Your GMAT

Success Kit
9 out of 10 new MBA enrollments
globally are made using a GMAT score.*
*Refers to Top 100 Financial Times full-time MBA programs

Study Guide Test Tips Practice Questions

mba.com
“Preparing for Contents
the GMAT puts
you back in the Introduction 3
right mind of being Get-Ready Guide 5
a student and helps
you know what GMAT Exam Format and Timing 6
it’s going to take Study Smart For Your Best GMAT 8
to succeed in
business school. ” Test Prep Products 9
Exclusive GMAT Questions 10
Jay Ramsey, Class of 2013
Mason School of Business
The College of William & Mary
Answer Key 19
Conclusion 23

2
Introduction

“What if I’m not a

good test taker?” “
If you put the
We hear this often from candidates who
are worried they may not do as well as
time in, you’ll
they like on the GMAT exam. We’re here do just fine.
to tell you that good test-takers aren’t
born that way. They just understand
how to study and prepare for the GMAT
in a way that enables them to arrive on
test day focused, confident, and ready Matt Rowenczak
to do their best. Terry College of Business,
University of Georgia,
Class of 2014

You can become a strong GMAT test taker by following the three Ps:
Preparation: Practice: Pacing:
Be ready, relaxed, and focused on test day by Approach practice tests with purpose to get Practice at an appropriate pace to allow yourself
understanding the question types, how you you in the habit of focusing for an extended to become accustomed to the pacing of the
learn, and what to expect on test day. period of time. actual exam and maintain your stamina.

3
Introduction
Score your best GMAT exam with
the right mindset and approach.
We put together this kit to help
you get GMAT ready the way
strong test takers do: by following
a study plan, knowing how to get
the most out of practice tests,
understanding how you learn,
and approaching the exam with
a positive attitude.

“
[The GMAT exam]
is the only way
of assessing
candidates.

If you get stuck on a question during the exam, take an educated

Laura Russo guess and move on. The GMAT exam’s computer adaptive algorithm
MBA Recruiting and Admissions will adjust, even if you guessed wrong. It is better to finish the exam
SDA Bocconi School of Management than run out of time.

Get more tips.

4
Get-Ready Guide
How do I get started?
Being a little nervous about taking the GMAT is normal. You’ll overcome any test-taking jitters and reach your potential by approaching the exam with a solid study plan. Planning and preparing for the GMAT exam are the foundations of your best score.
Use this guide for resources and tips that can help you plan a course toward your best GMAT.

An eight-week study plan is provided below.

WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5 WEEK 6 WEEK 7 WEEK 8

Objectives • Become familiar with the • Practice and refine your • Assess progress • Focus on time management • Assess progress • Build confidence • Assess readiness • Prepare for test day
GMAT exam study plan

• Learn about the GMAT Exam • Answer the first 1/3 of • Create practice sets based on • Use a timer and practice • Continue using timed practice tests • Review questions you got wrong • Take the second of two practice • Review challenging questions and
in the GMAT Official Guide practice questions in each question type and difficulty at answering questions under and focus on specific areas on practice tests tests off GMATPrep Exam Pack 1 at go over answer explanations
and mba.com section of the Official Guide gmat.wiley.com time pressure • Use GMAT Focus® and IR the end of the week
Tasks • Take the first of two practice tests • Develop a time management
• Go to mba.com and download • Identify strengths and • Take the second of two practice • Create timed practice sets with off GMATPrep® Exam Pack 1 at the Prep Tools for more targeted • Pay attention to pacing throughout strategy based on your strengths
the free GMATPrep® software. weaknesses and create a tests on the GMATPrep software the online version of the GMAT end of the week practice in quantitative the practice test and weaknesses
Take one of the two free detailed two-week study plan at the end of week Official Guide and integrated reasoning • Review the test in full to assess
practice tests to set • Review the test in full and adjust the • Think through logistics for Test
• Continually review answer • Review the test results in full 2-week study plan accordingly • Use GMAT Official Practice progress and readiness for Test Day Day and be sure to rest up!
a baseline Questions for more
explanations and refine your and adjust the 2-week study • Review the GMAT Handbook on mba.
approach to questions plan accordingly targeted practice com for what to bring to the test
center and what to expect

Materials • GMAT Official Guide • GMAT Official Guide • GMAT Official Guide • GMAT Official Guide • GMAT Official Guide • GMAT Official Guide • GMATPrep® Exam Pack 1 • GMAT Official Guide
• GMAT Official Practice Test #1 • GMATPrep free practice test
®
• GMATPrep Exam Pack 1
®
• GMAT Focus and IR Prep Tools

Don’t worry about your score Questions in each section of When taking a practice test, try Time management is very The online version of the GMAT We suggest spending as much Note that because the GMAT Don’t try to cram too much in
Tips on the first practice test! The the GMAT Official Guide are to simulate a real test experience important on the GMAT exam. Official Guide contains 58 IR time reviewing questions as exam is a computer-adaptive the last week; focus on building
goal is to become familiar with ordered based on level of and minimize the number of Develop a sense of when to work questions that are not available in answering them. test, the questions will get harder confidence and keeping your
the exam and set a baseline for difficulty from easy to hard. distractions that could disrupt through a question and when the book. as you answer them correctly, so mind fresh.
measuring your progress. your concentration. to make an educated guess it will feel more difficult as the
and move on. exam progresses.

5
GMAT Exam Format and Timing

What does the GMAT exam cover?

Now that you’ve had a chance to get organized, start building
your study plan. Check out the next page for a snapshot of
what you’ll see in each section of the GMAT exam.
Learn more on mba.com

Worried about doing well on one section

that you found particularly hard? It’s
better to practice taking a full test than
just those sections you found difficult.
Get more tips.

6
What You’ll See In Each Section

AWA Integrated Reasoning Quantitative Verbal

Number of 1 12 37 41
Questions Essay Questions Questions Questions
cc Analysis of an Argument cc Multi-source cc Data Sufficiency cc Reading
Reasoning cc Problem Solving Comprehension
Question cc Graphics Interpretation cc Critical
Type cc Two-part Analysis Reasoning
cc Table of Analysis cc Sentence
Correction

Timing 30 minutes 30 minutes 75 minutes 75 minutes

Your ability to think critically Your ability to evaluate Your ability to analyze Your ability to read
and communicate your ideas information presented in data and draw and understand written
What is multiple formats from conclusions using material, evaluate
Measured multiple sources basic math skills arguments, and
correct written material

Score 0-6 1-8 0-60 0-60

(in half point intervals) (in single digit intervals)

Your GMAT score is about more than

how many questions are correct.

Get more tips.

7
Study Smart For Your Best GMAT

How much time should Figure 1 Figure 2

I spend studying? Median Total Study Hours by
Hours Spent Preparing for
When it comes to studying for the the GMAT® Exam* Self-Reported GMAT® Score*
GMAT exam, there really are no secrets
or tricks—just planning and preparation. 90
80
The time you should spend preparing 60
is unique to you. However, we can tell 27% 23% 45
you how much time others spend
getting ready for the GMAT. Use the
information to the right as a guideline. 22%
28%
< 500 500-590 600-690 > 700

“
Self-reported GMAT score
20 hours or fewer 21 to 50 hours *N = 4,384
Study well, but 51 to 100 Hours 101 hours or more
Source: GMAC (2017) mba.com Prospective Students
Survey. Data collected in 2016.
remember that
you’ve probably *N=4,528
Source: GMAT (2017) mba.com Prospective Students
always been nervous Survey. Data collected in 2016.

for tests, then

probably always
done just fine. Perfect can be the enemy of the good...and even the great.
Finishing the GMAT exam is far more important to a good
score than getting every answer correct—and risking
Ethan Prostrel running out of time.
Crummer Graduate School of Business,
Rollins College, Class of 2015
Get more tips.

8
Test Prep Products For Your Best GMAT

Rise to the challenge

Did you know? People who complete at least one full-length GMATPrep
“
The GMAT exam
has been a very
practice test score, on average, 80 points higher than those who don’t. solid predictor of
Enhance your study plan with these and other prep tools available on mba.com. academic success
and it is certainly
AWA: GMAT Write® one of our most
Gain confidence in your writing abilities with this web-based essay writing practice tool. important factors
With real GMAT writing prompts and instant feedback on your essays, you’ll quickly learn in the admissions
to think critically and communicate ideas. process.
Integrated Reasoning: IR Prep Tool
The official GMAT Integrated Reasoning Prep Tool features 48 IR items and answer
explanations, unlimited practice sessions, customizable question sets and tools to practice Amanda Barth
pacing. The only IR prep tool on the market.
Director of MBA Admissions
Quant: GMAT Focus ® Mason School of Business
The College of William & Mary
Using real GMAT questions, the GMAT Focus® diagnostic evaluates your performance in
critical testing categories, provides you with a highly accurate score, and ranks you in relation
to previous GMAT examinees. By knowing your strengths and weaknesses, you can better
prepare for success. A little more Spock,
GMAT Official Guide Verbal Review 2018: Book + Online
® and a little less
The GMAT exam lets you showcase all of your skills – not just math. Prepare for the Einstein: You don’t
Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction sections of the need to be a math
GMAT exam with 300 real GMAT questions, including 75 questions new to this edition. whiz to do well on
Get more tips.
On Demand GMAT® Study Collection the GMAT exam.
Need a deep dive into the GMAT exam? Gain instant access to five products featuring 13
Instead, like Spock,
complete GMAT exams and 1,100 real GMAT questions. With questions covering the Verbal, you need to be able
Quantitative, and Integrated Reasoning sections of the exam, this collection is our most to think logically.
comprehensive set of online and downloadable GMAT study products available.

9
Ready, Set, Go!
10 Exclusive GMAT Practice Test Questions

Here’s what you’ve really been

waiting for, right?
Whether you feel a little nervous or fully confident, practicing
each question type will make you a stronger GMAT test taker.

Learn how others conquered the GMAT on mba.com

The best thing

you can do during
the GMAT exam is
to focus on the
question at hand.
Get more tips.
Don’t waste time
trying to guess
the difficulty level
of the question.

10
Analytical Writing Integrated Reasoning Why focus on
Assessment The four types of Integrated Reasoning Integrated Reasoning?
(IR) questions measure how well you
Be prepared for the Analytical Writing integrate data to solve complex
Assessment (AWA)! All AWA topics are
available as a downloadable pdf.
problems and test the following skills:
• Synthesizing information presented
“
Being able to
in graphics, text, and numbers digest volumes of
For this exam question, you will
• Evaluating relevant information information and make
discuss how well reasoned you find
these arguments and will be asked to from different sources recommendations
analyze the line of reasoning and the • Organizing information to see based upon what
use of evidence in the argument. relationships and to solve multiple, you see is critical
interrelated problems for Intel’s
• Combining and manipulating future success.
information from multiple sources
to solve complex problems
View Sample questions here. Melissa Evers-Hood
Intel Corporation

11
Quant
Problem Solving

“
1. Question 2. Question

In a recent election, James received My remedy for

MEMBERSHIP OF 0.5 percent of the 2,000 votes cast. pre-test nerves?
ORGANIZATION X, 1988 To win the election, a candidate
needed to receive more than 50 Listen to calming music,
Honorary Members............................78 percent of the vote. How many take deep breaths,
Fellows...............................................9,209 additional votes would James
Members.......................................35,509 have needed to win the election? and visualize yourself
Associate Members................27,909
Answer Choices:
doing great on
Affiliates.............................................2,372
A. 901 the test!”
According to the table above, the B. 989
number of fellows was approximately
what percent of the total membership
C. 990 Jeremy Sage
D. 991 Atkinson Graduate School of Management
of Organization X? Willamette University
E. 1,001 Class of 2014
Answer Choices:
A. 9%
B. 12%
C. 18%
D. 25%
E. 35%

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12
Quant
Data Sufficiency

3. Question 4. Question

If on a fishing trip Jim and Tom each caught some fish, How many of the boys in a group of 100 children
which one caught more fish? have brown hair?
(1) Jim caught 2/3 as many fish as Tom. (1) Of the children in the group, 60 percent have brown hair.
(2) After Tom stopped fishing, Jim continued to fish until he (2) Of the children in the group, 40 are boys.
caught 12 fish.
Answer Choices
Answer Choices
A. Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient but statement
A. Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient but statement (2) ALONE is not sufficient.
(2) ALONE is not sufficient.
B. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient but statement
B. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient but statement (1) ALONE is not sufficient.
(1) ALONE is not sufficient.
C. BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but
C. BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient.
NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient.
D. EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.
D. EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.
E. Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are not sufficient.
E. Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are not sufficient.

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13
Verbal Analysis
Reading Comprehension
NOTE: Both questions 5 and 6 refer to this passage.

(The following is based on material written in 1996.)

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, signed in 1987 by more than 150 nations,
has attained its short-term goals: it has decreased the rate of increase in amounts of most ozone depleting
chemicals reaching the atmosphere and has even reduced the atmospheric levels of some of them. The
projection that the ozone layer will substantially recover from ozone depletion by 2050 is based on the
assumption that the protocol’s regulations will be strictly followed. Yet there is considerable evidence of
violations, particularly in the form of the release of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are
commonly used in the refrigeration, heating, and air conditioning industries. These violations reflect industry
attitudes; for example, in the United States, 48% of respondents in a recent survey of subscribers to Air
Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration News, an industry trade journal, said that they did not believe that
CFCs damage the ozone layer. Moreover, some in the industry apparently do not want to pay for CFC substitutes,
which can run five times the cost of CFCs. Consequently, a black market in imported illicit CFCs has grown.
Estimates of the contraband CFC trade range from 10,000 to 22,000 tons a year, with most of the CFCs
originating in India and China, whose agreements under the Protocol still allow them to produce CFCs. In fact,
the United States Customs Service reports that CFC-12 is a contraband problem second only to illicit drugs.

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14
Verbal Analysis
Reading Comprehension

5. Question 6. Question

The passage suggests which of the following about According to the passage, which of the following best
the illicit trade in CFCs? describes most ozone-depleting chemicals in 1996 as
compared to those in 1987?
Answer Choices
Answer Choices:
A. It would cease if manufacturers in India and China
stopped producing CFCs. A. The levels of such chemicals in the atmosphere
had decreased.
B. Most people who participate in such trade do not
believe that CFCs deplete the ozone layer. B. The number of such chemicals that reached the
atmosphere had declined.
C. It will probably surpass illicit drugs as the largest
contraband problem faced by the United States C. The amounts of such chemicals released had
Customs Service. increased but the amounts that reached the
atmosphere had decreased.
D. It is fostered by people who do not want to pay
the price of CFC substitutes. D. The rate of increase in amounts of such chemicals
reaching the atmosphere had decreased.
E. It has grown primarily because of the expansion of
the refrigeration, heating, and air-conditioning E. The rate at which such chemicals were being
industries in foreign countries. reduced in the atmosphere had slowed.

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15
Verbal Analysis
Critical Reasoning

7. Question

The table above represents the “

Going in with a
GMAT Official
combined net income of all United
States companies in each of five Guide 2018
sectors for the second quarter of sense of calm is
1996. Which sector had the greatest what made that
net income during the first quarter
of 1996? last run successful.
Answer Choices
A. Basic Materials
B. Energy
C. Industrial
Jessica Galimore
Robert H. Smith School of Business
D. Utilities University of Maryland, Class of 2013

More practice questions

than ever before
Whether you have three days or three
months until your exam date, we have
products that fit your needs.

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16
Verbal Analysis
Critical Reasoning

8. Question

A factory was trying out a new process for producing one of its products, with the goal of reducing production costs. A trial
production run using the new process showed a fifteen percent reduction in costs compared with past performance using
the standard process. The production managers therefore concluded that the new process did produce a cost savings.
Which of the following, if true, casts most doubt on the production managers’ conclusion?
Answer Choices:
A. In the cost reduction project that eventually led to the trial of the new process, production managers had initially
been seeking cost reductions of fifty percent.
B. Analysis of the trial of the new process showed that the cost reduction during the trial was entirely attributable to a
reduction in the number of finished products rejected by quality control.
C. While the trial was being conducted, production costs at the factory for a similar product, produced without benefit
of the new process, also showed a fifteen percent reduction.
D. Although some of the factory’s managers have been arguing that the product is outdated and ought to be
redesigned, the use of the new production process does not involve any changes in the finished product.
E. Since the new process differs from the standard process only in the way in which the stages of production are
organized and ordered, the cost of the materials used in the product is the same in both processes.

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17
Verbal Analysis
Sentence Correction

9. Question 10. Question

There is no consensus on what role, if any, is played by In 1973 mortgage payments represented twenty-one
acid rain in slowing the growth or damaging forests in the percent of an average thirty-year-old male’s income;
eastern United States. and forty-four percent in 1984
Answer Choices: Answer Choices
A. slowing the growth or damaging A. income; and forty-four percent in 1984
B. the damage or the slowing of the growth of B. income; in 1984 the figure was forty-four percent
C. the damage to or the slowness of the growth of C. income, and in 1984 forty-four percent
D. damaged or slowed growth of D. income, forty-four percent in 1984 was the figure
E. damaging or slowing the growth of E. income that rose to forty-four percent in 1984

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18
Answer Key

Quant Quant
Problem Solving Data Sufficiency

1. Answer: B 3. Answer: A
Explanation: Explanation:
From the table, the number of fellows is 9,209, and the total Statement (1) indicates that Jim caught fewer fish than Tom.
membership is the sum of the 5 numbers, which is 75,077. Therefore, (1) alone is sufficient to answer the question, and the
Therefore, the number of fellows is 9,209/75,077 of the total answer must be A or D. Statement (2) gives no information about
membership, or approximately 12 percent. The best answer is B. the number of fish Tom caught. Therefore, (2) alone is not suffi-
cient. And the best answer is A.

2. Answer: D 4. Answer: E
Explanation: Explanation:
James received 0.5 percent of 2000 votes, which is (0.005) From statement (1), only the total number of children who have
(2000) = 10 votes. To win he needed more than 50 percent of brown hair can be determined, so (1) alone is not sufficient.
2000, so he needed (0.5)(2000 Therefore, the answer must be B, C, or E. Clearly (2) alone is not
sufficient because nothing is said about brown hair. Therefore, the
answer must be C or E. From statements (1) and (2) together, only
the total number of children who have brown hair and the number
of boys in the group are known. Thus, (1) and (2) together are not
sufficient, and the best answer is E.

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19
Answer Key

Verbal Verbal
Reading Comprehension Reading Comprehension

5. Answer: D 6. Answer: D
Explanation: Explanation:
This question asks what the passage implies about the illicit This question asks you to identify a claim that is made in the
trade in CFC’s. The best answer is D. The passage states that passage about ozone-depleting chemicals. The best answer is D.
some industry members appear not to want to pay the price The passage, written in 1996, states that the rate of increase
of CFC substitutes, and that consequently a black market in in amounts of most ozone-depleting chemicals reaching the
cheaper CFC’s has emerged. This implies that the black market atmosphere had been reduced since 1987. Choice A can be
is fostered at least in part by those industry members who are eliminated because the passage states that the atmospheric
unwilling to pay the higher price of CFC substitutes. Choice A levels of some ozone-depleting chemicals has been reduced,
can be eliminated because the passage states that only that not that the levels of most had been reduced. Choice B is
most contraband CFC’s originate in India and China. This does incorrect because the actual number of different chemicals
not imply that the illicit trade in CFC’s could not continue reaching the atmosphere is not provided in the passage, nor is
without manufacturers in those countries. Choice B is not it claimed that the number had declined. Choice C is not correct
correct because the passage does not provide information because the passage does not claim that there was an increase
about the beliefs of participants in the illicit CFC trade. Choice in the amounts of ozone-depleting chemicals released between
C is incorrect because the passage states only that the United 1987 and 1996. Choice E is incorrect because there is no
States Customs Service considers the illicit CFC trade to be indication in the passage that the rate of reduction of
a problem second only to the illicit drug trade; there is no atmospheric chemicals had slowed between 1987 and 1996.
suggestion in the passage that the illicit CFC trade is
expected to develop into a larger problem than the illicit drug
trade. Choice E is incorrect because the passage attributes
the growth of the illicit trade in CFC’s to the high cost of CFC
substitutes, not to an expansion of refrigeration, heating, and
air-conditioning industries in foreign countries.

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20
Answer Key

Verbal Verbal
Critical Reasoning Critical Reasoning

7. Answer: A 8. Answer: C
Explanation: Explanation:
The table shows net income in billions of dollars and the percent The managers concluded that the new process produced a cost
change from the first quarter to the second. According to the savings on the basis of a trial run of the process in which costs
table, net income in the basic materials sector decreased by 26 were 15 percent lower than they had been previously. You are
percent 29 from the first quarter to the second. If x represents asked to identify something that casts doubt on their conclusion.
the net income in the first quarter, (0.74)x = 4.83, and x = 6.53. Choice C is the best answer. If production costs at the factory
The energy sector net income increased by 40 percent. If y fell for a similar product that was produced without using the
represents the net income in the first quarter, (1.40)y = 7.46, so new process, it is more doubtful that the observed production
y < 6. The industrial sector changed by only 1 percent to 5.00, cost reductions achieved during the trial run were actually
so the first quarter value had to be less than 6.53. For utilities, produced by the new process. Choice A is incorrect; the fact
the net income increased about 300 percent, which means that that the managers had hoped for cost reduction of fifty percent
the net income in the first quarter was about 1/4 of 8.57, which is does not cast any doubt on their conclusion that the new
clearly less than 6.53. The conglomerates sector net income the process had produced at least some savings. Choice For more
first quarter was less than 2.07, so the basic materials net income free practice questions, register on mba.com 30 B is incorrect
was greatest in the first quarter. The best answer is A. since finding the source of the cost savings in the trial shows
that the savings were no mere accident and so reinforces the
managers’ conclusion. Choices D and E are incorrect since by
emphasizing that certain aspects of the product — its design
and raw materials — were the same in the standard process and
the new process, these two answer choices support, rather than
cast doubt on, the conclusion that the process itself produced
the savings.

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21
Answer Key

Verbal Verbal
Sentence Correction Sentence Correction

9. Answer: E 10. Answer: B

Explanation: Explanation:
The corrected sentence must make clear that both damaging To establish the clearest comparison between circumstances in
and slowing the growth of refer to forests. E is the only choice 1973 and those in 1984, a separate clause is needed to describe
that does so without introducing errors. In choice A, of is each year. Choices A and C, in failing to use separate clauses,
required after growth. In choices B and C, the use of the are too elliptical and therefore unclear. Choice A also incorrectly
damage instead of damaging produces awkward and wordy uses and and a semicolon to separate an independent clause
constructions, and without to after damage, B is grammatically and a phrase. Choice D incorrectly separates two independent
incomplete. In C, the slowness of does not convey the clauses with a comma; moreover, the placement of in 1984 is
original sense that the rate of growth has been slowed by acid awkward and confusing. In choice E, that refers illogically to
rain. Choice D also changes the meaning of the sentence by income, thereby producing the misstatement that income
making both damaged and slowed refer to growth. rather than mortgage payments rose to forty-four percent in
1984. Choice B is best; two properly constructed clauses that
clearly express the comparison are separated by a semicolon.

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22
Good Luck!
You got this!

A solid study plan and positive attitude are the keys

to achieving your best GMAT. And with your best
score, the next step is to find the best school for you. “
The GMAT really
The path to business school doesn’t stop with the GMAT. Schools are does set you
looking for you and we can help you connect with them by signing up for
the GMASS® Search Service. The GMASS tool lets you learn about business apart and make
programs that highlight your background and match your interests. It only a difference.
takes a few minutes of your time and it’s free!
Visit mba.com/gmass.

Sakhi
IE Business School, Class of 2014

mba.com
23