT, AIEEE and IIT have also kept both test takers as well as the trainers on their toes with one change or the other happening every second year.

However much the test patterns change, there is one exercise which constitutes an essential ingredient of a successful test preparation technique. It is – Test Analytics. There is a Thumb-rule or what we call De-Facto method which is common to all the national and international tests – “Regular in-depth analysis” of one’s performance. Experts opine that for a test that requires practice on 5000 questions, it is recommended to do 500 questions (covering depth and width of the content-scope) 10 times with detailed analysis rather than doing all 5000 questions only once. It is this vacuum created by the need for a sophisticated and flexible analysis tool that led to the creation of TCY Analytics – The most sought after benchmarking tool for any test preparation.

TCY Analytics is a highly sophisticated benchmarking tool designed by TCYonline that not only tracks the performance of a test aspirant but also follows a logical approach to mentor him for improvement with each test that he takes. This together with the fact that TCYonline has over 5 lakh users, which are growing each day, makes it the largest benchmarking tool available.

TCY Analytics performs three roles in order to provide a scientific dimension to your preparation for a test – be it CAT, GRE, GMAT, SAT, AIEEE, IIT, BAK PO et al. First, it measures and records your topic-wise, sectional and difficulty-level wise performance in each test. This ensures that you allocate your crucial study hours to the weaker areas exposed by each test and eliminate the possibility of time-wastage on doing anything and everything. The tool achieves this by presenting the “time per question” graph, “percentage correct” graph and “accuracy achieved” graph in a format that can be easily interpreted. The unique capability of the tool to help you check your hold on a topic or a sub-topic at any point of time comes handy.

Second, it allows you to benchmark your one-test or all-test-till-date performance with friends and toppers. The flexibility offered by the tool is such that you can benchmark yourself against toppers from a city, educational stream or gender. The comparison is reflected in the form of graphs and tables.

Another unique role that TCY Analytics plays is to automatically recommend and generate new and fresh topic-wise tests on your weaker areas at regular intervals. It also keeps track of your wrong and un-attempted questions of the past and presents them in the form of new tests. This aspect comes very handy in exams like CAT wherein students are recommended to attempt nearly 65% questions with 85% accuracy. That is, in each practice test, student had to skip nearly 35% of challenging question types, which if not touched later with various approaches, may leave him bamboozled in the real CAT. In this case, the TCYonline students stay one step ahead of the rest by getting a chance to face such question types many times before the final exam.

Hence, the opportunity for three dimensional analysis together with the need for a sophisticated benchmarking tool has made TCY Analytics, the De-Facto method of exam preparation. No wonder that the tool claims to have generated over 10 million analytics till date. With over 1400 tests happening each day on TCYonline, the figure of 100 million analytics is not a distant dream

There are many ways you can get ready for the SAT or GMAT exam – you can invest in test preparation services including classes and online software, you can hire a tutor and you can buy books and flashcards.  These are all great GMAT and SAT prep tools.  But without a good attitude, no GMAT practice test or SAT class is going to get you the best score that you can possibly get.  In order to ace these challenging exams, it is necessary to avoid stress and look at the road to test day as preparation for your favorite sport or game.

There are many reasons why it’s good to look at your GMAT or SAT prep as the preparation for some sort of sporting event, chess tournament or other competitive endeavor.  No one would enjoy playing a game or sport against a team of 4th graders because they’d always win.  When you look at the test as a challenge that you score points with, then it also helps to keep your spirits up when you miss some questions.  You don’t score in every single play, and you probably won’t get 100% of the questions correct.

When you think of every SAT or GMAT practice test and study sessions as training for your sporting event or tournament, it can help to boost your attitude and keep you on the right track.  And once you get to test day, think of it as game day or race day – this is what all your hard work has been culminating up to.  So get plenty of rest the night before the test, eat breakfast with extra protein and grain, avoid sweets like donuts and drink lots of water.  This is just as important as any of the test preparation services that you should have also invested in, because if you’re sleepy, hungry or dehydrated, your attitude will go right down the drain. 

If attitude damage occurs on test day, then chances are your test score will suffer.  So keep your spirits up from the first day of studying to the last day of the SAT or GMAT exam.

Acing the GMAT online exam is the top priority for students who dream of entering the top business schools for graduate programs. There are no shortcuts to crack the GMAT and get that perfect GMAT score of 800 or get closest to that. The only way is the hard way. Having said that we are sure there are certainly some key factors which can be introduced to make up for a great penultimate day preparation. With this write-up we will try and figure out some of those useful GMAT tips which can provide you with a great head start in preparing for your online GMAT. So are you ready?

Take the following GMAT tips seriously and see for yourself that you are geared up to face the GMAT with renewed confidence:

Attempt all questions – Since there are no negatives in place for wrong answers it becomes important that you do not leave any question unanswered and make educated guesses wherever necessary.

Keep Moving On – There is no point hanging on to a question for long as time is limited with you. Zero in on the main ideas – Capture the main ideas as you read each passage turns out to be an excellent GMAT tip which most of the examinees fail to look into.

Critical Reasoning – Don’t waste time pondering over what you know on a given topic instead tailor your responses to the Critical Reasoning in sync with the arguments presented.

Online Mock Exams – Attempt as many online mock GMAT tests as possible and make sure you time your responses to each question in order to gear up for the grand finale.

Last but not least…Relax! – We are sure you must’ve over-heard this advice but it turns out to be true you shouldn’t allow any fear creep in to your system and take the GMAT examination not amidst panic or anxiety but in a calmer fashion.

We wish you all the best and end with a hope that the GMAT tips shared above will come in quite useful for you.

I know the 11th was a major overall, but the 10th was just the 9th plus a lot of new questions.

It is very important to take the time to do proper GMAT preparation if you want to get into a good MBA program, because the Graduate Management Admission Test basically measures the acceptability of applicants pursuing post-baccalaureate studies in business and management.  Some people choose to take a GMAT course, either in a physical classroom or through an online venue.  Other people invest in tutoring test preparation, books, software, flashcards or other tools.  There are also programs that combine many of these tools into one plan, providing an optimal opportunity for success on test day.

The Graduate Management Admission Test has become somewhat of a benchmark for the evaluation of applicants to graduate programs in business schools.  One benefit of the widespread use of this test is the ease with which you can find GMAT preparation materials to study and get ready for the exam.  And there are many different options for different study styles as well.  Some people prefer to take a GMAT course at a local college campus, for example, while others prefer the online programs.  The main advantage with the online option is the convenient schedule and the ability to go back and take practice tests or make use of the other tools as many times as you want, not to mention the lower cost.

The GMAT isn’t the only deciding factor for admission into any graduate business school, of course.  Other issues such as undergraduate GPA, letters of recommendation and experience also play an important role.  But since the GMAT is such as important factor among all these, you might as well make sure you are ready to score as high as possible.  So whether you choose tutoring test preparation, online courses, books or any other tool, just make sure you have a plan of action to study hard and remain positive throughout. 

While your acceptance into a good MBA program isn’t only dependent on your GMAT score, in many cases it can be the most important deciding factor.  So make sure you do the test prep that will work for you to ensure a higher score.

1   INTRODUCTION

“We don’t need no education”, sang pop-star Pink Floyd way back in the 70’s in the famous super hit album, “The Wall”. While this may sound all right for idealistic rebels, it certainly does not apply to the current education scenario. According to the estimation, the combined market capitalization of listed private education companies in India is about US$ 40 bn market with a potential of 16% five-year CAGR. Other meaningful and fast-growing areas include vocational training at US$ 1.4 bn.

Statistics as a discipline is an offshoot of Mathematics and has existed for many centuries. In B-schools it continues to be one of the subjects which are often considered to be difficult by students who try to avoid it. But the way statistics is learnt and taught has undergone a paradigm shift since the advent of computers. In a seminal piece on the topic, Heidingsfield suggested there are two types of researchers. The first implies the training of a research technician, whose training is similar to that of a statistician. A research technician would make little contribution except for his techniques of measurement – collecting and tabulating data, and summarising the findings (Heidingsfield 1947). The second type of training Heidingsfield discusses is that of a research economist, who will also use techniques of statistical measurement, but will further possess an understanding of the fields of business. This type of training tends to produce researchers who can make “constructive recommendations based upon the results of his research” (Heidingsfield 1947). Unfortunately, the pedagogical approach to teaching statistics in business schools often conflicts with the way statistics are used in decision making in business environments and has left students without the skills needed to apply the methods effectively (Maleyeff and Kaminsky 2002).

2   IMPACT ON PEDAGOGY

In this fast-changing world, the prevalence of the Internet is increasing at rapid speed. Knowledge transmission is fast and boundless, and large economic benefits have been indirectly produced. Almost every nation in the world is well-prepared for this global trend (Zhao, 2001). Besides, the emergence of the Internet has intensified global competition, making business environments constantly vary. To retain business competitiveness, enterprises around the world are making efforts to create a human-based, knowledge-centered, and continuously innovative business structure, to cope with the challenges of the new era (Liu, Lai, Wang, & Chang, 2001). Therefore, appropriately applying the Internet to our education system is an important topic. Over the last few decades, talents cultivated under today’s educational system have made a great contribution to worldwide economic development. However, students have long been affected by the exams and enrollment systems, so inspiration or creativity has been overlooked (Ma, 2002). Advantages of using computers in teaching and learning Statistics definitely outweigh the disadvantages. One of the few disadvantages that come to mind is that more and more students are getting over dependent on computers even for the simplest of the computations. What once seemed logical has now been replaced by sophistication. This dependence leads to a student not grasping the technique(s) employed in reaching a particular solution. In my opinion the beauty does not lie in the correct solution but it lies in the process which leads to that solution. Computer oriented solutions more often than not ignore the process part of the solution. This is because the process is carried out in the CPU (central processing unit) of the computers. That is why it becomes imperative for teachers to give hands on experience to students on calculating problems manually as well, even if it takes more pain and time to do the same. This will also help in understanding on how the formulas are derived and how they differ from one situation to another and also on how the formulas can be adapted in unique situations. In the next sub-section I explain the recent changes and developments in the computer related technology that has affected the teaching and learning pedagogy of statistics.

2.1 Text Books

In recent years Statistics text books come with a CD ROM full of exercises, their solutions, and data files. These data files can be used by the students to play around with and this aids learning by doing. Advent of computers has not only helped students but also teachers as it has become a lot simpler to teach and a lot more practical. The CD ROMs which come with the text books often have MS PowerPoint slides with them and one can easily adapt those slides to suit his or her own teaching requirement. They are also appended with sufficient number of files full of data which could be easily used to play around with by students and teachers alike. This helps save a lot of teachers’ and students’ time in search of real life examples for analyses purposes.

2.2 Statistical Packages

Many applications have hit the market since the advent of computers. Their use in the classrooms gives students an opportunity to play with the real data. Fortran, Lotus 123 et al were some applications which were very popular during nineteen eighties and early nineties but with the introduction of MS Office (MS Excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access) in 1995 provided the user with a very friendly software. MS Excel in particular has proved to be the friendliest of all the applications available in the market for statistical purposes. SPSS, Minitab, Systat, Stataquest etc are some other packages that are used for statistical computations. All these software have their own positive and negatives and have different degree of ease with which they could be used. MS Excel and SPSS are widely used packages used in the universities and colleges. They are user friendly and cost-effective at the same time. Apart from this it is much easier to explain many concepts with the help of computers which otherwise need a very elaborate manual solution. Solving a Linear Programming Problem (LPP) is a good example. It would take a long time to solve a LPP by way of Graphical Method or by Simplex Method. But MS Excel-Solver solves the same in a matter of seconds once the problem is correctly formulated.

2.3 Research

Advent of computers and related technology has helped researchers and their research work by manifolds. What used to take months and years in the early twentieth century and ever before could now be achieved in a matter of a few days and weeks. As Statistics is the study of collecting, editing, analyzing, compiling, and presenting data. Use of computer has improved the quality of each one of these steps significantly. Using internet one can send questionnaires and collect responses from potential respondents spread across the world (Prabhakar 2005 & Walker & Prabhakar 2006). The ease with which questionnaires can be filled-in and sent back using computers has undoubtedly improved the response rate. This has collection and comparison of data from different parts of the world much easier. Computer helps in analyses of data too. With a click of mouse one can create beautiful charts and pictorial presentation of data. Examples are many including regression analysis, correlation, pie chart, bar charts etc. Business management students in particular stand to gain from these features as they would need these skills to function effectively once they join a management position at the completion of their studies.

2.4 Statistics online and interactive programs

It is commonly believed that customary methods of teaching statistics to students are not very effective (Yilmaz 1996). There are numerous websites dedicated to interactive learning of statistics. Some of these websites have a solution engine that does the analysis part once you put some data in the boxes provided. Therefore in effect those are real time data crunchers and are instant solvers. There are many paid websites which help students to learn in a tutorial mode using a username and a password. Also there are downloadable interactive statistical programs which generally need to be paid for. Interactive Statistical Programs is a comprehensive system for learning and teaching purposes (Maridakis and Winkler 1984). ‘Statistics for the terrified’ is an example. These programs have simpler explanations of otherwise complex issues with a lot of examples and pictures and exercises with detailed explanations.

2.5 Off shoring and online Tuitions

Many professional organizations have sprung up in recent times understanding the fact that that students at all levels are terrified with statistics and math. These organizations are normally run by a team of teachers who provide online support to registered students and charge fees in return. The best thing about these arrangements is that they are not limited by boundaries. Teachers may be based in one part of the world and students in another. They may never see each other but are connected through e-mails or common platforms like Groove or Blackboard which allow access and saving and modifications to files to the authorized participants. Students can ask or send questions to their tutors and tutors can respond to the questions by solving them or suggesting on how the solution can be achieved. This concept is no different than that of off shoring the services, for example, opening call canters abroad. Similarly some countries have historical and natural expertise over others in the field of Statistics. India and China in particular have individuals with comparatively better skills in statistics due high importance given to math in the primary and secondary school stages. India in particular has an English speaking population with statistical expertise and many students in the USA and in UK are opting for online tuitions from India. Also, the online tuition costs are merely a fraction to that of what one would spend on a tutor located in the western world.

2.6 Assessment & Evaluation

Assessment & evaluation are often very time consuming and tedious processes. It takes a big chunk of teachers’ time to set assignment or examination questions and then check the examination sheets. As discussed above computer programs and internet has also changed the face of assessment and evaluation as there are many real time tests available online which gives the score of an individual with the click of mouse. Many international online aptitude tests use this method to assess students; examples include GMAT, GRE, and SAT etc. These tests are not primarily statistical tests and are administered worldwide for entrance into specific courses. They include multiple choice questions from a host of disciplines like English, Maths (including Statistics), logic & reasoning etc. The computer program ensures that each student taking the test gets a different set of questions of similar level of difficulty. This ensures that test takers’ scores are comparable. Similar methods are employed by some universities. But online statistical tests are more common where multiple choice questions are considered to be an appropriate form of assessment.

3  CONCLUSIONS

Computers and its associated technology is perhaps the most researched field in this era. High volume of research, interest of corporate houses and potential of huge profits ensures that much more is to come and the present state of advancement is nothing but only a phase of development and will be overtaken by faster, broader, and better technology. These changes would definitely affect the discipline of statistics in many ways some of which could be foreseen now and many others can’t be. Teachers and students alike need to be adaptive to the changes in the environment by way of continuously updating their skills for good.

This article outlines a tip on how to tackle questions that require tedious arithmetic on the GMAT.  The key is to know when to estimate.  Here’s a typical arithmetic question on the GMAT:

“At Gigamart, tiles cost $4.25 each, what is the total cost to buy 484 tiles?”

There are two way of answering the above question:

1. Do the arithmetic using the actual numbers
2. Do the arithmetic using approximate numbers

In order to determine which method to use, you should check the answer choices first.  If the answers are very close together, then using actual is likely the best option since using approximate numbers will not help you eliminate enough answers.  For instance, use actual numbers if the answers are:

a) $1987
b) $1998
c) $2011
d) $2028
e) $2057

With these answers, the best way to answer this question is to use the actual numbers.

Your approach should change if the answers are spread apart. For instance, use approximate numbers if the answers are:

a) $113
b) $205
c) $1138
d) $2057
e) $11380

Here you can use the following numbers and equation to solve this problem: $4 x 500 = $2000.  Clearly answer choice D would be correct choice.

So before choosing an approach for tackling questions with tedious arithmetic, check your answers first.  It can save you a lot of time, which is valuable during the GMAT.  Remember keeping up a fast pace is one of the most important GMAT tactics.

You can view a video of this and many other GMAT prep tips at Magoosh.com. Best of luck with the GMAT!

 

There are all sorts of test preparation services that you can invest in if you are taking the SAT or GMAT.  There are SAT prep courses that students can take, and tutors that can help provide insight into all the components of this challenging exam.  There is GMAT practice test software that includes practice questions, practice tests, score tracking systems and even timed tests that simulate the real thing.  One of the most important things you can do to prepare for these tests, however, is learning about the right attitude to have on and before test day.

Whether you are taking one of these SAT prep classes or studying from GMAT prep software, it’s important to have a good attitude throughout the whole experience.  Although a good attitude won’t make you smarter or inject more information into your brain, it will reduce stress.  Since stress makes you less efficient, makes it harder to study and makes it easier to make careless mistakes on test day, learning to retain a positive attitude is crucial.  It should be just as important as investing in other test preparation services to earn a higher score.

Many people suggest looking at the SAT or GMAT as a game, which is definitely a good attitude to take.  SAT and GMAT questions are actually a lot like doing puzzle games, just like the ones that were on your placemat in fast food restaurants when you were a kid. They are just on a higher level that should be compatible with your current level of education.  And if you are competitive, think of it as a sport.  Taking a GMAT practice test is just like practicing your swing to do better in the game of baseball or practicing to become a better kicker in a game of soccer or football. 

These tips are especially important on the actual day of the test.  When the questions get really hard, you can consider them a move in a sport or a game of chess, as opposed to a difficult question.  With help from ongoing study and investment in some sort of test preparation services, this sort of attitude will ensure a winning score on test day.

The Graduate Management Admission Test or GMAT as it is popularly called is a computer format test meant to test the mathematical, verbal and analytical writing skills of the person taking the test. A GMAT test is basically divided into the following sections: Analytical Writing Assessment, Quantitative Section and the Verbal Ability.

Top B-Schools (Business Schools) use the test scores as one of the selection criterions for admission into their graduate programs. The test scores are not the only factor considered for granting admission to student in these ace management institutions, bigger battles like the interview process are also key areas on which an applicant is judged. Having said that the GMAT scores are definitely the base around which other battles are conquered.

Every year many students take the GMAT test in order to get admission in to leading B-Schools. Some try and get a ‘decent score’, some aim for the Perfect 800 (the maximum possible score) and the others struggle to improve upon their previous attempts. Whatever the reason the GMAT takers over the years have seen a steady increase.

Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) the apex body which administers the GMAT exam process. As per the GMAC website “More than 4,650 programs offered by more than 1,900 institutions in 81 countries use the GMAT as part of the selection criteria for their programs. “ Going by those startling facts it is quite clear that the reach of GMAT test is universal and the tests become an important ‘must clear with flying colors’ task for a management school aspirant.

So if you are burning midnight oil and thinking of excelling the GMAT in 2010 we would like to wish you all the very best and advice you to not take the test lightly and make a sound GMAT prep before appearing for the test.