The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is used by graduate business schools all over the world to determine which students should be accepted onto their MBA courses. The increasing popularity of the MBA course means that the competition to get a place on some of the most prestigious MBA courses is high. This pressure on course places means that the results of the GMAT test are of great significance as the higher your GMAT score, the more likely you are to be accepted onto your desired course.
You may find yourself at an advantage if you are based in London, as there are now an increasing number of companies setting up here that offer training courses to help students prepare for the GMAT exam.
These GMAT preparation courses break the 3.5-hour test down into its four component parts and help you train for each one individually. The GMAT is designed to test your business skills such as being able to understand complex arguments and being able to interpret data from multiple sources such as text and graphs. The four areas tested in the GMAT are analytical writing assessment, integrated reasoning, quantitative and verbal. If you already do not feel confident in answering any one of the four sections, the added element of time pressure to an already stressful situation means that it is essential you choose the best preparation possible before sitting the GMAT.
If you decide to undertake a preparation course to help you with your studies, there are many options available to students studying or living in London. If you choose to go with one of these courses, you will firstly need to check the quality of the training offered. A good course provider will be able to provide references from previous students and allow you to talk to both current and past students before embarking on a training course with them.
You should also check to see that the trainers are qualified to teach the course. It should not just be enough that the trainers have achieved a good score in the test themselves but they should also have a teaching background that enables them to pass on their knowledge to their students. A good course provider will allow you to sit in on a class, and speak to tutors, so that you can assess the teaching quality offered and see if it meets your own learner needs.
Finally, check to see what other services their course can offer you. It may not always be possible for learners to attend class on a full-time basis and their course may provide a mixture of learning options such as online modules, web-chats, one to one tuition and class based learning. A combination of these learning options may meet your learning needs if you are working full or part time whilst studying for the GMAT. Also, check to see that the course can offer realistic practice exam so you can get used to sitting the GMAT. Practice exams will also give you an idea of how much additional preparation work is still required before sitting the actual test to ensure you get the score you need to gain entry into your desired MBA course.