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Is GMAT verbal actually relevant?

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Is GMAT verbal actually relevant?

by tomhng » Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:52 am
Hello everyone,
I have been studying for GMAT for the last 2 months. I find it strange that GMAT tests the verbal skills of a B-school applicant to an extent even an English expert 'may not' answer all questions correctly.

IMO, good English is essential in order for a student to follow the MBA courses effectively, but sometimes I feel that the level of difficulty of the verbal questions has 'gone too far' that it lacks practicality. It is very much the same as studying great theories which you may not even apply in your daily life. Does it matter how great a person's English is if he or she excel in business like no other? I don't think every billionaire in this world can actually score 50 on verbal. What is your opinion? :)
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by Jen Kedro » Wed Dec 17, 2008 10:25 am
Sounds like you are taking a "deep thoughts" study break :).

While I definitely agreed with you when I was first studying for the GMAT, over the years of teaching GMAT prep, and getting my own MBA, etc, I have come to see SOME logic in the skills that are tested on the GMAT and how they are relevant, at least in an abstract way, to "real life." Verbal might be a little tougher to make that leap than math, but I would say:

1) in b-school (and in the business world), you need to be able to manage large amounts of information and reading under time pressure, and be able to pick out the important points effectively and efficiently (hence RC q’s)
2) strong managers use logic and reasoning to best make informed decisions, and it’s often important to avoid making assumptions (skills tested in CR)
3) while strong written English and writing skills are perhaps not as important in the opinion of some to being a good businessperson, communication skills are generally considered key in very effective leaders and managers…so being about to use correct grammar and write well will be important in memos, presentations, and other instances where you need to get your point across and influence others (hence SC and AWA)

Finally, even the non-tangible skills the GMAT tests are relevant, such as your ability to manage time, prioritize, and perform under pressure…all of which will be tested indirectly throughout all sections of the GMAT, are hugely important in b-school and in the business world.

That’s my deep thought contribution for the day! :)
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by VP_Jim » Wed Dec 17, 2008 1:31 pm
I agree with everything Jen said, and I'd like to add something about sentence correction. In my opinion, the SC section isn't really about grammar. It's about learning a relatively small set of rules and applying those rules to problems. The grammar that is tested on the GMAT is really quite easy. The hard part is becoming so familiar with the rules that it's easy for you to spot them and apply them to sentences. This certainly has application to the business world: you need to learn the rules of the game, and learn how to use those rules to your advantage.

In a broader sense, the best reasoning I've ever heard for why we have to take the GMAT is this: most MBA applicants have been out of school for a number of years. The GMAT is a test to see if you're ready and willing to put in some serious study time. In general, all of the concepts on the GMAT are really pretty basic. The test is: can you master those basic concepts and put in the time to practice them enough to score well? If so, you're probably ready to put in the work to get an MBA. If not, schools may question your commitment.

Hope this helps!
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by tomhng » Wed Dec 17, 2008 5:53 pm
Hi Jen and VP_Jim,
Thanks for the insights. Yup, sometimes, I just have a good laugh thinking about the level of difficulty of GMAT English. When I first started studying Verbal, I did not know that it will require 'this much' of effort, to be honest. :)
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by niraj_a » Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:28 pm
GMAT itself isn't really relevant to anything meaningful, just like most other entrance tests...

my 2 cents
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Re: Is GMAT verbal actually relevant?

by lunarpower » Thu Dec 18, 2008 12:30 am
a couple of thoughts.

one:
tomhng wrote:I find it strange that GMAT tests the verbal skills of a B-school applicant to an extent even an English expert 'may not' answer all questions correctly.
yes, but ... they don't really have a choice.

the only alternative would be to give a test on which a good english student could easily answer all the questions. such a test wouldn't be of much use, because it wouldn't discriminate at all among the top tier of students, essentially all of whom would receive perfect scores on it.

or:
they have to write a test that separates 800's from 750's.
I feel that the level of difficulty of the verbal questions has 'gone too far' that it lacks practicality.
the prime directive of standardized tests has nothing at all to do with "practicality".
rather, standardized tests purport to be as close as possible to tests of pure reasoning ability, while still maintaining some semblance of relevance to the applicant's school.
the gmat essentially succeeds in this regard, for the reasons ably outlined by jim and jen above.

and, as far as "practicality" goes: that's the raison d'être of EVERYTHING ELSE on your application.
ironically, a large part of the gmat's value lies in the fact that it is largely orthogonal to "practicality", testing abstract reasoning-type abilities that aren't directly evident anywhere else in the application.

Does it matter how great a person's English is if he or she excel in business like no other?
hey look man, i'd love to see the gmat introduce a section on body language, rapport building, etiquette, vocal projection, and other such things that matter A LOT in The Big Bad Real World.
that would be sweet.
ain't gonna happen.
I don't think every billionaire in this world can actually score 50 on verbal. What is your opinion? :)
if you have sufficient entrepreneurship skills to become a billionaire without inherited wealth, then you will succeed. this is america!
if you're that good, it will hardly matter where, or even if, you go to business school.
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.

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