How Changes to the GMAT Will Affect You

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I've reviewed the new types on the gmac site. They look a bit challenging. They have some similarity to GRE data interpretation.
Kaplan's point about scores being lower after a change seems to miss the fact that the scaled scores are on a curve. If everyone does worse, the curve is just lower.
Kaplan is hardly an objective source for an article like this. Most of what they say is PR, unfortunately.
Nevertheless, the new section will be a significant challenge. It is possible that schools will not quite know what to make of it for a few years. Not a bad idea to take the test before the change.
Based on 20 years of teaching the GMAT, I'd say the new section will be learnable if you can find an actual test prep specialist, as opposed to the inexperienced teachers hired by companies like Kaplan.
Jay Cutts
Director, Cutts Graduate Reviews
Lead Author, Barron's Test Prep Publications
www.cuttsreviews.com

Jay Cutts of NM 3:36PM November 15, 2011

When will people realize that standardized testing does NOT measure how clever or smart one person is? Isn't the current economy a good example? All those top MBA students that get recruited to work on wall street and top investment banks surely send this economy on a turmoil. What about the ethical, decision making sills and leadership skills required to make sound decisions that do not negatively impact the economy and the world in effect? Instead greed took over the economy and now the most vulnerable person is suffering because this so called "SMART/CLEVER" MBA'S that get into this top schools because they got top scores on the GMAT decided to make decisions that would benefit them. How ironical.

cnm of IL 9:49AM July 27, 2010

Those b-school students (future managers) need to know how to view the whole system analytically, not just be limited to some highly specialized areas of concentration.
And for the love of God, force them to come in the doors more well-rounded.
Imagine watching an organizational group struggle to improve sales numbers, yet have no concept that what's part of the problem is that the entire organization is so into cost-cutting that they're operating with a skeleton crew (part-time HR, managers off the actual sales floor most of the week, sparsely supervised work units bickering constantly among themselves as a result of little supervisory presence for extended periods of time, and no top leadership to pull the entire mess together).
The liberal arts majors should not have to come into organizations and do the analysis that the b-school people should be capable of doing.
Yes. Score them on integrated reasoning before they get into b-school.
It could mean better profits for the organizations those future managers end up joining.

A Liberal Arts Trained Opinion of IL 11:58AM July 10, 2010

The new question type isn't part of the verbal or quant section, so it will have no effect on the applicant's score out of 800. Integrated Reasoning will have a separate score, just like the AWA does now. Of course Kaplan is saying "Hurry up and take the test (and our class) now!"

Griffin of NY 12:40PM July 09, 2010

"testing different skills" is the key. It's very important as every students has different skills. This will help to give better education to students by putting more emphasis on their skills.

Sophia 10:07AM July 09, 2010