Preparing for the GMAT business school admissions test has been more nerve-wracking than usual recently. GMAC, the not-for-profit body that owns the exam, announced in June that it had won a court order to shut down Scoretop, a website it had accused of improperly featuring questions still being used in the computerised exam.

GMAC says it might cancel the scores of those who broke its rules by using Scoretop to share or confirm the content of “live” questions, leading to speculation that some students might be thrown out of business school or have the offer of a place on an MBA course rescinded.

In the light of this drama, I decided to have a chat with Dave Wilson, chief executive of GMAC, about the dos and don’ts of getting ready for the GMAT, which aims to test verbal and mathematical ability through multiple choice questions and essays (it is also a “computer-adaptive” test, which means it gets harder the better you do).

In the first section of the interview we talk about issues such as: the ideal length of preparation (100-120 hours spread over 7-10 weeks); new security features designed to prevent cheating; and the difficulties faced by non-native speakers of English. In the second part, we discuss the ongoing Scoretop crackdown.

Both sections can be found at the FT Podcast Player.

Tags: GMAT, MBA

July 31st, 2008 in Business schools, Podcasts | Permalink