The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) recently launched a new product called the Executive Assessment (EA) or mini GMAT, which is designed specifically for Executive MBA courses. It serves a different purpose than the GMAT.
- Understanding the Executive Assessment
- Why Take the Executive Assessment
- Mini GMAT Format
- Reasons behind the introduction of Mini MBA
- Preparing for the Executive Assessment
- Difference between Mini GMAT and GMAT
- All About Mini GMAT FAQs
Understanding the Executive Assessment
The EA is a computer-adaptive test that evaluates a candidate's readiness for rigorous academic work in an EMBA program. It assesses critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical writing skills, all essential for success in a demanding business environment.
Key Features of the Executive Assessment
- The EA is significantly shorter than the GMAT, taking approximately 90 minutes to complete. This makes it a more convenient option for busy professionals.
- The EA concentrates on the fundamental skills required for business school success, such as verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and integrated reasoning.
- The difficulty level of questions adjusts based on the candidate's performance, ensuring a personalized and challenging experience.
- The Integrated Reasoning section is unique and tests the ability to analyze and synthesize information from various sources, a skill highly valued in the modern business world.
Why Take the Executive Assessment
There are four major reasons why you should consider taking the Mini GMAT exam and they are as follows:
- Time Constraints: The shorter duration of the EA aligns well with the busy schedules of working professionals.
- Focus on Practical Skills: The EA emphasizes skills directly applicable to real-world business challenges.
- Reduced Test Anxiety: The streamlined format and shorter duration can help alleviate test anxiety.
- Acceptance by Top EMBA Programs: A growing number of prestigious EMBA programs worldwide accept the EA scores.
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Mini GMAT Format
The format of Mini GMAT includes 40 questions in total, which are divided into three sections—Integrated Reasoning, Math and Verbal. All three sections last for 30 minutes each.
| Sections |
No. of Questions |
Question Types |
Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated Reasoning |
12 |
This section include questions similar to questions asked in the GMAT Exam |
0-20 |
| Verbal |
14 |
Questions related to critical reasoning are similar to the GMAT Exam Questions related to sentence correction are shorter in comparison to the questions in the GMAT Exam |
0-21 |
| Quant |
14 |
Statistics, Fractions, Percentage, Number Properties, Story Problems |
0-20 |
| Total |
40 |
Score is considered all the three sections |
100-200 |
The new exam can be taken at the same test centers across the world where the GMAT is also being offered. However, you will have to be careful while taking the Mini GMAT, as you are allowed to take the exam only two times in your lifetime.
Reasons behind the introduction of Mini MBA
Experts in the field, however, have their own speculations about the reason behind the appearance of this new exam. According to John A. Byrne, author at Poets and Quants, GMAC is concerned about losing the market share from business schools since they don’t ask for GMAT scores to get admitted to their Executive MBA courses. Now GMAC has recruited select six business schools for an experimental run of Mini GMAT.
In recent years several b-schools have dumped GMAT scores as an admission requirement to Executive MBA. Many b-schools felt GMAT was not an accurate predictor of success for Executive MBA students. As a result, GMAC is hoping to convince other colleges and to bring back some of those colleges that don’t have GMAT scores as a requirement.
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Preparing for the Executive Assessment
While the EA is designed to be less time-consuming than the GMAT, effective preparation is still crucial. Here are some tips to help you prepare:
- Understand the structure of the EA, including the number of questions and time allotted for each section.
- Utilize official GMAC practice tests and resources to get a feel for the question types and difficulty levels.
- Brush up on your verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing skills.
- Practice effective time management techniques to ensure you can complete the test within the allotted time.
- Consider enrolling in a reputable test preparation course or working with a qualified tutor to receive personalized guidance and support.
Difference between Mini GMAT and GMAT
The content and syllabus of Mini GMAT are relevant to executives in terms of increased focus on critical thinking, problem-solving and analysis, rather than pure mathematics and grammatical structures. The duration of the exam is also short, lasting only 90 minutes compared to three and a half hours of GMAT.
| Feature | Executive Assessment | GMAT |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 90 minutes |
135 minutes
|
| Focus | Core business skills |
Broader range of skills
|
| Target Audience | Experienced professionals |
Recent graduates and early-career professionals
|
| Difficulty Level | Moderate | High |
| Computer Adaptive | No | Yes |
| Sections Tested | Integrated Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning | Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning & Data Insights |
| Total Questions | 40 | 64 |
For more details, check out in detail about what is the difference between Mini GMAT and GMAT Focus? Also, understand which one to choose.
The Executive Assessment offers a convenient and effective way for Indian professionals to demonstrate their readiness for an Executive MBA program. By understanding the format, preparing diligently, and making informed decisions, you can increase your chances of success in this important step towards your career advancement.
All About Mini GMAT FAQs
Q. What is the difference between the GMAT and the Executive Assessment?
A. The GMAT is a comprehensive test assessing a broader range of skills, including quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning, analytical writing assessment, and integrated reasoning. The Executive Assessment is a shorter test focused on core business skills relevant to EMBA programs.
Q. Which schools accept the Executive Assessment?
A. A growing number of prestigious EMBA programs worldwide accept the EA scores. Around 100 top-B schools in the world accept EA or Mini GMAT for EMBA admissions. Around 250+ programs apart from EMBA also accept this exam score.
Q. How can I prepare for the Integrated Reasoning section of the EA?
A. Practice analyzing and synthesizing information from various sources, such as charts, graphs, and text passages. Focus on identifying key information, drawing conclusions, and evaluating arguments.
Q. Can I retake the Executive Assessment?
A. Yes, you can retake the EA. However, there are specific guidelines and limitations regarding retake attempts. Check the official GMAC website for the latest information.
Q. How is the Executive Assessment scored?
A. The EA is scored on a scale of 1-36. A higher score indicates a higher level of readiness for an EMBA program.
You can prepare for the exam in six to eight months depending on your ability. Make sure that you understand GMAT pattern and syllabus. You must start with GMAT official study material. You must also appear for GMAT mock tests every week.
The length of the preparation will vary person to person. While some may take longer time the others may take lesser time. So there is no one concrete answer to how long it will take to prepare for GMAT.
After applying to Hertfordshire University UK, the applicants are going to receive an initial decision about their application within 2-3 working days. After the submission of the application and documents, the applicants are required to pay their tuition deposit.
Then, complete the Sponsorship interview and the financial declaration. International students are required to pay a deposit of £5,000 before registration. The balance can be paid in line with the liability dates related to the year and entry of the semester.
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6 years ago
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6 years ago
As such there is no particular preference for choosing the best month to appear for GMAT exam. It is up to the applicants to choose a relevant GMAT exam date based on their admission intakes abroad and regster accordingly. Those who wish to submit GMAT scores for Fall intake should register for July-August months. While those applying for Spring intakes can appear for the exam in September-December months. It is completely up to the students because they need time to prepare and select an apt GMAT exam date.