<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>MBA – GMAT</title> <atom:link href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/category/mba-b-school/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat</link> <description>GMAT Prep Course, Best GMAT Class & Study Books | Manhattan Prep GMAT</description> <lastBuildDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2021 20:35:34 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.2</generator> <item> <title>The Executive Assessment Online</title> <link>https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-online/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stacey Koprince]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2021 20:28:21 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Executive Assessment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[For Current Studiers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Taking the GMAT]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[EA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[EA Online]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Study for the EA]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/?p=19297</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>[Note: I first wrote this right after I took the official Executive Assessment Online in May 2020. At that time, we had to use an online whiteboard for all of our work. In June 2020, they fixed that: Now, everyone can use both a physical whiteboard and an online whiteboard. I’ve updated this article accordingly; […]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-online/">The Executive Assessment Online</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" class="aligncenter wp-image-18174" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2019/10/gmat-sentence-correction-1024x536.png" alt="laptop-floating-windows" width="840" height="440" srcset="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2019/10/gmat-sentence-correction-1024x536.png 1024w, https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2019/10/gmat-sentence-correction-300x157.png 300w, https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2019/10/gmat-sentence-correction-768x402.png 768w, https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2019/10/gmat-sentence-correction.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[Note: I first wrote this right after I took the official Executive Assessment Online in May 2020. At that time, we had to use an online whiteboard for all of our work. In June 2020, they fixed that: Now, everyone can use both a physical whiteboard and an online whiteboard. I’ve updated this article accordingly; otherwise, the post is exactly what I wrote right after I took the exam.]</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I took the </span><a href="https://www.mba.com/exams/gmat-online"><span style="font-weight: 400;">GMAT Online</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> about a month ago and I was getting restless (nothing to do during the pandemic!), so I signed up to take the </span><a href="https://www.gmac.com/executive-assessment/executive-assessment-online"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Assessment (EA) Online</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The EA Online was a much better experience—I’ll tell you why below. (And since everyone always asks: I scored a 166 overall: 15 on IR, 13 on Verbal, and 18 on Quant. Verbal is usually my best section, so I was surprised by that score. My score also dropped on the Verbal when I took the GMAT Online, but my Quant and IR scores were fine / what I usually get.)</span></p> <p><span id="more-19297"></span></p> <h3>Why did the Executive Assessment feel easier?</h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The biggest reason: I knew exactly what to expect. I’ve been practicing with the </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-use-the-gmat-online-whiteboard-tool-for-the-gmat-online/?utm_source=poetsandquants&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Took_EA_Online"><span style="font-weight: 400;">online whiteboard</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for a month now—I no longer have to think about it how to use it or which icon I need to click for which tool. [And now that you can have a physical whiteboard, use the physical one for all of your math. I do still recommend using the online whiteboard to keep track of your time. For verbal-based notes, do you prefer to type or write? I’d rather type, so I’d still take notes on the online whiteboard.]</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the EA Online, I also knew exactly how the technology check and security protocols would work. I knew what to do to call the proctor and where I wanted to place my online whiteboard relative to the rest of the test on the screen.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The key is in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">knowing what to expect</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. That’s true whether you take the exam at a testing center or online—if you have a good idea of what’s coming, you’ll significantly reduce your anxiety in a stressful situation. For the online exam, make sure that you’re going through the tech and proctor check at least 24 hours before your exam—maybe even do the tech check twice the week before. I’d go so far as to assume you’re going to take the real test twice (and, if you get a score you like the first time, it’s just a nice surprise that you don’t need to take it again).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Second, it’s just easier to take the EA. The entire exam is only 90 minutes long, half the length of the GMAT (or the GRE), so it’s literally easier from a physical standpoint. I wasn’t getting cramped in my chair; I didn’t have the urge to go to the bathroom, nor did I get hungry or thirsty. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In addition, while the EA is also an adaptive exam, it doesn’t adapt in the same way as the GMAT. The EA is “section adaptive”—that is, the problems are given in a series of sections, or panels, of 6 or 7 questions each. Within any one panel of problems, you can move around however you like; you can skip a problem and come back to it later. That’s a less stressful exam experience than having to answer every question in the order given (which is how the GMAT works)—you feel as though you actually have some control over the test.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The GMAT is a more challenging exam, based on how the exam is constructed—and that’s not all bad. I actually feel a strong sense of accomplishment when I’m done with it. This is no doubt why many people still consider the GMAT the gold standard for business school. But, in many cases, the GMAT is overkill. If a program accepts the EA*, then I get the best of both worlds—I get the cachet of taking an exam that is very similar to the GMAT but it’s easier to take. (The only drawback is that it does cost more upfront than the GMAT. But there are no fees for most rescheduling scenarios or for sending score reports, so I find that friendlier, too. Pay once, get everything.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">*Most EMBA programs accept the EA at this point. An increasing number of regular full-time and part-time MBA programs are starting to accept the EA. Here’s a </span><a href="https://www.gmac.com/executive-assessment/about/accepting-schools"><span style="font-weight: 400;">full list of accepting programs</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <h3>So how did the EA go?</h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First, someone from Pearson, the organization that runs both the online exam and the in-person testing centers for the GMAT and EA, told me that the vast majority of test-takers who have tech issues during the exam unfortunately didn’t do the tech / system check ahead of time. Put a note on your calendar to run the tech check a few days (at least!) before you take the test. The tech check literally takes you all the way through launching a one-problem “exam” (it’s not a real test problem). If you discover an issue, you’ll have plenty of time to work with their tech support team to resolve it. (You will run this same tech check again immediately before the exam starts on exam day—but this time, the real exam will launch at the end of the tech check.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">My EA Online was identical to the EA I took in the testing center (except for the test problems, of course!). You start with a 12-minute instruction period, but if you’ve prepared by taking the official practice EAs (strongly recommended), you won’t need to read these instructions. Leave them on screen and let the 12-minute timer keep running, though. Pull up the online whiteboard (it’s always available and it’ll sit on top of the instructions screen). Start testing out the tools and jot down anything you want to use to help you keep track of your time as you take the exam.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Use this time to make sure that everything is working properly. I didn’t, and it turned out that my whiteboard was glitching—but I didn’t discover this until after I’d started the first section. Every 20-30 seconds, my whiteboard would suddenly erase everything I’d typed! (It </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">seemed</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to happen every time I typed the letter Z—maybe related to control-Z, undo? I’m not sure. I only realized this afterwards.) After the third time it happened, I clicked to summon the proctor. She restarted the software immediately, and the whiteboard worked perfectly for the rest of the test.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I didn’t call the proctor until about 3 minutes into the section, and then I started trying to explain exactly what the glitch was. I was stressed and was thinking “This is tech support, so I have to give them every detail so they can troubleshoot” mode. But really, I should’ve kept it short and simple, “It’s erasing itself every few seconds!” As soon as she understood me, she rebooted—but by then I was probably 4-5 minutes into the section.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">From then on, everything was normal. I was able to answer every IR problem except for one, a pretty ugly Two-Part problem for which I would have needed the calculator—but I ran out of time. I think another minute or two would have been sufficient to finish it, so the time I lost to the tech malfunction earlier did cost me here.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Verbal and Quant sections were both good. I had to do all of my work on the online whiteboard (since the physical whiteboard wasn’t allowed then) and I found one pretty significant benefit to doing the work online. I was working straight down on a single “page,” essentially, so when I reached the end of a panel, it was easy to scroll back up to review my work while I double-checked my answers. In the test center, I usually need two pages for one panel of problems, so I was having to flip around to review my work. I also had to keep looking up and down when I was using a physical whiteboard; with the online whiteboard, my work and the problem were side by side.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the very end of the Quant section, I had a panic moment when I thought my screen had frozen—but it actually hadn’t. A five-minute-warning window pops up, but I’d placed my whiteboard over the middle of the screen. The warning window had popped up </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">behind</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> it, so I didn’t see it. When I tried to choose my answer for the final problem, nothing happened. I finally remembered the 5-minute warning from the earlier sections, moved the whiteboard and saw it, clicked to dismiss it, and was able to select my answer. So just an FYI if you think the screen has frozen—move your whiteboard to see whether this warning window or another window has popped up on the screen.</span></p> <h3><strong>So…about that tech issue…</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After my exam, GMAC was nice enough to answer my questions about how tech issues are handled in general. Most tech issues can be resolved pretty easily; the proctors can restart the software very quickly and the test timer will stay at the same time it was at when the system was rebooted. (I can confirm that my timer stayed the same when they rebooted the software for me.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So if you do experience a tech issue, click the button to call the proctor immediately. For most issues, they can get you going again quickly.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">GMAC also said that you don’t have to worry if you have an internet outage or similar tech issue at home. If the outage is pretty short (a few seconds to a few minutes), you’ll be able to pick up where you left off. If you were to have a more serious tech issue (e.g., your power goes out for hours), you’d be given a case number and your case would be investigated. This can take up to a week; the resolution generally seems to be that the test-taker is allowed to reschedule and retake the exam (and this doesn’t count against you in terms of the number of times you’re allowed to take the exam). I’ve had students lose power or Internet in testing centers, too—the same thing happens. You have to reschedule for a later date. It’s really annoying when it happens but it’s not super common.</span></p> <h3>Online vs. testing center: Which is better?</h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A month ago, I was leaning towards testing online, but I was still on the fence. Now that I’ve had time to get used to everything [and now that they allow physical whiteboards], I’m a big fan of taking the exam online—assuming you have both the technology and the necessary quiet space to take the exam.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yes, testing at home probably has more potential for technology glitches, but to me, that’s worth not having to travel across town and sit in a room listening to other people sniffle or feeling cold because the room temperature isn’t what I prefer. (And it’s not like the testing centers don’t have power outages or other glitches, too.) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When I took the GMAT Online a month ago, I was also concerned about privacy issues; I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of an exam recording me in my own home. Pearson has told me, though, that they follow all data privacy and security laws in each test-taker’s country. In the United States, for example, any recordings are required to be deleted within 30 days of the date the recording is made. So I don’t have security/privacy concerns any longer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a personal choice, of course, so you’ll have to gauge your own preferences as well as how well you can meet the requirements (technology and quiet space). Speaking just for myself, now that GMAC has announced that the online versions of both the GMAT and EA are here to stay, I’ll definitely be taking these exams from the comfort of my own home in the future.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Want to learn more about the EA? Get your very own free </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/executive-assessment-starter-kit/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">EA Starter Kit</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> syllabus on Manhattan Prep’s site for some free practice and lessons. Happy studying!</span></p> <p><em><b>For information about our Executive Assessment Complete Course </b><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/executive-assessment/"><b>click here</b></a><b>.</b></em></p> <hr /> <p><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/stacey-koprince/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceBioLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-9719 size-thumbnail" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2015/06/stacey-koprince-150x150.png" alt="stacey-koprince" width="150" height="150" /></a></p> <p><em><strong><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/stacey-koprince/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceBioLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stacey Koprince</a> is a Manhattan Prep instructor based in Montreal, Canada and Los Angeles, California.</strong> Stacey has been teaching the GMAT, GRE, and LSAT for more than 15 years and is one of the most well-known instructors in the industry. Stacey loves to teach and is absolutely fascinated by standardized tests. <a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/classes/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceCoursesLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog#instructor/86">Check out Stacey’s upcoming GMAT courses here</a>.</em></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-online/">The Executive Assessment Online</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>What’s Tested on the Executive Assessment?</title> <link>https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-test/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stacey Koprince]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 05 Feb 2021 12:17:54 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Executive Assessment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[EA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Study for the EA]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/?p=18464</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The Executive Assessment is an entrance examination for Executive MBA programs and it’s also now accepted by a number of MBA and specialized Master’s programs. It’s made by the same organization, GMAC, that makes the GMAT—and, in fact, the two exams are very similar. The Executive Assessment (EA) is made up of three sections that […]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-test/">What’s Tested on the Executive Assessment?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-18466 size-full" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/01/mprep-blogimages-wave1-53-e1578975233224.png" alt="study for the EA" width="1200" height="628" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Executive Assessment is an entrance examination for Executive MBA programs and it’s also now accepted by a number of MBA and specialized Master’s programs. It’s made by the same organization, GMAC, that makes the GMAT—and, in fact, the two exams are very similar.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Executive Assessment (EA) is made up of three sections that appear on the EA in this order: </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="#IR">Integrated Reasoning (IR)</a>, <a href="#VR">Verbal Reasoning (Verbal)</a>, and <a href="#QR">Quantitative Reasoning (Quant)</a></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. (The GMAT contains these same three sections plus an Essay section. I’ll continue to address some of the main differences between the GMAT and EA as we go.)</span></p> <p><span id="more-18464"></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the Executive Assessment, people stress the most about the Quant section, followed closely by the IR section…and then they get around to thinking about the Verbal section. So I’m going to address the sections in order from most-to-least stressed-about: Quant, then IR, and finally Verbal.</span><br /> <a id="QR"></a></p> <h3><b>Quantitative Reasoning</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Quant section consists of the same two problem types (Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency) that appear on the Quant section of the GMAT, but the EA is considerably shorter: You’ll have 30 minutes to answer 14 problems. (The GMAT makes you answer 31 problems in 62 minutes). On both exams, you’ll have about 2 minutes per problem, on average.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The single biggest difference between the EA and the GMAT is that geometry* has been removed from the EA. But, yes, I had to add an asterisk there. Did you know that, among mathematicians, coordinate plane is considered algebra, not geometry? (You might have learned this in high school, as I did…and then completely forgot about it, as I did, until it came up again for the EA.) So it’s true that geometry is not tested on the EA…but coordinate plane can still show up, since it’s not “really” geometry.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I find that…annoying…but I was glad to see that, of the 100 quant problems in the EA official practice problems tool, just one is a coordinate plane problem. So I went into my official EA planning to guess on any coordinate plane problems I might see—and I luckily didn’t see any at all. In fact, I’ve taken the official exam twice now and didn’t see a coordinate plane problem either time. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I do know how to do geometry, since I also teach the GMAT, but I wanted to take the EA in the way that I’m advising my students to take it. Unless you happen to be a big fan of coordinate plane, I wouldn’t study it and I’d just guess randomly (bail) if you do see one on the test. Everyone needs to go into the test with a “bail” list—the things on which you’ll guess immediately when you see them. I’d put coordinate plane on that list (again, unless you happen to just love this topic).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A “bail” problem is one that you just don’t want to do. (Okay…that’s true for all of them. But it’s one that you actually are </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">not</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> going to do.) Assume that you’re going to bail on 2 to 3 problems out of the 14 you’re given in this section—you’re literally just going to guess in 15 seconds and reallocate that time to other problems in the section.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why? Unless you’re trying to get everything right so you can </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/jobs/instructor/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">teach for us</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">…you in fact don’t need to get everything right. Standardized tests are literally built to not give us enough time to answer </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">all</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of the questions to the best of our ability. Part of what they’re testing is whether you can make good decisions about what </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">not</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to do—just as a good executive must every day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So rather than spreading 30 minutes across 14 problems, spread that 30 minutes across 11-12 problems and give yourself a better chance of actually answering a majority of those ones correctly. Plant in your brain right now the idea that you are *not* going to try to do it all.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’ve studied for the GMAT and are familiar with the strategies Choose Smart Numbers, Work Backwards, and Test Cases, you can definitely use these strategies on the EA, too. You also can (and should!) estimate—I found I was able to do this even more than I do on the GMAT.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As far as the rest of the quant material, the EA appears to test everything else that the GMAT tests. If you’re using our books to study, I would emphasize the following:</span></p> <h4><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-Foundations-Math-Practice-Manhattan/dp/1506207642"><b><i>GMAT Foundations of Math</i></b></a></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Everything except geometry. We use this book heavily in our </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/executive-assessment/?utm_source=poetsandquants&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=manhattanprep_ea&utm_content=ea_complete_course"><span style="font-weight: 400;">EA live course</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. (Note: Although the title says GMAT, everything in this guide applies to the EA with the exception of most of the geometry topics.)</span></p> <h4><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-All-Quant-definitive-Manhattan/dp/1506248543"><b><i>All the Quant</i></b></a></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This book is split into 5 units by major content area. Within each unit, there are also strategy chapters—how to do Data Sufficiency, for example, or a series on Arithmetic vs. Algebra. Do </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">all</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of the strategy chapters in every unit except for geometry.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For math topics, I’ll list the specific areas within each unit that are most likely to show up on the EA.</span></p> <p><b>Unit 1: Fractions, Decimals, Percents, and Ratios</b></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fractions</span></li> <li>Percents</li> <li>Ratios</li> <li>For an extra-high quant score: Digits and decimals</li> </ul> <p><b>Unit 2: Algebra</b></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exponents</span></li> <li>Roots</li> <li>Linear equations and combos</li> <li>The basics of inequalities and max/min</li> <li>For an extra-high quant score: Quadratics and formulas</li> </ul> <p><b>Unit 3: Word Problems</b></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Translations</span></li> <li>Statistics (average, median)</li> <li>Rates</li> <li>For an extra-high quant score: Work, weighted average, overlapping sets</li> </ul> <p><b>Unit 4: Number Properties</b></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Divisibility and prime</span></li> <li>Odd, Even, Positive, Negative</li> <li>For an extra-high quant score: Probability and/or combinatorics—but <em>only</em> if you like these topics</li> </ul> <p><b>Unit 5: Geometry</b></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nothing, unless you like coordinate planes (but don’t do more geometry than that!)</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-All-Quant-definitive-Manhattan/dp/1506248543"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">All the Quant</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> guide comes with an accompanying ebook containing advanced math topics—no need to study those topics. The problems on the EA rarely get that hard.</span><a id="IR"></a></p> <h3><b>Integrated Reasoning (IR)</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When talking about the GMAT, I’d normally leave Integrated Reasoning to the last, since this section doesn’t matter as much on the GMAT. On the EA, however,</span> <a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/about-executive-assessment/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">your IR score is incorporated into your Total score</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (along with Quant and Verbal), so on the EA, you </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">do</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> have to be well-prepared for IR.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As on the GMAT, you will answer 12 IR problems in 30 minutes and you will have access to an on-screen calculator. (You don’t get a calculator for the quant section.) Use the calculator when you need it, but be careful not to use it as a crutch—keep your thinking cap on. A lot of times, you’ll be able to estimate to the point that you won’t even need to pull up the calculator and start punching numbers in. Only one answer will make sense. Look for those opportunities to estimate / get quick-and-dirty with the math.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">IR is a mix of quant, verbal, and logical reasoning skills. If you manipulate and analyze data at your job already, then at least two of the four IR problem types will feel not-too-weird to you: Tables and Graphs. You’ll be asked to do some analysis that involves reading and pulling data from the table or graph and synthesizing it in some way.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Multi-Source Reasoning (MSR) problems can be a little more complicated, but they are primarily about synthesizing data and information from multiple sources—two or three different tabs of information. Presumably, you already do this kind of information synthesis on a daily basis at work. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The fourth IR type, Two-Part, is a pretty classic “standardized-test” type of problem: You’re given a multiple-choice problem and have to solve for or find the answer. The twist, as the name Two-Part implies: You have to find </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">two</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> answers, not just one, for each problem.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You’ll have some problems that have a more “pure” focus—that is, primarily quant or primarily verbal or primarily logic. And you’ll have some that do a good job of making you mix skills—both quant and logic or both quant and verbal, for example.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The more verbal- or analytical-reasoning problems will not require you to bring in any outside factual knowledge, but the more quant-focused problems do require you to know various quant facts, rules, and formulas. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Luckily, the quant material is the same material you’ll be studying for the Quant section of the exam. The released official IR questions tend to focus on the following quantitative concepts:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><b>Arithmetic</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, including such concepts as PEMDAS and unit conversion, as well as manipulations involving fractions, percents (including interest rate), and ratios.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><b>Algebra</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, including linear equations and formulas / functions / sequences. The latter can sometimes be quite advanced—those are good “bail” questions (guess and move on).</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><b>Applied</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (story) problems, including a lot of statistics (average, weighted average, median, and correlation), as well as some rates & work and general applied story problems (translate and solve).</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><b>Geometry</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> includes some very basic “common sense” geometry (e.g., knowing that the square footage of a room can be found by multiplying the length and width). You don’t need to know any “real” geometry formulas / concepts for IR.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Want to try one? GMAC has posted some official <a href="https://www.gmac.com/executive-assessment/prepare/free-official-questions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sample EA problems</a> on its website. (Note: Create a free account in order to access the problems.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our</span> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-Integrated-Reasoning-Essay-Resources/dp/1506219675/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Integrated Reasoning & Essay guide</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says GMAT on the front cover but actually fully includes EA strategy as well as GMAT strategy in the guide itself. Every time we talk about overall strategy in that book, you’ll see two sections: one for EA and one for GMAT. If you use this guide, read the EA part and skip the GMAT part.</span><br /> <a id="VR"></a></p> <h3><b>Verbal Reasoning</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last but not least, the Verbal section will consist of the same three problem types that appear on the Verbal section of the GMAT. This section is also shorter on the EA: You’ll have only 14 problems (compared to 36 on the GMAT). You’ll have 30 minutes or a little over 2 minutes per problem (on average).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you </span><a href="https://www.gmac.com/executive-assessment/prepare/free-official-questions"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sign up for a free account</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on the official EA site, you can also try some sample Verbal problems.</span></p> <h4><b>Sentence Correction (SC)</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">SC problems are grammar problems. You’ll be given a sentence and 5 answer choices, representing variations on the original sentence. You have to say which version of the sentence is the best one—logical, unambiguous, and without any grammar errors. Plan to study all major rules and areas for SC: meaning, sentence structure, modifiers, parallelism & comparisons, and so on.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’ve never had a solid grounding in grammar (including how to recognize different parts of speech), then you may want to start with something like our </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-Foundations-Verbal-Practice-Manhattan/dp/1506249892"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Foundations of Verbal</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> strategy guide</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and work your way up to the regular Sentence Correction unit in our </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-All-Verbal-definitive-Manhattan/dp/1506249043"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">All the Verbal </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">strategy guide</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. In that second book, learn the main lessons for the major grammar topics and ignore anything that the book says is more advanced or more rarely tested (especially in the advanced chapters found in the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">All the Verbal</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Companion ebook that comes with the physical book).</span></p> <h4><b>Critical Reasoning (CR)</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">CR problems present a short argument or plan and ask you to critique it in some way. You might be asked to do something with the conclusion (strengthen it, weaken it, identify an assumption underlying it). You might be asked to give a conclusion (inference) or fix a problem with the argument (explain a discrepancy).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The CR problems found in the official EA verbal problem set cover the full range of </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-master-every-gmat-critical-reasoning-question-type/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">GMAT CR question types</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, with an emphasis towards Inference and Strengthen problems. There are also a decent number of Weaken, Find the Assumption, and Discrepancy problems. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But on the real test, it seems to be the case that Find the Assumption and Weaken problems are also similarly frequent. If you use the CR unit of our </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">All the Verbal</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> strategy guide, study the whole unit but prioritize Strengthen, Weaken, Find the Assumption, and Inference. The Companion ebook that comes with this strategy guide includes an extra chapter on wrong answer analysis for CR that you might find useful.</span></p> <h4><b>Reading Comprehension (RC)</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a classic standardized test problem type: You read several paragraphs of information and then answer several questions about that same passage. Our teachers taking the real exam have all been given one RC passage with 4 related questions. We’re assuming that this is the standard pattern and most or all test-takers will see this.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The passages and question types in the EA official tool run the gamut—Science, Social Science, and Business topics, and all of the usual question types. As on the GMAT, Specific Detail and Inference questions are by far the most common, with a smattering of Primary Purpose / Main Idea and various minor question types.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As with the rest of verbal, study the entire RC unit in our </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">All the Verbal</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Strategy guide. In short: You can use everything in the </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-All-Verbal-definitive-Manhattan/dp/1506249043"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">All the Verbal</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Strategy guide</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That covers all three sections of the Executive Assessment. Good luck and happy studying!</span></p> <p><b>NEXT: </b><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-prep/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How to Prep for the Executive Assessment</span></a></p> <p><b>For information about our Executive Assessment Complete Course </b><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/executive-assessment/"><b>click here</b></a><b>.</b></p> <hr /> <p><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/stacey-koprince/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceBioLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignleft wp-image-9719 size-thumbnail" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2015/06/stacey-koprince-150x150.png" alt="stacey-koprince" width="150" height="150" /></a></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></i></p> <p><em><strong><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/stacey-koprince/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceBioLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stacey Koprince</a> is a Manhattan Prep instructor based in Montreal, Canada and Los Angeles, California.</strong> Stacey has been teaching the GMAT, GRE, and LSAT for more than 15 years and is one of the most well-known instructors in the industry. Stacey loves to teach and is absolutely fascinated by standardized tests. <a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/classes/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceCoursesLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog#instructor/86">Check out Stacey’s upcoming GMAT courses here</a>.</em></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-test/">What’s Tested on the Executive Assessment?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>How to Prepare for the Executive Assessment</title> <link>https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-prep/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stacey Koprince]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 29 Jan 2021 12:03:57 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Executive Assessment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[EA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[how to prep for the EA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[how to study for the EA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[prep for the EA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Study for the EA]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/?p=18477</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Looking to take the Executive Assessment (EA) exam? The Executive Assessment, launched in 2016, is a very streamlined cousin of the GMAT. It was designed with Executive MBA (EMBA) candidates in mind—but the EA has broadened its reach and you can now take it for many regular MBA and other business Master’s programs. First, if […]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-prep/">How to Prepare for the Executive Assessment</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-18479 size-full" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/01/mprep-blogimages-wave1-54-e1579014067916.png" alt="study for the executive assessment" width="1200" height="628" /></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Looking to take the Executive Assessment (EA) exam? The </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/about-executive-assessment/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Assessment</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, launched in 2016, is a very streamlined cousin of the GMAT. It was designed with Executive MBA (EMBA) candidates in mind—but the EA has broadened its reach and you can now take it for many </span><a href="https://www.gmac.com/executive-assessment/about/accepting-schools"><span style="font-weight: 400;">regular MBA and other business Master’s programs</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span id="more-18477"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First, if you’re not already familiar with the </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/about-executive-assessment/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">basics about the Executive Assessment</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">—go take a look at that post now and then come back here. No worries; I can wait. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f642.png" alt="🙂" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Next, if you are already </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/what-is-the-gmat-2/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">familiar with the GMAT</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, then you can jump-start your understanding of the EA by taking a look at a separate post that covers the </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-gmat/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">differences between the GMAT and the EA</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. There aren’t many differences, but they are important. (If you aren’t already familiar with the GMAT, you don’t need to read that other post; just keep reading here.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s what we’ll cover in this post:</span></p> <ul> <li><a href="#learn"><span style="font-weight: 400;">What you need to learn for the Executive Assessment</span></a></li> <li><a href="#materials">What Executive Assessment study materials are available?</a></li> <li><a href="#time">How much time do you need to study?</a></li> <li><a href="#setting-up">Setting up your Executive Assessment studies</a></li> <li><a href="#time-management">Time management on the Executive Assessment</a></li> </ul> <p> </p> <h3 id="learn"><b>What do I need to learn for the Executive Assessment?</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">How long has it been since you were in school? Overall, I’d really view your test preparation as your first grad school course. You have to learn actual content, of course, but also use this time to get yourself back into a strong study routine before school starts. Figure out how to prioritize your studies and set up a study plan that works for your strengths and weaknesses.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many of the concepts you’ll learn will actually help you in grad school. You’ll need to relearn certain math formulas, concepts, principles you learned in school. You’ll also need to learn some grammar and logical reasoning skills.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You’ll need to understand the EA works, including the different question types—and the best strategies for approaching them. And you’ll need to master the best practices for managing your time during the test and making strong </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/what-the-executive-assessment-really-tests/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">executive decisions</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to get you to the score you want.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One more thing: You’re mostly going to need to study from materials that were built for the GMAT, since very few EA-specific study materials exist. (Does that seem odd to you? Here’s the business case: At the moment, fewer than 10,000 EA exams are given every year, compared to a couple of hundred thousand GMAT exams. Until the EA market gets a lot bigger, companies aren’t going to invest a ton in making EA-specific materials. Even the official test makers have yet to publish a physical book—all official study materials are available only in digital form.) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But you can use GMAT materials because 100% of the problem types and the vast majority of the content areas are identical; we’ll talk about this more later on.</span></p> <h3 id="materials"><b>What Executive Assessment study materials are available?</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s start with free resources. The official test makers (GMAC) make a small number of </span><a href="https://www.gmac.com/executive-assessment/prepare/free-official-questions"><span style="font-weight: 400;">official practice problems</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> available for free on their site—create an account to gain access. Manhattan Prep offers a free </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/executive-assessment-starter-kit/?utm_source=poetsandquants&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=manhattanprep_ea&utm_content=ea_free_resources"><span style="font-weight: 400;">EA Starter Kit</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">; again, just create a free account to get started.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you take a course, that course should include study materials and a syllabus with specific homework assignments (</span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/executive-assessment/?utm_source=poetsandquants&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=manhattanprep_ea&utm_content=ea_complete_course"><span style="font-weight: 400;">we have our own course here at Manhattan Prep</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">). If you study on your own or with friends, take some time at the start to gather your study resources and develop your own syllabus.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">GMAC also sells a </span><a href="https://www.gmac.com/executive-assessment/prepare/official-prep"><span style="font-weight: 400;">variety of official study tools</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. I definitely recommend getting the 4 practice exams and I’m also a fan of the online bank of 300 practice problems—100 problems for each of the three exam sections: Integrated Reasoning (IR), Quant, and Verbal. They also have a product that contains 50 IR problems (but not Q or V). </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I wouldn’t buy the extra IR-only tool to start, but if you want more IR practice later, it’s there. (Note: If you are familiar with Official Guide books from the GMAT or other grad school exams: There is no equivalent book for the EA.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The official materials have the best practice problems, but you don’t learn how to get </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">better</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> just by doing a ton of problems. To improve, you’re going to need some materials from test prep companies—that is, the people who are actually in the business of teaching you how to improve your score. I’ll tell you about Manhattan Prep’s study resources, but I’m obviously biased, so please also do your own research.</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-Integrated-Reasoning-Essay-Resources/dp/1506219675/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Integrated Reasoning & Essay</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> guide</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (published September 2019). Covers the IR section for </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">both</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> the EA and the GMAT. This is the only print book available that does directly address the EA (as of right now, when I’m writing this); we cover full strategies for both of the exams. (Ignore the essay chapter; that applies only to the GMAT.)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-All-Quant-definitive-Manhattan/dp/1506248543/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">All the Quant</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-All-Verbal-definitive-Manhattan/dp/1506249043"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">All the Verbal</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. These two guides are GMAT-focused. You just need to be aware of certain differences—but the vast majority of the content applies to both exams. (If you want all three guides, </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-Manhattan-Prep-Strategy-Guides/dp/1506219705/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=gmat-web-mprep-20&linkId=16fcc2d7a8c75fb6de52acc0d26fd5c8"><span style="font-weight: 400;">buy them as a set</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">—you’ll pay less, and the set comes with some additional online resources that you’ll likely want to use.)</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The EA and the GMAT have all the same problem types, and almost all of the content is identical. Here are the two big differences between the exams:</span></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quant: No* geometry! (*The EA does test Coordinate Plane, so do that chapter in the geometry unit; ignore all of the other geometry chapters. Yay!)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Time management: I’ll talk more about</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">time management strategies </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">later in this post</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">; for now, just know that how you manage time is different on the two exams.</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Verbal and IR sections are 100% identical in terms of both problem types and content tested.</span></p> <h3 id="time"><b>How much time do I need to study?</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The EA is not an easy exam; you are going to have to work for it. But grad school isn’t easy either—and preparing for the EA will help you get ready to be back in school.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most people are going to need between 2 and 5 months to prepare for the EA. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you make your plan:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(a) How many hours a week can you (realistically) study?<br /> </span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If possible, spend about 5 to 15 hours a week. (Fewer than about 5 and you’ll struggle to build momentum; more than about 15 and you’ll start to burn out.)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Have some shorter and some longer study sessions. You can have 5-10 minute bursts to study flashcards, but you also need some 60 to 90 minute sessions where you really dive deep on a topic or take a full-length practice test. And you can have some 30 to 60 minute sessions in which you complete a discrete assignment—read a chapter, do some practice problems, and so on.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Your study needs to be <i>effective</i>—no studying while also trying to sit in a meeting or have dinner with the family. Mute your phone. Focus on your homework.</li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(b) How long has it been since you were last in school?</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Aiming for an Executive MBA? It’s probably been at least 10 years. The good news: Your longer work experience counts for more, so you don’t need as high of a score on the EA. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Aiming for a regular MBA or a specialized master’s? Your last math class may have been more recent—but be aware that you likely need a higher score on the exam due to the type of program you want to attend. (Still, you likely don’t need as high of a score as you would if you took the GMAT or GRE.)</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(c) What kind of score do you hope to get on the exam?</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As of this writing, EMBA programs are typically asking for a 150 or higher; a 150 is around the 50th percentile. For these types of programs, it’s </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">usually</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> the case that you just need to hit that target—that is, you don’t have to aim for a 155 or 160 to be more “competitive.” Meet the 150 threshold and then they’ll use the rest of your application to make the real admissions decision.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A number of specialized Master’s and regular MBA programs also accept the EA now. These programs typically want to see something higher, in the 155 range. Many of these programs also want to see a 12 or higher on the Quant section of the exam, specifically.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do contact your desired schools to ask about their EA requirements; they’re happy to tell you.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you can stick to a consistent 12 to 15 hours a week of </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">effective</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> study, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">and</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> you haven’t completely forgotten how to do any math on paper, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">and</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> you aren’t looking for an especially high score, then you might be able to aim for about 6 to 8 weeks of study. Most people are going to have at least one sticking point though—less time to study each week, you’ve forgotten all the math you ever learned, you do want a higher-than-average score, etc. In that case, plan for more like 2 to 5 months.</span></p> <h3 id="setting-up"><b>Setting Up Your Studies</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most people who are just starting out focus more of their time on getting up to speed on the math. It’s probably been a while since you last did math on paper but you haven’t forgotten how to read English, so the Verbal section doesn’t seem as daunting. And you need the quant concepts for both the Quant and Integrated Reasoning sections of the exam.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That’s fine. But remember that your Verbal score is equally weighted in your Total score, so you are going to want to do some good study in that area as well. Don’t leave those points on the table. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’m going to recommend the same general structure that we use in our courses. Start with Quant foundations, particularly all those math topics that you learned when you were 12 (and promptly forgot). Do you remember how to add fractions or solve an equation? Does PEMDAS, aka order of operations, ring a vague bell? These topics are living deep in your brain—you just have to do some work to bring them back to your working memory.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Give yourself at least a couple of weeks to work through the foundations. You’ll be really rusty at first but you’ll speed up as you get further down the path. (If you’re in our course, we’ve already built this foundational work into your syllabus. If you haven’t started yet, ideally, choose a class that doesn’t start a few weeks from now so you can get a head start on this work. Once you sign up, you get access to all of the study materials right away.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When your brain is sick of math, dive into Verbal or IR. First, study how the different verbal and IR problem types function. When you feel like you can actually do math on paper again (you don’t have to feel great—it just has to mostly work), dive into the three main strategy guides (IR & Essay, All the Quant, and All the Verbal). At this point, take a practice test and use the results to decide what to prioritize from now until your next practice test (in a few weeks or a month).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Did you know that your brain actually learns better when you move about among topics? That forces your brain to better encode the material—and that makes it easier for you to recall the information when you need it again later. (It </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">feels</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> easier to do a deep dive into just one topic, but that’s like having an easy workout. If you’re not a little sore afterwards, you didn’t really flex your muscles or push yourself hard enough.) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So plan to study a topic for 30 to 60 minutes and then move on to something else. Loop back around later to the first topic. And mix up the different sections and question types—some verbal, then some quant, and so on.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Also do some study most days of the week (ideally 4 to 6 days). On some of those days, you might study for only 30 minutes; on others, you’ll study longer. When you study for longer than an hour, give yourself a solid break (at </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">least</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> 15 minutes) after an hour of study.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Don’t try to cram 6 hours of study into your Saturday. Your brain can only learn so much in a day or even in one sitting. Then it needs to go do something else in order to make good memories of everything you learned before you can start to layer more information on top. The two best memory-building activities: sleep and physical movement. (That’s not anecdotal; that’s backed up by science.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Go for a walk. Do the dishes. Stretch. Take a 20-minute nap! Then come back and study some more.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keep yourself on track by mapping out a study calendar at the beginning of each week. I put actual appointments on my calendar. Here’s an example:</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 40px;"><b>Day 1</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: 30 minutes Verbal (Sentence Correction); 1 hour Quant (Percents)</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><b>Day 2</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: 45m Quant (Data Sufficiency); 45m IR (Tables)</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><b>Day 3</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: 30m Quant (Fractions and Ratios); 1h Verbal (Critical Reasoning)</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><b>Day 4</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: Day off</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><b>Day 5</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: 1h morning and 1h evening: Review Quant and IR topics studied earlier</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><b>Day 6</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: 1h morning and 1h afternoon: Review Verbal and IR topics studied earlier</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><b>Day 7</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: 1.5h Do a problem set and review; 45m What went well and what needs more work? Set up plan for next week.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the upcoming week, plan out each study appointment with specific assignments / topics. (If you’re taking our course, pull individual tasks from your syllabus. Prioritize based on your strengths and weaknesses.) If you’re making your own study plan, have a rough idea of what you may do next week, but wait to see how this week goes before you set your day-to-day plan for next week. You may have to spend more time reviewing a certain topic—or you may discover that you did better than expected in a certain area and you can do more or add in a topic that you weren’t originally planning on covering next week.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a couple of weeks—once you know the basic question types that appear on the EA—take a practice test (</span><a href="https://www.gmac.com/executive-assessment/prepare/official-prep"><span style="font-weight: 400;">GMAC sells 4 official practice tests</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">). You won’t know a lot of the content yet. That’s okay. Take the practice test anyway. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Afterwards, dig in and analyze. What are your overall strengths and weaknesses? Where were you </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">close</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—you knew how to do it but made a mistake, or you didn’t know how to do it, but you fully understand it now? Also pay more attention to any areas you’d studied before the exam—how did they go? What did you learn well and what needs a review?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This gives you a starting list of the best areas to prioritize over the next few weeks until you take your next practice test. There are also a couple of areas to de-prioritize: The things you’re already good at and the things that you’re </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">really</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> not good at. Don’t prioritize the hardest material—not now. Start with whatever seems easier to you to learn. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Remember, you don’t need a perfect score. In fact, you’re going to get to your target score while you still have quite a number of weaknesses. So you might as well let those weaknesses be the things that you find the hardest to learn. You’re going to discover that you </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">never</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> need to learn some of them, because you’ll get to your target score first!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now that you’ve got a good idea of what to prioritize and what </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">not</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to prioritize, grab your calendar and map out next week’s study plan. Take another practice test every few weeks (depending on how much you’re studying each week). Use the data as a backward and forward-looking measure: Backward to gauge how you’re progressing with what you’ve already studied and forward to continue to pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses so you can devise the most effective plan from now until your next practice test.</span></p> <h4><b>Practice Under Timed Conditions</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The real test is timed, so it’s crucial to practice EA-format problems under test-like conditions. If you give yourself the luxury of spending twice as long on a problem when you’re “just practicing,” your brain is going to fall into the same habits on test day—and that’s really going to mess up your score. If you don’t practice the executive reasoning decisions exactly as you need to make them on test day…then you’re not going to know how best to make those decisions when it counts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When you’re first learning certain concepts, or doing skill-drill-building type activities, you don’t need to time yourself. But when you do problems from the official EA problem set tool, time yourself the first time you do them. Hold yourself to test conditions: Pick an answer and mentally move on when you’d want to do so on the real test.</span></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">After</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> you’ve picked your answer, feel free to try the problem again—that’s a great idea, in fact. The second time, take as long as you want. In fact, make it open book—look up anything you want. If you can figure out for yourself how the problem works, you’ll be much more likely to remember what to do if you see something similar on the real test.</span></p> <h2 id="time-management"><b>Time Management on the Executive Assessment (EA)</b></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Each of the three sections is 30 minutes long. The IR section has 12 problems and the Quant and Verbal sections have 14 problems each. On average, you’ll have a little over 2 minutes to solve each problem.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As I mentioned earlier, though, you’re not even going to try to solve everything (though you are going to put in an answer for everything). The test is literally built such that you don’t have enough time! Instead, plan to bail immediately—guess within the first 15-30 seconds—on 2 or 3 problems in each section. Then, on average, you’ll have about 2.5 minutes per Verbal and Quant problem and a whole 3 minutes per Integrated Reasoning problem. That will make a huge difference in your performance on those problems.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Each test section (IR, Verbal, Quant) is delivered in two separate panels with half of the problems in each panel—that is, you’ll have six or seven problems in each panel. Definitely bail on one problem in each panel. And what happens when you see another really annoying problem but you’ve already bailed on one in that panel? Bail again. You’re going to bail on three total in each section, so you have the luxury of an extra bail in one of the panels for that section.</span></p> <p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19292" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/06/ea-timing.png" alt="" width="700" height="410" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Before test day, have a list of Bail Categories—the types of problems or content areas that you know in advance that you don’t want to do. I personally bail immediately on combinatorics and on what I deem Too Annoying To Consider problems. An example of the latter: A Roman numeral problem (way more work than a normal problem) that has 4+ variables (seriously?) plus some other annoying feature, such as fractions or absolute value symbols or the like. Basically, pay attention to what annoys you. When too many annoying details are piled into a single problem, bail immediately.</span></p> <h4><b>Marking Questions for Later</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What if you see something that’s borderline—you’re not sure yet whether you want to bail? Or maybe you can do this one, but it looks like it’s going to take some extra time. As you’re working within any one panel, you’re allowed to flag questions; you can return to them as long as you are still in that same panel. You can see a list of all of the problems and just click to jump right to a flagged one. This is a fantastic feature but you need to practice to know how best to use it—and what </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">not</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to do.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First, there’s an enormous difference between marking a problem and bailing on a problem. When you bail, you’re deciding that you </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">never</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> want to do this, so don’t flag it. You’ve made the executive call. Pick a random answer and forget about it. (Do put in an answer—there’s no penalty for answering incorrectly.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But when you do want to come back to something later, flag it </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">and</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> put in a random answer right now. It’s possible that you might not make it back later; if so; you’ll already have your guess in the system.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s how this works in more detail for each section of the EA.</span></p> <h4><b>Time Management: Integrated Reasoning</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are 12 problems total in the IR section, 6 in each panel. You’re going to bail on at least 1 and possibly 2 in each panel, leaving you 4 or 5 problems per panel to solve. You’ll have 30 minutes to finish </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">both</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> panels, so aim to use about half the total time (15 minutes) for each of the two panels.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First, let’s establish the bail parameters. You’re not going to try this one at all—not even an educated guess. Don’t flag it for later. Pick your favorite letter and forget about it forever.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These kinds of problems are good bail candidates:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Big weaknesses; things that stress you out</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The text makes no sense to you or you have no idea how to approach it</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">You do have an idea for what to do but it would take way too long (more than a minute longer than the average time for that problem type)</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Next, let’s establish the “flag for later” parameters. First, be stingy. At the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">very</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> most, mark two in one panel—and try to keep it to just one. This is not a leisurely exam; you’ll be lucky if you have time to come back even to one problem. You don’t want to spend a minute of your precious time trying to figure out which of 3 marked problems you want to try right now. Chances are, you’ll run out of time before you have a chance to finish any one of them.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And don’t forget to enter a random guess when you flag the problem. If you don’t get back to it later, at least you’ve already locked in your guess.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These kinds of problems are good flag candidates:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">You know how to do this but it looks harder than average / will take a </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">little</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> longer than average (30 to 60 seconds longer than average for that problem type)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">You’re thinking, “I know exactly how to do this one! It’s right on the tip of my tongue!! But I’m blanking right now.”</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the “takes a little longer” category, you’re just forestalling the possibility that this one ends up taking even longer than you think and then you run out of time with one or two problems left to go. Save this one for last.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the “Ugh, I know this!!” category, it’s sparking a memory in your brain, but you can’t recall that memory immediately. Have you ever been trying to remember something and you set it aside and, 5 minutes later, when you’re thinking about something else, it suddenly comes to you? Give yourself a chance to have that happen right now. (If it never comes, that’s fine. You’ve put in a guess. Keep going.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Picture the whole process: The first IR panel appears on the screen. In that panel, you’re going to bail fast on one (and never come back to it). Let’s say you flag one more for later. So on your first pass through that panel, you’re actually going to solve four of the problems.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now you’re at the end of that first panel. Something will pop up on the screen asking whether you want to review any of the problems in that panel or whether you want to move onto the next panel. Glance at the timer in the upper right screen; it’s counting down from 30 minutes, so it will tell you how much time you have left. The halfway mark is 15 minutes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most IR questions typically require 2-3 minutes. If the screen tells you that you have 16 or more minutes left, calculate how much extra time you have till it gets to 15 minutes. Pull up your flagged problem. Let’s say that you have exactly 2 minutes extra. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Go for it for about a minute or so. Are you getting anywhere? Think you can finish it off within another minute or so? If so, go for it. If it’s going to take a lot longer or you’re lost, guess. Glance at the timer again—how are you doing?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you have fewer than 16 minutes left, either at this point or the first time you check the timer, don’t go back to anything else in this panel. Close out this panel and move to the second one.</span></p> <h4><b>Time Management: Verbal and Quant</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Verbal and Quant sections are very similar, but you’ll have 7 problems per panel this time rather than 6. You’ll still have a total of 30 minutes (or about 15 minutes per panel), so you’ll need to work a bit faster on these problems. Quant and Verbal problems are generally not as complicated as IR problems, though, so that’s okay.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hold to the same bail and flag parameters: Bail on one per panel (with the possibility of an extra bail in one of the two panels for a section) and flag one per panel (max two).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At times, you’ll be able to solve some Quant and Verbal problems in 1.5 or 2 minutes—that is, you’ll save some time—so you don’t need to be quite as strict on your time management when deciding to move to the second panel. If you have:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">14 or fewer minutes left…Do cut yourself off. Go straight to the next panel.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">More than 14 minutes left…You have a choice: Return to a flagged problem in the first panel or move to the second panel?</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the second scenario, you’ll need to gauge two things: How much time is left? How good of an opportunity is that flagged problem?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Take 15 seconds to examine the flagged problem. Glance at the timer again. If you have a solid plan to solve </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">and</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> confidently think you’ll still have more than 14 minutes left when you’re done solving, go for it. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re still blanking on it or you know it’s going to take more time than you have or you find yourself thinking any variation of, “But I </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">should</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> know how to do this…” don’t proceed. Make a random guess and move to the next panel.</span></p> <h4><b>In sum</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re coming to the EA from the GMAT, make sure you educate yourself on the</span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/should-i-take-the-gmat-or-the-executive-assessment/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">major differences between the two exams</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. There aren’t many—but you will need to make some adjustments, especially in the area of time management.</span></p> <p><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Plan for a minimum of 4 weeks</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and probably closer to 6 to 8 (since you have lots of other things going on in your life too, right?). If you need a higher-than-average score or are extra-busy and can’t study much, you may need closer to 3 to 4 months.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Study</span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-2/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">IR, Verbal</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and</span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-3/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Quant</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> pretty equally—you’re looking to get fairly even scores across all three sections, as much as possible. If you’re going for an EMBA, your total score goal (as of this writing) is 150+, and if you’re going for a regular MBA, your score goal is 155+—but do some research yourself whenever you are reading this to make sure things haven’t changed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You’re going to want to practice from the official EA tools available—but you’re also going to need some test-prep-company materials to teach you the underlying skills and content for the exam. And you’re going to need to set up a study plan for yourself.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Practice time management strategies during practice tests so you’re prepared to make quick decisions about where to spend your brain power on test day. </span></p> <p><b>KEEP READING: </b><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-test/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">What’s Tested on the Executive Assessment?</span></a></p> <p><b>For information about our Executive Assessment Complete Course </b><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/executive-assessment/"><b>click here</b></a><b>.</b></p> <hr /> <p><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/stacey-koprince/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceBioLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignleft wp-image-9719 size-thumbnail" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2015/06/stacey-koprince-150x150.png" alt="stacey-koprince" width="150" height="150" /></a></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></i></p> <p><em><strong><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/stacey-koprince/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceBioLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stacey Koprince</a> is a Manhattan Prep instructor based in Montreal, Canada and Los Angeles, California.</strong> Stacey has been teaching the GMAT, GRE, and LSAT for more than 15 years and is one of the most well-known instructors in the industry. Stacey loves to teach and is absolutely fascinated by standardized tests. <a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/classes/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceCoursesLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog#instructor/86">Check out Stacey’s upcoming GMAT courses here</a>.</em></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-prep/">How to Prepare for the Executive Assessment</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Should I get an MBA?</title> <link>https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/should-i-get-an-mba/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[mbaMission]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 03 Dec 2020 19:44:39 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[MBA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[business school]]></category> <category><![CDATA[get an MBA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[reasons to get an MBA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Should I get an MBA]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/?p=18701</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Do I really need an MBA? These days, with the U.S. economy booming and more and more jobs (particularly in tech) seeming to value work experience over an advanced degree, people are starting to question whether business school is the best route to where they want to go professionally—whether it is truly worth the investment. […]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/should-i-get-an-mba/">Should I get an MBA?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-18703 size-full" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/03/mprep-blogimages-wave1-41-e1583869158298.png" alt="should i get an mba" width="1200" height="628" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do I really need an MBA? These days, with the U.S. economy booming and more and more jobs (particularly in tech) seeming to value work experience over an advanced degree, people are starting to question whether business school is the best route to where they want to go professionally—whether it is truly worth the investment. We would argue that an MBA can definitely add a great deal to both your professional and personal growth. Here are some key reasons to consider pursuing the degree:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[ This</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> post was written by </span></i><a href="https://www.mbamission.com/who-we-are/team/nisha-trivedi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nisha Trivedi</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, an </span></i><a href="https://www.mbamission.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">mbaMission</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Senior Consultant. </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <p><span id="more-18701"></span></p> <h3><b>Top 9 Reasons to Get an MBA</b></h3> <h4><b>Reason to get an MBA #1: Incomparable Instruction in “Hard” Business Skills</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although you can technically acquire basic business knowledge and skills (e.g., financial analysis, applying strategic frameworks, interpreting balance sheets) via online courses and books, the depth and intensity with which you learn in an immersive MBA program far surpasses what is possible through any other venue. For example, the first-year core curriculum at some top programs has even been referred to as “boot camp”—the course work is rigorous, extensive, fast paced, and, for some, truly grueling. In addition, some schools teach via the “case method,” in which students tackle real-world business problems by putting themselves in the shoes of the major decision makers (e.g., CEO, CFO, head of marketing) and providing analysis-based recommendations on how the firm involved should proceed. As students engage with and challenge one another on their assumptions and conclusions in the classroom, faculty members facilitate the discussions. Sometimes, the actual protagonist(s) of the case will even come to class to share what actually happened. No book or online course can offer that kind of experience. If you really want to understand business and “speak the language” of various functions within a company, the most powerful way to do so is via business school. </span></p> <h4><b>Reason to get an MBA #2: Valuable Training in “Soft” Business Skills</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Business school graduates often say that some of the most important takeaways from their MBA program relate to “softer” skills, such as leadership, teamwork, and people management. As a fellow Michigan Ross MBA recently told me, “The soft skills I learned in ‘Leadership Development’ [class] have made earning the trust and support of my colleagues much easier each time I’ve transitioned to a new organization.” Such courses prepare you to address interpersonal questions and situations that can be critical to your success at work: How do you influence cross-functional team members over whom you have no authority? How do you negotiate for a favorable outcome, such as a higher salary? How do you collaborate effectively with individuals who have different backgrounds, perspectives, and ideas? In business school, you not only get instruction in ways to approach these kinds of issues, but you also have the opportunity to practice what you learn before you find yourself in a real workplace environment that could entail serious legal, financial, or professional repercussions.</span></p> <h4><b>Reason to get an MBA #3: Hands-On Learning Opportunities</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most, if not all, of the top business schools offer classes, programs, and projects in which small teams of students work directly with companies and nonprofits around the world to solve actual business problems the organizations are facing, in real time. As a result, they get firsthand insight into how these firms operate, while also making excellent insider connections. Sometimes, students then parlay their engagement with the sponsor company into a summer internship or even a full-time position after graduation. Some recent hands-on projects at one of the leading MBA programs include building practical go-to-market strategies for Microsoft to effectively engage with university students, recommending to Marriott International how to increase revenues from spa services in the Asia-Pacific region, and developing a business model for a therapeutic food product that treats severe malnutrition in Rwanda. In addition to providing valuable exposure to both business issues and people, these hands-on opportunities help participants learn to deal with something they are bound to face later in their careers: managing through ambiguity. Often, leaders must make decisions based on vague or incomplete information. By navigating the challenges of client engagements as an MBA student, you will develop the capabilities you will need to handle similar situations successfully in your own firm down the line. </span></p> <h4><b>Reason to get an MBA #4: Aid in Changing Careers</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although making a significant career change on your own is possible, it is unquestionably difficult. Doing so via business school is not just easier but common. As an admissions consultant, I have worked with a field engineer turned investment banker, a nonprofit director turned operations consultant, and an engineer turned product manager. And one of my own MBA classmates switched from NFL player to consumer product marketer. The core MBA curriculum (covering finance, economics, marketing, operations, strategy, etc.) helps students develop overall business acumen, which is particularly essential for those who enter business school from nontraditional backgrounds or who have experience in only one or two business areas. Elective courses then provide specialized knowledge across functions and industries. In addition, via professional clubs (e.g., Consulting Club, Investment Management Club, Marketing Club), aspirants to certain careers gain in-depth exposure to what potential jobs actually entail, connect with companies of interest through career treks and conferences, and learn how best to apply to and interview with industry-specific recruiters. These resources enable business school students to effectively bridge the gap between their past experience and their future goals. </span></p> <h4><b>Reason to get an MBA #5: Incomparable Job Search Resources</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Whether MBA students are looking to change careers completely or just attain a better position in their current industry, their program’s career services office offers extensive resources, support, and firm access that will help them do so much more easily than they could on their own. These offices provide assistance with resume and cover letter preparation, advice about which jobs to consider, access to exclusive job postings, and the opportunity to do targeted mock interviews with highly trained representatives. In addition, the career services offices maintain relationships with recruiters from some of MBAs’ most sought-after firms, and these individuals come to campus to interview students for internships and full-time positions. These are definitive job search advantages you cannot get elsewhere.</span></p> <h4><b>Reason to get an MBA #6: Opportunities for International Exposure</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These days, business is increasingly global, and its leaders must have strong cross-cultural understanding to succeed. The top business schools give students valuable opportunities to gain the exposure and tools they will need to be able to collaborate with colleagues around the world or conduct business abroad. These include semester-long exchange programs with programs outside the United States, courses that involve one to three weeks working on-site with international company partners, international job treks, and one- to two-week global study trips, through which students collaborate directly with a non-US firm to address a global business problem. These programs instill in students a global mind-set that is far more profound than what can be gained from a brief work trip or personal travel. </span></p> <h4><b>Reason to get an MBA #7: Entrepreneurial Support</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you dream of starting your own venture, business school will provide access to all the key elements you need for your best shot at success. In addition to the foundational business principles you gain from the program’s core curriculum, entrepreneurship-specific courses teach you what is involved in establishing an entirely new company. Among your classmates, you will find other aspiring entrepreneurs with whom you can network or possibly even join forces to start a venture together. In addition, many top MBA programs have on-site Entrepreneurs in Residence with whom you can meet to seek input and advice as needed. Most leading business schools also have annual entrepreneurship competitions that not only allow you to test the merits of your business idea and receive targeted feedback from experienced entrepreneurs but that also pay out thousands of dollars in prize money with which to fund your venture. And more and more programs are establishing business incubators to assist students with forming and launching their companies. Other opportunities include internships with early-stage companies, presentations and workshops by successful entrepreneurs, and chances to pitch your venture idea to school-affiliated venture boards for potential seed funding. In short, business school can greatly facilitate the process of turning your vision into a reality. </span></p> <h4><b>Reason to get an MBA #8: An Expansive Network</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The old expression “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” is especially applicable to the world of business and your potential success within it. Business books and online courses may teach key concepts, but they provide very few, if any, new contacts (who may not be any better connected than you are). As an MBA student, however, you gain literally hundreds of contacts the minute you step on campus in the form of your classmates, not to mention those students in the classes before and after yours. And the immersive nature of business school—late-night group study sessions, group projects, team case competitions, conferences, social events—helps to forge tight bonds among students. You are also automatically connected with the entire alumni network of not only your business school but also its parent institution, which can number into the hundreds of thousands and include individuals all around the globe. Later, you can connect regularly with fellow graduates in your area through your local alumni organization and can interact through online databases and school-specific Facebook and LinkedIn groups. These contacts come in especially handy when one is seeking professional opportunities: many people I know are in their current positions because former MBA classmates or alumni passed along their resumes or gave them the inside scoop on job openings. </span></p> <h4><b>Reason to get an MBA #9: Incredible Memories</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">MBA students inarguably work hard on their studies and job searches, but they “play” just as hard. Many business school alumni even refer to their MBA experience as a “two-year vacation.” All the top programs offer fun, unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences that you simply could not have elsewhere. Imagine traveling to the Galapagos Islands for a week with 50 classmates or taking over Aspen, Colorado, for a long skiing and partying weekend with 150 or more fellow students. How about participating in a fund-raiser in which the most successful student gets to throw a pie in the face of an esteemed member of the school’s administration? Or perhaps you would enjoy performing in a schoolwide comedy show that lampoons life at your business school (aka “Follies”). Wine clubs, hockey leagues, casino nights, tailgate parties, international food and culture festivals, treks abroad, bar crawls, intramural competitions, chili cookoffs—the list goes on and on, and these activities provide more than just a refreshing break from the routine and work of earning an MBA; they create extraordinary memories and tight friendships among students that will last a lifetime. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Clearly, pursuing an MBA can be a valuable—and enjoyable—next step on your professional path. But ultimately, only you can decide whether attending business school is the best way for you to reach your professional and personal goals. You must weigh what you could gain from the degree with the time and financial investment that earning one requires. </span></p> <p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/mba-career-paths/">MBA Career Paths: What Are You Going to Do?</a></p> <p><b><i>You can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person GMAT courses absolutely free! We’re not kidding. </i></b><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/classes/"><b><i>Check out our upcoming courses here</i></b></a><b><i>.</i></b></p> <hr /> <p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-18702 alignleft" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/03/nisha-trivedi-mba-mission-225x300.jpg" alt="reasons to get an mba" width="134" height="178" srcset="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/03/nisha-trivedi-mba-mission-225x300.jpg 225w, https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/03/nisha-trivedi-mba-mission.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 134px) 100vw, 134px" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After being accepted to four top MBA programs—including New York University’s Stern School of Business, the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University—Nisha Trivedi ultimately chose to earn her degree from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. There, she focused on brand management and was an active member of the Marketing Club, organizing mock internship interviews for her peers during her first year and serving as the club’s vice-president of communications during her second year. Her BA in communications from the University of Pennsylvania and deep interest in understanding the consumer inspired her to initially pursue a career in marketing research, which led her to positions at Time Inc., Rosetta, and KPMG LLP in New York City, but after business school, Nisha worked for several years in brand management in San Francisco at Big Heart Pet Brands (now part of The J.M. Smucker Company). She most enjoys creating brand positioning and crafting tailored messaging that speaks to consumers’ needs—a skill she applies in helping her clients “market” themselves to their dream MBA programs. In addition to assisting her clients in a one-on-one capacity, Nisha is active on the mbaMission message boards, responding to questions and profile evaluation requests, and has authored several articles on the MBA admissions process for</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Poets&Quants</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><a href="http://www.mbamission.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b><i>mbaMission</i></b></a> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">is the leader in MBA admissions consulting with a full-time and comprehensively trained staff of consultants, all with profound communications and MBA experience. mbaMission has helped thousands of candidates fulfill their dream of attending prominent MBA programs around the world. </span></i></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/should-i-get-an-mba/">Should I get an MBA?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Math on the Executive Assessment</title> <link>https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-math/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stacey Koprince]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 2020 12:08:36 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Business Mindset]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Business School]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Executive Assessment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[For Current Studiers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[How to Study]]></category> <category><![CDATA[MBA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Quant]]></category> <category><![CDATA[EA math]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Fast Math]]></category> <category><![CDATA[math on the EA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[math on the Executive Assessment]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/?p=15810</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The Executive Assessment (EA) shares a lot of roots with the GMAT, GMAC’s flagship graduate business school exam. In certain ways, the Executive Assessment feels almost like the GMAT on steroids—it’s even more stereotypically GMAT-like than the GMAT itself, if that’s possible. One of those ways has to do with the way in which you […]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-math/">Math on the Executive Assessment</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15869" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/executive-assessment-fast-math-faster-solutions-part-1-stacey-koprince.png" alt="Manhattan Prep GMAT Blog - Executive Assessment: Fast Math for Faster Solutions (Part 1) by Stacey Koprince" width="1200" height="628" srcset="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/executive-assessment-fast-math-faster-solutions-part-1-stacey-koprince.png 1200w, https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/executive-assessment-fast-math-faster-solutions-part-1-stacey-koprince-300x157.png 300w, https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/executive-assessment-fast-math-faster-solutions-part-1-stacey-koprince-768x402.png 768w, https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/executive-assessment-fast-math-faster-solutions-part-1-stacey-koprince-1024x536.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Executive Assessment (EA) shares a lot of roots with the GMAT, GMAC’s flagship graduate business school exam. In certain ways, the Executive Assessment feels almost like the GMAT on steroids—it’s even </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">more</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> stereotypically GMAT-like than the GMAT itself, if that’s possible.</span><span id="more-15810"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of those ways has to do with the way in which you can solve math problems. Most of the same math content areas are tested on the Executive Assessment, but a higher proportion of released Executive Assessment problems share a certain characteristic: You can use general “</span><a id="bloglink" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/2017/04/25/gmat-fast-math-part-1-of-5/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fast Math</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">” principles to make your job much easier—and you can do even more with the overall Fast Math idea on the Executive Assessment.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s the overall idea: Don’t do math </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">that</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> you don’t have to. Don’t do math </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">until</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> you have to. Before you actually do something you think you need to do, lay it out and ask yourself what the best path is through the math—giving heavy consideration to estimation and other shortcuts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s try some problems out and see how this really works! All problems in this series are from the free problem sets that appear on the <a href="https://www.gmac.com/executive-assessment/prepare/quantitative-section/problem-solving-questions">official Executive Assessment website</a>.</span></p> <h3><b>EA Math Practice Question #1</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Give yourself two minutes to complete this first problem. As of September 2017, it appeared as question 2 in the free online Quant Problem Solving problem set.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The table below represents the combined net income of all United States companies in each of five sectors for the second quarter of 1996. Which sector had the greatest net income during the first quarter of 1996?</span></em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-15811" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/sk-443-image-1.png" alt="Manhattan Prep GMAT Blog - Executive Assessment: Fast Math for Faster Solutions (Part 1) by Stacey Koprince" width="363" height="286" srcset="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/sk-443-image-1.png 480w, https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/sk-443-image-1-300x236.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 363px) 100vw, 363px" /></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">(A) Basic Materials</span></em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">(B) Energy</span></em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">(C) Industrial</span></em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">(D) Utilities</span></em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">(E) Conglomerates</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Got your answers? Even if you’re not sure, guess—that’s what you want to do on the real Executive Assessment, too, so practice that now (even if your practice consists of saying, “I have no idea, so I’m randomly picking B!”). </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ready? Let’s do this!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The first order of business is to understand what the question wants and what the table tells you.</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-15813" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/sk-443-image-1.png" alt="Manhattan Prep GMAT Blog - Executive Assessment: Fast Math for Faster Solutions (Part 1) by Stacey Koprince" width="362" height="285" srcset="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/sk-443-image-1.png 480w, https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/sk-443-image-1-300x236.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 362px) 100vw, 362px" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are 5 sectors. Each one shows a certain net income for the second quarter and then a percent change from the first quarter. What’s the significance of a negative vs. positive percent change?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Think in terms of real business. If your division had a net income of 4.83 billion this quarter, but that represents a –26% change from last quarter…then last quarter was better and this quarter your boss might not be very happy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Okay, now what do they want to know? Which sector had the greatest net income in the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">first</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> quarter… hmm. So we’re going to have to backwards-engineer this somehow.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Start by jotting down the starting point for each sector and whether that one was higher or lower in the first quarter:</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BM: 4.83, –26%….Q1</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">↑</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">E: 7.46, +40%…….Q1 </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">↓</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I: 5, –1%……………..Q1 </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">↑</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">U: 8.57, +303%..Q1 </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">↓</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">C: 2.07, +10%…….Q1</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">↓</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They want to know which one was the highest once we back out the numbers. Sector C is already the lowest by far and it was even lower last quarter, so it’s not that one. Eliminate answer (E).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sector I only went down by 1% in the second quarter, so basically it was still at about 5 in the first quarter. Call that your baseline point and test the other answers against it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Was Sector BM above or below 5 in the first quarter? The 4.83 figure reflects about a 25% decline from the previous quarter.</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-15814" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/sk-443-image-3.png" alt="Manhattan Prep GMAT Blog - Executive Assessment: Fast Math for Faster Solutions (Part 1) by Stacey Koprince" width="263" height="213" srcset="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/sk-443-image-3.png 424w, https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/sk-443-image-3-300x243.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 263px) 100vw, 263px" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If 4.83 represents about a 25% decline from Q1, then it represents about 75% </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">of</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Q1. Use this to estimate the value for Q1: If the 4.83 figure is about 75%, then what would 25% be?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You would divide 75% by 3 to find 25%, so do the same with the value 4.83. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">4.83 is kind of annoying to divide. Try a number that seems like it’s in the ballpark, like 1.5. (1.5)(3) = 4.5, so the value is around 1.5 (but really a little larger). The 1.5 estimate, then, is on the low side. Keep track of that.</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-15815" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/sk-443-image-4.png" alt="Manhattan Prep GMAT Blog - Executive Assessment: Fast Math for Faster Solutions (Part 1) by Stacey Koprince" width="326" height="179" srcset="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/sk-443-image-4.png 594w, https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/sk-443-image-4-300x165.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 326px) 100vw, 326px" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Then, multiply by 4 to find 100%: (1.5)(4) = 6. The value is really a little larger than 6, since 1.5 is a low estimate.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Therefore, sector BM, at 6+, was more than sector I, at 5; eliminate answer (C). Your new baseline point is 6+. Test the remaining answers against this number.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The other two sectors were both lower in Q1. For sector E, 7.46 reflects a 40% increase from Q1. What if the starting number for this sector were 6? What would a 40% increase be?</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">6 + 40% of 6</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To find 40%, find 10%, then multiply by 4. Then add your starting point of 6 back in:</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(6)(0.1) = 0.6</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(0.6)(4) = 2.4</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">6 + 2.4 = 8.4</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If Q1 were 6, then this sector would have been at 8.4 in the second quarter. It wasn’t; it was only at 7.46. Sector E, therefore, was not as high as sector BM, so eliminate choice (B).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, sector U started at 8.57, but that represented a whopping 303% increase over Q1! If you started at 6 and increase that number by 300%, it would be way over 8.57. Sector U also must have started lower than 6, so eliminate choice (D).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Basic Materials sector is the last one standing. The correct answer is (A).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You could have done all of the above with very precise calculations—but that’s really annoying when you don’t have access to a calculator or Excel. Note that you didn’t actually have to make very precise calculations because the problem was set up to allow you to estimate even though it didn’t tell you that you could.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The beauty of the Executive Assessment is that this is a </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">business</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> test, not a </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">math</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> test. They’re not interested in knowing whether you can do precise math calculations on paper. They’re interested in knowing whether you have a general number sense that allows you to reason your way to a conclusion—we call that the “back of the envelope” approach. All my boss really needs to know is which division did best last quarter, not what the exact numbers were, so I can just do a quick-and-dirty approach that addresses the big picture. </span></p> <h4><b>Key Takeaways for Executive Assessment Fast Math</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(1) You often don’t need to calculate exact values. Look for opportunities to estimate and do back-of-the-envelope calculations wherever possible.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(2) You’re going to need to practice that! First, you need to get yourself into the mindset that the Executive Assessment isn’t a math test and you actually aren’t just trying to calculate, calculate, calculate. Second, you’re going to need to spend time thinking about how to back-of-the-envelope something in various different situations.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(3) Turn that knowledge into Know the Code flash cards:</span></p> <p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-15816" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/sk-443-image-5.png" alt="Manhattan Prep GMAT Blog - Executive Assessment: Fast Math for Faster Solutions (Part 1) by Stacey Koprince" width="634" height="247" srcset="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/sk-443-image-5.png 898w, https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/sk-443-image-5-300x117.png 300w, https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/sk-443-image-5-768x299.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 634px) 100vw, 634px" /></p> <h3><b>EA Math Practice Question #2</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s another Executive Assessment problem from the official free practice set (this one is labeled #3 in the PS set on the Executive Assessment website, as of September 2017):</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to the table below, the number of fellows was approximately what percent of the total membership of Organization X?</span></em></p> <p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-18969 " src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/ea-math-1.png" alt="EA math practice question 1" width="411" height="188" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">(A) 9%</span></em></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">(B) 12%</span></em></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">(C) 18%</span></em></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">(D) 25%</span></em></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">(E) 35%”</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Before we dive in, what principles do you remember from our discussion of the first Executive Assessment problem?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Think about it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keep thinking about it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Don’t read below yet.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Okay, here are some things I remember. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/263a.png" alt="☺" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Don’t do math unless / until I have to. If I do have to do some calculations, lay things out first, then look at everything to decide what the best path is (and to see whether I can spot any shortcuts!).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These principles are reflected in the below graphic:</span></p> <p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-18970" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/ea-math-2.png" alt="EA math practice question 2" width="355" height="201" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When a new Executive Assessment problem first pops up, I glance: What have I got, big picture? Without reading the full text, I can see the following things: a table…with some fairly annoying numbers. Also, the answers are percentages, so this is a percent problem of some kind.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The annoying numbers are making me wonder whether I’ll be able to estimate. I’m going to keep an eye out for that possibility as I go to my next step, Read.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yep, it’s a percent problem. What do they want? Jot it down.</span></p> <p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-18971" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/ea-math-3.png" alt="EA math practice question 3" width="129" height="93" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Don’t start solving yet! Go to the second row: Reflect & Organize.</span></p> <p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-18972" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/ea-math-4.png" alt="EA math practice question 4" width="350" height="193" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Glance at the Fellows number. Annoying. And then the total? I have to add that up. Ugh.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Look at the answers again. The bottom three are decently far apart—estimation would probably be close enough.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(A) 9%</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(B) 12%</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(C) 18% → 20% = 1/5</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(D) 25% → 25% = 1/4</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(E) 35%” → 33.3% = 1/3</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But answers (A) and (B) are both around 10%…hmm.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I know! If it does seem to be between those two, then I can estimate whether the number is greater than 10% or less than 10%—that’s not a hard estimate to make.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Great, now that I actually have an angle to solve, I can go ahead and do the work.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oh, wait, one more annoying part to consider: adding up the five numbers to get the total. I only need to estimate, so I can estimate the individual numbers, first of all. I can also try to put them together into “pairs” that add up to “nice” numbers. Okay, let’s do this.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The first one is 78, which is almost 100. Look for another number that would “pair” well with 100: how about Associate Members, at 27,909? Add them up to get about 28,000, a “nice” number.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Any others?</span></p> <p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-18973" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/ea-math-5.png" alt="EA math practice question 5" width="517" height="229" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">9,200 and 2,300 equal 11,500, another nice-ish number.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That leaves 35,500—oh, let’s pair that with 11,500 to get an even 47k. Then add in the 28k to get about 75k. Nice!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, the top of the fraction is the 9,200 number. Maybe 9k is close enough. What’s 9k / 75k? Or 9 / 75?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reflect for a moment again. Dividing that fraction is kind of annoying.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’m trying to find a percent. Percent literally means “of 100”—wouldn’t it have been nice if the fraction had already had 100 on the bottom? SO annoying that it doesn’t…</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hmm…</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Is there any way to get that number on the bottom to be 100 instead of 75…?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What did we do with that 75% in the first problem (in the first installment of this series)? Go back and take a look.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(Seriously, go look! See what, if anything, you can figure out on your own before you keep reading.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To go from 75% to 100%, take the 75% figure, divide by 3 to get 25%, then multiply by 4 to get 100%.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">BUT, if I’m going to do that with the bottom of the fraction, then I have to do the same thing to the top of the fraction. I can manipulate a fraction in any way that I like as long as I do the same thing to the top and the bottom.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, take 9, divide by 3 to get 3, then multiply by 4 to get 12. Boom! The new fraction is 12 / 100. Look at the answers—we have an exact match at 12%. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/263a.png" alt="☺" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The correct answer is (B).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What did you learn on this Executive Assessment problem? Think about your takeaways before you read mine.</span></p> <h4><strong>Key Takeaways for Executive Assessment Fast Math</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(1) You often don’t need to calculate exact values. Look for opportunities to estimate and do back-of-the-envelope calculations wherever possible.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(2) Different problems might have some shortcuts in common; when you learn something on one problem, look for opportunities to apply that learning on different-but-similar-in-some-way problems. The 75% → 100% thing doesn’t require a table or even necessarily a story. It doesn’t even need to be 75% to start—it just requires you to know that you’re trying to get to 100% from a number that’s a little annoying.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(3) Turn that knowledge into Know the Code flash cards:</span></p> <p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-18974" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/ea-math-6.png" alt="EA math practice question 6" width="619" height="199" /></p> <h3><b>EA Math Practice Question #3</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our final practice question is labeled #4 in the PS set on the Executive Assessment website as of September 2017.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The regular price per can of a certain brand of soda is $0.40. If the regular price per can is discounted 15 percent when the soda is purchased in 24-can cases, what is the price of 72 cans of this brand of soda purchased in 24-can cases?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“(A) $16.32</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“(B) $18.00</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“(C) $21.60</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“(D) $24.48</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“(E) $28.80”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What did you think about this problem?</span></p> <p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-18970" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/ea-math-2.png" alt="EA math practice question 2" width="355" height="201" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I found it pretty annoying. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/263a.png" alt="☺" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> I mean, sure, I didn’t find it crazy hard to find the 15% discount off of $0.40:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">10% of 0.40 is 0.04…</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">another 5% is half of that, or 0.02…</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">so the discount is $0.06…</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">and the discounted price is $0.34</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And then I want to buy 72 cans, so it’s just (72)(0.34)…</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">aaagh,</span></i> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">but I don’t have a calculator</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I refuse to do that out the long way. Seriously! There’s got to be an easier way.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Picture this: You’re standing in the convenience store. You want to buy this soda. You’ve just figured out that it’s going to cost you $0.34 a can…and you know you want 72 cans…but you don’t have a calculator on you (your phone died) and you don’t even have pen and paper. Also, you forgot your credit card. (It’s been a long day.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So how are you going to figure out whether you have enough cash on you to buy all 72 cans?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That’s not a rhetorical question. Close your eyes, picture yourself there, and try to figure out what you’d do.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thinking?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thinking?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Okay, here’s my idea. In the real world, I wouldn’t literally need to calculate to the penny—I’d just need to estimate to make sure I have </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">enough</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> cash. But this is a math test and the answers are down to the penny…so don’t I have to calculate exactly here?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Glance at the answers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If the answers had been of the variety $10.01, $10.02, $10.03…, then yes, I’d have to calculate to the penny. But they’re not. They’re each at least a couple of dollars apart, so I can estimate. How?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s see. It’s going to cost me $0.34 to buy one can. How many could I buy for a dollar?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I can get 3 cans (basically—technically, it’ll cost me $1.02 for 3 cans, but close enough!). So 3 cans for $1…how many do I want again? Oh yeah, 72 cans. So that’s going to cost me about 72 / 3 = $24.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oh. Look at the answers. There’s only one that’s close—answer (D). Done!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can also, by the way, do this same estimation from the math I set up before I got frustrated by my lack of a calculator: (72)(0.34). Just look at it in a different way, now that you’ve realized you can estimate. Since 0.34 is about 1/3, you’re just taking about one-third of 72…it’s the same math! $24.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What we just did is classic back-of-the-envelope math. You don’t need an exact number—you just need a quick-and-dirty, good-enough estimate. We certainly weren’t allowed to do that on math tests in school, but the Executive Assessment is </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">not</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> a math test.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Well, yes, it is, somewhat. But not in the way that you’re used to from school. We do have to know various math formulas and rules, but the Executive Assessment is really mostly interested in how well you can reason about math. After all, in the real world, you’re never going to be forced to do math on paper without the benefit of Excel or a calculator. But you are going to need to be able to think about mathematical concepts and draw conclusions—not in the “what’s the answer to this math problem” sense, but in a “what should we do about this problem that our division is facing?” sense.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, while the Executive Assessment looks a whole lot like a traditional math test, it really isn’t at all. Most of the time, you can get to the answer through a combination of strategic approaches, like the back-of-the-envelope approach discussed above. That’s what you’re looking to learn and practice as you study for this exam.</span></p> <h4><strong>Key Takeaways for Executive Assessment Fast Math</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(1) You often don’t need to calculate exact values. Look for opportunities to estimate and do back-of-the-envelope calculations wherever possible.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(2) If the numbers in the problem or answers (or both!) seem annoying, there’s probably an opportunity to estimate somewhere. Also, get in the habit of glancing at the answers to see how far apart they are (when they’re just plain numbers)—the farther apart they are, the better the opportunity to estimate.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(3) Turn that knowledge into Know the Code flash cards:</span></p> <p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-18976" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/05/ea-math-8.png" alt="EA math takeaway" width="611" height="147" /></p> <h6><span style="font-weight: 400;">*Executive Assessment questions courtesy of the Graduate Management Admissions Council. Usage of this question does not imply endorsement by GMAC.</span></h6> <p><em><strong>Can’t get enough of Stacey’s GMAT mastery? Attend the first session of one of <a id="bloglink" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/classes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">her upcoming GMAT courses</a> absolutely free, no strings attached. Seriously.</strong></em></p> <hr /> <p><a id="bloglink" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/stacey-koprince/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignleft wp-image-9719 size-thumbnail" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2015/06/stacey-koprince-150x150.png" alt="stacey-koprince" width="150" height="150" /></a><em><strong><a id="bloglink" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/stacey-koprince/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stacey Koprince</a> is a Manhattan Prep instructor based in Montreal, Canada and Los Angeles, California.</strong> Stacey has been teaching the GMAT, GRE, and LSAT for more than 15 years and is one of the most well-known instructors in the industry. Stacey loves to teach and is absolutely fascinated by standardized tests. <a id="bloglink" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/classes/#instructor/86" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Check out Stacey’s upcoming GMAT courses here</a>.</em></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-math/">Math on the Executive Assessment</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>EMBA vs. MBA: What’s the difference?</title> <link>https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-emba/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[mbaMission]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2020 19:19:59 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Business School]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Executive Assessment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[In the News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Manhattan Prep]]></category> <category><![CDATA[MBA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[MBA News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[mbaMission]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Partners]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Products and Services]]></category> <category><![CDATA[EA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[EMBA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[EMBA vs. MBA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Executive MBA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[MBA vs. EMBA]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/?p=14442</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Did you know that we offer an Executive Assessment Masterclass? In one weekend, we’ll give you the tools you’ll need to ace the EA and take your career to the next level. At some point in their career, many professionals decide to pursue a business degree. And these aspiring candidates often wonder, “Would I be […]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-emba/">EMBA vs. MBA: What’s the difference?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14498" src="//cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2017/07/emba-and-mba-know-differences-mbamission.png" alt="Manhattan Prep GMAT Blog - EMBA and MBA: Know the Differences! by mbaMission" width="1200" height="628" srcset="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2017/07/emba-and-mba-know-differences-mbamission.png 1200w, https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2017/07/emba-and-mba-know-differences-mbamission-300x157.png 300w, https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2017/07/emba-and-mba-know-differences-mbamission-768x402.png 768w, https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2017/07/emba-and-mba-know-differences-mbamission-1024x536.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></p> <p><b><i>Did you know that we offer an </i></b><a id="bloglink" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/prep/executive-assessment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b><i>Executive Assessment Masterclass</i></b></a><b><i>? In one weekend, we’ll give you the tools you’ll need to ace the EA and take your career to the next level.</i></b></p> <hr /> <p><b><i></i></b><span style="font-weight: 400;">At some point in their career, many professionals decide to pursue a business degree. And these aspiring candidates often wonder, “Would I be a better candidate for an Executive MBA or a traditional MBA?” You may be pondering this issue yourself as you try to make the right decision to advance your career. In this post, we present some of the fundamental differences between the EMBA and MBA to help you clarify your options.</span><span id="more-14442"></span></p> <h4><b>EMBA vs. MBA Difference #1: Years of Experience</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the term “executive” would imply, Executive MBA, or EMBA, programs are intended and specifically designed for individuals with advanced managerial experience. Although what exactly defines “executive experience” can differ from school to school, most programs offer some basic guidance about what they seek, often stipulating a minimum number of years of experience and offering an expected range of 12–15 years. (Be sure to check each school’s website for specific requirements.) On the other hand, students at traditional MBA programs tend to have an average of five to six years of experience, though in some rare cases, schools even admit new or emerging college graduates who have no full-time managerial experience at all. Clearly, the expectations for an applicant’s level of professional “seasoning” are quite different, with EMBA programs demanding a more extensive career and a more profound background. </span></p> <h4><b>EMBA vs. MBA Difference #2:</b><b> Quality of Experience </b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both EMBA programs and traditional MBA programs value</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> diversity</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of experience, which goes beyond simply “time served.” If you are applying to an EMBA program, do not expect that an acceptance letter is guaranteed just because you have achieved the school’s expected years or level of experience. EMBA programs generally want to see evidence of advanced and increasing leadership and responsibility—managing people, overseeing budgets, making strategic decisions. In short, EMBA admissions committees want people who are already making a noticeable impact in the workplace. In contrast, traditional MBA programs are more lenient on this point; the schools are essentially wagering that you have the drive and potential to develop into a strong leader and to have a clear impact in the future. EMBA programs expect that kind of development to have already occurred and want to help you fill any voids you might have in your skill set so that you can reach an even higher level of achievement. </span></p> <h4><b>EMBA vs. MBA Difference #3: </b><b>Sponsorship</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">MBA students who are “sponsored” have all or part of their business school tuition paid by their current employer. Sponsorship is both more common at and more valued by EMBA programs; the vast majority of traditional MBA applicants do </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">not</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> have such support. For example, 58% of Columbia Business School’s EMBA Class of 2017 had either full or partial sponsorship, and the Wharton EMBA website claims that approximately 70% of its applicants are fully or partially sponsored. In some ways, sponsorship is seen as an indicator of potential and can facilitate an admissions decision. By offering to pay a candidate’s full tuition and allow him or her time away from work to study, a firm is telling the admissions committee, “We believe in this applicant!” That said, if you plan to pursue an EMBA and do not have firm sponsorship, you can take comfort in knowing you are not alone—after all, 42% of Columbia’s most recent EMBA class succeeded without it! </span></p> <h4><b>EMBA vs. MBA Difference #4: </b><b>Structure</b></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most leading U.S. MBA programs require roughly 21 months of full-time study, starting in late summer or early fall. EMBA programs have various start dates, program lengths, and expectations for commitment. Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, for example, offers two EMBA programs: a 19-month weekend program that meets in Durham, North Carolina, on alternating Fridays and Saturdays, and a 16-month Global EMBA program that involves four different global residencies as well as distance learning. So whereas traditional MBA programs can generally be compared on a relatively apples-to-apples basis, EMBA programs need to be considered more individually. Be sure to examine each option carefully to understand how it would fit into your work and even personal life, given that travel (including international!) may be required. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although we have outlined a few major differences between these types of programs, one aspect remains the same: whether you enroll in an EMBA program or a traditional MBA program, you will graduate with an MBA degree. Some candidates worry that because an EMBA does not require a full-time commitment, the degree is not well regarded, but this could not be further from the truth—and clearly, the companies sponsoring EMBA students would disagree. From an institutional perspective, the EMBA and the MBA represent the same standard of educational excellence and academic achievement. You just need to determine which one is right for </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">you</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <hr /> <p><b><i>Have you decided on an EMBA? Sign up for our efficient and comprehensive </i></b><a id="bloglink" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/prep/executive-assessment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b><i>Executive Assessment Masterclass</i></b></a><b><i>!</i></b></p> <hr /> <p><b><i></i></b><b><i><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-13225 alignleft" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2017/02/logo-150x150.png" alt="mbaMission logo" width="150" height="150" /><a href="http://www.mbamission.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mbaMission</a></i></b><b><i> is the leader in MBA admissions consulting with a full-time and comprehensively trained staff of consultants</i></b><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, all with profound communications and MBA experience. mbaMission has helped thousands of candidates fulfill their dream of attending prominent MBA programs around the world. Take your first step toward a more successful MBA application experience with a free 30-minute consultation with one of mbaMission’s senior consultants. </span></i><a href="http://mbamission.com/consult" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Click here to sign up today</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></i></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/executive-assessment-emba/">EMBA vs. MBA: What’s the difference?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>How to Study for the Executive Assessment (EA) – Part 3</title> <link>https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-3/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stacey Koprince]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 14 Jan 2020 04:39:44 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Executive Assessment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[EA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Executive Assessment Exam]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Study for the EA]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/?p=18471</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Are you preparing for the Executive Assessment exam? In part 1 of this series, we talked about the major study materials you’ll want to use and some guidelines for planning the length of your studies. In part 2, we dove more deeply into the question types and content areas for the Integrated Reasoning and Verbal […]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-3/">How to Study for the Executive Assessment (EA) – Part 3</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-18472 size-full" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/01/mprep-blogimages-wave1-52-1-e1578976294596.png" alt="study for the executive assessment" width="1200" height="628" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Are you preparing for the Executive Assessment exam? In <a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-1/">part 1</a> of this series, we talked about the major study materials you’ll want to use and some guidelines for planning the length of your studies. In <a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-2/">part 2</a>, we dove more deeply into the question types and content areas for the Integrated Reasoning and Verbal sections of the Executive Assessment (EA). </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, we’re going to do the same for the Quant section; we’re also going to talk a bit more about study planning.</span></p> <p><span id="more-18471"></span></p> <h3><b>Executive Assessment (EA): Quantitative Reasoning</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Quant section will consist of the same two question types (Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency) that appear on the Quant section of the GMAT, but you’ll only have to answer 14 of them. You’ll be given 30 minutes or just over 2 minutes per question; this is about the same as on the GMAT.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The single biggest difference is that geometry* has been removed from the EA. But, yes, I had to add an asterisk there. Did you know that, among mathematicians, coordinate plane is considered algebra, not geometry? (I learned this in high school…but I completely forgot until it came up again for the EA.) So it’s true that geometry is not on the EA…but since coordinate plane is </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">really</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> algebra, it can show up on the EA.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I find that a little annoying, but I was heartened to see that, of the 100 quant questions in the EA official tool, exactly one is a geometry problem. So I went into my EA just assuming that I would ignore any coordinate plane questions I might see—and I didn’t see any at all. (I do, of course, know geometry, since I also teach the GMAT, but I wanted to take the EA in the way that I’m advising my students to take it.) I have had students see a geometry problem, but I haven’t (yet) had anyone tell me that they’ve seen more than one.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, best guess, you’ll see either 0 or 1 coordinate plane problem…so decide whether that is worth any of your precious study time. I personally would not study it and would just make that one of my bail questions (more about this in <a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-2/">part 2</a>). </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’ve studied for the GMAT and are familiar with the strategies Choose Smart Numbers, Work Backwards, and Test Cases, you can definitely use these strategies on the EA, too. You also can (and should!) estimate—I found I was able to do this even more than on the GMAT.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As far as the rest of the quant material, the EA appears to test everything else that the GMAT tests. If you’re using our books to study, I would emphasize the following:</span></p> <h4><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-Foundations-Math-Practice-Manhattan/dp/1506207642"><b><i>GMAT Foundations of Math</i></b></a></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nearly everything! </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-Foundations-Math-Practice-Manhattan/dp/1506207642"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We use this book heavily</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in our </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/executive-assessment/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">EA live course</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can skip geometry entirely or look just at coordinate plane, if you want. Otherwise, do learn the rest of this guide. (Although the title says GMAT, everything in this guide applies to the EA with the exception of most of the geometry topics.)</span></p> <h4><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-All-Quant-definitive-Manhattan/dp/1506248543"><b><i>All the Quant</i></b></a></h4> <p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-All-Quant-definitive-Manhattan/dp/1506248543"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This book</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is split into 5 units by major content area. Within each unit, there are also strategy chapters—how to do Data Sufficiency, for example, or a series on Arithmetic vs. Algebra. Do </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">all</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of the strategy chapters in every unit except for geometry.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For math topics, I’ll list the specific areas within each unit that are most likely to show up on the EA.</span></p> <p><b>Unit 1: Fractions, Decimals, Percents, and Ratios</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">– Fractions</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">– Percents</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">– Ratios</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">– For an extra-high quant score: Digits and decimals</span></p> <p><b>Unit 2: Algebra</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">– Exponents</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">– Roots</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">– Linear equations and combos</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">– The basics of inequalities and max/min</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">– For an extra-high quant score: Quadratics and formulas</span></p> <p><b>Unit 3: Word Problems</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">– Translations</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">– Statistics (average, median, weighted average)</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">– Rates</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">– For an extra-high quant score: Work and overlapping sets</span></p> <p><b>Unit 4: Number Properties</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">– Divisibility and prime</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">– Odd, Even, Positive, Negative</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">– For an extra-high quant score: Probability and/or combinatorics—but only if you like these topics</span></p> <p><b>Unit 5: Geometry</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">– Nothing, unless you like coordinate plane (but nothing more than that!)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">All the Quant</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> guide comes with an accompanying ebook containing advanced math topics—no need to study any of them.</span></p> <h3><b>Setting up your studies</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Big picture, most people will need to do more work on quant than on verbal or IR to start—just remember that you are going to have to build those skills, too. I’m going to recommend the same general structure that we use in our courses. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Begin by gaining a good grounding in the foundational-level material, particularly math topics that you learned when you were 11. Does PEMDAS, aka order of operations, ring a vague bell? Do you remember how to add fractions or solve an equation? It’s deep in your brain somewhere—you just have to remind yourself and do some practice to get the skills back.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Give yourself a couple of weeks for this level. (If you take one of our courses, we do build this into the program—but I would recommend signing up for a course that doesn’t start for ~2-3 weeks and then working through as much of the Foundations of Math material as you can before the course starts.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When you need a break from the Quant stuff, familiarize yourself with the different verbal and IR question types and how they work. When you feel okay about your ability to do math on paper again (you don’t have to feel great—just okay), start diving in earnest into the three main strategy guides (IR & Essay, All the Quant, and All the Verbal). Use my earlier guidelines to decide what to prioritize and in what order you want to do things.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I don’t recommend doing all of one section of the exam and only then moving on to another section. Your brain actually learns better when you’re moving among topics. (It feels harder that way—but that’s a sign that your brain is actually learning better. It’s like physical activity—you know it was a good workout or game when it actually tires you out a bit.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Plan to study multiple days a week (ideally 4 to 6 days)—it’s far better to do a little every day than to do nothing all week and then try to cram in 6 hours of study on Sunday. Your brain can only learn so much in a day; then it needs to go to sleep and make good memories of everything you learned before you can start to layer more on top.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Set up a study calendar that goes something like this:</span></p> <p><b>Day 1</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: Quant (Fractions and Ratios); Verbal (SC)</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><b>Day 2</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: Quant (Data Sufficiency); IR (Tables)</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><b>Day 3</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: Quant (Percents); Verbal (CR)</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><b>Day 4</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: Break</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><b>Day 5</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: Quant (review and practice problems); IR (Tables)</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><b>Day 6</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: IR and Verbal review and practice problems</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> </span><b>Day 7</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: What went well and what needs more work? Set up next week.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Plan out specific study appointments (with assignments / topics) for the upcoming week. Have an idea of what you want to do the week after that, but don’t actually plan out the day-to-day until you see how this week goes. You may have to go back over a certain area again—or you may discover that you’re already good at something and can go faster or reallocate some time to a different area.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After about a week or two, take a practice test (</span><a href="https://www.gmac.com/executive-assessment/prepare/official-prep"><span style="font-weight: 400;">GMAC sells 4 official practice tests</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">). Spend a couple of days analyzing it after. Pay more attention to the areas you’ve already studied—how did they go? What stuck and what needs a review?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the areas you haven’t studied yet, does your test performance indicate any areas you should prioritize—or de-prioritize? (There are two areas to de-prioritize: The things you’re already good at and the things that you’re </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">really</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> not good at. Don’t spend time learning the hardest material—first, learn the material that’s not as hard for you. You may discover that that gets you to your goal score and you never have to learn the hardest-for-you stuff!)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Then, go set up next week’s study plan taking that practice test analysis into account. As you go, continue to take a practice test every couple of weeks—both to gauge how you’re progressing and to help you diagnose your strengths and weaknesses so you can set up an effective study plan for the coming couple of weeks.</span></p> <h3><b>Practice under timed conditions</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s critically important to do practice problems under test-like conditions, including timing. At heart, the EA is an executive reasoning / decision-making test, even while it tests you on math, logic, and grammar. As you do every day at work, you’re going to have to distinguish between good, mediocre, and bad opportunities and decide how to spend your limited time and mental energy accordingly.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can study problems as long as you want after you’re done trying them—but when you first try them, time yourself and hold yourself to standard timing conditions. Also use your studies to figure out what you </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">don’t</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> want to do, so you know when to bail on the test.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And that’s exactly what we’re going to dive into <a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-4/">next time</a>!</span></p> <p><b>NEXT: </b><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-4/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How to Study for the Executive Assessment (Part 4)</span></a></p> <p><b>For information about our Executive Assessment Complete Course </b><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/executive-assessment/"><b>click here</b></a><b>.</b></p> <hr /> <p><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/stacey-koprince/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceBioLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignleft wp-image-9719 size-thumbnail" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2015/06/stacey-koprince-150x150.png" alt="stacey-koprince" width="150" height="150" /></a></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></i></p> <p><em><strong><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/stacey-koprince/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceBioLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stacey Koprince</a> is a Manhattan Prep instructor based in Montreal, Canada and Los Angeles, California.</strong> Stacey has been teaching the GMAT, GRE, and LSAT for more than 15 years and is one of the most well-known instructors in the industry. Stacey loves to teach and is absolutely fascinated by standardized tests. <a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/classes/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceCoursesLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog#instructor/86">Check out Stacey’s upcoming GMAT courses here</a>.</em></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-3/">How to Study for the Executive Assessment (EA) – Part 3</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>How to Study for the Executive Assessment (EA) – Part 1</title> <link>https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-1/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stacey Koprince]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 14 Jan 2020 04:00:08 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Executive Assessment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[EA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Study for the EA]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/?p=18459</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Are you figuring out how to study for the Executive Assessment (EA) exam? The Executive Assessment was launched in March 2016 to provide a more streamlined version of the GMAT for Executive MBA (EMBA) candidates—but it has grown and is now used for some regular MBAs and other business Master’s programs. In part 1 (this […]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-1/">How to Study for the Executive Assessment (EA) – Part 1</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-18461 size-full" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/01/mprep-blogimages-wave1-36-e1578974252152.png" alt="study for the executive assessment" width="1200" height="628" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Are you figuring out how to study for the Executive Assessment (EA) exam? The </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/about-executive-assessment/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Assessment</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was launched in March 2016 to provide a more streamlined version of the GMAT for Executive MBA (EMBA) candidates—but it has grown and is now used for some </span><a href="https://www.gmac.com/executive-assessment/about/accepting-schools"><span style="font-weight: 400;">regular MBAs and other business Master’s programs</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span id="more-18459"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In part 1 (this part!), we’ll talk about study materials and timeline. In <a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-2/">part 2</a>, we’ll take a look at the Integrated Reasoning and Verbal sections of the exam. We’ll devote <a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-3/">part 3</a> to the Quant section, as well as more on planning your studies. And <a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-4/">part 4</a> will dive into time management on the exam itself—a crucial component of taking these kinds of exams.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First, I’m going to assume that you’re already familiar with </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/about-executive-assessment/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">the basics about the Executive Assessment</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">—if not, go read that post I just linked and then come back. I can wait. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Next, if you are already </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/what-is-the-gmat-2/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">familiar with the GMAT</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, then you can jump-start your understanding of the EA by taking a look at a separate post that covers the </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/should-i-take-the-gmat-or-the-executive-assessment/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">differences between the GMAT and the EA</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. There aren’t many differences, but they are important. (If you aren’t already familiar with the GMAT, don’t bother to read this post.)</span></p> <h3><b>What do I need to learn for the Executive Assessment?</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You’ll need to learn a decent number of things—many of which will actually be useful in grad school. You’ll need to learn (relearn, really) certain math concepts, principles, and formulas. You’ll also need to learn some grammar (but it’s not too bad).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Of course, you’ll need to learn how the EA works, including the different question types (as well as the best ways to approach them) and how to manage your time during the test and make the best </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/what-the-executive-assessment-really-tests/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">executive decisions</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> you can to get the score you need.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And you’ll also need to know how to prioritize your studies and set up a good study plan for yourself. Overall, I’d really view your test preparation as your first grad school course. Use this time to get yourself back into a study routine and work out all of the kinks before school starts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Also, just FYI: A majority of your study materials will actually be built for the GMAT, since very few EA-specific study materials exist. (Why? Business case: Right now, only about 5,000 EA exams are given every year. There’s just not enough of a market yet for companies to spend a ton of development money making EA-specific materials. Even the official test makers have not yet published any physical books—all official study materials are digital-only.) It’s fine to use GMAT materials because all of the question types and the vast majority of the content areas are identical; more on this later.</span></p> <h3><b>What Executive Assessment study materials are available?</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are a number of really good resources that you’ll want to use as you get ready for this test. If you take a course, that course should include study materials and a syllabus with specific homework assignments (</span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/executive-assessment/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">we have one here at Manhattan Prep</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">). If you study on your own, make sure to take time in the beginning to put together your own syllabus and gather your study resources.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The official test makers (GMAC) sell a </span><a href="https://www.gmac.com/executive-assessment/prepare/official-prep"><span style="font-weight: 400;">variety of official study tools</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, including 4 practice exams (sold in packs of 2), as well as an online bank of 300 practice problems—100 problems for each of the three sections of the exam: Integrated Reasoning (IR), Quant, and Verbal. They also sell an extra tool with 50 IR problems (but not Q or V). If you are familiar with Official Guide books from the GMAT or other grad school exams: There is no equivalent book for the EA.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I would definitely get at least 2 practice exams and I’d say most people will want all 4. The 300-problem online bank is also excellent—I highly recommend it. I think most people will be fine with those 300 problems, so I wouldn’t buy the extra IR-only tool to start. But it’s nice to know that it’s there if you want more IR practice.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your official materials will be your practice, but that won’t typically be how you’ll learn how to get </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">better</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. For that, you’re going to need some materials from test prep companies. I’m obviously biased, so you’ll need to do some research yourself, but I’ll tell you what we’ve got.</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest edition (published September 2019) of our </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-Integrated-Reasoning-Essay-Resources/dp/1506219675/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Integrated Reasoning & Essay</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> guide</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> actually does cover the IR section for both the GMAT and the EA—in fact, it’s the only printed book on the market that covers the EA (as of right now, when I’m writing this). The book covers full strategies for both the GMAT and the EA. (You can ignore the chapter on the essay; the EA doesn’t have an essay section.)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We also have two GMAT guides that you can use: </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-All-Quant-definitive-Manhattan/dp/1506248543/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">All the Quant</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-All-Verbal-definitive-Manhattan/dp/1506249043"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">All the Verbal</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. These two guides are GMAT-focused, so you just need to know certain things in order to adapt them for your EA studies. (If you want all three guides, </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-Manhattan-Prep-Strategy-Guides/dp/1506219705/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=gmat-web-mprep-20&linkId=16fcc2d7a8c75fb6de52acc0d26fd5c8"><span style="font-weight: 400;">make sure to buy them as a set</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">—it’s less expensive that way, plus the set comes with some additional online features.)</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The question types are identical across both exams, and almost all of the content is identical. Here are the two big differences between the exams:</span></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quant: No* geometry! *The EA does test Coordinate Plane, so do that chapter in the geometry unit; ignore all of the other geometry chapters. Yay!</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Time management: I’ll talk more about <a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-4/">time management strategies later in this series</a>; for now, just know that how you manage time is different on the two exams.</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(There are no content differences for either the Verbal or IR sections.)</span></p> <h3><b>How much time do I need to study?</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is going to take some effort; the exam is not easy. Neither is grad school, though—and getting ready for this exam will help prepare you for school, too.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Plan to spend somewhere between 1 and 4 months getting ready for this exam, depending upon (a) how many hours a week you can devote to your studies, (b) how long it has been since you were last in school (and, in particular, since you last took a math class), and (c) what kind of score you hope to get on the exam.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(a) How many hours a week can you devote to your studies?</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ideally, plan to spend between 5 and 15 hours a week studying. (Fewer than 5 and you’ll struggle to build momentum.)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your study needs to be </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">effective</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">—no studying in 5-10 minute* bursts the entire week or studying while also trying to sit in a meeting at work or have dinner with the family.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">*Note: It’s great to take 5-10 minute bursts to review flashcards or try a couple of problems—but you’ll also need some longer study sessions.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(b) How long has it been since you were last in school?</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re going for an Executive MBA, chances are it has been at least 10 years. The good news: You also don’t need as high of a score on the exam; your longer work experience counts for more. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re going for a regular MBA or a specialized master’s, then your last math class may have been in the more recent past. But be aware that you may need a higher score on the exam due to the type of program you want to attend.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(c) What kind of score do you hope to get on the exam?</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As of this writing, EMBA programs are saying they want to see a 150 or higher; a 150 is around the 50th percentile. It’s usually not the case that “higher is better” (as has happened with the GMAT)—most schools just want to see that you have at least met the 150 threshold.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Not very many regular MBA programs are using the EA (yet!), but they seem to be asking for a higher score—in the 155 range.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re able to manage a solid 10 to 15 hours a week of effective study, you haven’t been out of school for so long that you’ve forgotten how to do any math on paper, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">and</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> you aren’t looking for score on the higher end, then you may be able to get your studies done in about 4 to 8 weeks. If you have less time to study each week, or it’s been a long time since school, or you do want a higher-than-average score, then you may need more time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-2/">Next time</a>, we’ll dive more deeply into the question types and content areas for the Integrated Reasoning and Verbal sections of the exam.</span></p> <p><b>NEXT: </b><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-2/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How to Study for the Executive Assessment (Part 2)</span></a></p> <p><b>For information about our Executive Assessment Complete Course </b><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/executive-assessment/"><b>click here</b></a><b>.</b></p> <hr /> <p><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/stacey-koprince/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceBioLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignleft wp-image-9719 size-thumbnail" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2015/06/stacey-koprince-150x150.png" alt="stacey-koprince" width="150" height="150" /></a></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></i></p> <p><em><strong><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/stacey-koprince/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceBioLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stacey Koprince</a> is a Manhattan Prep instructor based in Montreal, Canada and Los Angeles, California.</strong> Stacey has been teaching the GMAT, GRE, and LSAT for more than 15 years and is one of the most well-known instructors in the industry. Stacey loves to teach and is absolutely fascinated by standardized tests. <a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/classes/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceCoursesLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog#instructor/86">Check out Stacey’s upcoming GMAT courses here</a>.</em></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/how-to-study-for-the-executive-assessment-ea-part-1/">How to Study for the Executive Assessment (EA) – Part 1</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>What the Executive Assessment Really Tests</title> <link>https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/what-the-executive-assessment-really-tests/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stacey Koprince]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 21 Nov 2019 15:19:45 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Executive Assessment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Executive Assessment Exam]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/?p=18343</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The Executive Assessment (EA) is not a math test. Nor is it a grammar test. Sure, you have to know something (well, a lot of things!) about these topics in order to get a good score. But the Executive Assessment is really testing your executive reasoning skills. The term might be unfamiliar, but you already […]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/what-the-executive-assessment-really-tests/">What the Executive Assessment Really Tests</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/about-executive-assessment/"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-18345 size-full" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2019/11/mprep-blogimages-wave1-25-1-e1574349505628.png" alt="what the executive assessment really tests" width="1200" height="628" /></span></a></p> <p><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/about-executive-assessment/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Executive Assessment (EA)</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is not a math test. Nor is it a grammar test. Sure, you have to know something (well, a lot of things!) about these topics in order to get a good score. But the Executive Assessment is really testing your </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">executive reasoning</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> skills.</span></p> <p><span id="more-18343"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The term might be unfamiliar, but you already have—and use—these skills every day. Here are some examples:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You are faced with a list of 20 unread emails (or, if your inbox is more like mine, about 80). Which ones do you read first? The oldest ones? The ones from your boss? The ones marked urgent? Are there some that you won’t even click on right now because you know, from the sender’s name or from the subject line, that those emails aren’t very important? (And how did that one spam message get through the filter?)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You have a choice between working on Product X or Project Y. Project Y will result in about 5% more revenue to the company, but Project Y will also take 50% longer. Which do you do?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These decisions aren’t easy ones (and would likely require more information than I gave). This complex decision making is exactly what a good executive needs to be able to do well—and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">this is what the test writers and business schools actually care about</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The math and grammar are primarily used as tools to allow the exam writers to test you on your </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">decision-making</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> ability.</span></p> <h3><b>How does that help me take the Executive Assessment?</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They don’t expect you to get everything right, any more than a CEO expects to clear everything in his or her inbox today. You have to prioritize.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A great decision-maker has both expertise and experience: She’s thought about </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">how</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to make various kinds of decisions, and she’s actually practiced and refined these decision-making processes. While the clock is ticking, she doesn’t hesitate to make a decision and move forward, knowing that she’s going to be leaving some opportunities behind.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In order to do that successfully in the business world, you need to know the company’s goals and objectives, and you have to have a good idea of the kind of impact that various tasks or activities will have on the company. You also have to have a lot of practice in making these decisions and observing the outcomes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The same is true for the EA: If you know how it works, and you know what kinds of trade-offs to think about when deciding how to spend your time, then you can learn how to make the best decisions to maximize your score.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your goal, then, is to develop a business mindset for this test. You’re not going “back to school” when you study for the EA. Rather, approach the exam as an extension of your current work—this is a test of your business ability and decision-making skills. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The test does include some school subjects in the details of the questions, so you will have to re-learn some actual facts and formulas, but the focus will be on your decision-making skills above all else.</span></p> <h3><b>How do I develop a business mindset?</b></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At every step of the way, remind yourself that the EA is primarily a decision-making test. Use this knowledge to help you make appropriate business decisions along the way, during both your studies and the test itself.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, don’t try to learn everything that could possibly be tested. Rather, prepare yourself to get a good-enough score. Learn the material that is most likely to be tested, with some extra emphasis on your strengths and your “medium weaknesses”—i.e., the ones that you have a better chance to turn around. On the flip side, de-prioritize your biggest weaknesses—literally get those kinds of problems wrong faster and spend your precious study and test time elsewhere.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Happy studying!</span></p> <p><b><i>For information about our Executive Assessment Complete Course </i></b><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/executive-assessment/"><b><i>click here</i></b></a><b><i>.</i></b></p> <hr /> <p><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/stacey-koprince/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceBioLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignleft wp-image-9719 size-thumbnail" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2015/06/stacey-koprince-150x150.png" alt="stacey-koprince" width="150" height="150" /></a></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></i></p> <p><em><strong><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/instructors/stacey-koprince/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceBioLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stacey Koprince</a> is a Manhattan Prep instructor based in Montreal, Canada and Los Angeles, California.</strong> Stacey has been teaching the GMAT, GRE, and LSAT for more than 15 years and is one of the most well-known instructors in the industry. Stacey loves to teach and is absolutely fascinated by standardized tests. <a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/classes/?utm_source=manhattanprep.com%2Fgmat%2Fblog&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=KoprinceCoursesLinkGMATBlog&utm_campaign=GMAT%20Blog#instructor/86">Check out Stacey’s upcoming GMAT courses here</a>.</em></p> <p> </p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/what-the-executive-assessment-really-tests/">What the Executive Assessment Really Tests</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Is Earning a JD/MBA Degree Right for Me?</title> <link>https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/is-earning-a-jd-mba-degree-right-for-me/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[mbaMission]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 21 Nov 2019 15:03:16 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[MBA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[business school]]></category> <category><![CDATA[JD/MBA]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/?p=18340</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Now that you have begun taking steps toward earning your MBA, you may be wondering whether a joint JD/MBA degree could be a good option for you. Or perhaps you have been considering a JD/MBA all along. After two decades of consulting MBA, JD, and joint JD/MBA aspirants, we have learned a few things about […]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/is-earning-a-jd-mba-degree-right-for-me/">Is Earning a JD/MBA Degree Right for Me?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-18341 size-full" src="https://cdn2.manhattanprep.com/gmat/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2019/11/mprep-blogimages-wave1-26-e1574348483657.png" alt="is earning a jd/mba right for me" width="1200" height="628" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now that you have begun taking steps toward earning your MBA, you may be wondering whether a joint JD/MBA degree could be a good option for you. Or perhaps you have been considering a JD/MBA all along. After two decades of consulting MBA, JD, and joint JD/MBA aspirants, we have learned a few things about this joint degree option, so let us offer some insight into both its utility and some additional factors you may want to consider.</span></p> <p><span id="more-18340"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A JD/MBA degree can benefit your long-term career by giving you valuable skills and insight that could make you more versatile and effective in your professional role.</span></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><b><i>If your ultimate goal is to become a corporate lawyer at a leading firm</i></b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, your primary commitment during your studies needs to be on the law. Law firms generally tend to be rigid and hierarchical, so you cannot expect to simply switch from a traditional business role to become an associate at a notable firm—this kind of shift is exceedingly rare. Nevertheless, also having an MBA offers certain advantages. For example, if you find yourself working on complicated deal structures, your MBA might enable you to better understand the complexities of certain business issues, such as equity and debt issuances. And in the long term, the extensive leadership skills you would gain from the MBA experience will likely make you a more adept manager of employees and clients, and this in turn could facilitate your rise to partner. </span></li> <p></p> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><b><i>If your post-graduate goal is to become a traditional business professional</i></b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, knowing the law could give you a comparative advantage over your peers and colleagues who do not. For example, if you become a banker or private equity associate and are working on a complex deal, understanding basic employment law or grasping the liabilities that a new entity will take on (or not take on) could help you craft more effective approaches and solutions. Likewise, having a profound legal education could help you add nuance in advising clients.</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, double the degree means that some of the pros and cons of the graduate school experience are likewise doubled. Here are a few primary ones to consider.</span></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><b><i>A larger and more expansive network</i></b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: You are probably already very aware that earning an advanced degree automatically makes you part of a broad network of classmates and alumni from your chosen institution. So, imagine that you are accepted to Harvard Business School, immediately joining a network of your approximately 925 classmates, plus all the graduates who have gone before you. Now imagine you </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">also</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> get into Harvard Law School, which connects you with roughly 580 </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">more</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> classmates as well as </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">that</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> school’s alumni. You will no doubt graduate with plenty of accomplished friends who will go on to become successful professionals in organizations around the world. Networks can be extremely valuable at all stages of your career, and having access to literally thousands of additional individuals who will generally be inclined to respond to a call or email from you is even more advantageous. </span></li> <p></p> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><b><i>A more substantial financial investment</i></b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: Taking the time to pursue an advanced degree involves two primary expenditures—the cost of the program (mainly tuition, but also living and other associated expenses) and the </span><a href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/is-the-mba-worth-it-go-beyond-roi/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">income “lost” during your years out of the workforce</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (salary, bonuses, retirement contributions, etc.). By choosing a four-year JD/MBA program over a two-year MBA program, you are essentially doubling the cost of your degree. For example, at the University of Virginia’s (UVA) Darden School of Business, you would need to pay approximately $70K tuition for the first year of your MBA. Then you must pay the UVA Law School tuition of approximately $66K per year for two years. And for your fourth year, you pay one semester of tuition for each school (roughly $68K combined). The additional years needed for the joint degree represent a significant financial investment, not only in tuition ($270K versus $140K) but also in those two extra years without income. However, if you are fully committed to pursuing a joint degree, an accelerated three-year program—such as the one offered by Yale—could offer a “break” of sorts because you could return to the workforce one year sooner. We, of course, advise you to examine the student budgets at each program as you decide which path to take. </span></li> <p></p> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><b><i>Double the admissions efforts</i></b><span style="font-weight: 400;">: At most institutions with JD/MBA programs, you must apply to—and be accepted by—both the business school and the law school separately. This is the case, for example, at Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, the University of Michigan, Duke University, UVA, and New York University. Fortunately, some other top institutions, including Northwestern University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Chicago, require only one application. Although such an important educational decision should not be determined by how cumbersome the application process is, applying to graduate school can unquestionably be grueling. Studying for and taking the required entrance exam, writing essays, securing recommendations, interviewing, scheduling class visits—doubling all these efforts may be a necessary evil but will certainly not be a lot of fun. That said, some schools will allow you to apply to their JD/MBA program after your first year of MBA studies, which does not exactly eliminate the additional work required but does minimize it slightly, as well as offering a break between processes. </span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The decision to pursue any advanced degree is a hefty one, requiring you to consider the potential effect on your long-term career, the entire financial impact, the stress and challenge of the admissions process, and the rigor required to complete the studies. And committing to a JD/MBA program entails additional demands and concerns in all these areas. If you are truly interested in applying to a JD/MBA program, we suggest that you inform yourself thoroughly about this path by speaking to individuals enrolled in such programs as well as the schools’ alumni about every stage of the experience. And of course, if you need any further advice, contact us anytime for a </span><a href="http://www.mbamission.com/consult.php"><span style="font-weight: 400;">free consultation</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p> <hr /> <p><a href="http://www.mbamission.com/"><b><i>mbaMission</i></b></a><b><i> is the leader in MBA admissions consulting with a full-time and comprehensively trained staff of consultants</i></b><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, all with profound communications and MBA experience. mbaMission has helped thousands of candidates fulfill their dream of attending prominent MBA programs around the world. Take your first step toward a more successful MBA application experience with a free 30-minute consultation with one of mbaMission’s senior consultants.</span></i></p> <p> </p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/is-earning-a-jd-mba-degree-right-for-me/">Is Earning a JD/MBA Degree Right for Me?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel> </rss>