Myth vs FACT-1

M - If I don't score in the 90th percentile, I won't get into any school I choose.

F - Very few people get super-high scores.

Less than 50 of the more than 200,000 people taking the GMAT exam each year get a perfect score of 800. Thus, while you may be exceptionally capable, the odds are against your achieving a perfect score. Also, the GMAT exam is just one piece of your application packet. Admissions officers use GMAT scores in conjunction with undergraduate record, application essays, interviews, letters of recommendation, and other information when deciding whom to accept into their program.

Myth vs FACT-2

M - Getting an easier question means I answered the last one wrong.

F - Getting an easier question does not necessarily mean you got the previous question wrong.

To ensure that everyone receive the same content, the test selects a specific number of questions of each type. The test may call for your next question to be a relatively hard problem solving item involving arithmetic operations. But, if there are on more relatively difficult problem solving items involving arithmetic, you might be given an easier item.

Most people are not skilled at estimating item difficulty, so don't worry when taking the test or waste valuable time trying to determine the difficulty of the question you are answering.

Myth vs FACT-3

M - You need very advanced math skills to get a high GMAT score.

F - The math skills tested on the GMAT test are quite basic.

The GMAT exam only requires basic quantitative analytic skills. You should review the underlying math skills (algebra, geometry, basic arithmetic) presented in this book, but the required skill level is low. The difficulty of GMAT Quantitative questions stems from the logic and analysis used to solve the problems and not the underlying math skills.

Myth vs FACT-4

M - It is more important to respond correctly to the test questions than it is to finish the test.

F - There is a severe penalty for not completing the GMAT test.

If you are stumped by a question, give it your best guess and move on. If you guess incorrectly, the computer program will likely give you an easier question, which you are likely to answer correctly, and the computer will rapidly return to giving you questions matched to your ability. If you don't finish the test, your score will be reduced greatly. Failing to answer five verbal questions, for example, could reduce a person's score from the 91st percentile to 77th percentile. Pacing is important.

Myth vs FACT-5

M- The first 10 questions are critical and you should invest the most time on those.

F- All questions count.

It is true that the computer-adaptive testing algorithm uses the first 10 questions to obtain an initial estimate of your ability; however, that is only an initial estimate. As you continue to answer questions, the algorithm self-corrects by computing an updated estimate on the basis of all the questions you have taken, and then administers items that are closely matched to this new estimate of your ability. Your final score is based on all your responses and considers the difficulty of all the questions you answered. Taking additional time on the first 10 questions will not game the system and can hurt your ability to finish the test.