let's GMAT

The new GMAT tests decision making

2012-01-17T21:38:00.000-08:00

The GRE changed in 2011 with an overhaul in content and structure, making the test more reasoning based. Close on its heels comes the GMAT (admission test to majority of global MBA programs) change with the addition of a new section, aptly called ‘integrated reasoning’.
This new section replaces one of the essays and comprises 12 questions to be answered by analysing, synthesising, integrating and evaluating given data. The data to be integrated appear as maps, spreadsheets, codes, numbers, charts, texts, audios and graphs. Both multiple choice and highlighting statements or dragging data points constitute the questions.
The new section thus tests the candidates ability to examine and manage complex, multiple format data and draw conclusions from them. The integrated reasoning section will thus generate a measure of a candidate’s decision making skills.

The new GMAT from June 2012
Duration Raw score Final score
Argument essay (1 topic)
1 prompt
30 min
Grade 0-6

Quant ability
37 qns
75 min
0-60 raw score

Verbal ability
41 qns
75 min
0-60 raw score

Integrated reasoning*
12 qns
30 min
To be announced in April 2012
*new addition

What doesn’t change?

The content, format and scoring of the verbal and quantitative sections remain unchanged; the argument essay also remains the same. The issue is replaced by the new section.
GMAT , in the present version itself is projected as a test that examines a range of skills that are prerequisites to participate in and benefit from a rigorous MBA curriculum. It already has a strong emphasis on reasoning. With the addition of the new integrated reasoning section, the test advances to another level of competence.

Test of decision making skills
The integrated reasoning section gives students an opportunity to demonstrate decision making skills- analysing, synthesising and evaluating data in different forms- numbers, flow charts and words to draw logical conclusions. In today's data-intense business space, effective decisions are taken by drawing intelligence and insights from various sources and information of various forms.
The introduction of such competency assessment in the business school intake stage presents a reasoned prognosis of one’s candidature to the world of competitive global business.

How to prepare
The verbal and quantitative sections are not changing in content patterns and scoring, thus test aspirants can continue to prepare for these as before. One has to familiarise oneself with the new section by practising on such problem sets as well as by reading graphs, maps and accompanying texts in business publications.
Since a good number of business schools take GRE score, instead of a GMAT score, applicants can research on colleges and find out which test to take. Some students may be more comfortable with the GRE test.

Test aspirants starting preparation post-March 2012 may have to take the new GMAT administered form June 2012. Good preparation will be the key to success.

Article contributed by
Dr.M.P.Vijayakumari
She can be contacted by email -vijaya@semanticslearning.com

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GMAT permutation combination learning video

2012-01-10T04:13:00.001-08:00

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MS or MBA profile assessment workshop -register now

2012-01-09T23:08:00.001-08:00

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What is GMAT 100% preparation-Workshop- Dec 25th

2011-12-19T04:59:00.000-08:00

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"100 points more" GMAT workshop Dec 11– registration form

2011-12-06T01:04:00.001-08:00

Who should attend:

if you are a

Repeater- You want to improve your score by atleast 100 points

First timer- You want to know what it takes to cross the 700 barrier in the GMAT

then do attend this workshop

Topics covered:

1. Strategies to boost your score in problem solving,data sufficiency,sentence correction and critical

reasoning sections.

2. 5 must do before taking the exam

3. 5 pitfalls which must be avoided at all costs during the exam

in addition

each of you will get a customized study plan in accordance to the number of days left before you take the exam

Do inform your friends who would be interested in the program.

Fill in the form and book your seat immediately

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Which business schools have produced the most entrepreneurs?

2011-12-02T21:36:00.001-08:00

I got this information through a certain website though i could share it with you all...

Which business schools have produced the most entrepreneurs?
A recently published LinkedIn study examined the backgrounds of members who identify themselves as startup founders and came up with the leading schools for entrepreneurs.
The results dramatically differ from the two most-cited yet deeply flawed rankings of leading entrepreneurial programs by Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. By sifting through its more than 120 million member profiles, LinkedIn has produced the ideal “put up or shut up” analysis. It’s the kind of data that calls out schools that have made entrepreneurship a marketing or promotional vehicle vs. those that have produced actual startup entrepreneurs.

LinkedIn membership data shows these five schools produced the most startup founders:
• Stanford,
• Harvard,
• MIT Sloan,
• Berkeley’s Haas School, and
• Dartmouth College’s Tuck School.

The next five are Wharton, Columbia, Babson, Virginia Darden, and the Johnson School at Cornell University.

Why the results are surprising
Babson, which has long been number one in both rankings, does no better than eighth place. Tuck, which fails to make the U.S. News list of 27 schools or the Princeton Review list of 25 schools, is firmly in the top five.
Columbia Business School, which doesn’t make the Princeton Review list and comes in at 19th on U.S. News, has the seventh largestnumber of startup founders in LinkedIn’s database. Chicago Booth, which is ranked second by Princeton Review, doesn’t make the LinkedIn list at all. Neither does Michigan, Brigham Young, or the University of Arizona, all schools in Princeton Review’s top five.
A side-by-side comparison (below) of the LinkedIn list with the two other rankings tells the story well. Seven of LinkedIn’s top ten schools don’t even warrant a mention in the Princeton Review ranking. LinkedIn’s number one school, Stanford, ranks a mere eighth on the Princeton Review list. Two of LinkedIn’s top ten schools don’t make the U.S. News list even though it rates 27 schools.

LinkedIn Rank & School U.S. News Rank Princeton Review
1. Stanford 2   8
2. Harvard Business School 4 NR
3. MIT Sloan 3 NR
4. California-Berkeley (Haas) 6   NR
5. Dartmouth (Tuck)   NR    NR
6. Pennsylvania (Wharton) 5   NR
7. Columbia Business School 19 NR
8. Babson 1    1
9. Virginia (Darden) 14 7
10. Cornell (Johnson) NR NR
Source: LinkedIn study, U.S. News, and Princeton Review

Of course, not every entrepreneur may have a LinkedIn profile and even those that do may not fall within the parameters of the professional network site’s methodology. LinkedIn counted members who identified themselves as founders or co-founders of U.S. companies created after 2000, with a LinkedIn company profile, and that currently has between two and 200 employees. LinkedIn excluded small law, consulting and real estate firms, as well as LLCs. Using these guidelines, LinkedIn came up with a pool of more than 13,000 entrepreneurs for its survey.

The LinkedIn ranking is not based on raw numbers, but rather on “how ‘over-represented’ those schools are among entrepreneurs,” according to Monica Rogati, a senior data scientist at LinkedIn who did the analysis. “This levels the playing field for small schools, as you have noticed but it makes it less surprising, which is why I wanted to mention it.”

This compares with U.S. News, which simply asks b-school deans and MBA directors, to rank schools on the basis of their entrepreneurship programs—even though they have no direct knowledge of those programs. Princeton Review, meantime, may as well pull its results out of a hat. Its methodology is so unclear and unspecific that it is hard to say exactly how the ranking is put together. It supposedly attempts to measure “academics and requirements,” “students and faculty,” and “outside the classroom.” (Our critique of the ranking was published last year.)

That’s why the new LinkedIn list has more gravitas–because it is based on real results—not what a few deans think about programs for which they no knowledge or some voodoo methodology by an organization that refuses to properly disclose how it comes up with a ranking.

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Which business schools have produced the most entrepreneurs?

2011-12-02T21:35:00.000-08:00

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Great Lakes institute of management makes great strides.

2011-11-18T05:33:00.000-08:00

A GLIM-mer of hope for the B-school -starved Chennai, Great Lake’s meteoric rise in business education, with an international feel, is a blessing to the city. Other than institutes such as LIBA and IFMR , Chennai does not have many B schools of repute. Now Great Lakes is filling that gap. And duly. With a bouquet of courses to suit both freshers and executive with work experience, and with one other campus in Gurgaon, a corporate hub, Great Lakes is fast becoming one of the sought after destinations for top MBA aspirants.

Ensconced on ECR, closer to the IT hub, and in the manufacturing capital of South India,Great Lakes’ industry interaction is one of its trump cards. Besides, it offers industry- relevant management courses for working professionals, the PGWPM; PGWPM-energy, prepares professionals for the largest sector- energy.

New 2yr PGDM
Great Lakes is introducing 2-year PGDM( equivalent to MBA) program beginning academic session July 2012, according to a press release. The program is open to candidates with 0- 2 yrs of experience, the seats available being 120. Now freshers too can have the Great Lakes advantage. A unique feature of the program is the tie up with colleges abroad for student and faculty exchange, and semester- abroad component, defining further, its motto – global mindsets, Indian roots. PGDM specializations will comprise- operations, finance, strategy, IT and System and , International Business.

The reputed 1 year PGPM program already offered by the institute, has an intake of 300 students per year. To seek admission to PGPM (1year), PGDM (2yr) programs applicant can take CAT/XAT/GMAT exams. Cut-offs and other details can be obtained from the institute website.

Contributed by
Dr. Vijayakumari
GMAT trainer @ GMAT superia-semantics

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GMAT fast-track for the test season

2011-11-02T05:15:00.000-07:00

A GMAT program designed for the busy you

Workshop-based higher order interactives

-Exhaustive SC concepts

-inductive -deductive logic for CR

-inferential reading

-Higher order problem solving

-Data sufficiency
Program director- Dr Vijayakumari-Chief GMAT trainer
Watch a preview

Duration:30 hrs from Nov 15th to Dec 15th

Call 044-42068494 or 9884123808 to book your seat

www.gmatsuperia.com

GMAT CR tips

2011-10-21T23:40:00.000-07:00

GMAT CR tip
be aware of the most common ways in which reasoning can go wrong. this will help spot them in CR arguments as well as
guard against these errors in your essay writing.
some of those ways are
- confusing cause and effect
- using unpresentative statistics
- employing faulty analogy
- drawing hasty generalisation
more of these you may get at our website- www.semanticslearning.com

GMAT sentence correction tips

2011-10-21T23:35:00.000-07:00

GMAT sentence correction tip

check each sentence for semantics( meaning conveyed) and syntax( the grammatical structure and conformity).
syntax is altered to convey the meaning aptly, not the other way around.

in addition to these two, terseness is important- being economical with words
caution: if being terse, ie reducing words, lead to ambiguity, length is welcome.
here are two eg.

eg. 1.
ambiguous: Piaget noted that in children a repertoire of skills is acquired during preschool period and need further
strengthening through organized learning experienced at school.

what needs strengthening is ambiguous, so we need to repeat some words

Piaget noted that in children a repertoire of skills is acquired during preschool period and these skills need further
strengthening through organized learning experienced at school.

eg 2- a wordy sentence
The houses were mostly well built in construction, but the interior furnishing within the house left much
to be desired.
economical
the houses were mostly well- built, but the interiors left much to be desired.

Road map to worlds top universities

2011-10-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

Topics covered
1.Deadlines of top colleges
2.Study options abroad- countrywise breakup
3.MBA options for fresher's
4.How to finance your studies abroad?
5.Indian banks scenario
6.Admission process for MS
7.Approx costing info to do MS abroad
8.Finance certificates
9.Funding options
10.Scholarship options for indian students
11.Contact our resource personal

For more info email to enquiry@semanticslearning.com

Watch the presentation

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US and European grad schools- Admission services workshop

2011-10-11T23:18:00.000-07:00

semantics invites you to

“Roadmap to the world’s best Universities & colleges- Admission services workshop”

Date: Oct 15th Time: 5:00pm

Venue: Semantics,#34 Jumbulingam St, Nungambakkam,Chennai -34, off Valuvarkottam high road, opp

canara bank, Nungambakkam. Ph: 044-42068494

To register: sms name and email id to 9884123808 or 044-42068494

Workshop includes:

Special session on:

•Navigating complicated admission procedures of the Top 100 universities of the world

•Guidance on SOP’s, Recommendation letters

•Scholarships

•Visa counselling and more

Special offers on admission services packages

Profile of the speaker

DR. DEBJANI BANERJEE:

Admission counselor for various organisations including Career Plan and IMS. Has excellent track record of placements in the most reputed institutions in US, UK and Singapore. A PhD in English, Dr. Banerjee brings rich experience in teaching and administration at US universities and colleges in UK in order to help her students plan their careers. She uses her skills as a published writer to help her students present their profile and their strengths. She has taught in various international classrooms and in e-learning environments and this varied experience underpins her work as a global education expert.

Dr.Debjani heads the Admission Assistance Cell (AAC) at Semantics.

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5 most crucial points while solving. Permutation combinations

2011-09-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

ARRANGMENT
N terms can be arranged in N! factorial ways, if each position can be occupied by one term.
N terms can be arranged in N^M where. Each position can be occupied by 1 term or 2 terms or …… N terms. M stands for the number of positions to be filled.

COMBINATION

M terms can be selected from P terms in PCm ways.
In certain situations it is required to first choose the terms and then arrange the terms. i.e. PERMUTATION.

Permutation = combination x arrangement.

4. When N objects are distributed among P positions such that each position can get any number of objects (zero, one, two ……N) then the number of ways of arranging the items is N+P-1Cp-1

5. When N objects are distributed among P positions such that each position can get atleast one objet (one, two ……N) then the number of ways of arranging the items is N-1Cp+1

5 crucial points while solving a probability based problem.
1. Calculate the numerator {Nos. of foverable terms} and the denominator {Total number of terms} separately using the concepts of arrangement, permutation and combination.
2. TAKE IT PERSONAL : Always imagine you are arranging / selecting the items. The action of taking the object and placing it in the relevant position is the key.
3. When two or more items are picked it is easier to compute the probability of picking one element at a time than computing the probability of picking many items at a time.
4. When A and B are selected relate the respective probabilities with multiplicataion. When either A or B is selected relate the respective probabilities with addition.
5. When the multiple outcomes are possible the probability of atleast one of them happening is computed by calculating the reverse probability = 1 – probability of event not happening.

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GMAT prep 15 core concepts-

2011-09-29T22:51:00.000-07:00

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GMAT sentence correction- tips

2011-09-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

GMAT sentence correction: Think beyond grammar
Fine, you know the GMAT SC jargon – tense error, pronoun error, subject verb disagreement. Good. Useful. But you must think beyond grammar to do justice to the range SC questions.
One of such errors is ambiguity. That is something is not clear. To make clear the meaning conveyed. So keep track of meaning also while checking a sentence for errors.
Illustration - real GMAT qns
1. Incorrect: In mammals, a lifetime’s supply of egg cells are produced during fetal development and remain dormant until maturity.

Here remain dormant is ambiguously used; one may ask what remain egg cells or development? In such cases, we need to repeat the word, cells, since these remain dormant until maturity. The verb is agrees with the singular sub lifetime’s supply.
Correct … is produced during fetal development and the cells remain dormant until maturity.

2. In 1869, anxious to balance its population of 8,000 men and 2,000 women, the Wyoming legislature extended voting rights to women in Wyoming.

A. its population of 8,000 men and 2,000 women, the Wyoming legislature
B. their population of 8,000 men and 2,000 women, the Wyoming’s legislature
C. the state’s population of 8,000 men and 2,000 women, the Wyoming legislature
D. a state population of 8,000 men and 2,000 women, the legislature in Wyoming
E. its population of 8,000 men with 2,000 women, the Wyoming’s legislature
So since you know that singular pronouns agree with singular nouns, its agrees with Wyoming legislature. But grammar alone wont rescue us here.
Look at the meaning, can Wyoming legislature have population? No the population belongs to the state, C is clear and exact. D, would mean any state’s population, not necessarily Wyoming’s.
Moral of the story
Attention to detail…is very important..keep looking out for similar errors; match grammar with meaning.

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GMAT tips to score more..

2011-09-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

Ten ways to score poorly in GMAT! If you are rich enough for retakes, that is
1. I know math, so no need to go thru the same old arithmetic, algebra, geometry stuff
2. Tones of free downloads on your pc..what is relevant, what is not, even God may not know..
3. Just official guide, what else, nothing official about it…
4. I will join for the costliest, longest duration course in town…let them get me the score, no need to study at home..
5. I wont do the essays while practicing, only math and verbal mock exams will do
6. I speak and write good English, so verbal is going to be a cake walk, no less
7. I need just one month for preparation, after all I had high grades in college.
8. Do as many tests as possible, in fact 90 percent of my preparation time should be spent on tests. concepts? What concepts?
9. My friend said GMAT was easy for him, no tough qns ( hey, what was your friend’s score?)
10. Out of five tests I did, one test I scores above 650. So I will give the test as planned. I believe in luck!
PS Good luck

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how to tackle the Bold face GMAT Critical reasoning question

2011-09-02T01:53:00.000-07:00

Bold face GMAT CR......not a sweat....read further

Study the example below.

Museums that house renaissance oil paintings typically store them in environments that are carefully kept within narrow margins of temperature and humidity to inhibit any deterioration. Laboratory tests have shown that the kind of oil paint use in these paintings actually adjusts to climatic changes quite well. If, as some museum directors believe, paint is the most sensitive substance in these works, then by relaxing the standards for temperature and humidity control, museums can reduce energy costs without risking damage to these paintings. Museums would be rash to relax those standards, however, since results of
preliminary tests indicate that gesso, a compound routinely used by renaissance artists to help paint adhere to the canvas, is unable to withstand significant variations in humidity.

In the argument above, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A. the first is an objection that has been raised against the position taken by the argument, the second is the position by the argument.
B. the first is the position taken by the argument the second is the position that the argument calls into question.
C. the first is a judgement that has been offered in support of the position that the argument calls into question; the second is a circumstance on which the judgement is in part, based.
D. the first is a judgment that has been offered in support of the position that the argument calls into question; the second is that position.
E. the first is a claim that the argument calls into question; the second is the position taken by the argument.

Strategy:
1. Read the overall para closely.
2. Take one bold statement at a time, analyse how this statement impacts the entire argument, including the other statement in bold.
3. Take the other statement in bold; analyse the impact of this statement in the argument in general.
4. You are not merely to establish relationship between the two statements in bold.
We can see in the above para that the first bold statement supports the second bold statement. The second statement is opposed later ( museums would be rash…) the supporting statement comes in the form of a judgment. ‘Paint is the most sensitive substance’ is a judgment, which serves as the evidence on which the claim is made.
We eliminate options B and D because the first is not the claim ( conclusion); the first is not an objection. C and D both correctly refer to the first as a judgment, but in C the second is considered a situation on which the first is based, which is an incorrect relationship. So the answer is D.

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critical reading for GMAT RC section

2011-08-25T03:01:00.000-07:00

To ace the reading comprehension section you need to be a critical reader. Easier said than done.

Test aspirants usually skim(passively glance at a passage picking up few points here and there)through a passage. Then they take a look at the question. All the options seems correct. You are back to square 1.

Critical reading involves 3 levels of understanding and evaluation
First:Grasp the overall idea or the main point of the passage along with the general organization
Second:subject the specific details to greater scrutiny and explain what something means and why it was introduced.
Third: Evaluate what the author has written, what further conclusions can be drawn and judge whether the argument is good or bad.
Let me take you through one passage and lets critically read that passage.

First go through the passage:
According to Shaw mere diversity and disagreement on what is considered morally right is not enough reason to claim that there is no objective truth, nor a standard by which we can try to arrive at it and so there is no reason to worry about the claims of the relativist. I do not fully agree with Shaw’s disputation against the diversity argument for meta-ethical relativism although I do agree that the diversity argument does not entirely rule out the possibility of objective morality. I simply do not feel that this is the argument’s whole intention in the first place. Rather it is claiming that we as a global nation will never grasp this objective truth which does raise the question of whether there can be such a thing, and with this I do agree.

It is reasonable to see how moral truth can be considered different for different groups. Shaw outlines different theories which intend to weaken the relativist’s argument, including those of Naturalism, Intuitionism, and Emotivism, which I might add, are all themselves flawed in some way, but no real conclusion is reached as to how perfectly they prove to fault relativism. But then I ask why a rational person would spend any time defending or relying on something that he cannot fully understand, based on the fact that relativism cannot completely rule out the possibility of objectivity. Moral Relativism states that there are no objective truths or morals, but that these are conditional and dependent on a number of factors. It has two main claims: a) ‘there are no universally valid standards’ and b) ‘the validity of moral standards is dependent on cultural acceptance (Conventionalism) or personal choice or commitment (Subjectivism).’ Shaw is trying to undermine the meta-ethical diversity theory on the basis that just because we cannot see it does not mean that it’s not there. When we discuss diversity in ethics we do not only look at diversity at this present time, but also look back to the past and debate about how we should go about deciphering a new, universal moral system.

Now lets read critically
(According to Shaw mere diversity and disagreement on what is considered morally right is not enough reason to claim that there is no objective truth, nor a standard by which we can try to arrive at it and so there is no reason to worry about the claims of the relativist.) <---- shaws claim ( I do not fully)<-----author doesn’t agree agree with Shaw’s disputation against the diversity argument for meta-ethical relativism although( I do agree)<-----author agrees that the diversity argument does not entirely rule out the possibility of objective morality. I simply do not feel that this (is the argument’s)<-----attacking shaws argument whole intention in the first place. Rather it is claiming that we as a global nation will never grasp this objective truth which does raise the question of whether there can be such a thing, and with this I do agree. )<-----author doesn’t agree with whose claim: relativist’s or shaw’s

It is reasonable to see how moral truth can be considered different for different groups. Shaw outlines different theories which intend to weaken the relativist’s argument, including those of Naturalism, Intuitionism, and Emotivism,<-----why does the author introduce these things which I might add, are all themselves flawed in some way, but no real conclusion is reached as to how perfectly they prove to fault relativism. But then I ask why a rational person would spend any time defending or relying on something that he cannot fully understand, based on the fact that relativism cannot completely rule out the possibility of objectivity. <-----explains shaws argument Moral Relativism states that there are no objective truths or morals<----- relativists claim, but that these are conditional and dependent on a number of factors. It has two main claims: a) ‘there are no universally valid standards’ and b) ‘the validity of moral standards is dependent on cultural acceptance (Conventionalism) or personal choice or commitment (Subjectivism).’ Shaw is trying to undermine<-----explains shaws flaw the meta-ethical diversity theory on the basis that just because we cannot see it does not mean that it’s not there. When we discuss diversity in ethics we do not only look at diversity at this present time, but also look back to the past and debate about how we should go about deciphering a new, universal moral system. <-----attacks shaws claim with counter argument
----------------------------
My comments are marked in red.

Did you notice :There are 3 perspectives being put forth in the passage: relativists, shaw and author. Did you understand how the passage was constructed? What is the claim? What is the argument?What is the counter argument which is presented and so on...... This is a sneak peak into critical reading. To ace the exam read every passage critically and trust me if you don’t have it in you. You can be taught to read critically in under 15hrs.

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Reasoning & Its types

2011-08-17T21:38:00.001-07:00

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Excerpts from the it works* module

Argument analysis

In the last academic year Pearl City College had poor results. This year fewer parents are admitting their children to the college. Therefore, the principal should be replaced.

Analyse every argument into its components

In the above argument there are two premises and a conclusion.

Premise 1 : In the last academic year the college had poor results.

Premise 2 : Fewer parents are admitting their children to the college this year.

Conclusion : The principal should be replaced.

Assumption : (what is not stated) – The principal was solely responsible for the poor results (This assumption is made, otherwise why is this solution suggested, why not any other solution?)

Five Common forms of inductive reasoning

(i) Exemplar argument or inductive generalization- is an argument in which a generalization is claimed to be likely on the basis of information about some members of a particular class.

(ii) A causal argument asserts or denies that something is the cause of something else.

(iii) A statistical argument rests on statistical evidence i.e., conclusion derived from evidence that some percentage of some group has some particular characteristic.

(iv) In an argument from analogy, the conclusion is claimed to depend on a similarity between two or more things.

(v) A predictive argument is about what may happen in the future defended with past or present experiences.

Question types

Line of Reasoning

A type of CR question in the GMAT requires you to identify the line of reasoning used in the argument.

line of reasoning is not the evidence, but what sort of evidence.

This question type requires you to analyze an argument and identify the logic used. In other words, HOW the conclusion is derived

eHere’s the all-important list of logic used in presenting arguments:

1. Appealing to reason / emotion

2. Offering a counter example

3. Presenting cause-effect relationship

4. Presenting quantified data

5. Drawing analogy

6. Presenting contrasting ideas

7. Providing examples

Common errors

2011-08-17T21:22:00.001-07:00

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Common Errors in GMAT sentence correction

4.1 Subject verb disagreement

In a given sentence the subject and verb should agree in number.

Illustration 1

Incorrect: When temperature increases, the ice caps melt and presumably, causes flood in summer.

Correct: When temperature increases, the ice caps melt and presumably, cause flood in summer.

Both melt and causes are verbs of the subject ice caps but causes a singular verb doesn’t agree with the plural noun ice caps.

4.2. Parallelism

In writing, parallelism means ‘similar, having close resemblance’. When two or more ideas in a sentence are alike in purpose, they should be expressed in the same grammatical form.

Parallel structure of a sentence means balancing

(1) a word with a word

(2) balancing of a phrase with a phrase

(3) balancing a clause with a clause

(4) balancing a sentence with a sentence

(5) balancing a noun with a noun, verb with a verb

Incorrect: Nick is young, clever and has talent.

Correct: Nick is young, clever and talented.

Incorrect: Nick likes reading and to write.

Correct: Nick likes reading and writing.

4.3 Idiomatic constructions

Every language has a set of idioms. Idioms convey appropriate meaning.

Illustration 1

Incorrect: Some of’ the biographers of Leonardo have actually expressed regret that such a man, endowed by divine artistic genius would waste precious years of his life on such a lowly pursuit like engineering.

Correct: Some of the biographers of Leonardo have actually expressed regret that such a man, endowed with divine artistic genius would waste precious years of his life on such a lowly pursuit as engineering.

Noun – pronoun agreement

2011-08-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

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Excerpts from the usage 25* module

Noun – pronoun agreement

U Rule 1: Do not use forms of the same pronoun to refer to different antecedents.

Incorrect: The teacher told John that he thought his work was improving.

(Does the teacher think that his own work is improving, or that John's work is improving?)

Correct: John was told by his teacher that his work was improving.

U Rule 2: Place the pronoun as closely as possible to its antecedent, to avoid ambiguity or confusion.

Ambiguous: When Mark spoke to his boss, he was very polite.

Clear: Mark was very polite when he spoke to his boss.

2.1 Rules for subject verb use

Now familiarise yourself with these rules

U Rule 1: Collective nouns, mostly singular in forms, can sometimes be plural requiring plural verb.

The council has unanimously passed the ordinance.

The team have won the match.

Common collective nouns are:

Assembly, board, team, cabinet, class, couple, firm, family, minority, majority, press, public, staff, association

U Rule 2: All, most, none, some can be singular plural depending on the nouns following

They are singular when followed by non-countable nouns and are plural when followed by countable nouns.

Some of my allowance has been spent.

Some of our athletes have been awarded letters.

Half of this report is to be completed by Saturday.

eRemember this while studying tenses

1. Use simple present in conditional clause

You will recover soon if you take your medicines on time.

I shall meet him in his office if he reaches early.

(Conditional clauses begin with if, when, till, until or unless.)

2. Use past perfect in conditional clause, along with ‘would’

I would have spoken to him, if I had recognized him.

3. Along with while (which denotes an ongoing activity) use continuous tense

While I was walking on the road, I saw an accident.

4. Use past perfect to denote the first and completed activity in the past, when an activity that followed is mentioned

We had decorated the house before the guests arrived.
(Here the completed activity is decorated)

The second activity ‘arrived’ is in simple past.

In Standard English ‘like’ is used as a preposition with no following verb.

Incorrect: You must do like the manager tells you.

Correct: You must do as the manager tells you.

U 1. Use of ‘not only … but also’

Robinson is not only enterprising but also persevering.

Andre plays not only cricket but also soccer.

Angela not only sings but also writes.

Conjunctions – and, but, either...or, neither...nor, not...only...but also, though, although, either … or

The management has decided either to invite the union for negotiation or to close the factory for an indefinite period till the problems tide over.

The management has decided to solve the problem either through dialogue or through mediation.

U 2. Use of ‘for’ and ‘since’

For as a preposition: There are reasons for the present situation.

For to denote duration of time: I have been waiting for two hours.

For as a conjunction: We have decided to take Alex for the job, for he has prior experience.

Since as a conjunction I could not meet him since I was late to the airport.

Since to indicate duration of time: The Williams family has been living in California since 1985.

For indicates a definite period of time, whereas since expresses the time an action started.

Passage- Identify the tone

2011-08-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

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Directions: read the passage and recognise the tone of the discussion.

Passage

One of the most important of the natural sponges that soak up carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is working 30 percent less efficiently than a quarter of a century ago. The Southern Ocean is responsible for soaking up the annual CO2 contribution of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands combined, but the study shows that the ocean is absorbing the same quantity of the gas as it was 24 years ago. Scientists had expected that the amount of CO2 absorbed would increase in line with rising levels in the atmosphere. The change is due to increased winds over the ocean linked to climate change and the depleted ozone layer. This is serious. All climate models predict that this kind of ‘feedback’ will continue and intensify during this century. The so called carbon sinks such as the oceans, vegetation and soils soak up around half of the extra CO2 we are pumping into the atmosphere each year. The Southern Ocean alone is responsible for parcelling up to 0.7 billion tones a year and storing it in the deep.

Since the 1980s the Southern Ocean sink for carbon has not changed at all, although CO2 emissions over the same period has increased. It is expected that as the emissions and the CO2 in the atmosphere have increased, the Southern Ocean sink should also increase. The scientists believe the reason for the change is an increase in average wind speed across the ocean. More water circulation and mixing bring colder water up from the depths that is saturated with CO2, so that it cannot accept any more from the atmosphere. The increase in wind speed is partly a consequence of climate change itself. The world is warming unevenly and pressure differences between different regions are increasing wind speed in the Southern Ocean. The depletion of the ozone layer has also contributed to higher winds.

Which of the following most accurately summarises the tone of the passage?

A. Unbiased description

B. Guarded disapproval

C. Subtle criticism

D. Glaring pessimism

E. Authoritative exposition

Option analysis

The answer is A

The author is describing a natural phenomenon as it is. Though there is cause for concern, one cannot call it pessimism. Since the information is accompanied by empirical evidence it cannot be considered ‘reasoning by authority’, therefore not E.

Here’s a list of tone terms.

Objective assessment: (dispassionate / disinterested presentation)
The author reacts to a piece of work not influenced by personal feelings or prejudice. Assessing a piece of work based on its own inherent reality than by the evaluator’s whims and fancies; judgment done for the intrinsic criteria of the work itself

Biased interpretation: (subjective / prejudiced)
An author’s opinion or feeling that strongly favours one side of an argument, sometimes unfairly

Skepticism: This would imply criticism, doubt or questioning the logic of an argument. This expresses the author’s disagreement with a hypothesis, idea, proposition, finding of a study and the like

Pointed disagreement: Sharp criticism / unrelenting criticism; the author disagrees with an idea completely. There will be explicit statements in the passage denoting this

Qualified admiration: (Limited / restricted endorsement)
Here the author is quite specific in his approval; he admires the person / idea discussed for certain qualities and may be critical of certain other aspects

Grudging respect / approval: This is characterized by unwillingness from the part of the author to concede completely to the idea; he expresses his opinion reluctantly

Optimism / hope: The author would express hope and expectation in say, solving a problem, implementing a recommendation

Enthusiastic endorsement: The author wholeheartedly approves of the idea and / or supports the findings, recommendations or propositions

Eulogy: Extreme praise for a person referred to or topic of discussion

Satirical: The author expresses scorn / ridicule / derision; he laughs at ideas or people

Ironical: The author uses words to convey the opposite meaning of what he expresses. One thing is said and its opposite is implied

GMAT jargon

2011-08-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

Take home Some GMAT jargon. Jus gorge on them

Yes, you heard it right…there are words typical to GMAT verbal ( critical reasoning and reading comprehension).. here’s a list comes handy in RC/CR.

Allusion : Indirect reference to a person, place or event to another.

Archaism : The use of words and expressions that have become obsolete in common speech.

Burlesque : An incognito imitation; it imitates the matter or form of a play in an amusing manner.

Connotation and denotation : The denotation of a word is its primary meaning; connotation is the range of accompanying meanings in which it suggests or implies.

Motif and theme : A motif is an element – an incident, device or formula – which recurs frequently.

Prosody : Systematic study of writing verse (poem); principles in the use of rhyme, stanza etc.

Anecdote : Simple narration of a single incident.

Pastoral elegy : Represents both the mourner and the one he mourns.

Figurative language : Deviates from what we apprehend as the standard significance or sequence of words, in order to achieve special meaning or effect.

Symbol : A word or set of words that signifies an object or event which itself signifies something else.

historicism : A theory that history is determined by unchangeable laws and not by human agency or, it is a theory that all cultural phenomena are historically determined and that historians much study each period without imposing any personal or absolute value system.

Historical School : A school of economics maintaining that any economic theory must be based on historical studies of economic institutions.

Idealism : A philosophical system or theory that maintains that are real is of the nature of thought or that the object of external perception consists of ideas; the pursuit of high noble principles.

Existentialism : A philosophical movement that stresses the individual’s position as a self-determining agent responsible for his or her own choices.

Humanism : Assumes the dignity and central position of man in the universe and emphasizes on moral and practical rather than purely aesthetic values.

aberrant/aberration deviating from the norm.

aesthetic dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful.

anomaly deviation from the normal order, form, or rule, abnormality.

archaic outdated; associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive, time.

aver to state as a fact; to confirm or support.

bolster to provide support or reinforcement.

bombast / bombastic self–evident or pompous writing or speech; pompous; grandiloquent.

buttress to reinforce or support.

capricious inclined to change one’s mind impulsively; erratic; unpredictable.

censure to criticize severely; to officially rebuke.

cynicism an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness.

derision scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment.

diatribe a harsh denunciation.

didactic intended to teach or instruct.

digress(ive) to turn aside; to stray from the main point.

discretion cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions.

disinterest(ed) (edness) indifferent; free from self-interest.

dogma(tic) (tism) (tist) stubbornly opinionated.

eclectic composed of elements drawn from various sources.

elegy a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead.

empirical based on observation or experiment.

enigma(tic) mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand.

ephemeral brief; fleeting.

equivocate to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent.

erudite (ition) very learned; scholarly.

esoteric intended for or understood by a small, specific group.

eulogy(ize) a speech honoring the dead.

fallacy an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief.

foster to nourish, cultivate, promote.

grandiloquence pompous speech or expression.

hackneyed rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage.

hyperbole an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech.

iconoclast one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions.

indifferent having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice.

inimical damaging; harmful; malevolent.

laconic using few words; terse.

laud (able) (-tory) to praise highly.

loquacious extremely talkative.

lucid clear; easily understood.

maverick an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party.

pedant(ic)(ry) uninspired, boring academic.

pragmatic/pragmatism practical; moved by facts rather than abstract ideals.

profundity depth (usually depth of thought).

prosaic dull; unimaginative.

refute to disprove; to successfully argue against.

repudiate to refuse to have anything to do with; disown.

rhetoric the art of study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion.

satire a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision.

specious(ness) seeming true, but actually being fallacious; misleadingly attractive.

subtle not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern.

succinct brief; concise.

superfluous exceeding what is sufficient or necessary.

tacit implied; not explicitly stated.

terse brief and concise in wording.

tirade a long and extremely critical speech; a harsh denunciation.

trenchant sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating

untenable indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable.

veracity truthfulness; honesty.

Objective assessment: (dispassionate / disinterested presentation)
The author reacts to a piece of work not influenced by personal feelings or prejudice. Assessing a piece of work based on its own inherent reality than by the evaluators whims and fancies. Judgment done through the intrinsic criteria of the work itself.

Biased interpretation: (subjective / prejudiced.)
An author’s opinion or feeling that strongly favours one side of an argument, sometimes unfairly.

Pointed disagreement: Sharp criticism / unrelenting criticism; the author disagrees with an idea completely. There will be explicit statements in the passage denoting this.

Qualified admiration: (Limited / modified / restricted endorsement.)
Here the author is quite specific in his approval; he admires the person / idea discussed for certain qualities and may be critical of certain other aspects.

Grudging respect / approval: This is characterized by unwillingness from the part of the author to concede completely to the idea; he expresses his opinion reluctantly.

Optimism / hope: The author would express hope and expectation in say, solving a problem, implementing a recommendation.

Enthusiastic endorsement: The author wholeheartedly approves of the idea and / or supports the findings, recommendations or propositions.

Eulogy: Extreme praise for the author being reviewed or person or idea under discussion.

Satirical: The author expresses scorn / ridicule / derision; he laughs at the matter under discussion.

Ironical: The author uses words to convey the opposite meaning of what he expresses. One thing is said and its opposite is implied.

GMAT critical reasoning concepts

2011-08-11T01:32:00.000-07:00

Are you feeling the heat while preparing for GMAT critical reasoning? You are not alone, there are 1000’s of GMAT aspirants who are struggling with GMAT CR. Do you want to know why?

Plain simple, they have not studied the concepts.

For algebra there are concepts, for geometry there are concepts so why not for GMAT Critical reasoning.

Let me take you through one concept in Critical reasoning

Concept: Inference vs assumption
What is an inference? What is an assumption….
Test aspirants get confused with these two terms.

Lets take an example and clear the confusion
If A>B and B>C ….what can you conclude?…. Yes A>C
A>C is a conclusion.

Now what is an inference.
If A>;B you can infer B….. This is an inference.
You need more than one statement(CR term-premises) to arrive at a conclusion. You can arrive at an inference with one statement.

Lets take a CR case
In film and videotape, it is possible to induce viewers to project their feeling on to characters on screen. In one study, when a camera shot of a woman’s face was preceded by a shot of a baby in a crib, the audience thought that the woman’s face was registering happiness. When the same shot of the woman’s face was preceded by a shot of a lion running toward the camera, the audience thought that the woman’s face was registering fear.

Find out the inference……..common give it a shot….
First look out for a premise….
“when a camera shot of a woman’s face was preceded by a shot of a baby in a crib, the audience thought that the woman’s face was registering happiness.”

When the audience saw the picture of the baby, they thought the woman washappy,but in actuallity it was the audience
itself that was happy.

So you can infer –
A camera shot of a baby in a crib provoked feelings of happiness in the audience.

Similarly since there is one more evidence there can be one more inference.

A camera shot of a lion running towards camera provoked feelings of fear in the audience.

Simple…… Yes CR is as simple as this if you know concepts…mail me if you want more info….

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2011-07-13T22:49:00.000-07:00

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Sentence correction faux pas by JOHN JOVI

2011-07-13T00:34:00.000-07:00

What errors do the sentence correction qs present?

Subject- verb agreement, pronoun error, tense error, misplaced modifier, preposition error, faulty comparison ...

I am very comfortable with SVA

Let me show you

Eg. one of the countries participating in the SAARC meet is Indonesia.

Indonesia is one of several countries that is participating in the SAARC meet.

PS; John Jovi, you are right in the first, but wrong in the second…

Here’s the correct sentence:

Indonesia is one of several countries that are participating in the SAARC meet.

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2011-07-13T00:31:00.000-07:00

Ten ways to score poorly in GMAT! If you are rich enough for retakes, that is

1. I know math, so no need to go thru the same old arithmetic, algebra, geometry stuff

2. Tones of free downloads on your pc..what is relevant, what is not, even God may not know..

3. Just official guide, what else, nothing official about it…

4. I will join for the costliest, longest duration course in town…let them get me the score, no need to study at home..

5. I wont do the essays while practicing, only math and verbal mock exams will do

6. I speak and write good English, so verbal is going to be a cake walk, no less

7. I need just one month for preparation, after all I had high grades in college.

8. Do as many tests as possible, in fact 90 percent of my preparation time should be spent on tests. concepts? What concepts?

9. My friend said GMAT was easy for him, no tough qns ( hey, what was your friend’s score?)

10. Out of five tests I did, one test I scores above 650. So I will give the test as planned. I believe in luck!

PS Good luck

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GMAT sentence correction: Think beyond grammar

2011-07-12T04:57:00.000-07:00

Fine, you know the GMAT SC jargon – tense error, pronoun error, subject verb disagreement. Good. Useful. But you must think beyond grammar to do justice to the range SC questions.

One of such errors is ambiguity. That is something is not clear. To make clear the meaning conveyed. So keep track of meaning also while checking a sentence for errors.

Illustration - real GMAT questions

1. Incorrect: In mammals, a lifetime’s supply of egg cells is produced during fetal development and remain dormant until maturity.

Here remain dormant is ambiguously used; one may ask what remain egg cells or development? In such cases, we need to repeat the word, cells, since these remain dormant until maturity. The verb is agrees with the singular sub lifetime’s supply.

Correct … is produced during fetal development and the cells remain dormant until maturity.

2. In 1869, anxious to balance its population of 8,000 men and 2,000 women, the Wyoming legislature extended voting rights to women in Wyoming.

A. its population of 8,000 men and 2,000 women, the Wyoming legislature

B. their population of 8,000 men and 2,000 women, the Wyoming’s legislature

C. the state’s population of 8,000 men and 2,000 women, the Wyoming legislature

D. a state population of 8,000 men and 2,000 women, the legislature in Wyoming

E. its population of 8,000 men with 2,000 women, the Wyoming’s legislature

So since you know that singular pronouns agree with singular nouns, its agrees with Wyoming legislature. But grammar alone wont rescue us here.

Look at the meaning, can Wyoming legislature have population? No the population belongs to the state, C is clear and exact. D, would mean any state’s population, not necessarily Wyoming’s.

Moral of the story

Attention to detail…is very important..

keep looking out for similar errors; match grammar with meaning.

Script your GMAT success

2011-06-22T00:40:00.001-07:00

GMAT superia

Presents

SCRIPT YOUR GMAT SUCCESS

Date: 26^th June Day: Sunday

Time: 11.00 a.m-12.30 p.m

Objectives: This presentation addresses the

· 5 myths surrounding GMAT preparation

· 5 revelations about the GMAT

· 5 breakthrough strategies to crack the GMAT

You are welcome to come with more questions and take away answers.

Further you will receive a 16 page booklet on how to prepare for GMAT.

A study plan on how to get started with your GMAT prep.

To register, sms your name and number to 9176693203

Venue: Semantics 34/8, Jumbulingam street, Nungambakkam,Chennai

For more information: Log onto www.gmatsuperia.com

Visit: www.letsgmat.blogspot.com

How to compute squares faster. Speed math for GMAT

2011-06-21T06:33:00.000-07:00

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GMAT critical reasoning video

2011-06-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

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How do i prepare for GMAT critical reasoning. A GMAT critical reasoning prep video

2011-06-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

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Is the new GRE tougher than the old one

2011-06-04T21:54:00.000-07:00

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5 tips to crack the GMAT data sufficiency section

2011-05-23T06:55:00.001-07:00

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3 month GMAT study plan for those who are just starting their GMAT prep

2011-05-23T06:51:00.001-07:00

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How to cross the magical 700 score barrier in the GMAT

2011-05-01T23:22:00.000-07:00

So you are at your fag end of your preparation. You have just completed a GMAT CAT, you got a score of 640. You also notice that your score has been hovering around 600 to 650. Well you are not alone.

A recent survey states that the average GMAT score is 560, down 10 points when compared to last years average. How is that few people cross 700 whereas the rest of the test aspirants(approximately 2,00,000 out of 2,65,000 GMAT takers) languish in mere 600’s?

Here is my 2 cent
The GMAT score is an indicative of the current aptitude level of an individual. Your aptitude quotient doesn’t improve over night. It takes at-least 3 months of preparation to improve your score. So what is POA right now.

1.Repetition
It is better to work on a question 10 times than working on 10 different questions. Aptitude exams don’t test your knowledge of formula. It tests you on your application of concepts.
Study each problem 10 times, observe the parts a problem
•Variables: elements in the problem which maybe independent, dependent or hidden vis-à-vis other variables.
•Conditions: relationships that relate variables
•Constraints: Conditions that limit the scope of the problem
These parts of the problem indicate the steps and the time taken to solve the problem. This factor results in effective time management.

2.Reason with math
To improve your math preparation, reason with mathematical problems.
For example
What is the product of 5^25 x 2^32?
To solve this sum reason with the problem:
Observe a sample and derive a pattern:
5^1 and 2^1 gives 10
5^2 and 2^2 gives 100 or 10^2
5^3 and 2^3 gives 100 or 10^3
The pattern is one 5 and one 2 gives 10, two 5’s and two 10’s gives 100…. The number of 5’s and the number of 2’s gives the number of 0’s.

Conclusion one 5 and one 2 gives one 10 or a number with one 0.
Hence 5^25 x 2^32 = 5^25 x 2^25 x 2^7
Which is 128 …….(25 times)

3.Do not revise just the formula, learn how to derive it.
Most mathematical problems in the GMAT are related to the method of deriving certain standard formula than the formula itself. For example
While deriving the area of the equilateral triangle = sqrt(3) side^2/4
You will notice that the altitude bisects the triangle into two halves of equal area
The altitude splits the base into two halves of equal length.

4.Compare critical reasoning questions and derive generalization.
Study the CR questions in groups. For example study all “the weaken the argument” questions together. You will observe standard steps every time.
For example you will observe you have
•to first find the conclusion
•then identify the logic( whether its an analogy, a statistical data, a cause effect relationship or an example)
•then choose the option that negates the logic

Simple aint’ it.

5.If you are not strong with sentence correction and reading comprehension till now and if you have only two weeks to go, then there is nothing that can be done. It requires at-least 3 weeks of structured learning.

Use any course where you have or use the course ware which I have recommended. Its on your right pane. Or if you don’t have the right material mail me ill help….:-)

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Online MBA,3 Year part time MBA, Twining MBA...MBA options galore

2011-05-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

MBA for everyone
“The reward of an MBA education investment is far greater than the risk involved”.
For most of us – undergraduates, graduates, top B schools are dream factories which churns out products that symbolizes power, status, money. Inspite of the manageable occupational hazard – Assignments to be submitted by 12pm, 2 hrs of sleep per day, two minute noodles for lunch.. Bschool life is fun.

Business management is most sought career globally. Graduates in any discipline are eligible for MBA education. Though no prior knowledge is required for success in MBA, good analytical, computational and people skills are desirable for one to excel in business management.
Business management courses are of many types; you can choose the one that suits you.

2 year full time MBA: If you are in the pre-final or the final year of your undergraduate program, opt for the 2 year full time MBA. BSchools like IIM’s, XLRI, IIT’s, SPJAIN, MDI, NITE, LIBA, Anna University, etc offer this course. There are over 25 different electives to choose from ( Finance, HR, Marketing, Systems, Retail management, hospitality management and much more..) The entrance procedure comprises entrance exams (CAT, XAT, JMET, SNAP, TANCET…. Group discussion and a personal
interview)

1 year full time MBA: If you have around 3+ years of work experience, a 1 year full time MBA is useful for you. This program specializes you in one domain. IIMA PGPEX prg, ISB Hyderabad, GLIM Chennai are some of the colleges that offers this courses.

3 year part time : If you are currently working and you are planning to pursue an MBA without leaving your present company then a 3 year part time program is apt for you. Classes are held at nights and /or on the weekends. In Chennai, LIBA offers this course.
1 year executive program- For executives with substantial industry experience (including company sponsored). If your are a senior manager with at least 10 years of business experience then you should opt for the 1 year executive program. IIM’s, XLRI and other Bschools offer this program.
Distance learning MBA: If you want to pursue an MBA without sitting through classes then opt for the distance learning MBA. Contact classes and exams will be scheduled once or twice in a year.
Symbiosis Pune offers this program.

Twinning MBA: If you want to pursue an MBA which confers you an Indian degree in collaboration with a foreign university then opt for a Twinning MBA program. Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), ISMS, Madras School of Social Work, IMT Ghaziabad

Online MBA: Online MBA courses are offered by top Bschools like IIM (Indore, kolkotta,) XLRI, IMT. The course duration varies from 3 months to 1 .5 years. Classes are conducted using video conferencing, online chat rooms, etc..

Specialty program - master of accountancy, master of healthcare/hospital administration, master of computation finance.

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5 Tips to crack the sentence correction section of the GMAT.

2011-04-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the GMAT sentence corrections tips i compiled. I have added examples for each tip.

1.Check pronouns:their,his,her…..
Wrong sentence: The instructor asked everyone of the trainees to remain in their respective seat.
Correct sentence: The instructor asked everyone of the trainees to remain in his respective seat.

2. Check for pronoun omission:
Wrong sentence: In Japan elderly people are treated with far greater respect than most Western countries.
Elderly people in japan vs western countries?????

Correct sentence: In Japan elderly people are treated with far greater respect than those in most Western countries.

3. Check subject verb
Wrong sentence: A slowdown becomes useful only when the opportunity to both reorient as well as innovate are used for further growth.
Slowdown …………………………..are???

Correct sentence: A slowdown becomes useful only when the opportunity to both reorient as well as innovate is used for further growth.

4. Watch for incomplete comparisions
Wrong sentences: California’s child-support payments are as high or higher than other states.
As high…..as…..

Correct sentences: California’s child-support payments are as high as or higher than other states.

5.Watch for descriptions in the beginning
Wrong sentences: Disturbed by the media’s relentless criticism, it was decided by Gupta to resign as the chairman of TERI.
What does it refer to…….medias criticism or the disturbances

Correct sentences: Disturbed by the media’s relentless criticism, Gupta designed to resign as the chairman of TERI.

These are some of the three dozen tips..read this space for more… email us your feedback urmentor@semanticslearning.com or visit www.gmatsuperia.com

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guaranteed tools for 720+ in the GMAT

2011-04-06T06:07:00.000-07:00

I have compiled a set of guaranteed tools for 720+ in the GMAT. I have advised my students most of these tools. I have seen most of them break the 750 barrier. The tools are:

1. Just 80hrs of structured preparation
2. Master grammar and math concepts
3. Reinforce the 25 sentence correction concepts
4. internalize the tactics for critical reasoning question types.
5. Maximise practice on data sufficiency questions
6. Apply all concepts learnt in original GMAC questions
7. Read extensively-philosophy, art and literature reviews,socio-history,science journals
8. Write atleast 15 essays. Have them reviewed by a GMAT test expert. Make preliminary notes for
each of the pre-disclosed essay prompts.
9. Plan remedial learning for weak areas.
10.With every computer based tests, take the essays(do not get habituated to math and
verbal alone), the verbal section must be attempted 2+hr after math and essay writing.
11.Repeatedly practice official guide.
12.If you are not a systematic self-learner, take up quality training from an experience GMAT
trainer.

Write to us if you want to add value to your GMAT prep- urmentor@semanticslearing.com

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April is the cruelest month

2011-03-22T06:58:00.001-07:00

‘April is the cruelest month’, said 20th C poet par excellence, TS Elliot in his acclaimed poem ‘ The Waste Land’. I am sure some of you in the corporate world would agree with Elliot. What with appraisals ending there without apt raises! This in at least some cases would be unjustified, you could not meet the targets since the team was weak, funds and resources were limited, the target was unrealistic, the list can be made endless, if we wish to.
Don’t you, at least some of you find the ‘un-raise’( can we coin a new word?) unjustified? Or that you got a raise in pay and perks, but the moving up the ladder seem elusive?
Why don’t you think, one of the ways is to upgrade your education?

A business course for instance- MBA, PGPX, PGPMAX, MDP – eMBA, they come in all shapes and sizes.
Consider April as the new year( any ways it is, in biz jargon).. plan to apply for an MBA or executive program from prestigious colleges- IIMs, ISB Hyderabad, US, UK, Singapore.. start preparing for the GMAT, take the GMAT 3-4 months from now..be in a program this year itself

Is this unrealistic target? Nay… then let’s GMAT…

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College Junior Resume,SOP, Statement of purpose,essays

2011-03-21T05:45:00.000-07:00

College students aspiring for the innovative MBA routes such as the Harvard 2+2 and the ISB Young Leaders Program often ask, what should I write in my resume and how. There is a tendency to follow standard formats available in the web and use high octane diction that the writer herself doesn’t understand. Why do they do it?

For one, a false notion that the more abstract scholarly words you use, the more impressed will be the admission board.
Yet another, the B Schools often challenge the aspirants by wording the requirement as ‘ if one seat is left for program X, why should you be offered it?’. So the applicant tries hard to put the best ingredients together.

Here are some pointers
Tailor-make your resume to evoke a B school’s interest
The personal qualities and competencies pertinent to say, a tech job, may not be hot on a Bschool’s wish list. Present clearly those few competencies and achievements that define you, rather than use all words psychologists use to describe people! Be honest about yourself. For a professional selector it isn’t difficult to locate overstatements such as ‘ I can motivate and guide people, solve other’s problems, strategise’… hold on. Aren’t you supposed to be still in college? Write the language of a student, an eager learner.
Don’t mistake signs of leadership as proven leadership
The latter is more relevant to and expected from guys with 5+ yrs of work ex. Being a class leader, college cricket captain, cultural secretary ‘ can best be termed ‘signs of leadership’.
Present these in modest ways. Acknowledge wherever necessary. A reader shouldn’t get the impression that you have done and achieved everything independently. That is hard to believe.

Use as Strong points
Internship, voluntary work, training camps, special talents( arts, photography, writing, debating), awards, prizes etc. And yes, do not forget to include any setbacks, failures, risks..
Write in functional English
Use your active vocabulary to write your statement of purpose. The SOP should have a modest, yet vibrant feel with no repetition, no exaggerations. Make it impressive and above all present yourself.

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MBA options galore

2011-03-11T00:58:00.001-08:00

MBA options galore.
There are loads of management specializations to choose from. Here I have listed 29 popular management specializations.
1. Human resource
2. Marketing
3. Finance
4. Information technology
5. International business
6. Production
7. Operation
8. Mass communication and journalism
9. Construction
10. Insurance and banking
11. Foreign trade
12. Leather goods and accessories design
13. Foot wear design and development
14. Travel and tourism
15. Retail
16. Agri business and rural
17. Pharma
18. Emergency care
19. Logistics and supply chain management
20. Banking
21. Public governance
22. Infrastructure & investment
23. Clinical
24. Hospitality and tourism
25. Hospital administration
26. Corporate investment
27. Financial planning
28. Securities analysis and trading
29. Media management
Not all the Bschools in India/aborad offer these courses. Choose wisely.

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Choose your B.school

2011-02-08T02:53:00.000-08:00

MBA from where

In the league of extraordinary young men.

There are many tangible and intangible rewards that comes with being part of a top B school class batch. Almost all aspirants to these classrooms yearn both for the recognition that comes with the prestigious course as well as for the status attached to being able to network with an intellectually stimulating batch, which in turn will form potential business partners, future clients, contacts points across sectors, mentors( you see they come with specialized knowledge in chosen domains), friends for life; you can turn them for consultation during a crisis, you can observe their career paths and decisions and learn a lesson or two; they can be a frame of reference to your career growth… benefits are numerous

Recruiters often attach and attribute a certain set of competencies and personality traits to those who pass out of reputed business schools. effective communication, decision making and critical thinking skills, initiative, confidence and willingness to take risks.
Vertical and lateral mobility
No doubt it is easier for MBAs to move up the corporate ladder or to change sectors for they are powered by a set of transferable general competencies that constitute a genre of functions across business fields.
Choose a reputed college for your MBA; not to settles for less.

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a case for entry into the prestigious Harvard MBA program

2011-02-06T03:09:00.000-08:00

Global recession has given out one signal. Unpragmatic, one-sided wealth creation will not work.The attention to sustainable development is back in the reckoning – both in the developed and in the developing economies.

Given this scenario, educational institutions have a transformational role to play, especially business schools. For a long time, business schools were
churning out business leaders for corporate roles( barring a few). This is all the more evident among top Indian B schools. American colleges, fairly
successfully, moulded young minds for a variety of social, developmental and political roles.

If fortune lies at the bottom of the pyramid( coined by the late CK prahlad), aspirants to top B schools, Harvard, Stanford, Kellog, aspirants to these
prestigious institutes should better build their profile around one of the developmental aspects of interest by participating in

sustainable livelihood projects
inclusive education
improving access for the common man
healthcare
localized solutions to community problems
participative and collaborative programs of govt and NGOs.

In all if you are applying to top colleges, gain advantage by initiating yourself, while in college itself, to such projects. You can do your bit, in a small way;for starter s that is .

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GMAT for MBA programs in INDIA

2011-02-05T01:07:00.000-08:00

Do the GMAT for a slew of MBA programs in India

You may take the CAT route to apply for programs other than the PG programs in management, such as FPM ( equivalent to PhD), PGPX ( MBA for work ex candidates) or take the GMAT route. The CAT may be cheaper, but the scores are valid only for the season.

GMAT, on the other hand, can be taken any month according to your readiness and convenience and the scores are valid for up to 5 yrs. Hence even if you miss a season to apply for executive programs you can still use your score for the subsequent seasons.

In addition you have the provision of retaking the GMAT after a calendar month, if you wish to improve your scores and be eligible to apply for the current season before the deadlines.

With GMAT scores you can apply to ISB Hyderabad, IIMs ( PGPX), executive programs from IMT Ghaziabad, IMI Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, NMIMS Mumbai, GLIM Chennai and a host of other B. schools.

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Who does well in the GMAT

2011-01-25T20:48:00.001-08:00

So the cat is out of the bag. Indians are second only to the Chinese in math. atleast that is what we understand from a release of the GMAC,administrators of GMAT,the admission test for graduate management courses.(The Far East and Middle East fair better in Math than the East).Is this time also for the tests such as GRE,SAT,LSAT? We need yet to find out.

But we believed, thus far, otherwise. Havent we? The report also says that 60% of GMAT aspirants in India are engineers.We aren’t surprised.
Bt now things should change with the opportunities foe non-engineers- Harvard 2+2,international masters of Hult,SDA,Bocconi,….
Freshers from other disciplines also stand a fair chance.

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Do the GMAT for a slew of MBA programs in India

2011-01-05T06:42:00.001-08:00

Do the GMAT for a slew of MBA programs in India

You may take the CAT route to apply for programs other than the PG programs in management, such as FPM ( equivalent to PhD), PGPX ( MBA for work ex candidates) or take the GMAT route. The CAT may be cheaper, but the scores are valid only for the season.

GMAT, on the other hand, can be taken any month according to your readiness and convenience and the scores are valid for upto 5 yrs. Hence even if you miss a season to apply for executive programs you can still use your score for the next seasons.

In addition you have the provision of retaking the GMAT after a calendar month, if you need to improve your scores and be eligible to apply for the current season, before the deadlines.
With GMAT scores you can apply to ISB Hyderabad, IIMs ( PGPX), executive programs from IMT Ghaziabad, IMI Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, NMIMS Mumbai and more…

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MBA counselling

2010-12-18T01:46:00.000-08:00

Vivek, a commerce graduate, is in the third year of his career as marketing executive with a reputed private bank. He fears that despite his reasonably good success at the job, he may not get the push to higher positions without a MBA ( most of his seniors were MBAs from reputed B schools).

Vivek is in no strange situation. His fears are shared by many professional in various sectors.

Vivek has not spent much time on reading up trends in continuous education; he was busy with serving customers and meeting targets.
On a Sunday afternoon Vivek walks in for a meeting with me. We spent an hour and a half weighing down the options in front of him.

Why not take a break?
He can take a break. And probably go back to the banking/financial services itself.

CAT or XAT and PGDM?
Vivek reveals that he had a tryst with CAT when he was in final year college and found the CAT math difficult to digest. But then I tell him it takes a lot of concerted efforts to crack the CAT and get into the IIMs or other top colleges. He should be willing to take on the completion; there is no short cut to success.

Why not? Prepare well while still working. manage your tie well. After all the rewards would be greater.

GMAT and a PGPX
As a back up plan I suggested Vivek that he take up the GMAT and try entry into a PGPX – 1 yr MBA for executives form the IIMs, MDI, IMT gaziabad etc. this again depends on the minimum work ex the institute is looking at.
PG certificate program in Management

I asked Vivek to work around the certificate program in management from the IIMs- he can continue working and doing a business course ( with 1 week orientation program on the Campus and the remaining course attended from your city through broadband based classes handled by IIMs from the respective classes.

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Get ready for a PGPX

2010-12-18T01:44:00.000-08:00

The first few years of our career doesn’t leave you with much time for other pursuits. It is amidst this madness that you are thinking of taking a break for education. Here comes then the need for certain preparations before embarking on a business course.

Firstly, if you are going for a residential program, you must not take a headful of family issues to the campus. Do the necessary arrangements well in advance to ensure that your family can do without you for the one year duration ( some B schools allow family to accompany the candidate to campus during the course)

Secondly, catch up with academics. It may be a good 4 years that you left regular study. Now that you have chosen to pursue executive MBA from a top ranked college, you have to catch up on your quantitative and verbal skills. This is because entry to top PGPX programs requires GMAT/CAT scores. Besides excellent business English, critical thinking and quantitative aptitude are integral to B school rigor too.
Find a trainer who can prepare you both for the GMAT and CAT as well as for the business school rigor. Handholding by an experienced trainer can help ease the experience of getting back to learning

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GMAT workshop

2010-12-04T03:17:00.000-08:00

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Business education

2010-12-01T05:53:00.000-08:00

Want a business education or you need one?

The ‘ want’ for a Business education usually takes root during under-graduation – either because it is the natural next step for masters( if you are BBA/BBM student) or wanting to move out of technical and domain careers( if you are from other streams) due arguably to the prestige associated with MBA.

On the other hand a good number of working professionals feel the need for business education at some point of time( on an average between 3 to 10 years of their career life). Those with 3- 5 years of experience take the luxury of quitting the current job ( other than those sponsored )and go for a full time 2 yr MBA in India or abroad. This again depends on family and financial compulsions.

One yr MBA, the new format
For those who cannot afford a two yr break for a B school experience can go for what has now become the order of the day, the PGPX( post grad program for working executives)

The overriding ideology of the program is that the candidates have rich business exposure at a select domain of work, has ‘business thinking’ managerial skills in some rudimentary form and that polishing these skills through a structured business course will help perform his current or next level of work much more efficiently than he did before the program or than he can take more informed and technical decisions in his role as a decision maker.

The value that one can gain from a PGPX program can vary from person to person, from institute to institute, from format to format.

Many a time the prestige associated with a 2 yr program can put employers at a spot. There must be many recruiters out there, especially those of small and medium enterprises, who found that the managerial skills of many MBAs without prior experience are below expectations. On the contrary those of the one year MBAs are far superior.

It all depends upon how one leverages one’s experience and education, period.

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GMAT sentence correction- the analytical way.

2010-11-29T04:04:00.000-08:00

Doubts are best clarified in class

Preparing for GMAT is no child’s play. And definitely not the verbal section of the GMAT. Iam sure many of you there agree with me.

The intricacies of sentence corrections are better understood when you are made to think with the sentence(for godsake its not just math that involves thinking)

Your problems with sentence correction will be over the day you start thinking with grammar. Cos there is no grammar separate form meaning and no meaning separate from accepted knowledge- philosophical or scientific.
When you with a verbal expert, you are made to think with the sentence.

Here’s an example
The set of propositions which was discussed by the panel have been published in the society journal.
A. which was discussed by the panel have been
B. which were discussed by the panel have
C. that was discussed by the panel was
D. which were discussed by the panel has
E. discussed by the panel has been
The set ( of propositions that were/are discussed by the panel) was/ has been published in the society.
Bracket out all word groups- the prepositional phrase- has been bracketed out. The set was/has been—both are right, since no specific time referenece.
The point here is that relative pronoun which/that refers to propositions and not ‘the set’. Hence are/were/ have been must refer to propositions and not ‘the set’
Hence we narrow down to E. drop the ‘ which are’/ that are…wordiness.

The sentence correction tip you gave me is good.
No need, the sentence correction tip that you gave me is good.

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How do we conquer the fear of GMAT math?

2010-11-22T05:47:00.000-08:00

Let start with a show of hands

How many of us go blank when we see a math sum?
I can see that most of you are raising your hands, the others must be one of lucky 2%.

Now the big question.

Why some of us go blank and others seem to have the knack of solving math sums?

Well you can blame it on your mathematics teacher @ school or on your genes. But nevertheless while preparing for GMAT or in fact while doing an MBA, you will encounter lot of math.
I can hear lots of groans. :-)

Few years back I read this book ‘How to solve it’ by George Polya. I modified my teaching style from just teaching question answers, question answers, question answers, question answers……to question logic answers, question logic answers, question logic answers…..

I found that I could tutor a person to achieve 45+(raw score in GMAT) within few weeks as instead of few months. Wow!! The best part of it I could see that students are able to solve math problems independently without me intervening.

In the book, Polya gives a detailed step by step process on how to approach math problems in general

I will modify the process and present it to you in context with GMAT math
Keep these steps in mind when you approach a math problem in the future.

Step 1: Understanding the problem
Answer the following questions first

Do you understand all the words used in stating the problem?
What are you asked to find or show?
Can you think of a picture or diagram that might help you understand the problem?
Is there enough information to find the solution?
What information, if any, is missing?

The answer to these questions will channelize your thinking towards the answer.

Step 2: Devise a plan
Answer these questions now

What will be the best approach to address the problem?

Approaches can only be devised. If a tutor explains a sum to you, then you will be able to understand only that problem. But when you encounter a new problem, you will go blank again.
Ideally when you encounter a new problem, you will have to use the existing ideas plus any new ideas you can conjure up. These process are mostly done mentally and involve little computation/calculation.

To get an idea, do any/all of the following.

Make a systematic list/table
Write an equation
Consider special cases
Use direct reasoning- for example If A>B and B>C then A>C.
Use indirect reasoning.-Think of an earlier sum where you encountered a similar problem
Look for a pattern
Draw a picture
Solve a simpler problem- break the problem into small parts and solve each part.
Use a model- Make a general assumption and solve by guessing.
Work backwards. –work with answer options

Now that you have got an idea. Put pen on paper and solve to get an answer
Stage 3: Carry out the plan

Solve the problem with great care and patience
Discard the plan if it does not work and devise a new plan
Record what you have done to avoid repetitive work – For future use.

While attempting Data sufficiency questions, it is imperative you check your results. So
Stage 4: Looking back or checking

Have you addressed the problem?
Is your answer reasonable?
Can the method applied to other similar problems?
Is It consistent.

Now go ahead and repeat this thought process on different math problem and the next time when you see a math problem you will not go blank.

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100 points more GMAT score improvement strategy -3

2010-11-12T06:04:00.000-08:00

Part 3

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100 points more GMAT score improvement strategies -2

2010-11-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Check part 2

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100 points more GMAT strategy workshop -1

2010-11-12T05:58:00.000-08:00

I have attached the Jpeg files of presentation. Do check out the strategies...

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Essential to do on GMAT test date

2010-11-08T05:47:00.000-08:00

The D day

So you are ready for the GMAT, the first time!

1.Reach the test centre at least 45 min before the commencement of the test.

if you happen to be late more than 15 min to the test centre, bad luck, you lose out on the test and alas the money too, then rescheduling, the wait the delays…

2. carry a valid ID original identification document

With a photograph, your signature and proof of date of birth

3. no gadgets, test aids allowed inside the test hall

4. writing instruments to aid test taking will be provided to you

5. you are given a comfortable test station to take the test.

Take the test, valiantly

Keep watch of your time, because each section is separately timed…the system will show what time is left for the section.

Try and complete the section- even if guessing wildly, don’t you think that answering offers more probability of getting a correct answer than, un attempted questions?

Done the test?

You can get a score report comprising

Verbal, Math and total score plus the recipients as designated by us.

Not happy with the score? Feel you can score better?

Retake?

This can be the next, if money test is not too much of a problem…but then, you need a minimum 30 days, with ample every time at your disposal. for a revision and some great notes….then better luck next time…

If you are not in this position best, prepare well the first time itself…good luck.
contact us and we can together find out what went wrong.... enquiry@semanticslearning.com

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GMAT flash card set 1

2010-11-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

Presented below GMAT flash card series. Today we start with GMAT flash card set 1.

Gmat flash card set 1

View more presentations from urmentorsemantics.

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New feature in letsgmat

2010-10-15T02:31:00.000-07:00

people have been asking me why the OG has 550 to 650 range of sums? I told them its makes business sense for OG to issue easy sums. So I have compiled list of higher order problems(750 to 800 range). I will weekly update them.

The problem+logic+solution is presented with each sum.
go ahead and lap it up

The logic has the thinking process behind the problem solving process..

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100 points more in GMAT score improvement strategy workshop

2010-10-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

You are invited to attend

‘100 points more’ score improvement strategy workshop for GMATers

Date: October 24th 2010 (Sunday)

Time: 10:00 am

Venue: Chennai, India

Registration form here

Who should attend?

If you have taken the GMAT/ mock GMAT CBT, And if you feel that the score you have got is not a true indication of your potential, then its high time you meet us. For those of you who want to find

where you went awry in your preparation so far
what remedial actions you have to take and for how long
what additional inputs you need to break the illusive 720 barrier.

attend the ‘100 points more ’ score improvement strategy workshop.

Why should you attend?

Our academic team has developed strategies to

Master the 25 often tested errors in GMAT sentence correction. (Our list of errors identification strategies is exhaustive)
Ace the critical reasoning section (algorithms to answer any question in critical reasoning section)( we teach you formal logic before GMAT CR)
Crack the Reading comprehension section with ease(passage mapping eases the pressure)
Write power essays to get you grade 6/6
Solve the toughest of GMAT problems with the thinking skill based 3 layer math program(Concept review /Thinking skill intervention/Higher order problem solving)

You can read excerpts of our ‘learning innovations’ at http://www.gmatsuperia.com/

What you will takeaway from the event?

Your understanding about GMAT will be immense. You will learn the intricacies of adaptive testing. You will learn the common pitfalls students make while preparing for GMAT. Further

You will get an individualized study plan on how to improve your score by 100 points.
A customized solution which will address your particular problem.

Confirm your attendance by emailing to urmentor@semanticslearning.com or texting your name to 9884123808.

Forward this invitation to your GMATer friends/colleagues.

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Move over IT, consulting, investment banking

2010-10-12T06:43:00.000-07:00

Move over IT, consulting, investment bankingSunshine sectors make a beeline to ISB to fill top jobs. Pharma, healthcare, infra, realty, energy, media – all on a boom, can afford ISBians. This will result in fewer MBAs choosing start ups like they did last year. An ISB release claims.

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Road to Harvard: Harvard 2+2 program for college students.

2010-10-06T06:59:00.000-07:00

Harvard has launched a program for students who will complete their under graduate course in 2012.
So if you have it in you, here is some information to feed on.

What is the Harvard 2+2 program?
Harvard gives a confirmed seat in their MBA Program while you are still in the Pre-final year of your undergraduate degree. After you finish your degree, you will have to work for 2 years. The faculty at Harvard will assist you and introduce you to a wide network of recruiting partners. After two years you will undergo a two year full time MBA program from Harvard.

Who is eligible?
You should have at-least one remaining semester after June 2011 to apply for the program.

When should you apply?
Applications should be submitted by October 1st 2011(round 1), January 2012(round 2), and March 2012 (round 3). However it is better to submit the application by Oct 1st 2011 as HBS processes the applications on a roll on basis.

How many seats are available and what is the student profile?
Last year Harvard took 115 students. This year the intake can be more. The 2+2 Program is primarily targeted towards students who are not already on a business track. Apart from commerce and BBA students; engineering, liberal arts or sciences students also have a good chance of securing a seat.

What is the admission criteria?
You need to have:
• A strong academic background
• A variety of skills and accomplishments
• A GMAT score of 740+
• Should have demonstrated leadership skills

What do you mean by leadership skills?
Harvard recognizes leadership that may be expressed in various forms; from college extracurricular activities to academic or business achievements, from personal accomplishments to community commitments.
Harvard also appreciates display of leadership skills in organizing a classroom training program to directing a combat squad, from running an independent business to spearheading initiatives at work.

Do you get scholarship or any other financial aid?
Yes, approximately 75% of Harvard Business School students receive some form of financial assistance. Visit the Harvard 2+2 website to get more details on loan options and the fees.

How can SEMANTICS help you?
If you are a student based in Chennai or close to Chennai, then you can get mentored and trained by us. We will partner with you in:
1. Profile building 2.GMAT preparation 3. SOP evaluation.

We will analyze you with an HR test, align your interests with accomplishments, counsel you on various internship options which will fortify your profile, mentor you while you are interning with a company, prepare you for GMAT and ensure that you get 740+ and finally help you with your SOP’s.
You need to be associated with us for a year to achieve this.
So get in touch with – enquiry@semanticslearning.com or call 9884123808 (George IIM alumnus- HBS mentor)
Grab your seat, Grab your future.

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The MBA oath – is anyone listening?

2010-08-27T05:59:00.000-07:00

As a manger my purpose is to serve the grater good by bringing people and resources together to create value that no single individual can create alone. Therefore I will seek a course that enhances the value my enterprise can create for society over the long term. I recognize my decisions can have far-reaching consequences that affect the well being of individuals inside an outside my enterprise, today and in the future. As I reconcile the interests of different constituencies I will face choices that are not easy for me and others.
Therefore I promise:

I will act with utmost integrity an pursue my work in an ethical manner.
I will safeguard the interest of my stakeholders, co workers, customers and the society in which we operate.
I will perform my duties in good faith, guarding against decisions and behaviours that advance my own narrow ambitions but harm the enterprise and the society it serves.
I will understand and uphold, both in letter and in spirit the laws and contracts governing my own conduct and that of my enterprise.
I will take responsibility for my actions and will represent the performance and risks of my enterprise accurately and honestly
I will develop both myself and my coworkers so that the organization grows.
I will be accountable to my peers and they will be accountable to me for living by this both.

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It’s your luck now. IIM Lucknow offers IPMX.

2010-08-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

Take the GMAT

Here’s an all new option for working executives with a minimum of 6 yrs, the International program in management for executives.

The objective of the program is to develop business leadership and managerial skills in executives with extensive experience in the industry. The program invites candidates who have been civil servants defense personnel, corporate workers, entrepreneurs, consultants, or other professionals.

An international module - at Europe or East Asia – provides students with a cross cultural perspective and an exposure to global business practices.

The program begins April 2011.

Short listing of candidates is based on GMAT score, nature of work experience and undergrad performance.

For more visit www.iiml.ac.in

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11% jump in Salaries, offsets 5% jump in fee @ ISB

2010-07-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

Global MBA giant ISB Hyderabad achieves yet another feat - 33% increase in the number of jobs offered. (Are firms looking at for high profile MBAs to make the green shoots to grow faster?) The intake also increases to 580 -570, 460 the last and previous year respectively- 19 lakh fee for a 1 year course (of course you can get return on investment in less than a year) It makes sense for global MBA seeking execs to head right to Hyderabad as well as Mohali (very soon a ISB campus there) with India opening up for foreign universities, with top notch professors returning to India, one can look beyond IIMs to walk slowly and steadily into the rooms with a view! phew!

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GMAT prep notes for sentence correction

2010-07-08T22:15:00.000-07:00

the more the merrier

1. Relative clauses: clauses beginning with who, whose, whom, that, which, whosoever, whomever, whichever, nevertheless – check their use in the question.
Antecedents (the nouns substituted by the pronouns) which, who, he, they, it etc should be clearly matched with their pronouns.
Scientists have observed large quantities of fossil fuel in the Cauvery basin, which are consistent with the growth of mining activities in the area. (which is ambiguously placed)
Scientists have observed large quantities of fossil fuel in the Cauvery basin, an observation consistent with the growth of mining activities in the area.

Wordy: Everybody likes apple pie, which for years has been a favorite American dessert.

Concise: Everybody likes apple pie, for years a favorite American dessert.
In most instances, a relative pronoun is unwanted.

Verb Tense
Incorrect: In the last ten years, dropout rate among minority primary school students fell drastically, while the number of minority students more than doubled.
Correct: In the last ten years, dropout rate among minority primary school students has fallen drastically, while the number of minority students has more than doubled.

Logical Equivalents
1. The study noted that, up to the present, interferon has been more impressive in preventing viral infections as to treat it.
2. The study noted that, up to the present, interferon has been more impressive in preventing viral infections than in treating them.

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Dummys can tumble out of your GMAT test

2010-06-29T05:52:00.000-07:00

GMAC will no doubt use the safety belts. Will not blame any mishap on ‘pilot’ error. Trial runs are round the corner before the debut. The 21011 GMAT test takers may have to don the duplicate’s garb. Iam referring to the new ‘ integrated reasoning’ section of the GMAT.

As a dummy or experimental section can we expect the new section in the GMAT in a few months time? We will have to wait and watch how the ‘pilot’ testing is done by GMAC. It is unlikely that the pilot testing is introduced immediately since the audio system that is part of the new test has to be implemented in all test centres, along with the infra facility. Already the GMAT is a long test. A dummy ‘integrated reasoning’ section would stretch the GMAT to a full four hours. To encourage test takers attempt the dummy section, GMAC may introduce a rewards.
Well enough of this speculation., let’s come back to our good old GMAT and prepare the current crop for the existing pattern which itself is no mean task.

Will the CAT makers make a beeline for the GMAT
The IIM CAT has gone through its ups and downs. Well Iam not referring to the 200 qn that the CAT began the decade with and ending with a 60 question test, jumping to the CBT format in short notice and the infallibility mask falling off.

The IIMs scare us with the ‘elimination’ threat. Not to forget the biggest threat of ‘unpredictable’ element – number of questions, question types, and the works to bring in the difficulty element. If no unpredictability elimination will take another route; school marks, academic consistency, extra curricular….
Now the GMAT is so predictable. But then with all the predisclosed knowledge, not many can score above 700. That is simply brilliant isn’t it?

If the CAT makers towed the lines of the GMAT, and made the CAT more reflective of the B school rigour, would the class composition differ?

Well, We will have to wait and watch for the next shocker from Indian B schools. Oh by the way, CAT is going the GMAT way, screamed the masthead of some newspapers last November. What happened? Well I have no clue, do you have?

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Does the new GMAT reflect B.School curriculum?

2010-06-29T05:49:00.001-07:00

The totality of experiences that a student of business study is exposed to, can neither be completely reflected in nor be tested through a management admission test. However, GMAC has to be lauded for its earnest efforts to try in that direction. The result is the new ‘integrated reasoning’ section expected to appear in the new GMAT version to be launched in mid 2012.

Not to deny the fact that the previous attempt at modifying the GMAT was hugely successful. It brought to the admission director’s desk, a new set of skills of the aspirants through the analytical writing. Besides the test makers introduced the brilliant concept of adaptive testing, almost flawlessly administered worldwide( at least I haven’t heard of any leak or scam).

If a Bschool prepares the candidate for the increasingly complex world of business, and if the curriculum fairly successfully presents those complexities through academic work- assignments, projects, case analyses, the admission test is bound to follow as ‘microcosm’ of the entire world of business. This means that critical thinking and decision making at their various levels of complexities and relevance should be reflected in the test. The GMAT, by doing so, doesn’t degenerate into a test of ‘elimination’ of thousand of applicants, instead comes up trumps in adding appropriate features that reflect the changing world of business.
{Some trivia: Most Sunday mornings of the last decade of my life was spent in a GMAT class. Interesting isn’t it? The last Sunday too was no different. I was in a critical reasoning class imparting ‘logic lessons’ to GMAT aspirants. In my introductory lesson in CR I take the students though ‘critical thinking’- attributes of a critical thinker, what skills o CR test, how formal logic help build strategies for CR questions and so on. It was during the coffee break of this session that the ‘breaking news’ came that integrated ‘reasoning’ is going to be introduce in to the GMAT. }

As a trainer I always advised my students to see GMAT not only as a test to gain entry into reputed colleges but also as a means to build the type of critical thinking skills that are a prerequisite to assimilate and appreciate the B school curriculum. The GMAT, I thought, was designed for just that. Instead of doing a lot of tests and trying one’s ‘luck’ in many attempts, how rewarding it would for a B school aspirant to do thorough study of all that add value- quantitative problem solving, reading a lot of abstract texts, brainstorming on those contemporary essay prompts, building language competence and many such skill.

Feedback to this is welcome
Mail me vijaya@semanticslearning.com

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GMAT change…and for the better

2010-06-29T05:48:00.000-07:00

The news about the replacement of one of the essays on the GMAT with an ‘integrated reasoning section’ is splashed all over the place.

The current scenario
The GMAT has been a reasonably good indicator of one’s aptitude given that it tests quantitative, reasoning and verbal areas involving a good range of component skills- reasoning in a quantitative setting, ability to interpret and conclude from verbal data, identify, analyse and evaluate arguments to list a few. The writing section also tests, to some extent, analytical and evaluation skills. The argument essay prompts test one’s ability to analyse and evaluate arguments similar to critical reasoning questions of the verbal section.

Now one step ahead
No doubt the new change is in the forward direction. The integrated reasoning section appears to incorporate more complexities that would better reflect the modern day Bschool rigour. If reports were to be believed, the new test design would integrate data in numbers, symbols and words. This involves skills similar to those necessary to critically analyse, assemble and evaluate data collected from various sources and of various forms( audio, tabular and textual) into meaningful new inferences and conclusions that form the case studies and project assignments that constitute B school work.

Don’t these also reflect as well as test an aspirant’s ability to assimilate complex data drawn from various sources, processed and used in the world of business decision making?

Which essay topic can be dropped?
If I can be allowed to speculate, I would say the argument essay may be dropped.
I present two cases for this guess
A. Critical reasoning of the verbal section tests the same skills as those in argument essay.( in fact one can see a lot of overlaps between the two, except the skill of verbalizing one’s reasoning.
B. The proposed ‘integrated reasoning’ section can test more complex reasoning skills that the current argument essay task tests.

Visit www.semanticslearning.com to read two more analyses on the GMAT integrated reasoning.
• Does the GMAT reflect B.school curriculum
• Dummys can tumble out of your GMAT test

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GMAT: a note for the beginners

2010-06-26T00:11:00.000-07:00

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standardized，three-part exam designed to help admissions officers evaluate how suitable individual applicants are for their graduate business and management programs．It measures verbal，mathematical，and writing skills the outcome of 16 years of education and experience.
Since graduates from all subjects of undergraduate study and from all work backgrounds are eligible for business education at graduate level, the GMAT exam will assess your general aptitude in language, reasoning and numerical skills giving admissions officers a statistically reliable measure of how well you are likely to perform academically in the core curriculum of a graduate business program．This is not to deny that there are many other qualifications that can help people succeed in business education and careers- such as work experience，leadership ability, motivation，and interpersonal skills．Since the GMAT does not gauge these qualities, other criteria are also considered for admission- performance in undergad study, essays，and letters of recommendation.
Why GMAT?
GMAT scores are one criterion for admission to close to 2000 graduate business and management studies across the US, Canada, Europe, Dubai, Singapore, India, Australia, Newzealand. Because the GMAT test gauges skills that are important to successful study of business and management at the graduate level，your scores will give you a good indication of how well prepared you are to succeed academically in a graduate management program；how well you do on the test may also help you choose the business schools to which you apply．Furthermore, the percentile table you receive with your scores will tell you how your performance on the test compares to the performance of other test takers, giving you one way to gauge your competition for admission to business schoo1． Use the college websites, journals and other publication to gather intake criteria relevant to the school you apply to．
GMAT structure
The GMAT exam consists of four separately timed sections．You start the test with two 30-minute Analytical Writing Assessment(AWA)questions that require you to type your responses using the computer keyboard．The writing section is followed by two 75-minute，multiple-choice sections：the Quantitative and Verbal sections of the test．
The GMAT CAT, in the multiple-choice format, constantly gauges how well you are doing on the test and presents you with questions that are appropriate to your ability level．These questions are drawn from a huge pool of possible test questions．So each test taker is presented with different test editions.( the skills tested remain the same, the total number of questions in each section remains the same, the time allotted remain the same, the are of questions remain the same.) As you respond to the questions presented, the computer will narrow your score to the number that best characterizes your ability. When you compute each section，the computer will have an accurate assessment of your ability．
Because each question is presented on the basis of your answers to all previous questions，you must answer each question as it appears． Random guessing can significantly lower your scores．If you do not know the answer to a question，you should try to eliminate as many choices as possible，then select the answer you think is best. If you answer a question incorrectly by mistake-or correctly by lucky guess-your answers to subsequent questions will lead you back to questions that are at the appropriate level of difficulty for you.
Some interesting facts
• Only one question is presented at a time.
- The answer choices for the multiple-choice questions are not lettered or numbered but circled．
• Different question types appear in random order in the multiple-choice sections.
• You must click on the confirm button for the next questions to be presented.
• • You cannot go back and change answers; you cant skip a question
GMAT test content
The test provides one method of measuring overall ability．
The GMAT Quantitative section measures your ability to reason quantitatively, solve quantitative problems，and interpret graphic data．
Two types of multiple-Choice questions are Quantitative section：
• Problem solving
• Data sufficiency
Problem solving and data sufficiency questions are intermingled throughout the Quantitative section. Both types of questions require basic knowledge of：
• Arithmetic
• Elementary algebra
• concepts of geometry

The Verbal Section
The GMAT verbal section measures your ability to read and comprehend written material，to reason and evaluate arguments，and to correct written material to conform to standard written English. Because the verbal section includes reading sections from several different content areas, you may be generally familiar with some of the material; however, neither the reading passages nor the questions assume detailed knowledge of the topics discussed.

Three types of multiple-choice questions are used in the verbal section：
• Reading comprehension
• Critical reasoning
• Sentence correction
These question types are intermingled throughout the Verbal section.
How is the scoring done?
Your GMAT scores are determined by：
• the number of questions you answered
• whether you answered correctly or incorrectly
• the level of difficulty and statistical weightage of each question answered.
Analytical Writing Assessment Scores
The Analytical Writing Assessment consists of two writing tasks：Analysis of an Issue and
Analysis of an Argument．The responses to each of these tasks are scored on a 6-pomt scale, with
6 being the highest score and 1, the lowest．
Prepare, extraprepare
Be thorough with
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry concepts
Rules of sentence construction
Basics of formal logic
Read extensively, to build comprehension skills and language competence. Study a lot of sentences and observe structure, word order, idiom use, clarity, effectiveness and word use.
Take tests – paper based/ computer based
In the initial stages of preparation, you may work with paper based material – for concept building, and for solving multiple choice questions.
It is advisable to read a lot of passages on the computer screen.
Taking model tests
Practice on full exams- ie, AWA, math, Verbal all included, at least 5 tests
See how you manage your time; use your time wisely．Being too slow or overly fast in the beginning can affect your overall performance.

Accuracy is more important than speed
Once you start the test, an onscreen clock will continuously count the time you have 1eft．
Answer practice questions ahead of time．
Read all test directions carefully: and read each question closely. A few errors occur because of your ignoring the requirement of the question.
The directions explain exactly what is required to answer each question type.
Do not spend too much time on any one question.
If you do not know the correct answer, or if the Question is too time-consuming, try to eliminate choices you know are wrong, select the best of the remaining answer choices, and move on to the next question. Try not to worry about the impact on your score –guessing may lower your score, but not finishing the section will lower your score more.
Make preliminary notes before you begin to write your essay
Take care to organize your ideas and develop them fully; your response should be relevant, clear, logically organized, formal, complete.
For crisp strategies,log on to www.semanticslearning.com; follow us at letsgmat.blogspot.com
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GMAT preparation: blueprint and study chapters

2010-06-26T00:07:00.001-07:00

Here is a complete list of chapters relevant to GMAT
First phase: Reading comprehension
Extensive reading of various topical articles-
Science, economics, literary reviews, philosophy, and topics of contemporary debate.( double the reading of topics that you have not been in the habit of reading)
Second phase
How to actively read texts for tone and bias
How to read quickly and efficiently
How to analyze organization and structure
How to draw inferences from a reading text
The major question types and how to approach them
Practice with all types of passages and questions
Analyse extensively – questions, solutions, wrong answers, right answers.
critical reasoning
Phase 1
Lessons in formal logic, types of arguments, components of arguments, weak and strong arguments, inductive and deductive arguments, types of logic, common fallacies in argument, criteria of strong arguments
Phase 2
How to analyze arguments
How to spot weaknesses in arguments
15 Critical Reasoning question types and transferable strategies
Practice with quality questions.
Sentence correction
Phase 1
Parts of speech, grammar rules, diction, common idioms, grammar drills
Common errors in writing – agreement between parts of sentence.
Effective expressions: avoiding redundancy, wordy structures, awkwardness, ambiguity, unnecessary separation of elements, inappropriate diction, inconsistency
Phase 2
Typical sentence correction questions
How to identify trick sentence correction questions
Observe how options are constructed
Elimination method
Practicing with a wide variety of sentence correction questions
Problem solving
Phase 1
review of fundamentals of math
In arithmetic - Percentage, Interest, discount, Progressions, Uniform motion, Ratio and proportion, Grouping and counting, Data Interpretation, symbols, Progressions,
In algebra - study quadratic equations, linear/ bi-linear equations, trigonometry.
In Geometry - lines, quadrilateral, circles, polygons, trapezium and mensuration.
Phase 2
Learn how to interpret data graphs, pie charts, bar graphs and caselets and how to apply statistics concepts such as mode, mean, standard deviation and median.
Solve word problems, data sufficiency problems and reasoning in a quantitative setting. Work with a wide variety of problems –concept application, formula based, puzzles.
Analyse extensively
Work with higher order problems –caselets, data analysis, develop creative problem solving strategies- hypothesizing and verifying, working backward using option indicators, devising spot strategies
Build speed, work with timed tests

Essays:
brain storm and write at least 10 issue and 10 argument sample practice essays on original topics.
Brainstorm on a lot of topics from the real topics.
Have your essay evaluated by tutors or qualified friends

Mock exams and remedial work
5- 10 mock exams – do all sections at one sitting( you have to build stamina for a nearly 4 hr exam, no kid’s play) adjust time management . revise chapters, work on weak areas
Recommended concept resource: e-books www. semanticslearning.com
Recommended test practice: official guide
Recommended mock exams: powerprep test
With all these mastered, you will know exactly what to expect in the test.

Open your skills. Succeed.

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ENTER thinkin class

2010-06-24T00:24:00.000-07:00

concepts tests, concept tests,concepts tests, concept tests,concepts tests, concept tests,concepts tests, concept tests.......

Hold On

GMAT has moved on....

Learn differently with thinkin class.
look at the link on your right.

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New feature in letsgmat

2010-06-24T00:19:00.000-07:00

In lieu of the recent trends in GMAT.
"GMAT questions have become tougher".

I have decided to add study notes for those who are studying by themselves for GMAT.
On your left you will see a regular feature where i will post math,critical reasoning, sentence correction, data sufficiency questions with analysis and solutions.

Study these problems. The way the questions are analysed will be useful for you.
Generally in other sites you would have found questions, correct answer and and explanation.

Here I have gone one step further and I also have

broken down each problem into its bare necessities
written the logic behind each and every problem
further variations(if any) which can be added to the problem to make it more complex

and more insights into the problem. So go ahead and lap it up. Questions will be updated every week. so keep visiting....

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Downloadable material

2010-05-26T07:03:00.000-07:00

Just to remind you people about the list of resources I have put for you to download.
1. Algebra GMAT basics
2. Arithmetic GMAT basics
3. Geometry GMAT basics
4. 5 FULL GMAT tests.

and much more....
check.....

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World Executive MBA @ GSBA Zurich

2010-05-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

With the power of Zurich Living Case
Happened to see this on a lazy browsing afternoon session

Here’s the summary
With great strides in the field of management and economics, business schools have to shape their teaching and research to keep pace with the developments in order to remain competitive. The World Executive Education Alliance is the first academic alliance in business admisntration which offers management modules in fundamental disciplines of business administration on five continents in Brazil, South Africa, India, Russia and Switzerland.

The programme is a unique and copyrighted teaching and learning methodology called the Zurich Living Case.
GSBA students study at campus in Horgen/Zurich and at GSBA’s prestigious WEEA partner universities around the world. It ensures high class teaching with first class international faculty and an intercultural exchange among executive students and faculty.

Truly one of its kind. Any takers
Hear more at
info@gsba.ch
www.gsba.ch

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Essentials for GMAT data sufficiency.. Must read

2010-04-29T04:04:00.000-07:00

What is Data Sufficiency?

Data sufficiency is designed to measure your ability to

1. Analyse a quantitative problem
2. Recognize which information is relevant
3. Synthesize data
4. Determine at which point there is sufficient information to solve a problem.

Data sufficiency questions contains a question statement, followed by two sub statements labeled (1) and (2). Do not waste valuable time solving a problem. Only determine the statements sufficient to solve a problem.

Follow the flow chart presented below.

The order of preference while answering a question is

There are 5 possible scenario's while answering questions. They are:

Scenario 1:

Check question statement and statement (1) first. If you get an answer, wait
Then
Check question statement and statement (2)alone. If you get an answer now mark D

Scenario 2:

Check question statement and statement (1) first. If you get an answer, wait
Then
Check question statement and statement (2)alone. If you do not get an answer now mark A

Scenario 3:

Check question statement and statement (1) first. If you do not get an answer
Then
Check question statement and statement (2)alone. If you do get an answer now mark B

Scenario 4:

Combine question statement ,statement (1) and statement (2).
If you get an answer now mark C

Scenario 5:

Combine question statement ,statement (1) and statement (2).
If you do not get an answer now mark E

I hope you get your DS sums right now. Mail me at george@semanticslearning.com for your GMAT doubts...:-)

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Wow strategies for GMAT critical reasoning

2010-04-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

Now some critical thoughts

Most people find the weaken/strengthen critical reasoning questions tough to crack.
Here’s good news!

If the question is weaken/ strengthen the logic is inductive. i.e. a conclusion is drawn
•from examples,
•from analogies(comparing two things)
•from cause effect relationship(causal logic)
•or from statistics( numbers, ratio, percentages)

To weaken argument from examples – choose counter example from options
To weaken analogy – choose the option that shows non- comparability
To weaken causal –choose alternative causes from option
To weaken statistics- choose option that shows unrepresentativeness

Reverse these m you are ready for strengthen.
How write strategy like the above for each logic type for strengthen question
Now work on 10 weaken/10 strengthen questions from OG. Voila! You’ve bloomed to be a logician (does that exist??)

Let me know if it works.

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GMAT Critical reasoning and AWA tips

2010-04-16T05:21:00.000-07:00

hey guys, if you have been seriously preparing for GMAT, you would have noticed a lot of overlaps in critical reasoning and argument task of the writing section.

The logic as well as the way to analyse these is almost the same. So generously draw from your CR learning to analyse and compose response to your argument essay.(assuming that you did good preparation for CR). The argument topic presents a short passage(just as in CR) that presents an argument and specific instructions on how to respond to that passage.

The instruction is common across argument topics -to assess the logical soundness of the given argument.

keep in mind that the instruction for the issue topic varies from topic to topic).

The essays test you on critical thinking and analytical writing. Know that you are NOT being asked to present your own views on the subject.( that is in the issue topic). Here you have to analyse somebody else’s claim( easier right? To find fault with some one else! I find argument essay easier).

Make sure that you support your analysis with relevant reasons and/or counter examples( yes, if eg is used in issue, you use counter eg in arg; don’t forget we are finding fault with the speaker of the arg.) you can give hypothetical eg – drawn , personal, observed, read about..just ensure that your example is intelligible to a stranger…eg can be news items, research findings, general beliefs and so on. Ensure that they are relevant and positioned at the right place.

If the claim in the argument, for instance, is that Atkins diet is found to bring down blood glucose levels. So those who are diabetic should shift to Atkins diet. You may counter it by referring to a hypothetical report on the importance of physical activity in the lowering of blood sugar levels and that diet alone is no solution…etc etc.

Argument essay integrates critical thinking and writing skills. So don’t ignore language.

On that and snippets on issue task, iam saving for the nxt time…happy prep

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Exciting times for students planning to go to Australia?

2010-04-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

Exciting time, they are at( India and Australia), so they claim. while signing a new agreement in Melbourne. People to people contact is at the heart of the bilateral relationship.(provided the eyes and the hearts are spared!!!), sorry Sibalji

Experts from both sides comprise the India – Australia education council and the Australian govt’s earlier advise to Indian students ‘ don’t flash your expensive possessions! Blueberries, I pads....’,part of the new deal?)

Kapil Sibal and Gillard( Oz deputy PM) are meeting after six months( obviously waiting for the heat and dust to settle). What about the 40% drop in students going to Oz for studies? Sure they will be working out a mechanism—relaxation of visa rule, scholarships, longer work permit.. the works..you add more to it

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Know your critical reasoning concept for GMAT – 1

2010-04-01T04:12:00.000-07:00

There are two types of arguments commonly asked in the GMAT CR. Lets discuss them

What is an inductive argument?
What is a deductive argument?

An inductive argument is an argument where the conclusion is derived from the given premises only. The GMAT CR arguments are mostly of this type. This argument is weak because when the argument is critically analyzed it can be concluded that the conclusion cannot be derived from only the given premises.
Few examples of inductive arguments are given below.

Example 1:

Recently Algie Corporation has recruited a clever CEO to manage its operations and found its operational costs reduce by 30 percent ever since. A similar decision helped Beta Ltd to cut down operational costs by 33 percent. This shows that corporations can reduce operational costs considerably by recruiting astute CEOs.

The argument is weak because it cannot be concluded that the reduction of ops cost cannot be attributed to CEO only, it could be because of some other external factors.

Example 2

A few students of Joe School joined Luke College for liberal arts course. Mary is a student of Joe School. Therefore, Mary is most likely to join Luke College for liberal arts course.

The argument is weak because it cannot be concluded that Mary belonged to that group of students that joined Joe School

A deductive argument is an argument where the conclusion is claimed to follow necessarily from the given premises. Specific conclusions can be derived from universal premises. This argument is strong.
Few example of deductive arguments are as follows

Example 1:

All plants are green
Rose is a plant
Rose is green.

Example 2

All chemical factories in North America have effluent treatment plants within the factory premises. Fertilizer Max is a chemical factory in North America. Hence, it must have an effluent treatment plant in its premises.

Now why don’t you submit three inductive and deductive arguments . Let me check them.
You can also email your comments to urmentor@semanticslearning.com

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Move over IIM CAT, here comes GMAT.

2010-03-27T02:41:00.000-07:00

Days after the union cabinet cleared the foreign educational institutional bill (This bill allows foreign universities to set up shop in India), GMAC has announced plans to set its third office in India(The other offices are in Virginia, USA and London, Uk)

For GMAC, India is a huge market with 8% of the total test takers being Indians. Also the number of institutes that take GMAT should increase.
Currently there are 26 Indian schools which take the GMAT. The GMAT test is currently used by over 4700 programmes in 1900 Bschools all over the world. ISB Hyderabad, IIM Ahmedabad ,Bangalore, Calcutta ,Lucknow and Indore take the GMAT score for their current programmes. The number of Bschools which will take GMAT will increases as most of them aspire to meet global standards.

Last year 2.65 Lakh students appeared for GMAT. This number should increase this year as more colleges should be considering GMAT in their admission criteria. The number of test takers has doubled from 2005 to 2009.

This means that you will have more globally ranked colleges to apply to......

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GMAT class room training program

2010-03-13T20:13:00.001-08:00

I have just started a fresh batch for GMAT. I have come up with 8 different course variants for GMAT. I found that we cant be teaching the same course for everybody.
Call me at 09884123808 India for more details.

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Grab the exclusive MBA seat at Harvard

2010-02-24T00:20:00.000-08:00

Harvard has been in the forefront of management education since 1908. The MBA program is famous for its curriculum where it is required to apply the candidates decision making skills as many as 500 hundred times in two years through their case- method learning.

To get into Harvard, email your admission queries to admissions@hbs.edu. They look out for students with leadership potential and a capacity to thrive in a rigorous academic environment.

The candidates leadership potential can be gauged through various instances. It can be from organizing a classroom to running an independent business. Candidates with a potential for intellectual growth, sophisticated ideas, analytical ability and discussion skills are preferred.

Work experience will be considered along with GMAT scores. There is no minimum work experience required. At times it may be required for you to attend an on-campus summer pre MBA international programme.
For loan opportunities and research outside funding opportunities visit www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/loans.html and www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/funding.html

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Component skills to master GMAT reading comprehension

2010-01-20T03:10:00.000-08:00

GMAT reading comprehension tests you on many component skills.

There are a lot more analytical skills that go into high performance in the verbal. Here is a set of skills – of recognizing the fine differences between the list of terms.

Label passages into narrative, argumentative, expository, descriptive
Recognize- main points of the passage, factors, examples
Relate- between causes and effects, major and minor ideas
Critique- the author’s assertions
Translate- abstract and figurative expressions into more precise and literal language
Apply- information in the passage in hypothetical contexts
Draw- logical conclusions, inferences
Analyze- a text for weaknesses, strengths, validity
Compare and contrast different points of view
Recognize the organization of the passage
Integrate- new ideas into the passage
Defend/ rebut-the author’s position

For high score verbal, acquire a copy of RC topper module at.
Email your queries to urmentor@semanticslearning.com

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GMAT sentence correction error types

2010-01-19T23:51:00.000-08:00

Re-write the following sentences correctly

Error type: Subject verb disagreement
1. When temperature increases, the ice caps melt and presumably, causes flood in summer.

Error type: Parallelism
2. The panel of contractual savings has suggested three major recommendations, namely, benchmarking of small savings against government securities, retain tax sops only on savings with maturities in excess of six years and transferring of the entire proceeds of small savings collections to states.

Error type: idiomatic construction
3. Some of’ the biographers of Leonardo have actually expressed regret that such a man, endowed by divine artistic genius would waste precious years of his life on such a lowly pursuit like engineering.

Error type: Misplaced modifier
4. Instituted by the law council, three years to a review of the legal profession was devoted by the task force.

Error type: Tense consistency

5. Debono’s recent research on cognitive processes had revealed that managers used intuition in distinct ways.

Error type: Countable, non countable noun use
6. During the economic recession, the wages of much unskilled workers were so less that many of them lived in abject poverty.

Error type: Pronoun and noun agreement
7. Almost a century ago biologists found that if it separated an animal embryo into two parts at an early stage, they would survive and develop as two normal embryos.

Error type: Illogical comparison
8. Unlike Singapore, the roads in Hong Kong are asphalted twice a year when the monsoon comes to an end.

Error type: Adjective adverb use
9. This perfect sound method to portray the text as it originally stood, is quite imaginative and with creativity than the new interpretation.

Error type: Faulty Diction
10. A policy outlook on the status of children in a country is essential but not quiet well enough condition to make a difference to the future of a generation.

There are 15 more error. In total there are 25 error types often tested in the GMAT. To know more information click http://www.semanticslearning.com/gmat-usage.asp

To download the entire error list and study notes click here.http://www.semanticslearning.com/downloads/GMATSentence_Correction.zip

Email me at enquiry@semanticslearning.com for doubts and queries. A GMAT verbal faculty will answer them.

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How to improve your GMAT score by 100 points

2010-01-08T03:54:00.000-08:00

Recently I trained a student for GMAT. Let me share my experiences with you

He visited me, a month back. He had written GMAT and had got a score of 500. He had prepared for a month earlier. This was his preparation

1. He devoured the official guide twice. He practiced 25 sentence correction questions, 50 math(problem solving and data sufficiency questions) and 5 RC passages daily.
2. He had 3 GB of downloaded GMAT material, from which he practiced random questions daily.
3. He took up the GMAC test software twice, a week before the exam.

These were the observations I could make out.

His knowledge of mathematical formula was strong. He could remember the formula for area of the equilateral triangle, formulae in trigonometry and other conceptual formulae. He could also remember intricate details like the height of the equilateral triangle, the formula to arrive at the in-centre of the circle…. However when he saw tough problems he couldn’t proceed beyond the first stage in the problem solving process(identifying what formula to use). He knew which formula to apply but he didn’t know how to apply the formula.

In verbal he had a fairly strong vocabulary. He knew some grammar concepts like subject verb agreement, errors due to misplaced modifier, pronoun errors, ambiguous use of ‘which’ and ‘it’ and few more error types.

In critical reasoning he went by his gut feeling to get his answers. He could eliminate 3 options, but two options were very close. He guessed the answer.

He briefly dilly dallied by reading the local newspaper.

Here is a typical case of GMAT student who presume he/she can prepare for GMAT in less than a month.

I suggested the following things and I closely monitored his training.

I selected (edited obviously) GMAT like passages from various sources in the net, the topics covered business, philosophy, anthropology, science….

I exposed him to 25 different errors commonly asked in GMAT. I didn’t go back to high school grammar. I found that, the knowledge in high school grammar is too elementary to teach sophisticated error identification.

For critical reasoning, I took him through a course in logic. I taught him how to identify arguments, how to identify fallacies in the argument. I designed an algorithm(a step by step process )to arrive at an answer for critical reasoning questions. (Engineering knowledge was useful here:-)) There are 7 different types of CR questions. Hence 7 different algorithms.

For math I taught him how to critically analyze mathematical problem, how to determine the variables in a problem, how to define relationships in the variables, how to derive hidden relationships. How to diagram the problem.

Further I taught him faster means of solving equations, working backwards with the answer options and also how to effectively eliminate answers by using deductive reasoning.

I taught him for two weeks and then I gave him problems to practice on and told him to classify problems in the OG.

I told him to take 4 full tests. He was averaging around 620 in them.

He eventually got 650.
I wish he had met me earlier, he could have saved one GMAT attempt cost $250.

For further guidance mail me at george@semanticslearning.com. Lets see who I interact with next. Ill post my experiences of mentoring him/her.

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An Analytical focus to GMAT

2010-01-05T00:06:00.000-08:00

IIM CAT gets lots of space in discussion forums(thanks to the Prometric goof up), while its international cousin, GMAT, though revered for its reliability, is hardly discussed. Now that GMAT is used by a good number of B. Schools in India, IIMA( PGPX), ISB Hyderabad, IIMB( PGSEM), GLIM Chennai, to name a few, let’s give it its due and take a closer look at it.

GMAT tests verbal( sentence correction, critical reasoning and reading comprehension), math(problem solving and data sufficiency), and analytical writing skills.

The test assesses diverse competencies the prerequisites of which are strong fundamentals, the ability to think laterally and an analytical approach to sentence formation( grammar), critical reasoning, reading comprehension and quantitative problem solving.

Retake ,retake
GMAT is arguably the most repeated test. Twice, thrice. At times four attempts. Given that B.chools require 670+/800 thorough preparation is indispensable. The preparation cannot be confined to taking computer based tests or solving questions from the official guide. An overload of practice material in the internet has also mostly caused confusion among test takers- how much of it is adequate and if all relevant topics are covered.

Miracles do not happen
A reading comprehension section requires one to analyse and evaluate varied topics from economics, literature, philosophy, science, history. One who is planning to do GMAT should start early by extensive reading of such texts( The Hindu, Tuesday open page, Thursday Science and Technology and Sunday literary magazine are excellent sources. )this can be followed by reading comprehension(RC) tests of good quality. Always analyse the passages after the test. To score well in the Reading Comprehension a good diction is a must. For instance you must know the fine difference between explain, argue, propose, analyse, evaluate(words that summarise the primary purpose of the passage). And disinterested(not uninterested), biased, apprehensive - to cite a few terms depicting the author’s attitude toward the issue under discussion.
For the critical reasoning section there is a lot to learn about argument formation, argument types, argument evaluation and fallacies in arguments. One should know all the terminology that comprise the philosophy of argument( inductive generalization, argument by analogy, flaws in reasoning, post hoc fallacy to mention a few) from a whole spectrum of logic.
Sentence correction needs a lot of preparation. Requirements of standard written English, syntactical formats( eg. hardly…when, as much …as, so…that ), effective expressions( placing modifiers at the right place, avoiding unnecessary repetitions , ambiguity, choosing appropriate words).

The problem solving section of the GMAT is not as challenging as that of CAT. However, since most GMATers have a gap in academics, a thorough review of basics of math is a good start. This can be followed by strategy building- analyzing numerical problems, diagramming problems, substitution of suitable values, forming equations, forming hypothesis and testing , assessing the adequacy of data and the like.
The essays need attention- brainstorming on topics, learning the intricacies of argument analysis and adequate practice on timed organized writing.

In sum, to a reasonable degree, GMAT tests a candidate’s preparedness for the rigours of business education and business careers thereafter. Those competencies involve quantitative analysis, critical thinking, decision making, divergent thinking, Interpreting and evaluating complex data, and expressing ideas coherently and persuasively. These skills are reflected in the GMAT. Study well and crack it the first attempt itself.

For guidance email urmentor@semanticslearning.com

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Happy New year

2009-12-30T23:46:00.001-08:00

Lets GMAT all its followers a very very happy new year. May all of you get 750+ in the GMAT:-)

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Merry Christmas

2009-12-23T03:46:00.000-08:00

letsgmat wishes you a Merry Christmas:-)

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Check your GMAT skills

2009-12-17T05:17:00.000-08:00

Your GMAT prep – how should it be? What skills should you build

Conceptual clarity

Basic mathematics- strong fundamentals in algebra, arithmetic, geometry- theorems, rules, equations, formula, counting methods, speed of calculation.

Basic skills: verbal – reading skills- familiarity with a wide range of topics- science, history, philosophy, economics- literature. Ability to read varied texts with speed. Ability to speak and write correct English, a good vocabulary- ability to glean the meaning of words in context.
Basic skill – writing- ability to organize ideas in a logical order. Ability to write grammatically correct sentences. Ability to use forceful words to express ideas. General knowledge- awareness of varied current issues and topics of interest.

Analytical skills
Ability to analyse quantitative problems , arguments- identify logic underlying arguments, flaws in reasoning- ability to analyse abstract passages, complex sentences for errors.
Ability to analyse question requirement – critical reasoning, reading comprehension and certain quantitative questions accompanying problems. Ability to analyse purpose of arguments, passages.

Strategy application skills:
Ability to transfer learning to similar problem contexts, ability to identify commonness of problems and questions. Ability to improvise a solution plan. To evaluate arguments and assertions. To gauge the subtle differences between options.

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Management options for students with 0 years work experience

2009-12-11T04:23:00.000-08:00

If you have just finished college and you want to opt for a management program, chances are that the top Business schools in the world will not admit you to their MBA programs. Instead you can opt for the masters program in management from the same colleges..

These programs require 0 years work experience and the universities offer 100% scholarship for their programs. Student with 15 years of education can apply to these programs. Here are some of the universities.

University	Masters Program	Admission criteria	Work experience
London School of Economics	Finance	GMAT (Average score 700)	0
SDA Bocconi Italy	International management, Marketing management, Finance, Economics, Economics and Social science, Economics and Management of Innovation and Technology	GMAT (Average score 650)	0
HEC France	finance, financial economics, Sustainable development, International Business	GMAT(Average score 620)	0
HSG( St gallen Switzerland)	Information, media and technology management, Accounting and Finance, Economics	GMAT(Average score 650)	0
Nanyang university Singapore	Finance	GMAT (Average 650)	0
Esade Spain	Management	GMAT (Average 680)	0
Rotterdam School of management, Netherlands	Human resource management, Organizational change, accounting	GMAT(Average score 650)	0
Hult	International Business	GMAT (Average score 600)	0

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What to write for your MBA essays

2009-12-04T03:58:00.000-08:00

Is cooking up info in your essays good?

How do you project your uniqueness?

What is your long term goal? Entrepreneurship?

Many of you often ask me: what should I write for MBA essays.

Lets read what the ISB’s admissions director had to say about this.

http://www.isb.edu/Blog/admissionsdirector

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a new course from ISB for senior executives

2009-12-04T03:56:00.000-08:00

Here is a program tailor made for Executives in the fourties.
If life begins at 40, a new career horizon can also begin at 40.Atleast that is what ISB hyderabad believes with the introduction of the 15 month part time PGPMAX.

Who doesn't want to go back to the classroom. Those who have not yet conquered the highest levels of the leadership pipeline(let us says levels: functional management, group management & enterprise management),this could well be the passport to those positions.

The program involves overseas trip, classes at Wharton,and meeting head honchos of the industry. Program will commence from June 2010.

Visit www.isb.edu for more details

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MBA aspirants preferring Indian Bschools over foreign Bschools

2009-11-28T01:12:00.000-08:00

As per figures available with GMAC, 42% of the full time MBA programs in the US reported a decline in the number of foreign applicants, of these as many as 70% reported the largest decrease in number of applications from India, says a recent report.
Many MBA graduates claim that a one-year program from an Indian Bschool will get a better job profile in India (if he wants to settle and work in India) than a foreign MBA. Cost is also another major factor which makes MBA aspirants apply to Indian Bschools (which use GMAT scores for admission). MBA aspirants perceive that Indian schools offer quality education at a comparatively lower cost.
There are 24 Indian bschools (including select programs from the IIM’s) which accept GMAT scores.
A partial list:
ISB Hyderabad, GLIM Chennai, NMIMS Mumbai, IIMA PGPX, MDI PGPX, Exec MBA programs from top B-schools…..

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